Find Out Why Bodybuilding Supplements May
Not Be Necessary
To supplement or not to supplement - that is the
question on more bodybuilder's lips than ever
before. Are they safe? Have you ever wondered
what works and what doesn't?Lets have a look at
the basics.There are various reasons why athletes
may be interested in supplementation. Concern
about getting adequate nutrients from our food
supply. Suspicion of pharmaceuticals. Belief that
diet alone will not achieve optimal nutritionSupplements
include the following:
Vitamins Minerals Amino
Acids HerbsThe concerning thing about supplements
is that anything classified as a dietary supplement
is not required to meet any FDA or other standards!
Think about that! there are no regulations in
place that guarantee the safety or purity of something
sold as a supplement.They are also not made to
meet the similar safety requirements as prescription
drugs or any other manufacturing standards.
They are not required to meet product potency
or purity ratings and are not required to prove
the effectiveness of any health claim that is
made.Studies suggest that a number of supplements
may deliver on advertising claims. However, trainees
are spending large sums of money on products that
have little or no proven usefulness. Personally
I find the use of supplements over rated and as
with strength training, supplementation asks the
same question"If a little is good then maybe more
has to be better"Supplementation and steroids
started to proliferate when volume strength training
became the training system of the day. Young strength
trainees slaving in the gym for five to six days
a week was seen as normal. All this without making
any progress or putting on any size whatsoever.
They then turned to the latest supplement or
steroid thinking that this is the magic bullet
to put on that added muscle when all the time
they were just plain"Overtraining"The cold hard
facts are that the majority of the regular trainees
in your gym are overtraining. The sad reality
is that the type of training that you find in
bodybuilding books and magazines (and used by
the stars) are irrelevant to the majority ofthe
population and has a high failure rate.If more
bodybuilders started using more infrequent, short,
high intensity weight training sessions, followed
by the required amount of time to recover and
become stronger..."Most of the Muscle building
supplements and steroids available today would
not be needed".
The bottom line on weight gain supplements Before
taking a supplement try to make modifications
to your diet that might achieve the same goals.
Only choose products that show the amount of active
ingredients on the label that are required. Be
aware that "natural" does not mean 'safe' Some
herbal supplements may have unpleasant side effects.Listed
below are some popular bodybuilding supplements
available on the market today: Creatine monohydrateCreatine
was first introduced to the market place some
eight years ago and has since become the most
popular bodybuilding supplement of all time.Creatine
is said to significantly increase lean muscle
mass, improve performance, increase energy levels
and speed up recovery rates.Creatine also stimulates
the uptake of amino acids in the proteins, which
means that the more that it's used the more muscle
that may be grown.Dosage: A loading phase of 20grams
a day for the first five days then a maintenance
phase of 5grams a day from then on.Whey Protein
isolateThe highest yield of protein currently
available and is extracted from milk. This is
another popular supplement for athletes and bodybuilders
because of its high proportion of amino acids.It
is supposed to be high in potassium, which is
essential for muscle growth and is an antioxidant
and a good immune system builder.Dosage: 20gms
- 100gms a day.Tribulus TerrestrisTribulus terrestris
is a plant that grows in many tropical and moderate
areas of the world and is very rich in chemical
compounds such as saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids.
Tribulus terrestris is supposedly a testosterone
enhancer and increases sex drives in both men
and women.Dosage as per bottle.GlutamineIs a non-essential
amino acid, which makes up to 60% of the amino
acids in the bodies muscles. Glutamine containing
products are protein shakes and good quality protein
powders; it can also be added to protein shakes
for added potency.Dosage: 5grams to 15 grams per
day.So there you have it, a supplement is something
added to the diet to make up for a nutritional
deficiency or imbalance, they are not intended
to substitute for eating a balanced diet.
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