Supplements nowadays are not considered a handy accessory for bodybuilders and people trying to increase their muscle mass, they are nowadays considered an integral part of the sport, and rightfully so. When chosen correctly and used as instructed, supplements can yield some pretty amazing results in terms of muscle growth, fat loss, and strength increases. The main issues that most people tend to face with supplements however, is not knowing how to use them correctly, expecting them to perform miracles, and not using them for long enough. For anybody trying to build muscle, diet and nutrition is absolutely essential, yet sadly, in today’s modern society, good quality produce is difficult to come by, and if you do, you often have to spend an absolute fortune on it anyways. Foods these days are heavily processed and are pumped full of chemicals and additives to prolong shelf lives and enhance the tastes and flavours of them. For a person trying to get plenty of nutrients into their body, this can be tricky, which is one of the main reasons why supplements can really come into their own. To build muscle, you need the right kinds of nutrients at the right time, and so to help make life a little easier for you, we’ll now be taking a look at the top 5 supplements to build muscle.
B vitamins
B vitamin supplements are very easy to come across as they’re available in most pharmacies, supermarkets, and health food stores, yet for some reason people often ignore them, leading to vitamin B deficiencies. B vitamins actually possess a number of anabolic (muscle building) properties and qualities that make them perfect for bodybuilding and anybody trying to add a little size to their frames. Within the stomach, various B vitamins work by releasing and regulating gastric juice, which in turn helps the stomach to break down and absorb nutrients from foods and supplements that have recently been consumed. This is beneficial because it allows you to absorb more nutrients and more natural goodness, allowing you to get more goodness from what you consume, instead of some of it going to waste. A vitamin B complex supplement is ideal as you get all of the different benefits from each individual B vitamin. B6 protects the liver for example, B9 improves cell absorption, vitamin B12 enhances energy production, etc. B vitamins are of course present in whole foods, but to get the recommended daily intake of each vitamin from whole foods, you would spend a fortune on food, and would struggle to eat it all anyways.
Mass gainers
Mass gainers can be potentially detrimental to your physique, due to the fact that they are so high in calories. For this reason, you will need to ensure you’re training correctly, and are eating cleanly and adequately in order to keep body fat percentages under control. If you are however, mass gainers are incredibly beneficial for anybody trying to build muscle. In order to grow, we need to consume more calories than we burn off, that’s a no-brainer. The problem is that people often take things to the extremes. Some are worried about losing their abs and so will keep calories well below maintenance, and then wonder why they’re losing size and strength, whilst others will “dirty bulk” as it is known, and will binge eat on junk food and gain too much body fat. Finding the right balance between the two is ideal, which is why mass gainers are so useful. They provide a fantastic balance of healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates, and are enriched with vitamins and minerals. They’re high in calories so you can easily hit your macros, without having the eat until you feel like you’re going to burst.
Creatine
Creatine is currently the second most popular bodybuilding supplement in the world, second only to whey protein. Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found within our own bodies, specifically, the cells in our muscles. Creatine promotes lean muscle growth, it enhances ATP energy production for the cells, it holds off fatigue and buffers lactic acid production, it enhances cell volume, it allows the cells to absorb more glycogen and other nutrients/energy sources, and it promotes post-workout recovery as well. If muscle growth is your target, you may want to seriously consider adding creatine to your supplement stack.
EFAs
EFAs, or, Essential Fatty Acids, are the components of healthy fats which have been found to be essential for optimal health and well-being. EFAs and other healthy fats, actually assists with protein digestion and absorption, allowing the body to digest and absorb protein, which in turn will enhance post-workout recovery and muscle growth and repair. EFAs also help the body to manufacture vitamin D, which in turn can help to regulate hormones, hormones including Testosterone and HGH, both of which play vital roles in muscle growth and function. EFAs are also essential because some vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, and K, for example, are only fat soluble, which means that the body cannot absorb them without fats. As well as that, they actually boost the metabolism allowing you to burn more calories and generate more energy as a result.
Amino Acids
Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein molecules, and as protein is vital for muscle growth and repair, it’s no wonder why amino acids are so popular in the bodybuilding community. Amino acid supplements are so beneficial because they’re easily absorbable, which means that they don’t need to be digested beforehand. This allows them to get to work almost instantaneously. Amino acids help to regulate hormones, they form tissue proteins, they increase cell volume and nutrient transportation, and they promote protein synthesis in the process. Amino acid supplements are therefore, absolutely essential for post-workout recovery, although many bodybuilders will consume them before, and during training as well, making them the perfect all round bodybuilding supplements.
