If you’re working on increasing your fitness, building lean muscle, burning fat or losing weight, then supplements can be a very useful tool. You can get a range of vitamins and nutrients from your food, but it can be hard to get enough of everything, especially if you’re training hard or have any dietary restrictions. Supplements can help you to get everything you need to aid your fitness journey. Here are six of the best.
- BCAAs. To maximize muscle growth, your body needs sufficient quantities of amino acids. There are three branched-chain amino acids that are the most important; leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These are an excellent source of protein for those who are calorie counting or dieting and need a little help to keep their muscles in shape.
- Creatine. One of the most-researched and therefore safest supplement is creatine. This supplement is very important for aiding short bursts of explosive power and muscle contraction. This makes it a good choice for those strength training or lifting weights. Take it with a carbohydrate source after weights or a strength sport.
- Fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the best things for your overall health. They have lots of benefits, including aiding cognitive function, hormonal output and fat-burning. A natural source of omega-3 is oily fish, but most of us don’t eat enough to get the benefits. If this is you, you can supplement it with a tablet to get enough.
- Greens. A diet that is rich in leafy greens, like kale or spinach, will give you a lot of the vitamins and nutrients that you need to be healthy. However, if you aren’t eating enough to really benefit, you can help yourself out by taking greens powder. Look for a powder that has an adequate amount of wheatgrass, digestive enzymes, fiber, and anti-oxidants.
- Vitamin D. Often known as the sunshine vitamin, it can hard to get enough Vitamin D during the winter months or if you spend a lot of time indoors or in overcast places. Vitamin D can help you to maintain a healthy testosterone output and bone density as well as improving your mood and energy levels. A supplement can really help during the darker months.
- Whey protein. Whey is a protein that is rich in the BCAAs that your body needs to repair sore muscles. As a supplement, it has a high quantity of leucine that can be disgested rapidly for maximum benefits. Take whey protein before or after your workout to aid your recovery or combine it with casein as a meal replacement.
If your focus is on fat loss, you can watch videos about non-invasive fat removal to find other options that might help you.
Before starting to take any kind of supplement, always speak to your GP first. Some supplements can interact with medications, so it’s even more important to do this if you are taking medication of any kind, are pregnant, or breast-feeding. Supplements are also not a replacement for a balanced diet.