Bodybuilding supplements are nutritional supplements designed to assist athletes and strength training enthusiasts fuel their bodies during training sessions. Examples of bodybuilding supplements include protein powders, creatine monohydrate, beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (hMB), preworkout supplements and testosterone boosters.
These supplements should not serve as a replacement for eating healthily and in moderation. Some ingredients have been studied and proven to promote muscle growth while others help decrease fat storage while increasing energy during workouts.
Betaine
Betaine (trimethylglycine) has recently come to the forefront in supplement world, making its presence known in pre-workout supplements. Betaine has become known for its effects against heart disease as well as increasing protein synthesis and decreasing body fat accumulation within liver and muscle cells.
Betaine is a naturally-occurring amino acid found in foods such as wheat germ, beets and rye flour, multivitamins and chelating agents. Betaine has been shown to decrease plasma homocysteine levels which may help prevent heart disease by decreasing plaque buildup within blood vessels.
Chronic betaine supplementation was shown to increase strength and power gains in one short-term study using an anaerobic training protocol, but another similar trial saw no changes with 2.5 grams daily of this dose.
Creatine
Creatine is an essential body chemical that helps your muscles produce energy during physical exercise. As one of the cheapest and most effective muscle-building supplements available, creatine increases muscle pumps while simultaneously increasing frequency of training sessions to help accelerate gains faster.
Most creatine stored in your body is located in the skeletal muscles, where it’s used to produce phosphocreatine and ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the key energy molecules for quick and intense movements like weightlifting or sprinting. But you also find creatine in liver, pancreas, kidneys, and testes.
Consuming creatine as a dietary supplement may help lower levels of myostatin protein in your body, which limits new muscle growth. Furthermore, increasing water content within cells could prevent dehydration and muscle cramps.
HMB
HMB, an all-natural compound derived from leucine, helps protect muscle cells by inhibiting protein degradation and stimulating protein synthesis in their cells. Studies have also revealed its effectiveness at combatting muscle atrophy during periods of reduced physical activity.
HMB has been shown to significantly decrease skeletal muscle protein wasting among the elderly and prevent degenerative conditions like Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia refers to age-associated loss of muscle mass which leads to diminished mobility, higher mortality rates and quality of life issues for sufferers.
Studies have also demonstrated that taking 3g of HMB per day can increase strength and muscle mass. Unfortunately, however, results of these studies vary considerably due to differences in supplement protocols as well as training practices and diet plans of participants in these studies.
Nitric Oxide Boosters
Nitric Oxide (NO) promotes blood flow by dilatation of inner muscles, so that more oxygen and nutrients reach muscle fibers and help maximize workout performance and achieve the best possible training results. This process is essential in optimizing workout performance and realizing optimal training results.
Nitric oxide boosters may boost NO levels; however, not all supplements that claim to do this are created equal and may have adverse side effects such as gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, diarrhea and heartburn, particularly among individuals who already suffer from liver cirrhosis or herpes simplex virus infections.
To avoid side effects, look for supplements with non-GMO sweetener stevia that is both sugar-free and plant-based sweetener based. One such product from Bulk Supplements that uses this approach includes all-natural ingredients that have been third-party tested; its blend of L-citrulline, creatine and agmatine will allow you to realize your true potential in the gym.
Essential Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are an essential part of our bodies for normal physiological function, although we are only capable of producing nonessential ones ourselves and must obtain essential ones from food sources such as vegetable oils, nuts and oily cold-water fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids not only aid muscle growth, but they can also assist with fat loss by encouraging your body to use fat as fuel during exercise instead of carbs; this is an especially valuable asset for bodybuilders looking to shed excess body fat and achieve leaner physiques.
As bodybuilder diets tend to be low in fat, many take omega-3 fish oil supplements as an extra way of getting essential nutrients they require for growth and repair. Furthermore, omega-3 supplements have proven helpful for decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after intense weight training sessions.
