The Essentials of Supplementation

Do I Need That?

It’s no secret what it takes to lose weight; fad diets, juice cleanses, and other quick fixes are useless, and you usually end up gaining back the weight you lost and then some. As a competitor, trainer, and fitness enthusiast, my philosophy is that nothing beats a good, hard, training regimen coupled with a good diet and a well-rounded supplement program.

I started taking supplements years ago, and over the years, I’ve added and taken away certain ones and tried everything to find what works for me and helps me reach my goals. Don’t get me wrong; it still takes hard work in the gym. Supplements aren’t magic pills, but the right concoction of a few key things does wonders for your body. They fuel your workouts and can help you build more lean muscle mass and stay fit.

During competition season, competitors train more intensely and put in longer hours in the gym, and we all know that when we train with such intensity, we drain our bodies of essential nutrients, vitamins, and other compounds, which are necessary to achieve fat loss and muscle gain. Even with the best diet, it still can be hard to get all the vitamins your body needs to be on its A-game. So for those who want to know, here are a few of my go-to supplements that I take pretty much all year round.

A Good Multivitamin
Day-to-day life is exhausting; add in an intense gym sesh, and by the end of the day you’re drained. Adding a good multivitamin will give your body a wide range of the essential nutrients you need to maintain a fit and lean physique.

Whey Isolate Protein Powder
Ah protein, my fave. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, and protein is a must for boosting muscle growth before and after working out. These days, we all have busy schedules, and it can be hard to sit and have a meal before you hit the gym. This is where protein powders come in handy. Protein and all its amino acids is what our bodies need to repair our muscles quickly after we’ve exhausted them in the gym. After a good lift, our muscles are primed to rapidly and easily absorb protein through protein synthesis, which helps start muscle building repair process and helps promote the growth of lean muscle tissue.

Vitamin C
This essential vitamin helps support the immune system and helps it function properly. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in the synthesis of hormones, amino acids, and collagen, and it destroys free radicals created from exercise and stress. Vitamin C helps to repair and regenerate tissues, protect against heart disease, decrease bad cholesterol, and help protect against various cancers.

Glutamine
L-glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids in our bodies. Glutamine increases the natural growth of hormone production, reduces soreness, prevents delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), helps prevent muscle breakdown during intense exercises, and improves strength and boosts endurance. Because training places a lot of stress on the muscles and immune system, adding glutamine to your supplement stack helps recover the health of your muscle tissues, helps your body burn more fat, and improves your immune system.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Not all fats are bad for you. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) contains omega fatty acids, which are considered good fats, and according to published research, CLA can help reduce body fat and help in preserving lean muscle tissue.

BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
Branched-chain amino acids are great for energy and muscle recovery. BCAAs are made up of three specific amino acids: valine, isoleucine, and leucine. These amino acids are key in stimulating protein synthesis and regulating protein metabolism. When you take BCAAs before and after exercising, it helps reduce muscle damage and/or soreness, and has the ability to help burn fat and reduce fatigue.

Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract (GTE) is loaded with antioxidants, which come in the form of catechins. These are believed to lower cholesterol, help prevent cancer, support a healthy digestive system, and help with weight loss. GTE is considered one of the top fat burners because it contains caffeine, which helps boost the metabolism, thus aiding our weight-loss efforts. Yay!

Fish Oils
Fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits. Omega-3s help lower LDL cholesterol (aka bad cholesterol), increase mental function, and help fight inflammation. When we lift, our muscles become inflamed, so taking this supplement will most certainly help fight that. Generally, when choosing a fish oil you want to choose one that has at least a 2:1 EPA-to-DHA ratio for the best anti-inflammatory effect.

Joint Support Supplements
Intense exercise can cause joint discomfort in many people. To help prevent and ease the pain, I suggest including a joint support supplement. These days, many joint support supplements include a mixture of MSM, chondroitin, and glucosamine. Glucosamine and chondroitin are naturally occurring substances found in the fluid around our joints, and they both help in building cartilage. These vitamins help pull water to our tissues, which helps the cartilage stay elastic and helps block the action of enzymes that break down cartilage tissue. Thus, taking a dose of glucosamine and chondroitin helps our bodies replace damaged or worn-away cartilage more quickly.

Supplements are great and will surely help you get better results, but at the end of the day, a healthy and wholesome diet with a consistent exercise regimen is the core of muscle building and losing weight. As they say, no matter how hard you work in the gym, you can never outwork a bad diet.

There are hundreds of brands to choose from when it comes to supplements, and some work well for you and some work better for others. Everybody is different and we all respond differently to certain supplements. At first, it will be a trial-and-error approach, but over time as you pay attention to your body, you’ll find what you need and what you don’t. Remember, always follow the directions on the bottle for proper dosage, and above all, be patient in seeing results and most importantly be consistent.

Until next time.