supplements-blog

Multivitamins

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:38:56 +0100

The human body needs vitamins to function properly. Each of the 13 essential vitamins (A, C, D, E, K, B12, and the 7 B-complex vitamins) provides the regulation of a crucial function. We acquire a majority of the vitamins our body needs from food. When there is a deficiency, we are in danger of becoming seriously ill or even dying. Vitamin supplementation can reverse illness caused by vitamin deficiency, sometimes miraculously. Nowadays, it is very rare to find someone who isn't taking a daily multivitamin. Since there is a good chance that most of the individuals who take a daily multivitamin are eating a variety of foods, is it really necessary that they take a multivitamin? It may not be necessary, but everyone can benefit from taking a multivitamin.

The obvious benefit of taking a multivitamin is to prevent deficiency. In some situations your dietary needs may increase. Pregnant women, for example, are generally advised to start taking multivitamins in their first trimester. This is to ensure that they receive the proper nutrition and pass it on to their unborn child. By taking a multivitamin every day a pregnant woman can decrease her risk of passing malnutrition on to her baby. However, the benefits of taking a multivitamin every day go beyond replenishing nutrient stores.

With so many advancements, the world is moving at a pace that just gets faster and faster. People often feel like they can't keep up. They try to do too much and wind up in a stressful condition. Another benefit of taking multivitamins is that it combats stress. There are numerous stress formulations that can keep you mental healthy as well as energize you. In addition to these short-term benefits, taking a multivitamin every day can also reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Importance of protein supplements

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:32:45 +0100

Importance of protein supplements

Individuals that are looking to optimize their overall fitness level with strength training should know and understand the importance of protein for weight training. If you engage in sports, stronger weight training, or even weight training that is minimal, it is absolutely imperative that you get enough protein. It is likely, if you are reading this that you go to great lengths in your training to accumulate strength and build your endurance. Protein can be beneficial in both of these areas. Here, you will learn just how important protein really is when it comes to weight training activities.

When you workout, it is extremely likely that you take great care in considering the program that you engage in. Prior to working out on exercise equipment, you will check to ensure that it is in good working order and has the appropriate settings for your weight training. These are two very common tasks that are regularly performed. As a matter of fact, these are actually necessary tasks. There is one other necessary task that should be engaged in when engaging in sports, stronger training weight, and even basic weight training that is ensuring that you take the most appropriate supplements, and ensure that the nutritional needs of the body are met. By ingesting protein, you can do just this. Protein can be ingested in foods that you consume, and even over-the-counter protein supplements.

One of the most important aspects of weight training is to increase the overall health and fitness level of the body. In order to optimize your overall health, your immune system must be in good working order. Ingesting larger amounts of protein during weight training can actually provide a dramatic boost to your immunity. Your immune system plays an important role in fighting off infectious diseases, bad germs, and plays a vital role in the repair and natural healing process that your body undergoes after each workout. If you fail to increase the amount of protein that you take, it is likely that you will lack the energy that is required to achieve your weight training goals, and you stand a higher chance of experiencing injuries during your workout too.

The body as a whole has an increased need for proteins and supplements when it comes to weight lifting, and weight training. This additional fuel helps the body to properly maintain itself. This maintenance includes creating new cells, providing energy, and even plays a vital role when it comes to lean muscles that require growth during weight training. If you increase the amount of protein that the body has, it will be able to effectively maintain and repair on a consistent basis. When it comes to strength and endurance training, this is absolutely essential to achieve the fitness goals that you have set for yourself. Without protein being increased during weight training, it is very likely that your body will suffer tremendously altogether.

Importance of BCAA in bodybuilding training

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:27:54 +0100

Importance of BCAA in bodybuilding training

Branch Chain Amino Acids or BCAA’s are they are more commonly known are easily one of the most overlooked supplements available to date. This is mostly due to people being unaware of just how effective BCAA’s are when it comes to building muscle, in fact if you were to ask a regular weight training individual they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you what they do or how to dose them.

So to give you a little background on this type of supplement, amino acids are building blocks of protein and muscle growth. When you ingest protein the body sets to work breaking this protein down to its base amino acids so it can then absorb and utilise them correctly.

