Seven Essential Workout Supplements

Ever walk through a health food store and have no idea what would work well for you? Here is your easy to follow guide of the best options for workout supplements. 

If you’re a competitive athlete or a fitness enthusiast, you know that when training for events, workout supplements can be your best friend! In conjunction with workouts and a healthy diet, they can take your fitness to the next level. There are plenty of  the best supplements for muscle growth or weight loss out there. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to decipher between the ones that really work and the ones that are all hype with little to no actual benefit.

Well, whether you’re seeking to tighten your biceps for an upcoming bodybuilding show or training for a marathon, it’s important that you know which supplements will take your training to the next level. Here are the seven best supplements to help promote weight loss, muscle building, and overall health. 

Try these and you can thank us later!

Here’s Your Top 7 Workout Supplements

#1 Do You Want to Find a Way to Boost Your Immune System?

L-Glutamine

Glutamine is a great supplement for competitive athletes, bodybuilders and those who are just seeking to keep in shape. It accounts for roughly 60% of skeletal muscle in the body and a significant amount of nitrogen that is carried to the muscles. Glutamine regulates IgA immune response and accounts for between 35 to 40% of amino acid nitrogen in the bloodstream. It is an important supplement because one hour of exercise can lower glutamine levels in your body by as much as 40%. And, unfortunately, once glutamine levels are lowered, it could take a few days for them to return to normal.

This can have adverse effects on your training, impacting strength and stamina. Taking a glutamine supplement could return levels to normal quicker. Not only does it help you build lean muscle, it also boosts your immune system, assisting you to fend off sickness and infectious diseases. This is ideal for competitive athletes who train year-round. Additional benefits of glutamine include the curbing of sugar and alcohol cravings, the increase in cellular detoxification and the enhancement of your metabolism.

Glutamine supplements work great, but there are other ways to include it in your diet. Other great sources include wild-caught fish such as salmon and tuna, asparagus, grass-fed beef, turkey, and broccoli raab. Dr. Josh Axe, a certified nutrition specialist, recommends at least three servings of glutamine per day.

Whatever you do, you should remember to account for the amount of glutamine lost during your training. Whether you are taking L-glutamine powder or are just working the supplement into your diet, be sure to get at least three servings daily.

#2 Do You Need A Bit More Energy?

Creatine – Amino Acids

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid that provides the body with energy. It is a popular supplement among both female and male athletes. And, the good news is that it is comprised of helpful amino acids such as arginine, glycine, and methionine. Arginine promotes heart health, glycine helps to regulate blood glucose levels and methionine helps the liver reduce the amount of fat intake, assisting in the production of creatine.

The body naturally produces creatine in the kidneys, pancreas, and liver. It is stored as creatine phosphate in the muscles and released during high-intensity workouts. Creatine provides the body with energy as it is converted to adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP. It’s important to thoroughly research the best creatine for your body.

This allows the body to increase stamina, resulting in longer, more efficient workouts. If you are over the age of 19 and looking to maximize the effects of the best creatine, you should take 20 grams daily. Remember, whether you are a competitive gymnast, marathon runner or simply enjoy fitness, creatine will certainly increase your muscle building efforts, allowing you to burn off fat more easily!

#3 Are You Looking For A Muscle Mass Builder?

Whey Protein

Whey protein powder is a great supplement that helps to promote weight loss. Perfect for burning fat, whey protein jumpstarts protein synthesis in the body. This helps your body build muscle. Mix up your protein shake before and after a workout for maximum effects. Whey protein helps your body retain its muscle mass while it builds new muscles. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn!

In addition to promoting weight loss, whey protein increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and decreases triglycerides. Ultimately, whey protein is good for your heart! Foods like meat, dairy, and rare vegetables are great sources of protein. But, whey protein produces the best results, topping out at 100% for best biological value. This means that whey protein has the best absorption it’s also often considered the best tasting protein powder.

For the best results, take whey protein by itself up to an hour after strength training. If you don’t take it in that window, then you’d definitely want to take whey protein with other foods to slow down the digestion process. In short, if you’re looking to build muscle mass, whey protein is certainly for you.

#4 Do You Tire More Easily Than You’d Like?

Beta-Alanine

Run further, lift more, bike longer and train harder with beta-alanine. Beta-alanine, an amino acid supplement, combats muscle fatigue, resulting in longer, more efficient workouts.  

Also, it prevents muscle acid buildup by increasing carnosine, a substance found within muscles that regulates acidity levels. If acidity levels get too high, they’ll inhibit the muscles’ ability to work, resulting in muscle fatigue. Whenever you get that icy-hot burning in your calves or biceps after an intense workout, it means the hydrogen ion (acidity) in your muscles is high. Counter it with beta-alanine!

It works best for strength and weight training because it reduces body fat and creates lean mass for muscle build-up. You should consider taking 750 to 800 mg as much as four to eight times per day. This will help you avoid the tingling side effect of a single dose. Take it right before a workout to reduce muscle fatigue!

#5 Want A Powerful Supplement Proven To Help Your Most Important Muscle?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are great supplements that promote heart health, these are found often in the form of fish oils.

