Vitamin and fitness supplements are big business, so it’s wise to educate yourself before buying into them.
Begin by selecting the supplement that meets your body type, training goals and dietary sensitivities. Carbohydrate powders may be appropriate for long duration workouts while creatine may help increase strength and muscle growth.
Pre-workout supplements
Pre-workout supplements are intended to boost energy and endurance during workouts. Most come in powder form that you mix with water prior to starting an intense training regimen; ingredients may include amino acids, beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine and sweeteners.
Pre-workout supplements often include compounds to promote the production of nitric oxide. This enhances circulation while giving muscles access to oxygen and nutrients during workouts for a desired muscle pump effect.
But the amounts of nitric oxide and creatine found in pre-workout supplements vary between supplements, making it hard to ascertain exactly how much of each ingredient is present, according to Jagim. Because of this he recommends choosing third-party tested products which have been third-party verified as quality, representation, and consistency.
Post-workout supplements
With social media sparking renewed interest, workout supplements have quickly become the latest fitness trend. These powdered drink mixes claim to improve energy, workout performance and muscle growth – but are they really game changers or mere hype?
Post-workout supplements typically consist of carbohydrates, protein and vitamins/minerals in various combinations. Carbs provide energy to replenish depleted glycogen stores for your muscles to use during exercise; protein contributes to muscle growth while vitamins/minerals offer various health benefits including improving immune function and decreasing inflammation.
Beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate supplements are often touted to increase endurance by increasing muscle concentrations of carnosine – an amino acid which acts as a proton buffer during high intensity exercise to decrease acidity and fatigue in muscles – while regular consumption may increase heart rate and blood pressure and overconsumption could compromise nutrient intake, so they’re unlikely to help achieve your fitness goals.
Energy supplements
Fitness supplements may be necessary in achieving any fitness goal, and fitness supplements often contain ingredients that promote energy metabolism – like caffeine or green tea extract – while amino acids help support energy and muscle growth during weight loss.
Supplements containing leucine — commonly referred to as branched chain amino acids or BCAAs) — have been found to help reduce central fatigue during extended endurance exercise. Furthermore, creatine supplementation has been demonstrated to enhance performance during short bursts of high intensity activities like sprinting and weight lifting. While most research on such supplements relates to athletes specifically, their effectiveness for recreational exercisers and non-athletes remains to be established.
Vitamins
Fitness supplement companies have seen tremendous growth over recent years, offering products designed to build muscle, increase endurance, and more. But regular exercisers may struggle to determine whether dietary supplements will actually help them meet their goals.
Supplements that improve exercise and athletic performance often contain multiple ingredients; however, most research on them only looks at individual components. Thus it can be hard to know whether multi-ingredient supplements will actually work or if there will be any side effects.
Amino acids like the branched chain amino acid leucine can help decrease central fatigue during prolonged endurance exercise, while beta-alanine increases exercise capacity and speed by driving sugar into muscles for energy production. Weight gainers may be helpful for people having trouble getting enough protein and calories from food; weight gainers provide high-calorie supplements which provide additional protein and calories, and vitamins C & E, magnesium choline & B vitamins are crucial in optimizing athletic performance and decreasing muscle soreness after workouts.
