Not every one of us can boast of a flawless figure with ideal parameters. And even those whom nature has not deprived often find certain flaws in themselves, trying to correct them with the help of physical activity and, thus, bring their body to perfection.
This applies to both women and men. But, if the beautiful half of humanity is chasing a slender body and fit shape, then the strong half is chasing sports performance: increasing strength, building muscle mass.
Sports nutrition products
To achieve them, people regularly exercise, lead an active lifestyle, and monitor their diet. In addition, specialists have developed sports nutrition preparations, equated to dietary supplements, specifically for these purposes, and are designed to improve all physical indicators. They lead to the normalization of metabolism, strengthening the immune system, and more effectively building muscle mass. Moreover, these drugs do not cause any harm to the body and lead to a better and longer standard of living.
This group of drugs is developed by leading experts in the field of nutrition and physiology; before the release of each type of sports nutrition, thorough medical tests and scientific research are carried out so that each component is selected most accurately and is best combined with the other components. At the same time, these drugs are made only from natural ingredients and using innovative technological equipment.
Advantages of sports nutrition products
The advantages of sports nutrition drugs are their instant digestion and absorption, high energy value and good health for many hours after administration. They are not medications or chemical steroids, are not addictive and do not contain components harmful to the body. They also have nothing to do with pharmacological agents taken by professional athletes or any type of doping.
Another advantage of sports nutrition drugs is the ability to avoid overeating, and this, in turn, helps to get rid of unnecessary stress on the stomach.
Sports nutrition is a vitamin supplement that is beneficial for the body and can enrich the diet of every person. In other words, this is regular healthy food, only in concentrated form. At the same time, in no case should you completely replace regular meals with sports drugs, because their effect is most effective when added to the main diet.
Sports nutrition categories
There are quite a few categories of sports nutrition. So, the most famous include:
Vitamin and mineral complexes;
Protein;
L-carnitine;
Collagen;
Drugs intended to increase testosterone levels in the blood;
Carbohydrate-protein mixtures;
Glutamine;
Arginine;
Amino acids;
Anti-catabolic.
Protein
Thus, whey protein leads to the loss of extra pounds, reduces cholesterol levels, and increases the body’s performance. Its positive results in the treatment of cancer are also known.
Soy protein is necessary for those athletes who prefer plant foods, since it supplies the human body with an important and always necessary element - lecithin, which fights radionuclides.
Creatine
Not a single complex for gaining muscle mass can do without creatine, since it gives the body strength and endurance. In athletes engaged in strength training, it increases the level of physical capabilities. To achieve maximum training efficiency in sports such as sprinting and martial arts, you should introduce creatine into your diet. Moreover, studies have shown that the younger the athlete’s age, the better the absorption of creatine, and vice versa. Creatine brings an additional positive effect to those individuals who do not eat animal fats. Constant use leads to a decrease in effectiveness, so it is better to take it periodically.
Vitamin and mineral supplements
Gainers
The purpose of gainers is to support the body's internal resources; they are easily and quickly absorbed and contain many useful substances. Also indispensable for gaining muscle mass.
Fat burners
To get rid of excess weight and create muscle definition, fat burners are recommended for use. They qualitatively destroy fat cells and help build lean muscle mass.
Caffeine
Caffeine is most needed by those athletes who are engaged in long, grueling training, as this supplement stimulates the central nervous system and increases mental activity. It should be taken with caution, as in some cases it may increase blood pressure.
More:
Arginine is a useful and vital acid for the body, found in many foods. Taking it leads to improvement 
blood flow, helps in the production of growth hormone. Its ability to regenerate new cells has been proven. It is recommended for use for those sports that require minimal rest, as arginine instantly accelerates the blood and fills the body with additional energy.
Deanol - improves the mental abilities of the brain, helps its concentration. Restores the body's strength after training and increases endurance.
L-carnitine helps fight fatigue during physical activity, gives a boost of energy and vigor, promotes muscle growth, and also helps fight liver diseases and viral infections.
It is important!
To correctly determine the required type of sports nutrition, it is better to contact a specialist who will help you choose the most balanced drugs in accordance with the training program. The human body is able to function smoothly with the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; an excess of any elements can lead to malfunctions of certain organs. The glycemic index of each product and the rate of its absorption are also taken into account.
