What Gym Supplements Should You Be Taking?

When first starting the gym, taking supplements are not completely necessary. However, as your journey progresses and your goals become more specific, a little boost in the gym can always be useful.

In the fitness world, there is a range of products that you can choose from. Some are for the same purpose whereas others provide more specific help.

If you’re struggling to decide what to buy and how it would help then look no further. DESIblitz presents a breakdown of the most popular gym supplements around!

Protein Supplements

One of the most well-known gym supplements taken is protein. Whether it is mixed in your food or drink, it is arguably the most important supplement for muscles.

Now there are two types of protein that you can get, and they differ in the way in which they are absorbed by the body.

Whey Protein

Whey Protein is digested faster and promotes growth.

As a result, it is ideally taken directly after training as the muscles are ready for growth and repair at this stage.

It is also beneficial to take in the morning to raise the level of amino acids in the blood quickly.

Casein

Casein is digested at a slower rate and thus prevents the body from reaching a state of muscle breakdown.

The most effective time to take Casein is before you go to bed, as the effects of Casein will last longer throughout the night.

This prevents the body from breaking down any muscle as the supply of protein remains at an adequate level.

L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, what this means is that there is a large amount of this within the body already.

However, Personal Trainer, Raiss Khan says:

“L-Glutamine supplementation can become necessary for those who train.”

Not only does it help the general maintenance of muscle mass, but also helps to prevent muscle breakdown. Therefore, this will stop muscle loss after intense cardiovascular training sessions.

BCAAs

BCAA stands for Branched-Chain Amino Acids. There are 3 BCAAs that make up the muscle protein in humans, and these are what are contained in the supplements.

They work to repair the muscle as well assist in its growth. Similarly, to L-Glutamine, they also prevent muscle breakdown.

Additionally, BCAAs can help to maximise endurance during a workout or when playing sports. This is because muscles use them as direct fuel as an increased amount of energy is required.

Creatine

Creatine is a substance that enhances physical performance during high-intensity exercise.

The effect of this supplement is short-term as it is specifically used when highly intense exercises are performed such as weight training or running. The creatine levels will then diminish as it is used up.

A further beneficial effect of creatine is that it volumises the muscle by increasing its water content. As a result, for individuals taking creatine, it is important to be consuming around 2l of water to remain hydrated.

Which Gym Supplements are Right for Me?

It is easy to follow the advice of fitness professionals on social media. Taking the supplements they take in the hopes you will look like them.

However, remember that everybody is different and there are precautions that must be taken before taking a supplement.

Creatine, for example, is not ideal for individuals who have or have had kidney disease. Therefore, your doctor must be consulted before taking such a product if you have suffered from this.

Another point to remember is that results will only be seen with the right type of training and dosage of supplementation. Drinking too much protein, for example, can result in the supplement being stored as fat.

Therefore, carrying out extra research to ensure you take the correct gym supplements is not only advised for your safety but for you to see the best results.