There are thousands of supplements in the market nowadays. Some of these are intended for those bodybuilders and some are for those athletes who would like to enhance their body’s strength. But others only wanted to get the most from their workouts, achieve general fitness and improve their overall health.
But before you take any supplement, you need to know the kind of supplement that is suitable for you, the correct dosing and timing for your goals and the quality of supplements that you should be taking.
So here are the top five supplements to achieve your athletic goals:*
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps protect the immune system and it helps your body to recover from intense workout or training. It aids in protein metabolism. It does not only provide the body with the necessary proteins but it also blocks the synthesis of a vital protein that might cause inflammation and infection. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which hinders some of the damage caused by free radicals. It is also needed to repair the tissues of the body. It is used to make collagen, a protein that is needed to make ligaments, skin, tendons and blood vessels. It also aids in faster healing of wounds and reduces stress.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=SYFMl&webforms_id=23249001″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
Fish Oil (Omega 3 Fatty Acids)
These are one of the most commonly used supplements available in the market nowadays. Omega 3 improves your cardiovascular function and health and improves your brain. It is also proven to lower your bad cholesterol in the body. Experts say that taking omega 3 supplements are safe and has no side effects, unlike those other over-the-counter drugs. But not everyone is aware that not fish oil is not made the same. Fish oil supplements may vary in quality and levels of toxins present. It depends on the type, size, how it was processed and the natural habitat of the fish used. Those people with body composition goals and those athletes must start with 3,000mg of fish oil spread out in 2 to 3 servings. Then they should work toward taking up to 6,000mg a day.
Protein
Protein is proven to reduce the level of stress hormones if taken within 10 minutes of training. Protein can help the body repair tissues and reduce muscle soreness. The body can only digest 20 to 30 grams per hour and you only need 0.8 to 1.4g of protein for every kilo of lean mass each day. Excessive protein can cause acidity.
Most athletes take whey protein but many people have an intolerance to it.
Magnesium
Magnesium is required for more than 325 enzymatic reactions including those involved in the synthesis of nucleic acids, protein, fat, muscular contraction and relaxation, cardiac and neurological activity and bone metabolism. Magnesium is also needed for exercise tolerance.
B-Vitamins
B-Vitamins are neurotransmitter co-factors and are known to increase the production of energy so they help improve your mood. They also help in detoxifying the body after exercising. You need to take more B-Vitamins if you are heavy lifting or damaging the tissues of your muscles during a workout because protein depletes B-Vitamins. Your B-Vitamins must include . . .
• Methylcobalamin (B-12)
• Benfotiamine (B-1)
• Riboflavin-5’-Phosphate (B-2)
• Pyridoxal-5’-Phosphate (B-6)
• Avoid taking B-Vitamins in the hydrochloride (HCL) form because it is cheap and the body cannot absorb it.
Supplement Cautions
• Be wary of artificial sweeteners that may boost the sugar content of your supplement.
• Read the ingredients carefully – if it lists more than 7 items, think again.
• If under medical care, let your doctor know what you are taking to ensure that there are no harmful interaction with your medication.
• Be wary of taking more than the DRI (dietary reference intake) of vitamins – when it comes to supplements you can get too much of a good thing.
• The supplement may be contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals or herbs. It may even include illegal, unlabelled ingredients. Proceed with caution.