5 Supplements For Beginners

1. Protein:

    When it comes to supplements, none have received more attention than adding protein to your diet. Countless studies have been conducted with mixed results regarding improvements in muscular size and strength during short-term resistance training programs. In my mind, it all boils down to a few key points:
    1. Additional protein may lead to greater improvements in muscular size and strength.
    2. Drinking a rapidly digesting protein source immediately before, during and/or after your training session will help stimulate protein synthesis (read: protein building) and therefore facilitate recovery.
    3. Assuming you have a healthy liver and kidney and that you aren't drastically over consuming poor quality fat sources, a higher protein diet will probably help you shed some fat.
    4. Regardless of what the research says (forgive me for temporarily neglecting my scientific background), people that train hard report feeling better while taking a protein supplement.
A few other things to consider:



  • Whey protein supplements are rapidly digested, so they enter the blood stream and "get to work" quickly. Casein protein digests more slowly, having a time-release effect. Whey may be a more appropriate choice around your training sessions, whereas casein may be more appropriate throughout the day if you don't have time to cook and need a quick protein source.









  • Research has shown that consuming the protein supplement BEFORE you train may be slightly better than after. You may want to make a shake and start sipping on it before you train and continue to drink from it during your session.










  • Protein supplements are no replacement for high-quality protein sources from food. Food sources include various minerals that are essential for well-being that you won't find in a supplement.














  • 2. Greens:

      Quite simply, a quality greens supplement can help minimize the negative effects of a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables. Notice, I didn't say it could REPLACE fruits and vegetables, only minimize the damage.  Academics within the field of nutrition will probably argue that you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need from food. I don't disagree, but few people do. The rest of us will benefit from having a greens supplement on hand to help pick up the slack.Frankly, I don't see a downside to taking a daily dose of greens in addition to a diet relatively rich in fruits and vegetables. Some products have undergone multiple scientific studies and seem to be the best bet with regards to this line of supplements. In addition to the added vitamins, this line of supplements will help neutralize your blood pH, which can become more acidic if you're consuming a large amount of protein.
    3. Fish Oils:

      The super supplement! I can't think of a person in the world that shouldn't be taking a quality fish oil supplement. I was first introduced to fish oils because of their anti-inflammatory effect.  For those of you that pop ibuprofen like candy everyday, you may be surprised at how much better you feel after taking regular doses of fish oil for a few weeks. After a little research, I learned that fish oils have positive benefits on just about everything from cardiovascular disease to various forms of cancer.   They can also aid in fat loss. It's important that you use a quality supplement though (>50% of the total fish oil is from EPA and DHA), as the lower quality ones can be high in mercury. I go with the liquid fish oils. A good place to start is with 3g of combined EPA and DHA. 
    4. Carbs/Pre-/Post-Workout:

      A rapidly digesting simple carbohydrate source consumed before, during, and/or immediately after your training will facilitate protein synthesis and glycogen resynthesis. Basically this translates into muscle building, energy replenishing, and faster recovery.    Taking in a simple carbohydrate drink is especially important for people training at relatively high volumes and people that are looking to add muscle mass.
    5. Creatine:

      Creatine has probably undergone more scientific study than any other supplement. There is so much information on creatine that I devoted an entire article summarizing the research on it and addressing some of the misconceptions. The take home message is creatine supplementation leads to greater improvements in muscular size and strength than training without it. Benefits have been noted for a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical (read: healthy and typically developing) populations. I received a lot of email criticism for my article on creatine because I didn't specify whether creatine was appropriate for teenagers or not. While there is apparently a large crowd that thinks creatine supplementation will lead to sudden death if taken by someone under the age of 18, the truth is that there is NO scientific evidence documenting benefits or harmful effects of creatine use on teenagers.    Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge there is no reason to believe that it may be harmful, if taken in the recommended doses. If you have information to the contrary, please send it to me. In the meantime, let's not be so scientifically stubborn that we ignore the long list of benefits on health and performance that creatine supplementation offers. With regards to dose, the debate continues on whether loading (25-30g/day for 5-6 days) is necessary or whether 5g/day is sufficient. I don't have the answer, but creatine is one of the cheapest supplements you can get. If I'm taking in slightly more than I need for a few days and excreting the excess in my urine, I'll sleep fine knowing I just peed out 1 dollar in wasted supplements that week.   
       

    33 comments:

    my day in a sentence said...

    I love the idea for this blog!
    Following and supporting!

    level85nerd said...

    Okay, thanks for that :) very interesting and useful!

    Mikas said...

    Anything to recommend for weight gain?

    Unknown said...

    @ Mikas. Use a gainer if possible. Tons of carbs in those things.

    Like this blog. I haven't seen any that cover supplements and sociability all in one, haha. Keep the quality posts coming!

    Come At Me Bro said...

    And oats?

    AbstractReality said...

    Is it bad to drink protein shakes when you're not working out?

    Great blog, following

    The Latest Movie Trailers said...

    very cool blog

    Unknown said...

    Good article. I just hit 30 and am working on getting rid of my 'soft spots.' I'll be following you daily.

    Rondariel said...

    Drinking protein shakes without working out will just make you fat...
    You really only need supplements if you are trying to build muscle. if you are just keeping fit, i would recommend you stay away from them.
    Still great article. Followed.

    Tols said...

    ty for ths post following

    urban wastelander said...

    the supplements i take wouldn't b e on this list, unless this is the DEA suplements list. Is it? :D

    Gooner Thoughts said...

    GREAT read, thank you so much!!

    stan said...

    @AbstractReality i wouldn't say bad just as long as you are using it as a meal replacement and i would blend a half cup of oats in it for some carbs

    stan said...

    @urban wastelander haha no not the DEA list. the beginners list lol

    Gamerman's Gaming Blog said...

    Very productive post, I'm not body-builder but it's still nice to know all this stuff.

    Followed~!

    Adam said...

    Been starting to work out more recently and this was quite helpful. Thanks!

    Chock Full of BS said...

    Whey protein for sure. I just picked up a 6lb bag at costco for 35 dollars. I think that's pretty good.

    Cameron Wyatt said...

    Good stuff. Check out a fellow lifters blog.

    Follow: My blog

    Quinn said...

    Whey Protein is good stuff. My dad used to force feed me that stuff hah

    supporting and following


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    ruinz said...

    Very interesting keep posting

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    shadi said...

    realy nice po$t..
    follow and $upport

    PvtCarlin said...

    Good stuff mate!
    Following :)

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    Brut said...

    I take whey every day.

    TheDankMan said...

    Thanks for that ive been looking to get bigger!

    GregMitchell said...

    Good post, just started hitting the gym again and this defo will help get the most out it.Thanks

    Followed

    http://randomthingsmitch.blogspot.com/

    PongoMongo said...

    Whey is truely amazing! it works to well, Vanilla is my favorite flavor. Any info on good equipment to start with?

    TheDankMan said...

    also im drinking my coffee.

    Lendo Khar said...

    Thanks for this blog, bro. I don't go to the gym, but my gf does and she always worries about carbs, proteins, etc and I don't have time to research what is safe and whatnot.
    I think the fish oil is a must buy from your post. I will start with that, it doesn't seem too expensive.

    Unknown said...

    Great blog! Following!

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    !sense! said...

    this is honestly what I needed. thank you.
    Check my blog sometime.

    jake7291 said...

    thanks for all that info
    looking forward to more future posts

    Frosty said...

    Incredibly useful, a few things I didn't know.
    I've been looking into protein supplements. Thanks, will be following for sure.

    Unknown said...

    Wow great idea for a blog, love it. Definitely following!

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