Bodybuilding supplements are beneficial for a number of reasons. They help in muscle growth, recovery and strength. Bodybuilding supplements enhance your energy levels, strengthens immunity, and uplift your overall performance. This article will walk you through the best bodybuilding supplements.
CREATINE MONOHYDRATE
Creatine monohydrate is a great muscle-building, power-enhancing supplement. It is especially related to energy production. Creatine supplementation increases the availability of creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr) within the muscle. Thereby it produces more energy. Creatine monohydrate also speeds up the recovery process after working out. Long-term creatine supplementation also enhances the quality of resistance training. It has proven to lead to a 5-15 percent greater increase in strength and performance.
CAFFEINE
Caffeine is a bodybuilding supplement because of its energy stimulating quality. It help you to stay active, vigilant, and energetic. Caffeine offers an effective ergogenic aid in endurance exercise as well as in high-intensity activities. Caffeine intake improves strength performance. It decreases the risk of fatigue and weakness after a workout.
BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS
Branched-chain amino acids, also known as BCAAs contain three essential amino acids. These amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, and valine. BCAAs help in boosting the strength of bodybuilders. They also improve muscle mass and speed up the recovery process. BCAAs come in the form of powder. You can take it in between the sets, or before or after a workout. The BCAAs leucine helps to regulate protein metabolism. It promotes protein synthesis and suppresses protein degradation, which in turn, improves muscle recovery. Thus, BCAAs control the damage that comes to muscles after a workout.
CITRULLINE MALATE
Citrulline malate (CM) is an energy-boosting supplement. It treats both mental and physical fatigue, especially in post-surgery patients. CM is taken by bodybuilders for boosting performance. CM offers a synergistic combination of both L-citrulline and malate. This combo helps to increase the rates of ATP during exercise, followed by the increased rates of PCr recovery after exercise. CM helps in improving exercise performance during both upper- and lower-body multiple-bout resistance exercises.
NO BOOSTERS
NO boosters refer to nitric oxide boosting supplements. Nitric oxide increases skeletal muscle blood flow and reduction in muscle soreness. Thus, it helps in increasing strength and performance. Nitric oxide supplementation helps in the improvement of strength, hypertrophy, and performance.
WHEY PROTEIN
Whey protein is a high quality milk protein. It is indeed one of the best bodybuilding supplements. Whey is fast digesting in nature. It is extracted from milk at the end of the curdling process. Whey protein supports optimal post-workout. It helps in the improvement of your muscles to recover and adapt after strenuous exercise. Whey protein also helps in the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. Whey protein is beneficial during prolonged resistance-type training.
It leads to significantly greater increases in muscle mass and strength as compared to any other protein. For best results, take whey protein with its partner, casein protein. It offers a perfect combination of slow-digesting and high-digesting protein. This blend will promote muscle hypertrophy and improve body composition. For best results, take it after resistance exercise. Together, whey and casein will increase protein synthesis up, and minimize muscle breakdown. Bodybuilders who follow up resistance training should take whey protein with carbohydrates. It will replenish the energy levels by increasing insulin and glycogen resynthesis levels. Whey protein is complete in nature because it contains all nine essential amino acids.
GLUTAMINE
Glutamine is technically a nonessential amino acid. It helps in muscle growth, muscle repair, and recovery. Glutamine helps in the removal of excess ammonia, which accumulates during intense exercise. It helps to regulate your body’s acid-base balance. Glutamine helps people involved in heavy resistance training.
FISH OILS
Fish oils are the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. It has beneficial for strength athletes and bodybuilders. It contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We know that intense resistance training causes microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. It can lead to muscle damage and inflammation and delay post-exercise recovery. Various researchers depict that omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish oil decrease post-exercise muscle soreness. It also speeds up the muscle recovery process. For best results take fish oil with BCAAs and carbs. The combination will increase protein synthesis rates, and lead to greater gains in muscle mass.
MASS GAINERS
Mass gainers are the next best bodybuilding supplements. They are high-calorie supplements. They come in the form of powder, which can be easily mixed in water or milk. Mass gainers offer a high boost in energy. It is especially noted for the promotion of muscle mass. Mass gainers contain all the macronutrients namely protein, carbs, and fats. Add to that there are certain micronutrients also like essential vitamins and minerals. Mass gainers help in keeping you energetic, muscular, and strong. For best results take it after working out. It will help in replenishing muscle mass and restore your glycogen levels.