It is very important to adhere to the dosage indicated on each package of sports nutrition products, since exceeding it can lead to allergic reactions, cause insomnia, and increased blood pressure.
To obtain maximum results, sports medications should be taken in combination. You can select them yourself or with the help of a trainer, or you can purchase ready-made complex products that are ideal for certain purposes.
When choosing sports nutrition, you should remember that each body is individual and can react differently to drugs. Therefore, you should start taking any type of sports nutrition very carefully, while monitoring the body’s reaction. If no side effects are found, you can continue taking the drug.
Myths and legends
Another persistent misconception is that this group of drugs can be taken without any physical activity, the muscles will continuously grow on their own. This statement is fundamentally incorrect; the mere use of sports nutrition drugs, not confirmed by physical exercise, will not make you a bodybuilder. The only thing that such a technique will lead to is a gain of fat mass, which has nothing to do with impressive muscles.
We often hear that taking this group of drugs is fraught with multiple side effects and complications in the functioning of various body systems. In practice, these statements are in no way confirmed. After all, every person takes a variety of vitamins and microelements in different doses every day with food; they are an integral part of the body. The same supplements contain sports nutrition preparations, the only difference is that the latter are absorbed and digested much faster and more efficiently. The only possible side effect is individual intolerance to one or another component.
You should not believe the opinion that athletes do not need additional protein, since quite a lot of it has already accumulated in the body. The thing is that if the body does not receive an additional portion of protein, it will actively use up the existing reserves, only in this case the muscles will also be lost, and no growth in muscle mass will be observed.
The same applies to the conclusion that athletes do not need fat-burning drugs. This idea is only partly true: people with high metabolism and low body weight really don’t need them. But even if you have even a few extra pounds, the above-mentioned drugs help burn excess fat and at the same time achieve maximum efficiency from exercise.
The next myth concerns whey protein. There is a misconception that its use leads to obesity. In practice, this thesis is not confirmed. When consumed correctly, this supplement promotes optimal muscle growth.
There is also an opinion that with proper and balanced nutrition, the body does not need any additional supplements. We can only partially agree with this statement, since even the most correct and healthy nutrition system, taking into account all the vitamins and elements the body needs, cannot provide it with the required amount of amino acids, especially during daily training. The body should be additionally nourished with sports drugs to replenish costs.
We should not believe the statement that more expensive drugs are identical in composition to cheaper ones, and we overpay for the brand and advertising. Remember that any high-quality sports supplement cannot be cheap a priori; any reduction in cost leads to the use of poor quality raw materials. But health and results are much more important, so you should be very careful when purchasing nutritional supplements.
The best drugs
Recently, according to the results of sales of sports nutrition drugs, a rating of the best drugs was compiled, which will help you in choosing them. It looks like this. In first place is delicious and nutritious protein - 100% Whey Gold Standard chocolate - the standard of pleasant rich taste and excellent quality.
Following it is the Animal Pak multivitamin complex, widely used by bodybuilders, as it gives the body strength and vigor, the result is noticeable from the first days of use. Contains more than 50 components.
An honorable third place in the ranking went to the SYNTHA-6 protein, which, according to consumer reviews, has a wonderful aroma and delicious taste. Suitable for use during the day. It contains six types of protein. One serving is enough for up to 8 hours.
The next position is occupied by Jack3d nitric oxide, which is capable of charging the body with energy and endurance, giving it maximum strength and stamina. The best pre-workout complex, according to users.
Following it is Matrix 5.0 protein, which has a good taste and is easy to use. It completely dissolves in the drink and contains a combination of the three highest quality and most effective proteins.
The adjacent steps of the hierarchy were occupied by the SmartShake shaker, the Xtend training complex, the OxyELITE Pro fat burner, Opti-Men vitamins, and the Up Your Mass gainer.
Take care of your health and longevity by keeping your body in good physical shape. And to make the result more perfect, take sports nutrition preparations aimed at restoring strength after training, increasing the level of endurance and stamina, and filling the body with all the necessary microelements. But you shouldn't expect miracle results from sports supplements. They are effective only with a proper and balanced diet and constant physical activity.