The amino acids that come from protein are known as essential amino acids or EAA’s for short. The reason they are called essential amino acids is because although the body needs them it cannot produce them naturally so they must be obtained from other sources such as complete proteins.

In total there are nine amino acids and these nine are; histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and valine. Whereas BCAA’s only have 3three amino acids these are; isoleucine, leucine and valine its these BCAA’s that are simpler amino acids utilised by the body to form muscle tissue.

These BCAA’s make up 35% of our total muscle mass and in order for the body to grow they must be present. However BCAA’s are not just used to form muscle tissue they are also utilised by the body to balance hormonal release and brain functions.

Whenever you are lifting heavy weights or performing extended amounts of cardio vascular work having a supply of branch chain aminos can be of great benefit. This is due to your body quickly depleting your glycogen stores during intense exercise and when this occurs your body sends signals to stop protein synthesis and it’s this reaction from your body that causes you to enter a catabolic state which as any weight lifter knows is something we really don’t want to occur.

However by introducing the correct amount of BCAA’s into your body during these times of intense exercise you can effectively reverse your bodies reaction and allow it to maintain protein synthesis which in turn can lead to better muscle gains, faster recovery and even greater performance.

When Supplementing with BCAA’s it’s recommended to dose between 5-10 grams before your workout and the same again after your workout, however by having a protein powder that provides a full range of amino acids the post workout dose can be replaced with your usual post workout shake.

With BCAA’s dosage will vary between individuals and doses of up to 15grams have been considered to yield even greater results greatly improving recovery times and performance during workouts.

Another benefit to BCAA’s is for bridging your weight training and CV workouts, if you tend to do weights then cardio ingesting a BCAA mixture throughout your workout or briefly before starting your cardio can help to prevent your body becoming catabolic resulting in muscle loss.

This is great if you are aiming to lose weight as BCAA’s are not digested in the same way as normal proteins so will not impact on your weight loss, also consuming them during CV work can increase your energy levels.

Also if you are doing and extended period of cardio, weight training, or sports activity lasting longer then and 1 ½ hours you should consume BCAA’s sometime during the activity. This will help stop muscle breakdown that usually happens after an extended period of stress.

Overall branch chain amino acids are one of the most beneficial supplements you can add to your workout or sports training. They are very well research and have been proven for a long time. If you already have a whey protein, multivitamin, and creatine supplement, this is a great choice to boost your gains to the next level.

Importance of carbohydrates

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:18:06 +0100

Importance of carbohydrates

The easiest and one the most proven ways of improving performance is by manipulating carbohydrate intake, particularly for endurance type athletes or those involved in sports like football and basketball.

Carbohydrates are simple sugars or long chains of sugars which are linked together. Paradoxically, carbohydrates are the preferred fuel during exercise of high intensity but they are stored in extremely limited amounts in the body. This storage form of carbohydrate, called glycogen, is found primarily in muscles and liver. The glycogen in the muscle is used directly by the muscle which is being exercised. In other words, once its limited stores of glycogen are gone it cannot "borrow" from other resting muscles.

Depletion of glycogen by the working muscles leads to severely impaired exercise performance, which at its extreme is known as "hitting the wall". This makes obvious the need to

1. Increase glycogen stores prior to exercise

2. Supply carbohydrate during prolonged exercise

How much carbohydrate is enough? We often express recommendations in terms of percentages of total calories. Even recreational athletes probably need to obtain 55-60% of their daily calories from carbohydrates. Most people can do this if they consume 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. However, seriously training athletes probably require 4 grams of carbohydrate per pound body weight, or 60% of their calories from carbohydrate. For example, a 150 pound person who is playing everyday, say, 2 hours per day would require approximately 600 grams of carbohydrate daily. This carbohydrate would provide 2400 calories.

