Weight Lifting Supplements

 

Weight lifting supplements are widely used amongst individuals that are trying to engage in the art of body building. In fact, most of the supplements that are widely available in many health centered stores are sponsored by well known weight lifters. Basically, these supplements are designed to give body builders the edge over their competitors.

The supplements are generally made from all natural substances that the human body already encompasses. The main reason why these supplements have increased in popularity is because they are designed to give an extra boost of vitamins that a weight lifter will need in order to reach their desired body stature in a shorter amount of time.

However, before you decide to consume any supplements, regardless if they are all natural or not it would behoove you to engage in some research of the supplemental drug first. Individuals that are suffering from health problems or that consume certain medications are prohibited from consuming these substances due the escalated risks of the drugs.

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Most companies that produce these supplements are adamant to announce that their products are made from all natural products that a traditional weight lifter should be consuming on a daily basis in order to meet their desired body stature goals. However, discussing the supplement over with a trained medical professional is encouraged. Remember, that even all natural products can have adverse side effects on your body if you are not careful when it comes to consuming them.

These supplements can also provide extreme energy when they are taken in excessive amount. So you must be very careful with this. For example, one common substance which is known as creatine has had some adverse side effects on body builders that chose to neglect the substance entirely. There have been several reports issued throughout the world that reviewed over the possible side effects of utilizing body building substances on a day to day basis.

Individuals that are premature in age, generally under the age of sixteen are told that they should not use any type of supplement to help them gain extra body mass. The reason being is because these individuals are still experiencing growth at this point and time in their lives. By consuming supplements that they could counteract their bodies typical growing period and by all means disrupt the natural functions of their bodies entirely.

These substances are not all bad. In fact, adults that use the substances as they need to be used have seen amazing results in an extremely short period of time. It is only the individuals that choose to abuse the supplements that end up having problems in the near future.

Weight lifting supplements were designed to give body builders an extra boost when they need it the most. However, it is imperative that you follow all guidelines listed on the supplements that you obtain in order to be able to gain the desired body stature that you require.

Even though a great deal of these supplements will not cause any life threatening illnesses, it is always advisable to consult a professional trainer and get their expert advice.

Protein

To build muscle, you need protein. You need to supply your body with the necessary amino acids found in protein. Protein is the nutrient most responsible for the creation of new muscle tissue.

Without an adequate supply of protein, new muscular growth is not possible. If you lack protein, you radically reduce your chances of building new muscle.

In the worst case scenario, you risk the chance of losing hard earned muscle. Training hard while in a protein deficiency state can be very hazardous to your training regime.

Do protein supplements work? Yes, without a doubt. Quality protein supplements have been shown in clinical studies to work. Protein supplements have been staple in the fitness industry for over 30 years. Add these supplements to your program to enhance protein uptake.

Supplementing with protein in the form of premixed drinks or shakes made from powders can help supply your daily protein needs.

Here are some examples of protein supplements:

Protein Health Supplements

Whey protein supplements

Whey protein is by far the most popular protein health supplement today. It has been given a lot of attention these last few years due to it’s high biological value. Prior to whey, the best in protein supplements came from whole milk and eggs.

Egg was thought to be the standard because of it’s high protein efficiency ratio, which is a scale that measures how well a protein source is utilized by the body.

Whey protein is now used as the standard because of it’s high biological value. Biological value (BV) is a term used to determine the quality of food protein and the bodies ability to utilize that protein source in protein synthesis.

Food high in biological value are used for growth and repair of body tissues. Since whey protein has the highest biological value of all protein sources, health supplement manufacturers have been quick to jump on the whey protein bandwagon.

Whey represents the highest quality of protein available in weight lifting supplements. Whey protein is digested rapidly, allowing for fast uptake of amino acids, specifically branched chain amino acids.

After weight lifting, you want fast protein absorption into the body which is a prime time to feed your muscles. After a hard weight lifting session, your body is in a state of havoc. Your muscles are depleted of glycogen (muscle fuel) and are thirsty for fuel.

By feeding your muscles quality protein, you can speed up the recovery process in order to start building new muscle tissue.

Personally, I use a quality protein supplement for convenience. I just don’t have time to make 6 meals a day. Whipping up a power packed protein drink for my mid morning meal and post workout meals are a cinch with protein powders. I simply add all of the ingredients up in a blender and presto, there ready to go.

Overall, whey is an excellent protein choice that can provide many benefits to the user. You may want to consider adding whey protein supplements to your building muscle diet.

Uses: Increasing daily protein requirements for overall fitness and muscle building.

Some of the more popular whey protein supplements include Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey, SportsPharma’s Just Whey, and EAS’s Complete Whey.

Weight gain powders

We’ve all seen the ads in magazines for the “mass monster”, “weight gainer 3000", “lean builder” or “muscle builder”. These products belong to a group of supplements known as weight gain powders.

Most weight gain powders contain a mixture of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals, amino acids and other ingredients that are thought to improve body performance.

These supplements contain huge amounts of the basic food nutrients. Protein in particular, comprises the bulk of these supplements.

If you have the classic ectomorpoh body type (very skinny), and are having trouble gaining muscular weight, these high calorie supplements may be what’s needed to pack on those extra pounds. A word of caution, these supplements are loaded with calories, over a thousand per serving in some cases so don’t over do it.

Weight gain powders are useful for those people out there who are “hardgainers”. A serving of one of these weight lifting supplements may boost you caloric intake by 1000 calories and may be what's needed to kick start your metabolism into new growth.

It’s very important to monitor your diet and caloric intake in order to make sure you don’t add too much body fat as opposed to muscle. Remember that each meal must be balanced according to your desired nutritional goals and weight gain powders are no exception.

Uses: Helps to Increase daily caloric intake in order to add additional body weight.