Sports nutrition is becoming more and more popular every day among people working out in gyms. The variety of brands and sports nutrition products themselves confuses buyers, whose eyes simply run wild and they do not know what to buy. I propose to consider the most popular types of sports nutrition and their application.
What is sports nutrition?
Sports nutrition is a specialized nutritional supplement created from natural ingredients to provide people involved in sports with all the necessary macro and microelements. Most often, sports nutrition is available in the form of powder, tablets, and in rare cases it has a liquid form. But what they have in common is that they are all aimed at helping a person achieve the desired result, gaining muscle mass, or, on the contrary, losing weight. Sports nutrition helps a person gain the daily requirement of nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and other substances. Replaces meals, has flavorings and aromas.
Classification of sports nutrition
Sports nutrition can be divided into categories according to their composition and the principle of their effect on the body:
- High protein foods (Proteins)
- Carbohydrate-protein mixtures (gainers)
- Amino acids (essential and essential)
- Fat burners
- Specialty products (pre-workout supplements, creatine)
- Vitamin and mineral complexes, preparations for ligaments and joints.
Protein is the main building material for muscle tissue. It is very difficult to consume the daily amount of protein from natural foods (meat, fish, eggs), so it is necessary to replace the lack of protein from protein shakes. Protein is classified by absorption rate and amino acid composition. The most common are whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, casein, etc. The most popular is WPC (whey protein concentrate), which has a fairly high absorption rate and high amino acid composition. It is recommended to take this protein immediately after training to close the protein window, during which nutrients are better absorbed throughout the day, replacing one of the meals. A serving of such protein is usually 30-40 grams, which is the standard amount of protein digestible at one time. It is best to mix a protein shake with water or milk; the best flavors are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
A protein-carbohydrate mixture that is designed to gain muscle mass and increase calories in an athlete’s diet. The basis of this mixture is often maltodextrin (fast carbohydrates) and several types of protein in a percentage ratio of 20:80. The higher the protein content in a gainer, the more expensive its price. For people who are prone to gaining fat tissue, this product is not recommended, but for people who have difficulty gaining weight, it will be an excellent help. It is recommended to take a gainer immediately after waking up so that the body receives the necessary nutrients and stops the destruction processes that are activated at night, a second dose immediately after training to close the protein-carbohydrate window, or on a day without training, replace one meal with a gainer .
The product is obtained through the process of hydrolysis (decomposition) of proteins, which are the building blocks that build muscles. There are two types of amino acids: nonessential and essential amino acids. The difference between them is that some can be synthesized by the body, while others enter it from food. Amino acids are available in the form of powder and tablets. Taken before training, during training and after training. This is done so that during exercise the muscles do not “eat” themselves, but take building material from amino acids. An excellent product for this are BCAAs, which often taste good and are taken during training instead of plain water. Together with BCAA, it is rational to take Glutamine, which is necessary for effective muscle growth and increased immunity.
A product whose name speaks for itself. The action of this type of sports nutrition is aimed at reducing the mass of fatty tissue in the body. This is often achieved by stimulating metabolism (increasing it), reducing appetite, removing excess fluid from the body, etc., by increasing body temperature. A very effective supplement, but requires careful use due to a lot of side effects
This group includes pre-workout complexes, creatine, etc. Pre-workout complexes aimed at increasing the body's performance during training, for the effectiveness of the training process and, as a result, the return from it. With the use of this product, a person feels an influx of energy, increased concentration, and training is much more productive. To enhance the effect, you can use creatine, which, due to water retention in the body, increases strength and overall endurance.
For normal life support of all processes, the body needs vitamins and minerals, which it cannot synthesize on its own and is forced to obtain from food. It is very difficult to get the daily requirement of vitamins from food, especially for a person who plays sports, so it is necessary to take them in a ready-made complex. When working out in the gym, ligaments and joints experience enormous stress, especially the elbow, knee and shoulder joints, in order to maintain their mobility and neutralize the risk of injury, it is necessary to use Handroetin and Glucosamine. These products prevent destructive processes in joint tissues and promote collagen synthesis.