What are its primary effects?

Plenty. It reduces triglycerides, retains muscle mass, burns fat and even reduces muscle soreness.

It’s a polyunsaturated fat found in fish oil that increases blood flow during workouts. The result is less muscle soreness and swelling after the workout. It also helps your body burn more fat by stimulating insulin sensitivity. Other benefits of omega-3 fatty acids include alleviation of Alzheimer’s symptoms, assisting in healthy pregnancies and enhancing cognitive abilities.

There are many great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These include flaxseed oil, cod liver oil, krill oil and fish oil. All of these contain DHA, EPA and vitamins D and A. Long-chain omega-3 acids include DHA and EPA. These are abundant in fish oil. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a naturally occurring omega-3 acid found in the brain and retina. Vitamin A, found in krill oil and other oily fish, boosts the immune system and can even promote healthy skin. Vitamin D, also found in fish and krill oil, combats body fat. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) regulates blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease. All of these are found in various sources of omega-3s and work together to shed fat and retain or build muscle mass!

To maximize the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, you should take them with antioxidants and incorporate salmon into your diet. You should also consider taking fish oil supplements. Dosage depends on the type of fish oil you take. There are different forms of supplements to consider including liquid, gel, capsule and powder fish oils. Just make sure each dosage contains a healthy amount of DHA and EPA!

#6 Need Help Burning Off Fat?

ZMA

ZMA is a supplement comprised of zinc, magnesium, aspartate and vitamin B6. It increases muscle strength, burns fat and promotes bodily health in athletes and anyone interested in fitness. This essential mineral contains antioxidant properties that stimulate enzymes in your body. It also acts as a sleep aid.

Zinc is a critical mineral to protein synthesis and increasing your metabolic rate, which accounts for the amount of calories you burn daily. When your body is low in zinc, your metabolic rate decreases, making it more difficult for you to burn off fat. Zinc also boosts your immune system with antioxidant properties that target various enzymes in the body, resulting in better post-workout bodily recovery.

Magnesium regulates the function of cells, bones, nerves and even your heart. It is an important part of ZMA to help ensure that athletes do not have a magnesium deficiency, as it can result in elevated inflammation in the muscles. ZMA contains magnesium aspartate, which reduces interference of the absorption of zinc and magnesium. It also contains a healthy dose of vitamin B6, which aids in the uptake of magnesium. Other great sources of magnesium are black beans, avocado, spinach, dark chocolate, and almonds.

Needless to say, there are definitely more than enough delicious options out there to fulfill your magnesium needs!

To maximize the benefits of ZMA, be sure to follow the instructed dosage. Typically a dosage of ZMA is three capsules, but most women should only take two. Each dosage should contain about 450 mg magnesium, 30 mg zinc and 10-11 mg of B6 for men. Be careful not to take too much. Taking more than 50 mg of zinc can have an adverse effect on your body. If you’re looking to build muscle mass and burn more fat, you should definitely consider adding ZMA to your supplement regimen.

#7 Trying To Strike A Better Muscle To Fat Ratio?

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

Conjugated linoleic acid, also known as CLA, is an omega-fatty acid that helps your body burn fat and build lean muscles by increasing basal metabolic rate. It enhances muscle growth and lowers cholesterol and blood glucose levels. It even boosts the immune system.

Cla helps with weight loss and muscle building, can’t get too much better!

CLA increases the muscle to fat ratio by burning calories and boosting muscle mass. That means, instead of you simply losing weight, you balance your body by gaining muscle and burning off fat. It also promotes heart health by reducing blood pressure and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the bad cholesterol. Of course, this means it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Also, if you workout often, you are more susceptible to illness.

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CLA lowers your chances of illness by boosting your immune system!

There are many ways to incorporate conjugated linoleic acid into your diet. Some of the top dietary sources of CLA include fresh ground beef, pork, chicken, lamb and dairy products such as cheddar and cottage cheese. Although you may consume foods that contain CLA daily, they may not contain enough CLA nutrients.

Conjugated linoleic acid is an essential supplement. Unfortunately, the body can’t produce CLA by itself. That is why it’s important for you to get a sufficient amount – especially if you workout often. That’s where supplements can help. Conjugated linoleic acid supplements are typically available in capsule or liquid form. To reap the most fat-busting benefits of CLA, you should consider taking 3.4 grams per day.

Be sure to consume CLA with other high-protein foods such as milk or lean grass-fed meat in order to avoid nausea that can sometimes occur after a single dosage. Whether you’re seeking to boost your immune system, build and retain muscle mass or simply balance your muscle to fat ratio, CLA can help!

 

Conclusion

Anytime you walk into a sports nutrition shop, there’s always an endless supply of potential supplements. But, to reap the greatest rewards, you have to be focused and informed. Set attainable goals and follow your plan. Don’t stray from your simple diet plan and be sure to maintain a healthy diet. And, if you’re looking for healthy ways to enhance your workouts, you should consider including these seven essential workout supplements.

by Taylor Zhane