Bodybuilding supplements are used by athletes and strength trainers alike to fuel their bodies for increased muscle growth and faster recovery time. Ideally, people should combine resistance training with healthy diet to achieve maximum results from these supplements.
An essential ingredient in any good bodybuilding supplement is protein powder, which comes in shake form and can be easily combined with milk or water for mixing purposes. Another essential element is creatine, which provides fuel cells in muscles.
Legion Pulse Stim-Free Pre-Workout
Legion Pulse is an all-natural pre workout supplement without artificial sweeteners and offers an optimal pre workout experience. Produced at an ISO 17025 accredited lab and 3rd party tested, this supplement also comes equipped with a subscription-and-save option and an impressive money-back guarantee for added peace of mind.
This pre-workout contains just five ingredients but packs a powerful punch. It boasts high doses of L-Citrulline Malate and beta-alanine for muscle endurance enhancement, and moderate 350mg caffeine per serving – plus L-Theanine which reduces side effects like jitters and anxiety caused by caffeine consumption.
Not only is this pre workout packed with an impressive ingredient profile, it is free from all artificial sweeteners, flavors and dyes – meaning no artificial sweeteners, flavors or dyes here either! Available with or without caffeine in 14 delicious flavors for optimal pump promotion! 8000mg citrulline malate gives added pump support!
Muscle Milk
Cytosport’s Muscle Milk is a protein powder and ready-to-drink beverage designed to promote muscle growth and repair, provide energy, and help sustain a healthy body weight.
Each serving contains 32 grams of milk-based proteins, which is comparable to other protein powders on the market. Unfortunately, however, this product also includes 21 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of fat – making it more of a meal replacement supplement than an isolated protein source – something which may either benefit or hinder your fitness goals.
Drink mix company Pure Hydration boasts multiple flavor varieties and has received positive reviews on Amazon, with customers noting great taste and solubility from users. Unfortunately, many varieties contain artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium which could present issues for those with specific dietary restrictions or concerns. According to Kosakavich, registered dieticians can help identify better solutions that provide similar nutrition through whole-food diet rather than supplements.
BCAAs
Bodybuilders often utilize branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to fuel their muscles and maintain sufficient stores of glycogen, the main energy source used during workouts. Leucine, isoleucine and valine are three essential amino acids found in BCAAs which form its branched chemical structure.
Recent research found that amino acids help promote muscle protein synthesis while attenuating its breakdown during exercise (1).
People can get enough BCAAs through diet alone, but supplementation may speed up progress toward their fitness goals more quickly and help reduce frustration resulting from seeing immediate results versus continuing the routines that were established initially.
However, bodybuilding supplements may contain ingredients that are harmful to health and too much can have serious side effects. Furthermore, combining multiple supplements together – for instance combining stimulants with BCAAs- can increase the risk of adverse reactions; always consult a health care provider prior to beginning any new regiments.
Muscle Tone
Muscle tone refers to the involuntary tension felt when repeatedly flexing and extending muscles or groups of muscles, and can increase (e.g. spasticity, rigidity or paratonia) or decrease (flaccidity). Muscle tone should not be taken as an indicator of strength – strength is a separate quality that can be altered through weight training and other forms of resistance exercise. Depending on resting muscle tone levels it ranges along a bell-shaped curve with lower tones characterized by flabbyness while higher tones indicate active muscle contraction – two types exist: postural tonesic tones
