Energy boosters. Fat burners. Protein powders. Vitamins. Minerals. If you have a goal for your fitness or body building program, there is sure to be a fitness or bodybuilding supplement formulated to help you meet it. A quick Internet search will have you inundated with manufacturers' claims of nearly instant improvement in your strength and stamina, but before you spend any money on a performance enhancing supplement, you should get a better idea of what the different kinds of supplements are available.
Go natural
Whatever sort of supplements you chose, try to find those which are natural supplements made from plants or animal tissue extract, and these are by far the safest fitness and bodybuilding supplements. They contain minimal amounts of chemicals, and will be suitable for people of any age or fitness level. Among these supplements, you should look for herbal or plant extracts rich in natural minerals, vitamins and animal extracts with high protein content.
Some of the more popular natural supplements are fish oil, and green tea or olive leaf extract. And one really surprising one is androstenedione, which is found in Scotch pine trees, and is converted in the body to testosterone.
These supplements have the added bonus of adding very few calories to your diet for the amount of nutrition they offer.
Protein powders
Bodybuilders especially will benefit from the use of protein powders. Many of these supplements are enriched with the amino acid L-arginine, which plays an important role in your muscles' production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, in turn, lengthens the filaments in your muscles so that they have an increased surface area to receive nutrients from the blood. The extra nutrients can be used to produce new muscle mass. But because L-arginine also stimulates fluid excretion, you should keep track of just how much you are getting from all your supplements.
Protein powders come in many different formulas targeted to different fitness goals. If you want to lose fat, go for a low-carb, low-calorie protein powder; if you want to build muscle, go for the high-protein, high calorie protein powder with small amounts of fat and sugar. Protein powders are great for eating on the go, because you simply add them to water for a satisfying and nutritious protein shake.
Whey-based protein powders are considered the most nutritious, because they are broken down into the largest amounts of the branched-chain amino acids from which muscle tissue is built.
Anabolic Flavones
Anabolic flavones (not related to anabolic hormones) improve you body's synthesis of protein as well as its nitrogen retention, so you build more muscle mass. You will also absorb your protein supplements better with anabolic flavones. benefit from improved absorption
Amino acid supplements
Amino acid supplements will provide your body with the "building blocks" it needs to create muscle mass. Look for an amino acid supplement taken from the most protein-concentrated source possible (meat and fish are better than protein-rich vegetables like peas. But make sure you're not allergic to the source; dairy based amino acid supplements can be a problem for some people.
L-glutamine, L-leucine and L-arginine (mentioned earlier) are three essential amino acids which play important parts in muscle cellular function, and are included in many fitness and body building supplements. L-Glutamine is also sold in powder form, and can be used to complement creatine, as long as the two are not taken simultaneously.
Creatine
Creatine occurs naturally in your body, and is involved in the production of ATP, which
your main energy source. Creatine supplementation is safe, and will increase your ATP so that you can work out longer.
There are also multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplements specifically formulated for fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts, so why not spend some time educating yourself on what's available, and what will help you reach your fitness goals as quickly and safely as you can?
Seth Leon writes on bodybuilding and fitness supplements and currently runs, among others, an informational website providing real and factual information on bodybuilding and fitness supplements like Gakic, as well as Gakic Reviews [http://www.gakic-review.net/gakic-review].
For more information please go to [http://www.gakic-review.net].
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