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. If they are to be taken at all
they should only be used to supplement the diet
and not replace it.
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