Bodybuilding supplements are nutritional products designed to build muscle mass, increase strength, and decrease recovery time for athletes and strength trainers.
Bodybuilders typically supplement with vitamins, protein, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), creatine, essential fatty acids and meal replacement products; often stacking these up together for maximum synergy.
Fish oil
Fitness culture can often seem like an endless cycle of selling you their latest fitness hack. From supplements, diet plans, or workout techniques promoted by fitness influencers and amateur gym-goers on social media forums and platforms like Reddit.
Fish oil is a nutritional supplement composed of omega-3 rich fish tissue derived from species such as salmon, tuna, anchovies, herring and mackerel. Omega-3s play an essential role in supporting heart, brain, eye, skin, joint health and immunity – providing powerful benefits.
Bodybuilders often find that fish oil aids their muscle growth, reduces inflammation and speeds recovery post workout. Furthermore, fish oil has also been proven to increase metabolism which in turn aids fat loss for an impressive physique. Furthermore, fish oil has also been shown to help decrease DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which prevents some bodybuilders from training as frequently. It may even speed recovery time after strenuous sessions according to some studies.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
BCAA supplements are often utilized by athletes and gym-goers as a way of increasing muscle mass and performance. Leucine, valine and isoleucine are three essential BCAAs; taking protein powder with these amino acids may help stimulate muscle protein synthesis; however, this only works if you also meet your daily protein requirements using BarBend’s calculator.
Studies demonstrate that BCAAs can effectively decrease muscle soreness and enhance strength and performance after resistance training, possibly due to leucine’s role in controlling protein synthesis rates.
Leucine stands out among BCAAs as an essential supplement, due to its proven ability to promote muscle growth. Supplementation may aid protein synthesis post resistance training; however, for best results you’d do best by getting all nine essential amino acids (found in complete proteins). That will allow your body to utilize all of the muscle proteins it creates for strength and performance purposes.
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid chemical synthesized in your body, produced in small amounts naturally and also found in meat and fish, your liver, pancreas and kidneys all producing it for storage in your muscles as phosphocreatine; this form helps your muscles produce energy sources called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) for use during exercise.
Research indicates that supplementing with creatine enhances muscle strength and exercise performance, particularly during short bursts of high intensity activities like weight lifting or sprinting. Taking creatine may also help those living with heart disease get more exercise without feeling fatigued; additionally it decreases levels of a chemical linked with heart attacks and strokes in your blood.
Research also indicates that creatine may help those living with cancer or other serious illnesses by speeding up the conversion of glucose to energy, protecting against muscle damage from intense workouts, and aiding recovery post workout.
CLA
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a family of polyunsaturates found within positional geometric isomers of linoleic acid produced naturally in ruminant animals’ intestinal microflora.
Some clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of CLA in decreasing fat mass, increasing lean body mass, and decreasing waist circumference among obese and sedentary subjects. Longer-term and more extensive clinical trials will still need to be conducted before conclusive evidence can be provided of its beneficial effects on human health.
CLA has been proven to reduce body fat while also protecting muscle mass during periods of calorie restriction or weight loss, making it an excellent choice for those wanting to preserve muscle while simultaneously burning excess fat. Furthermore, research suggests CLA may reduce atherosclerotic plaque formation while favouring a healthier blood lipid profile and increasing physical resistance.
CLA supplements should only be taken alongside a healthy diet and workout program for maximum effectiveness; taking it alone could cause adverse side effects like insulin resistance and energy drain.