Listed above are the main components of sports nutrition, which are the most popular and rational for use. Every day, manufacturers come up with new formulas and develop new compositions to maximize the effect of taking sports nutrition. But if you arrange sports nutrition products according to the degree of usefulness and need for use, then protein will take first place, followed by amino acids, and gainers will take third place. All other additives do not provide such benefits and consumer utility. Of course, many will say that you can do without sports nutrition, and this is true, but with it your process of building muscles and achieving the desired shape will become much faster and more enjoyable.
Why do you need sports nutrition? Definitely not to replace a regular balanced diet. It’s like with vitamins: when a doctor sees a lack of certain vitamins in the body and prescribes a course of vitamins, you do not replace meals with them, but only add them to your diet. The same applies to sports nutrition: it is not intended to replace, but to supplement where it is lacking.
An important point: in this material we are mainly talking about sports nutrition, which is used in cyclic sports.
What you need to know about sports nutrition
Cyclic sports have three basic elements: hydration (replenishment of fluids), energy (fast carbohydrates) and recovery (proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids). During training, hydration is the most important element. Fluid in the body, among other things, affects the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, the transmission of nerve impulses and the wear and tear of joints. How much to drink? Depends on the intensity of exercise, individual characteristics of the body and air temperature. It makes sense that a person running a marathon at +24°C would need significantly more fluids than a person doing recovery training at +17°C. On average, you should adhere to the rule: 300-500 ml per hour (a couple of sips every 7-10 minutes).
After finishing your workout, you should drink about the same amount within half an hour. You can drink plain water, but an isotonic drink containing electrolytes is better. It will replenish the salt balance, which is disturbed by sweating. However, this does not mean at all that isotonic drink is salty and tasteless; usually the opposite is true. Be sure to take a sports drink with you to your workout - this way you will not only take care of your health, but you will also be able to see how hydration affects the increase in positive emotions from sports.
If you exercise for more than an hour, your energy reserves in the form of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver are depleted. Therefore, a carbohydrate gel would be useful during such a workout. When performing intense exercise, the body's own energy reserves last 40-50 minutes. And if you want to train further without losing efficiency, you should stick to the nutrition schedule: one gel every 20-30 minutes. Be sure to read the composition of the gel: if the carbohydrates in it consist of simple sugars (most often these are glucose and fructose), then the number of indicated grams of sugar must be multiplied by 20 - this is the amount of liquid you need to drink along with this gel so that it is properly absorbed and gives you 100% of the energy put into it. With rare exceptions, all manufacturers of glucose and fructose gels always write this in the annotations, warning their consumers. There are gels without simple sugars (isotonic), which do not need to be washed down with water, since the amount of liquid necessary for their absorption is already contained in the gel. They are more preferable for running and other sports where it is uncomfortable or simply impossible for a person to drink about 200 ml of liquid at a time.
Sports nutrition is a complex of various supplements to improve performance, usually in strength sports. And most often they talk about sports nutrition, of course, in bodybuilding. Why? Perhaps because in bodybuilding you need to develop many different qualities to get maximum results - like endurance (cardiovascular system, protect ligaments and joints), and explosive force (for further progression in results). But another reason is most likely the popularity of bodybuilding. Most people go to the gym to keep fit and, of course, to pump up their muscles.
What types of sports nutrition are there?
Sports nutrition is divided into several types:
1. Protein supplements (protein)
2. Carbohydrate mixtures (gainers)
3. Amino acids (eg BCAA)
4. Fat burners
5. Vitamins and minerals
6. Other additives (creatine, extracts of various plants, etc.)
Now let's talk briefly about each point.
1. Protein supplements needed to compensate for protein deficiency (if available) obtained from food. For example, If you mainly eat only one chicken breast and rarely add other types of meat to your diet, then the profile of amino acids that your body receives from protein will always be the same. And, most likely, the body will lack some amino acids, which will ultimately lead to slower muscle growth. To maintain a diverse amino acid profile, you can take protein supplements because... they typically contain a complete profile of all amino acids with an emphasis on essential amino acids (which are especially important because the body cannot synthesize them on its own, which is why they are called essential).
