COMMONLY USED SUPPLEMENTS !

1. Whey Protein: Is a collection of globular proteins a by-product of cheese production. Comes in 3 forms; concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate. Concentrates contain low fat and cholesterol but have higher levels of bioactive compounds and carbohydrates in the form of lactose- they are 29-89% protein by weight. Isolates have lower fat and carbs but lower in bioactive compounds- they are 90%+ protein by weight. Hydrolysates are pre-digested, partially hydrolysed whey proteins that are easily absorbed. Whey is excellent to use first thing in the morning at breakfast and after training.

2. Protein Blend: As the name suggests this is a mixture of proteins usually containing whey, soya, wheat, and egg to name but a few. The purpose of a blend is to give a time released action of digestion allowing your metabolism to always be ticking over, and supply a steady stream of amino acids into the blood stream. Can be used efficiently while dieting and as a before bed meal.

Excellent products include Extreme Nutrition PRO-6 and USN Pure Protein.

3. Weight Gainer: These are high calorie shakes often used as meal   replacements during bulking phases, where a greater calorific intake is required to build lean muscle. These vary in quality depending on manufacturer as some tend to skimp on protein and bump up the cheaper carbs to make profit. Some of the better gainers also contain creatine which gives you more bang for your buck. Suggested weight gainers are Extreme Mass 4.5kg by extreme nutrition (comes in strawberry/banana and chocolate), ISO2 Weight Gainer 5kg by ISO2 nutrition (comes in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla) and USN Muscle Fuel Mass 5kg (comes in strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and variety cream flavours).

4. Creatine: Simply put creatine helps supply energy to muscle. Approximately 50% of stored creatine originates from food mainly fresh meat. In humans creatine can be biosynthesised from 3 different amino acids namely arginine, glycine and methionine. 95% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle. It is important to note that NOT all creatines are the same. The efficency of supplemented creatine is dependant on its conversion to the useless by-product creatinine (this rate of conversion depends on the pH of the medium in which the creatine is being consumed). In other words we don’t want it to convert at all, this can be stopped by pH Buffering. So when buying creatine always go for pH buffered creatine like Kr-evolution by extreme nutrition which is in capsule form and does not required loading phases and is consumed just before and after a workout.

5. Glutamine: This is one of the most abundant amino acids in the human body, it is unessential and the body can synthesise from other aminos in the body. So why supplement? Well glutamine is primarily stored in the muscles and in the lungs, and is extremely important in boosting the immune system, and speeding recovery. It is especially important to the bodybuilder as it prevents catabolic reactions in the body (i.e. muscle wastage). Bodybuilders should consume in the range 10-30g of glutamine per day this can be from food sources such as chicken, pork, yogurt, milk or from supplementary sources such as protein shakes and free form glutamine powder or capsules. Examples rich in glutamine are Extreme PRO-6 by extreme nutrition, USN Pure Protein by USN, also Extreme Glutamine capsules .

6. Amino Acids: Simply put, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and muscle tissue, and hence indispensable to the athlete. There are 23 in total 9 of which are essential and must be supplied through food or supplementation, the other 14 are non-essential and can be made by the body. You can see that it is important to the trainer to have all 23 amino acids available to build muscle. And best to be consumed after training where the body is very receptive to nutritional uptake. Don’t be fooled, there are plenty of protein shakes out there but some don’t have the greatest amino acid profiles hence muscle gains suffer. The best supplements available with the best ratios are Extreme PRO-6, USN Pure Protein and Extreme Aminos.

7. Nitric Oxide: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a free form gas that is produced in the body and used by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. To produce this gas enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine. Nitric Oxide controls the circulation of blood and transmits messages between nerve cells. So for the Bodybuilder, increased blood flow means increased delivery of nutrients to muscles thus giving a massive pump and increase in size. Good NO supplements are Muscletech NaNO vapour, BSN NO-Xplode, Gaspari Superpump 250 and VPX NO-Shotgun.

I hope this article has helped you understand a bit about the most commonly used supplements available to assist the athelete and bodybuilder alike in their goals. Please note supplements do have there place but should only be used alongside a healthy nutritious diet.

If you have any questions please ask me in store,

René

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