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The following list of supplements are the few that I personally use or have used and can see a noticeable difference when I take them.
It’s always better to get your muscle building amino acids and micro-nutrients from food but when push comes to shove and you need the convenience to supplement, by all means, do what you gotta do.
PROTEIN POWDERS
I’m a big advocate of protein powders due to my on-the-go mobile training business and lifestyle. These powders are not only a complete protein source (meaning they have all essential and non-essential amino acids) but also vitamins and minerals as well.
For years, I would buy the 10 lb. bag of Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey which costs anywhere from $90-100. I would have 1-2 shakes per day and the bag will last me 5-6 months so this saves a lot of money.
The best options when it comes to buying protein powder are always grass-fed whey or free-range egg-based sources.
Optimum Nutrition might not be the best quality but the brand has been trusted for more than 30 years.
When it comes to picking the right brand, there’s an abundance of options. Brands that specialize in plant-based, ketogenic, and hypoallergenic are all out there.
Do some research on which one would be best suited for you and your goals.
ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAAs)
Essential Amino Acids or EAAs are compounds that the body does'nt make, you must get them from the foods you eat.
Foods rich in EAAs can be found naturally in meat and eggs and are responsible for stimulating cellular repair and boosting cell energy. All aiding in building and repairing lean muscle.
They also help to extract the nutrients from the food you eat so they can be properly absorbed by the body. Nutrients that aren’t absorbed properly can easily turn into stored energy in your fat cells (i.e. body fat).
Unlike the traditional Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)...
-EAAs sustain muscle repair growth over a longer period of time
-Are an appetite suppressant
-May have some mental health benefits as well.
The best time to take EAAs is either before, during or after a workout. On non-training days, you can take them first thing in the morning or before going to bed.
You can buy EAAs online, at your local GNC or VitaminShoppe and will cost anywhere from $25-35 for a 30 serving container. Redcon1 and Axe and Sledge Supplements are some brands I've used and work very well.
CREATINE MONOHYDRATE
Creatine was first discovered for enhanced physical performance back in the 1970s until athletes started to catch on to it in the 1990s.
Since then, it has become a popular sports supplement amount many sports like football, hockey, wrestling, and gymnastics. It can be seen in high school, college and even at professional levels.
Creatine is a substance that is found naturally in red meat and in our body’s muscle cells. It helps our muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise.
Athletes and bodybuilders have been known to take creatine in order to gain muscle, enhance strength and improve exercise performance.
When you supplement with creatine, you increase a form of stored energy called phosphocreatine in your cells that helps your body produce more of a high-energy molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
When you have more ATP circulating in your system, your body can perform better during exercise.
Think of ATP as your body’s energy currency for lifting things that are very heavy. Supplementing with creatine can also help in areas of recovery from exercise.
Creatine monohydrate is one of the cheapest, most effective and safest supplements you can take. There’s even some evidence showing that it can support quality of life in older adults with brain health.
If you’re a vegetarian, who may not obtain enough creatine from your diet, supplementing with creatine monohydrate might be a smart move.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON CREATINE
If you’re new to using creatine, some would suggest doing what’s called a load phase where you take 20 grams per day for 5–7 days. My suggestion...Start with just 5 grams daily for 7 days.
If you want to skip the loading phase, you can simply consume 3–5 grams per day, it will just take several weeks to maximize your creatine stores.
Creatine does pull more water into your muscle cells so it’s imperative to drink 1/2 to 1 gallon of water per day while taking it.
There are several, more expensive types of creatine claiming they are better than the monohydrate form but there’s no strong evidence to prove this.
Creatine monohydrate is very cheap and has copious amounts of studies done on it. Creatine exhibits no harmful side effects and contrary to popular belief, can actually prevent dehydration and cramps.
Personally, I take creatine after I weight training and that’s it. If I want to do a loading phase of 5 grams every day for a week, that’s what I’ll do.
You can choose to take more or do a loading phase but that’s completely up to the individual.
Thank you for reading!
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