2. Carbohydrate mixtures, or they are also called gainers, are needed mainly for those who have fast metabolism. Such people need to get more energy from food than those with a slower metabolism. You can take them, for example, between meals. So per day you will receive more energy with less total food consumption. However, you also need to take into account that gainers mainly consist of fast carbohydrates, so there is a fairly high chance of gaining excess fat. So, you need to be careful when including carbohydrate mixtures in your diet.
3. Amino acids– they most often refer to supplements similar to protein (protein mixtures) with the only difference being that amino acids are absorbed much faster than when taking protein. For example, the absorption time of pure amino acids is almost instantaneous and the entire profile of amino acids enters the blood almost simultaneously. Protein is absorbed more slowly (from 30-40 minutes and longer). That's why amino acids are used mainly before, during and after training, as well as in the morning when you just woke up. Those. they are needed at such moments when the body’s need for amino acids is high and they are needed, so to speak, “here and now.” In other cases, you can take protein, because... There is no point in digesting protein so quickly.
4. Fat burners is a complex of substances (caffeine, L-carnitine, guarana, omega-3, etc.), which promote more active fat burning. This is achieved in various ways: suppressing the synthesis of fats, reducing appetite, increasing the overall metabolism in the body. Here you need to look at the description and composition of each specific fat-burning supplement. Of course, these supplements work as long as you follow the right diet and exercise routine. For example, if you are gaining weight and taking fat burners at the same time, then there will be no benefit from it.
5. Vitamins and minerals, I think, are familiar to everyone from childhood. Vitamins themselves are organic substances with a certain composition of molecules that are needed by any living organism. Their function is that they accelerate the work of enzymes, with the help of which all chemical processes occur in the body. Because Because training athletes have all metabolic processes more intense than ordinary people, the need for vitamins is also higher. And, in fact, the need for all nutrients among athletes, and especially bodybuilders, will be much higher than the average person. Therefore, when practicing any sport, you can additionally take vitamins and minerals, because It is not always possible to obtain the required amount from food. Of course, there is nothing fatal in this if you do not take additional vitamins (I don’t often buy any supplements myself), it’s just that progress with them can go a little faster, provided, of course, first of all, proper nutrition, training and daily routine.
6. Other additives, such as creatine, various plant extracts to increase testosterone, etc. I think the most popular of these is creatine. And, in fact, of all supplements, creatine occupies a leading position in sports nutrition, because Judging by the reviews, it works well for many people. Although I personally haven't used it myself. For many, it helps to increase strength quite well, but there are mixed opinions about muscle mass - because... Creatine retains water in the muscles, then while taking this supplement, body weight increases, but for some, after finishing taking creatine, almost all the weight remains, and for some, everything goes away as it was before taking creatine. Therefore, everyone needs to try it individually. About other supplements (testosterone boosters, etc.) I can’t say anything, because... I personally haven’t used it, and my opinions are completely opposite.
Here, in fact, was a brief overview of the various types of sports nutrition. But most importantly, remember that these are just supplements, and first of all you need to follow a diet, training and recovery (sleep). And additives... these are just additives to the main diet, nothing more.
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If you think that sports nutrition is steroids and protein in syringes, then you should definitely read this material
To begin with, what is sports nutrition? These are sports supplements that complement your basic diet. These include a lot of different products. I have experienced the following:
- Protein
- Amino acids
- Creatine
- Fat burners
Over the course of a year, I used all these sports supplements, some (protein and amino acids) of different brands, and now I will try to describe the results they gave.
Protein
Protein is concentrated protein. This is the same protein found in everyday foods: eggs, chicken, milk. It differs from them only in consistency and concentration. Therefore, all those who shout that protein is harmful can... continue to shout about it, since I’m unlikely to be able to convince them. Protein is used to quickly get a portion of protein without cooking any foods.
Experience
Protein can easily replace one meal a day. It immediately gives you a feeling of fullness, and if you add some banana to the cocktail, you can easily forget about hunger for several hours.
Amino acids
Amino acids are the elements that make up proteins. Muscles are 35% composed of three amino acids:
- leucine
- isoleucine
- valine
This is why amino acids or BCAA (a complex of the 3 most important amino acids) are often used in addition to protein, since they complement each other rather than replace each other. Most often, amino acids are drunk in the morning, before bed or during training, since catabolic processes are at their strongest at this time, and amino acids prevent these processes.
