And that's unfortunate, because supplements are just that -they're supposed to go with your good training and nutrition, not take the place of them. No supplement takes the place of good hard work in the gym-- none.
But out of all the emails I get from people, most of them ask me which supplements they should use to build muscle, lose fat, or increase strength.
They don't ask me how they should train or what they should eat. They want to know which supplements to shell out their hard-earned money on.
And I blame this on the slick marketing done by supplement companies. They lead you to believe that by taking their protein powder or fat loss pills, they will pack on muscle, shed fat, and get the physique they always wanted.
With that said, there are some supplements that I feel are definitely worth taking. They will help you get the most from your weight training and nutrition. Again, they won't take the place of them. But they will maximize results.
So here is my short list of the best supplements to use to build muscle, lose fat, and improve your levels of fitness.
Protein powders
Protein builds muscle. The harder you train, the more protein your body needs to repair, rebuild, and nourish muscle tissue.
Protein is supplement #1 if you want to ensure muscle gains. The best protein sources are egg, milk, and whey.
Creatine
Creatine is a tested and proven strength and muscle-building supplement. Nothing else I've tried gives you the quick and noticeable gains as creatine does.
Creatine increases creatine phosphate storage in muscle tissue and attracts more water into each muscle cell, resulting in cell volumizing (swells up bigger). The bigger your muscle cells, the bigger your muscles!
Meal replacement powders
I'll repeat the necessities of gaining muscle --- eat often and train heavy.
In fact, it's best to be eating every 3 hours or right around there. Meal replacements make eating every 3 hours a snap. Not only that, it makes eating healthy a snap.
Meal replacements allow you to get the nutrient benefits of whole food meals without the simple sugars and fats you'd normally get.
Meal replacements are a no-brainer---use them often for gaining muscle and losing fat.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue. It helps shuttle muscle-building nitrogen into muscle cells where it is used for muscle growth.
Glutamine also plays a major role in elevating growth hormone. Studies have shown that a 2-gram oral dose of glutamine elevated circulating growth hormone levels by over 400%.
Keeping a high level of circulating growth hormone helps keep the body in an anabolic, muscle building state more often.
Another huge benefit of glutamine supplementation is the positive effects it has on the immune system.
When your body requires L-glutamine to fight off infections or viruses, it will get it from muscle tissue, resulting in potential muscle loss.
When you supplement with glutamine, it can help protect the glutamine stores within the muscle tissue.
Protein Bars
These are great for when you're on the go and cannot make a whole food meal and cannot get a regular meal replacement. Keep a bunch of high quality meal replacement/protein bars with you somewhere at all times.
This way, if you can't make a meal, you can rip open a bar and get your much needed calorie boost.
Honestly, if you are going to shell out your hard earned money for supplements, you're best off choosing a couple from the list above.
I've put them in my order of importance, but they are all pretty important.
These are the cream of the crop, the ones that will bring you the best results possible.
Serious bodybuilders know the importance of gaining muscle mass and some will do anything to get the upper edge including a few who may even go the illegal and unsafe route of steroids. Most conscientious bodybuilders who wish to avoid the health dangers of steroids, not to mention the stigma attached to the unfair and illegal use of these substances can still appreciate the benefits that legal bodybuilding supplements can give them. While there are many bodybuilding supplements available, they can be broken down into four major categories including proteins or amino acids, multivitamins, creatine based supplements, and supplements engineered to accomplish specific goals. It is the goal of this article to further discuss each type of supplement and how they may benefit a bodybuilder.
Proteins are the energy source needed for growing muscle and amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins. Proteins are often used by bodybuilders and because they occur naturally in nature, they are completely safe for human consumption. In order to build muscle, bodybuilder must supply their body with the basic building blocks needed to feed new tissue growth. Protein is this necessary building block and without it muscle tissue would break down instead of grow. The protein supplements can be broken down into four categories with each having different absorption rates and uses. Whey proteins break down quickly and therefore are best taken after a workout when the body is deep into the muscle building state. Casein proteins absorb slowly and our best taken before bed. Egg-based and Soy based proteins have a medium absorption rate and can be taken at any time and while the soy based proteins are not as effective in bodybuilding, they are considered to have additional health benefits for women. Some companies that manufacture protein supplements blend all four proteins together.
Multivitamins are supplements that combine the essential vitamins and minerals that all human beings need. While anybody can benefit from multivitamins, bodybuilders need them more than the average person due to the fact that they are continuously breaking down tissue in order to build new muscle mass. While there are many companies that produce multivitamins, if you are growing muscle mass, it is best to choose a product specifically engineered with a bodybuilder in mind. A word of caution is needed here because although vitamins and minerals do occur naturally, taking more then the recommended dosage can result in dangerous and toxic effects.
Creatine based supplements work to increase muscle mass and add extra energy during a workout. While Creatine is naturally occurring in the body and considered to be safe and effective, it has developed a somewhat negative reputation in the past. More recently creatine is becoming more accepted in the body building world and scientific evidence suggest that it is useful for any bodybuilder who wishes to increase muscle mass and energy levels. This supplement comes in capsules, liquid, and powder forms and is often combined with protein supplements for enhanced effect. While many bodybuilders suggest that creatine is not absolutely necessary, a lot of serious athletes have begun using this substance in combination with other supplements for increased muscle growth.
There are a great number of bodybuilding supplements available, many of which have been engineered for specific needs. While it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss each and every one I will talk about some of the more popular. Glutamine is an amino acid found in muscle tissue and works to prevent muscle breakdown and helps increase the speed of recovery. Supplements such as natural testosterone boosters work to gain muscle and enhance mood while anabolic flavones are non hormonal flavones that increase protein absorbtion and work well when mixed with protein. Nitic oxide is also a naturally occurring supplement and works to increase blood flow while the ZMA mineral formula is said to increase anabolic levels and elevate testosterone levels. Most of the engineered supplements are quite new and have been in development for only about the past 8 years.
With all the bodybuilding supplements available it can be extremely difficult for someone to decide what works best for them and what works will ultimately depend on what your goals as a bodybuilder are, what type of a workout schedule you use, and how much muscle mass you wish to gain. There is no set in stone program that works for everyone with each individual having different needs. Hopefully this article will give you an idea of what is available and what may work for you.
Both Lebrunny & Rick Churchill are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lebrunny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Lose Weight and Build Muscle. If you want to learn which supplements are proven to help you build muscle, lose fat, and increase your strength, check out what fitness trainer Shawn Lebrun recommends to his training clients:. Lebrunny's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Rick Churchill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Data Recovery, Work From Home and Data Recovery. If you would like to learn more about bodybuilding, increasing muscle mass, and the different bodybuilding supplements available, you can go to for m. Rick Churchill's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.