Supplements that work…something so many of us want to know about. The supplement companies just want to take your money away. They will tell you anything to get you to buy. Today i am going to tell you about the supplements that actually work. These shouldn't surprise anyone, but this very short list should go a long way towards helping you with your goals.
In my experience there are really only 5 supplements that work as advertised.
- Whey protein
- Creatine
- Beta Alanine
- BCAA
- Multi-vitamins
Whey protein
While there is nothing special about protein powder, they are a great way to insure you get enough protein in your diet. They also serve as a clean way to add to your daily caloric intake. Whey protein digests quickly and is highly bio-available. I personally go to True Nutrition for my whey protein. I use the Team Skip blend because it tastes great and is a mix of whey and casein protein. I have had great results with it so far.
Creatine
Creatine is effective at increasing muscle protein synthesis, and it improves power output, which also helps increase muscle growth. How does creatine work? For those who remember their high school biology, creatine acts as an extra reservoir for phosphate groups. When your body starts running out of readily available ATP (for example, when lifting weights), creatine can help donate some phosphate to ADP (to give your body more ATP). In terms of real-life application, creatine basically gives your cells a bit more extra energy. Taking creatine can also cause 5-10 lbs of water-weight gain. The stress from extra water causes muscle cells to grow faster.
Beta Alanine
Beta alanine is not quite as effective as creatine, but it definitely helps maximize your potential. Beta alanine is an amino acid which is turned into carnosine in the muscles. Carnosine protects muscle cells from excess acidity, like the kind that’s produced during intense exercise. Researchers in one study observed an increase in muscle growth after beta-alanine supplementation, even after they controlled for the extra work people supplementing beta-alanine could do in the gym. That means that beta-alanine might help you build muscle on top of its ability to increase endurance.
BCAA
I swear by BCAA supplementation. There are those who say it is useless because you get BCAAs in the protein you eat, but I find that using BCAAs consistently during and after a weight training session brings about some impressive results. The best progress I've had came when I was religiously using BCAAs during and after my training sessions. They protect muscle when doing cardio. They help me get through my workouts.
Multi-vitamins
I know we should be getting our nutritional value from the food we eat, but in today's society the extra help is useful. I did research and wound up with the Kirkland brand of multi-vitamins. I find that I have much more energy when I am consistently taking multi-vitamins every single morning.
If the supplement isn't on this list it is likely it doesn't work as advertised. Buy those at your own risk.