Experience
Like all other sports supplements, amino acids come in flavor and pure form. Professionals recommend drinking pure amino acids, but this is just wild crap. Seriously, I find it much easier to force myself to eat a bunch of chicken breasts every day than to drink that disgusting powder. Therefore, I advise you to still take amino acids with taste, so you will at least feel pleasure from the very process of taking them.
Personally, I did not feel any changes, either in the growth of muscle mass or in my own sensations. It’s hard to say that they didn’t work; perhaps without them everything would have been even worse. But if you choose between them and protein, I would leave protein, since its effect is more pronounced than that of amino acids.
Creatine
Creatine is a special acid that is involved in the process of muscle growth. The main purpose of creatine is to increase muscle strength. And, as you know, the greater the strength, the larger the muscles.
Experience
Creatine is perhaps the most effective supplement. Once you start taking it, within just a few days you will feel an increase in strength, albeit a small one. This happens due to the fact that when performing exercises, muscles use up ATP reserves (adenosine triphosphate), and creatine replenishes these reserves.
A very common theory is that when you start taking creatine, you need to do a creatine load for a few days, taking it in large quantities. I did not dare to do this, and many famous athletes, whose opinions I trust, do not advise doing this. It does not cause any harm to the body (as well as the other supplements listed in this article), but sensitive people may experience digestive problems with long-term use. You won't know without trying :)
Vitamin and mineral complexes
Everyone took them, and everyone knows what they are. But sports vitamin-mineral complexes (VMC) are slightly different from the usual ones, which can be bought at any pharmacy. Among the main differences:
- high concentration of vitamins and minerals
- slightly different composition, which is more suitable for sports activities
Experience
I really regret not starting to take vitamins and minerals at the very beginning of my training. Now I have to put up with old joint injuries that I received when I came to the gym and started lifting huge weights like an idiot. My body didn’t forgive me for this. It seems to me that ICH could have prevented this or at least mitigated the consequences.
There are a huge number of VMCs on the market. Ingredients are written for all of them, so carefully go through all of them and compare. The price can be completely different for the same composition, and it is very easy to overpay for the brand. However, as everywhere else. The only side effect may be yellow urine when you first take it. This is due to the fact that the complexes contain vitamin B2, which gives this characteristic color.
Fat burners
Fat burners are special drugs that help reduce fat deposits. Please do not have any illusions that these drugs will remove those extra pounds from you. They can help you, but only if you add them to your workouts and proper nutrition.
There are two types of fat burners:
- thermogenics
- lipotropics
Thermogenics work by increasing body temperature and thereby increasing calorie expenditure. Lipotropics accelerate the release of fatty acids from cells and thereby promote weight loss. Decide for yourself what to choose for yourself; I would recommend not using this product at all, and here’s why.
Experience
The first time after taking fat burners, you feel incredible euphoria, as if you drank a bunch of cans of energy drinks. When you're training, you're not thinking about anything other than working in the gym, and that concentration is a really cool feeling. By adding fat burners to my diet for a month, I lost about a kilogram more than I lost before without them.
But not everything is so good. Fat burners are quite hard on the psyche. Firstly, the packaging contains a warning that they should not be taken less than 5 hours before bedtime. In fact, I took them in the morning or afternoon, and still very often could not fall asleep throughout the night. Secondly, after a while you may become more aggressive (not in my case). I always felt euphoric after taking fat burners, so I can’t confirm this 100%.
Do not forget that this is quite a strong load on the body, and the fact that your body will constantly maintain a temperature 1-2 degrees higher than normal will definitely not have a positive effect on it. It’s hypocritical to say that you shouldn’t take them, because I took them and don’t particularly regret it, but if you have any health problems, be sure to consult your doctor.
Conclusion
I hope you understand that the stories that sports nutrition is harmful are just a myth. Sports nutrition is more of a convenience than a necessity. If you have the opportunity to eat right and get all the necessary elements from regular food, then you don’t even have to look at sports nutrition.
How do you feel about sports nutrition? Do you think it harms the body?