What Are The Different Types Of Supplements For Gym-Goers?

Exercising is healthy. There have been scientifically proven benefits to exercising, including stress relief, improved health, better sleep and a boost in self-esteem. One of the main reasons why people go to the gym however, is to build muscle and shed weight by trimming body fat. This is done mainly by lifting weights and cardio exercises, which are demanding and strenuous to your muscles.

To help you recover faster, gain muscle quicker or shed weight more efficiently, most people have resulted to taking gym supplements. They are useful for supporting your health, increasing your energy and boosting your body’s capacity to handle the different exercises you throw at it. They also help you optimize your workouts.

It is important to know the different types of supplements out there, to help you come up with a mix that works for you. They include:

Pre-workout supplements

These are gym supplements designed to help boost performance, focus and output during your sessions. They are taken about half an hour before working out, and in that time, they are absorbed into the muscles, fortifying them for the gruelling workout to come. The main active ingredient is caffeine, which when coupled with other ingredients such as arginine work to actively stimulate your body and keep you focussed all through.

Popular pre-workout supplements like Cellucor C4 also have other useful ingredients such as creatine and BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) such as leucine, isoleucine and valine. These help you prepare for your workout by increasing your energy output, focus and endurance. They also temporarily enhance your strength, thereby boosting your muscle pump so you can work out with heavier weights for longer. Cellucor C4 also helps with the post workout recovery process as well.

Fat burners

As the name suggests, these are supplements that are designed with the primary goal of helping your body shed off fat. They contain various different ingredients that are designed to help you achieve this goal. The way these work is they increase your body’s natural metabolism which in turn leads to burning calories at a higher rate. The end result is faster weight loss.

What makes fat burners such as Optiburn popular among certain gym goers, is that they help reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass. The improved metabolic rate and thermogenesis also result in better muscle definition, so you end up looking great in a vest during the summer.

Joint support vitamins

These are a combination of minerals, vitamins and other important nutritional additives. They contain many of the components that the body uses naturally to enhance joint health and cartilage support. These supplements help relieve pain and reduce inflammation after a workout. They also build up the properties of the joints that could be worn away during your sessions.

The magic happens through the ingredients. One of these is glucosamine sulphate, which helps increase cartilage strength, and replenishes the synovial fluids around the joints. Another ingredient is bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties. All these protect the joints and allow you to continue exercising as you age.

Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occurring organic acid that is found in certain foods such as beef and tuna. It is made in the body by naturally by combining glycine, arginine and methionine. As complicated as all these sound, hey all have one simple job, to help your body’s ability to produce more energy rapidly.

With creatine, you can lift heavier weights for a longer time. Your ability to perform high intensity exercises while at the same time extending endurance. Your overall strength is increased; your muscle pump is also improved. Your muscle protein synthesis is also heightened, helping you increase your muscle size quicker.

Protein supplements

Whey protein is some of the most used supplements among gym goers the world over. It is one of the best ways to increase the protein intake in your body. Traditionally, it is mixed in with water, milk or made into delicious protein shakes, together with yoghurt and fruits. It can also be added to foods or made into protein bars.

How whey protein powders such as Gold Standard Whey work, is by providing a concentrated dose of high quality protein. This improves your workout results, helping you increase muscle mass, reduce muscle soreness and speed up the recovery after a workout. Since they digest rapidly after being taken, whey proteins powders are the best way to add amino acids to your body.