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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 nutrition
Supplements include the following:
* Vitamins
* Minerals
* Amino Acids
* Herbs
The 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 of
The 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 monohydrate
Creatine 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 isolate
The 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 Terrestris
Tribulus 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.
Glutamine
Is 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.
Catalogue: Health & Fitness | Muscle Building
Title: Find Out Why Bodybuilding Supplements May Not Be Necessary
By: famoustrainer
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