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
supplementsBefore 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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