You work out diligently, your nutrition is near perfect, yet
you are not getting the fat burning and muscle building results you want. The only
question left to ask is “what about your supplementation routine?”
Getting fit and staying fit requires a lot of hard work and dedication
as well as knowledge, knowledge about supplementation is important and can
never be over emphasized. Right off I need to let you know that if you eat
rubbish or are not dedicated and focused in your exercise, you can pop all the
pills you like and swallow as many shakes as possible, it won’t make much
difference! Supplements are just that, to supplement hard work and dedication,
it’s not a replacement.
Now that we have got that out of the way, today I will be
looking at the best supplements to take before and after your workout, I am
writing this with a shoestring budget in mind so it’s not a long list, I have
selected the bare and most basic supplements you need to build the body of your
dreams. Stick to them, with the proper workout and nutritional program and I promise
you, results will come faster.
Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!
PRE WORKOUT
SUPPLEMENTATION: 30 TO 60 MINUTES BEFORE WORKOUT
1. CAFFEINE:
Caffeine is a powerful nervous system
stimulant that is rapidly absorbed by your body and quickly crosses into your
brain. Caffeine attaches itself to certain receptors in your brain and the end
result is a brain full of adrenaline and noradrenaline which produces feelings
of energy.
Through this mechanism and others, pre workout
caffeine supplementation dampens perceived exertion and muscle fatigue during
exercise. Its benefits also extend to post workout recovery, reducing your
perception of muscle soreness and pain. The end result of taking caffeine
before exercising is that you can work out longer and harder and recover
quicker with it in your arsenal.
HOW
TO USE IT:
Take around 200milligrams of caffeine 30 to
60 minutes before your workout, which should be enough for most adults unless
you suffer from caffeine sensitivity. More is not always better so do not go
overboard with caffeine intake. If you are taking instant coffee instead of
pills, that’s still okay, one full teaspoon should be enough for your workout.
2. CREATINE HYDROCHLORIDE:
Creatine has been around the gym for about
50 years and there is a reason why it’s so popular, it works!! Creatine exists in nature and can be derived
from eating beef and other sources of red meat, we supplement creatine because
we don’t get enough from our natural food sources. Creatine is rapidly taken in and stored in
muscles. Creatine helps the muscles to produce Adenosine Tri Phosphate (ATP)
which help provide energy to your muscles at the molecular level. Having elevated
creatine levels promotes increases in strength and power during workouts while
reducing rest and recovery times.
HOW
TO USE IT:
Creatine can be taken 30 t0 60 minutes
before your workout and immediately after your workout as it’s benefits include
increased power and reduced recovery time, just follow the instructions of any
brand you decide to buy, be sure that you get at least 5grams from a daily
dose, anything less and you are being ripped off.
3.
L-
CITRULLINE:
A common pre workout ingredient, helps
prevent muscle fatigue, and helps in the production of energy by increasing the
rate of ATP production. L Citrulline converts to Arginine which converts to
Nitrogen Oxide (NO) in the body. NO increases blood flow, nutrient supply and
waste removal in working muscles. Taking Citrulline as part of a pre workout supplement
combats exercise fatigue, time to exhaustion and substantially decreases muscle
soreness during your exercise.
HOW
TO USE IT:
If you are a hard trainer I recommend
buying a pre workout mix that has at least 5 grams of citrulline included, be
sure to take it 30 to 60 minutes before exercise.
4. BCAA :
BCAA stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids
and is one of my favourite supplements period! BCAA serves both as a pre and
post workout supplement and it was difficult for me to decide where it belongs,
so I am including it in both lists!
The BCAA’s include; Leucine, Isoleucine and
Valine and are stored in the muscle where the body converts them to energy during
heavy, time intensive exercise. Taking BCAA pre workout helps increase Amino
acids in your blood and what this does is provide energy for you to workout,
without which, your body would break down your muscles in a mad search for
amino acids, so BCAA is a muscle preserver.
HOW TO USE IT:
Take 5 to 10 grams of BCAA before your
exercise and about 5 grams after to aid recovery. Take it at least 30 minutes
before exercise and for an extra boost sip a little throughout your exercise. When
buying BCAA look for a brand with a formulation mix of leucine: Isoleucine:
Valine in the ratio of at least 2:1:1, anything less is no good.
POST
WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTATION: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRAINING
You are tired, you have just put your body
through hell, and it doesn’t matter what you did, cardio, cycling, jogging or
heavy weight training. Your body needs its fix of post workout supplement to
aid recovery, fat burning and muscle building. Below is a list of the most
important post workout supplements that you need to maximize you fitness gains.
1. WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE:
The “king” of post workout supplements, it doesn’t matter the nature of
your workout, or the sport you engage in, you cannot go wrong with whey. Whey
protein is derived from milk and is the most ideal post workout protein source.
Whey protein isolate is ideal for recovery, it contains high levels of BCAA and
promotes a spike in blood insulin levels post workout, this enables your body
to pull glycogen faster from your blood to your fatigued muscles, leading to
quicker recovery.
HOW TO USE IT:
For the best results, take 20 t0 30grams of whey protein immediately after
your workout, be careful to buy a supplement brand that has at least 20 grams
of whey in its contents label and is not just filled with sugar and other junk to
give it weight.
2. BETAINE:
The post-workout period is an ideal
time to take advantage of the body's superior absorption. Taking betaine post-workout
not only ensures absorption, but also promotes muscle protein synthesis,
through lowering homocysteine levels Additionally, the most positive studies
into betaine's effects have involved subjects taking it twice a day.
HOW TO USE IT:
Take 2 grams of betaine
immediately after training.
3.
BCAA:
We have already treated this as a pre workout, but also note that BCAA is
a fantastic post workout supplement. It aids muscle recovery post workout and
lowers fatigue, for more detail just revert to the section of BCAA’s as a pre
workout.
Thanks
and do have a wonderful weekend!
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