Examples of high carbohydrate foods:
  breads
  cereals
  grains
  pasta
  vegetables
  fruits

Timing for carbohydrate If the carbohydrate is to be taken during exercise it should probably be in beverage form. Beverages may be more quickly absorbed than solids and present less potential for stomach upset. A sports-type drink that has a concentration of 6-8% carbohydrate is likely to be easily absorbed during exercise. Most people can tolerate 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid every 20 minutes. This tolerance depends upon the individual and the type of exercise performed.

To avoid hypoglycemia or low blood sugar during exercise, carbohydrate should probably not be consumed within 1 hour of the start of exercise. The best pre game strategy is to eat a light meal which contains 100 or so grams of carbohydrate 3-4 hours prior to exercise.

In addition, one of the best times to provide carbohydrate to the body is immediately after a workout. Immediately after exercise the muscle is most avid to restore the glycogen it has used during exercise. Perhaps the best way to restore glycogen is to keep a drink which contains carbohydrate in your gym bag, and drink it prior to leaving the locker room or before you hit the shower at home. Alternatively, you can eat a high carbohydrate food, such as bread, bagels, pretzels, or fruit. The goal is to consume at least 50 grams shortly after exercise.

Types of protien supplements

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:12:26 +0100

Types of protein supplements

Protein is the most commonly used supplement among the health conscious. Its popularity stems from its ability to facilitate both muscle growth and weight loss. Protein is necessary for muscle repair, so it is important to achieve your daily recommended protein intake, about 0.77 g per pound of body weight. With numerous protein supplements containing various types of protein available for consumers, it is important to find the supplement that contains the protein that is right for you

Whey Protein Supplements

Whey protein is the most popular protein supplement and is found naturally in milk and cheese. Whey is the preferred protein supplement of the fitness-minded because it digests quickly and is effective when taken after exercising. It is available in three different qualities: whey isolate, whey concentrate and a combination of the two. Whey isolate supplements are considered the higher quality and are the purest form of whey, but they are slightly more expensive. Whey concentrate supplements are less expensive but are not as pure as whey isolate supplements. The most cost-effective whey protein supplements combine whey isolate and whey concentrate to create a less expensive, yet quality supplement.

Casein Protein Supplements

Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein found in milk and its quality is similar to the quality of whey isolate. Your body uses casein mostly to build and repair muscle, rather than as an energy source. However, because casein leaves you feeling full, individuals focused on weight lose may consume a casein supplement to reduce hunger. The human body digests casein very slowly, so you can take it before bedtime to provide your body a consistent source of protein throughout the night.

Egg Protein Supplements

Egg protein is a quick-digesting, high-quality protein found in egg whites and it is generally taken after a workout. The body is able to fully digest egg protein, which provides energy and assists muscle growth. Egg protein contains no fat and is vitamin free, which can assist in weight loss. Because egg protein is not made from milk, it is a source of protein for the lactose intolerant.

Creatine

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:19:01 +0100

Creatine Benefits
The Benefit of Creatine - Gain Weight, Strength and Size!

You should know by now that supplementing creatine will greatly enhance your energy during workouts. The resulting benefits of creatine include:

    More energy during workouts due to ATP regeneration (see this article about Creatine)
    Enhanced strength during workouts
    Less dependence on glycolysis - reducing lactic acid (see below)
    Quick weight gain in just weeks (if you're new to creatine)

The above are the major creatine benefits. Here's why supplementing creatine can benefit your workouts.

As we discussed in this creatine information article, ATP is the main fuel for your muscle contractions, and this is achieved by the ATP releasing a phosphate and becoming an ADP. With extra creatine in your muscles, you regenerate ATP through the creatine release its phosphate which combines with the ADP to form ATP.

This ATP regeneration keeps your body from relying on glycolysis, which is process where lactic acid is built up during your workout. The benefit of this is clear: the reduced lactic acid allows you to workout longer and harder, thus maximizing every muscle's workout, and allows you to gain more muscle, strength and size. Another benefit of creatine supplements is you won't feel tired as easily during workouts.

The immediate benefits of creatine is not hype or fiction. You can gain some decent weight in a short period of time. Not considering what you read in research and articles, I can tell you from personal experience that it works, and it works great - especially if you've never cycled creatine before. The benefit of creatine is worth every penny, if you do it right.