Many bodybuilding dietary supplements contain harmful, often unlisted ingredients. Some may contain prescription medication ingredients or steroids-like substances which could lead to serious health risks including heart attacks and liver damage.
Creatine is one of the premier legal bodybuilding supplements. It increases muscle ATP production during high intensity exercises.
Creatine
Creatine is an abundantly present amino acid found in protein-rich foods and your own body, with athletes using creatine supplements to improve exercise performance and muscle growth. Though generally considered safe, it’s wise to speak to your healthcare provider first if taking any new supplements – particularly if you suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes.
Your body uses creatine to make energy for your muscles. Most of it ends up in the skeletal muscles as phosphocreatine storage and helps generate ATP for muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission. A small amount can also be found in brain tissue and the testes.
One study showed that creatine supplements could help you build up muscle over time by drawing water into muscle cells to make them appear larger. Although its effects are temporary, combining it with other bodybuilding supplements could prove more efficient.
HMB
HMB, or beta-hydroxyb-methylbutyrate, is a natural substance produced in your body when breaking down leucine. Studies have demonstrated that HMB helps prevent muscle loss while simultaneously encouraging its growth, making it an excellent supplement for anyone wanting to enhance strength or exercise performance. HMB makes an ideal addition to other bodybuilding supplements like creatine or whey protein for increasing strength and performance.
A 2019 study with untrained men who consumed 3 grams of HMB daily for three weeks found that it improved resistance training performance, muscle growth and damage as well as reduced muscle damage. Researchers believe this effect was caused by HMB strengthening sarcolemal integrity while suppressing proteolysis.
This meta-analysis examined data from 15 studies to examine the effects of HMB on muscle-related indicators, such as skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength and physical function. Furthermore, dosage and duration effects on these markers were studied; finally a dose-response relationship was investigated as well. This research was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
L-arginine
L-arginine is an amino acid that the body transforms into nitric oxide for increased blood flow, helping build muscle by providing more oxygen and nutrients to reach them, and encouraging production of growth hormone, essential to muscle growth.
Studies have demonstrated that arginine may help lower blood pressure and could even help protect against certain heart conditions such as pulmonary hypertension and sickle cell disease. Furthermore, studies suggest it increases blood flow to both lungs and right side of heart.
Dietary sources of arginine include protein-rich foods and other sources. If supplementation is desired, please ensure the manufacturer adheres to third-party testing standards and consult a healthcare practitioner first if you have preexisting health conditions or symptoms that require care.
DMAA
DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine or methylhexaneamine) is an ingredient commonly found in pre-workout supplements. DMAA mimics the stimulatory effects of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and epinephrine within the sympathetic nervous system and allows your body to prepare for physical exertion by redirecting blood flow towards muscles – something bodybuilders often turn to when trying to increase muscle mass or enhance performance. While DMAA can be helpful, higher doses should be discussed with your physician.
Even without long-term safety studies, adverse events related to DMAA have persuaded some regulatory agencies to limit its use in dietary supplements. New Zealand even completely banned it in 2012.
Gee and colleagues reported on a 21-year-old male who experienced cardiac arrest after taking two party pills containing DMAA combined with caffeine, without any known risk factors for heart disease. As this individual had none of these risk factors, other bodybuilding supplements may be recommended in such instances.
