Sticking to a healthy diet with a focus on energy-rich foods and natural ingredients, while also avoiding sugar and preservatives, is absolutely a fantastic way to help you see great progress in the gym. On top of this, you can also add supplemental nutrition powders to your diet that you can drink using your shaker cup. These supplements can end up making a world of difference in your energy levels and can take your workouts to a whole new level but finding the right supplements that actually deliver the results you want can be a challenge with so many kinds out there. Here are some research-backed supplements that can give you that extra push to get exceptional results.
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Most gym-goers know that amino acids, AKA protein, are essential to muscle growth and repair, but optimizing amino acid intake after workouts can be a challenge. BCAAs are a blend of leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are three amino acids that are essential for muscle recovery. Adding this supplement to your workout mix can help you spend less time feeling sore and fatigued and more time lifting. Just be sure to stay consistent with your dosage to see desirable results.
Creatine
Creatine is a supplement that is most effective during the middle of your workout. Synthesized from a natural nitrogenous organic acid, creatine helps facilitate the repair and growth of muscle during stress. Put simply, creatine helps you get that extra lap or extra couple of reps in during your workout so you can get the most out of your time in the gym.
Glutamine
While glutamine is an amino acid that is easily found naturally in many foods, it tends to be in high-calorie foods that can end up racking up excess calories pretty quickly. The concentrated supplemental form of glutamine helps you to maintain your muscle mass, an ideal effect if you are trying to bulk up.
Whey Protein
While this protein powder may be a bit familiar, and oddly scrutinized at times, the fact of the matter is that it is a highly effective muscle-builder to use after workouts. It contains a high level of leucine, which is one of the essential amino acids for muscle growth and repair. The only downside is that you may have to sift through brands that add unnecessary ingredients or make the powder excessively sugary. Look for a low-sugar brand that offers 25 grams of protein or more per serving, add your own delicious ingredients to your protein shake, and you should be golden.
When using supplements to help you build muscle and have energy for your workouts, keep in mind that they are no replacement for a healthy diet. These supplements will help fill in those gaps that most diets can’t fill and give you an extra boost to help you see progress you’ll be impressed with.
