Supplements

Natural diet is great and theoretically you should be able to get all the nutrients your active body needs from food. However, we don't live in the perfect world where everything is as nutritious as we wish it could be. Additionally, demanding and stressful lifestyle may limit your ability to always follow the best eating intentions. And don't forget that with training you are putting extra pressure on your system's physical and mental requirements. So, supplementation may help to fill the missing link between running on subliminal reserves and acting to your fullest potential.

Calcium

This most abundant mineral in the body gets particular attention for its role in keeping your bones strong. But it is also a key mineral needed for your muscles to contract, your heart to beat and your wounds to heal. Calcium maintains proper functioning of your hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain during exercise. And if your training is intense to the point of sweat, you lose additional amounts of Calcium. Unless you replenish the depleted reserves, your self-regulating system will start breaking down bones and teeth to get Calcium. This will cause your skeletal structure more fragile and prone to osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Additionally, your athletic performance may be diminished as your muscles cannot generate enough power. Most recent research has also shown that Calcium may help you lose weight by stimulating metabolism of fat stores at the cellular level. Dairy products are the best sources of Calcium. You can also get Calcium from sardines (with bones), oysters, clams, tahini, and dark green leafy vegetables. Supplement with 500mg twice daily for best absorption.

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic and metabolic reactions in your body. When you exercise, Magnesium is used in much greater amounts leading to substantial losses. Vital for protein synthesis in your working muscles, low levels of this mineral leads to weakness, cramps, spasms, or tremors. This mineral may help relax your muscle cells and neurons and prepare them better for the next hard-working day. Best natural sources of Magnesium include whole grains, legumes, nuts, seafood, but it may be depleted by processing and cooking. Daily requirement for Magnesium is 400mg, best taken on an empty stomach before bed.

Creatine

This is one of the most popular sports supplements used by athletes, especially involved in weight training. Creatine has shown to enhance your power and strength by elevating your muscles' ability to regenerate ATP, the energy molecule. Your liver and kidneys naturally derive Creatine from other amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine and store it within muscle cells. There are approximately 3-5g of Creatine in every kg of muscle. If you are involved in physical activities that require powerful explosive movements, such as sprinting or resistance training, you may find this supplement quite beneficial. In addition to becoming stronger, this supplement may help you build more muscle tissue presenting you with a new toned figure and faster metabolism. Average diet provides 1-2g of Creatine mostly from animal sources like meat and fish. Take 5g per day with a glass of fruit juice and a scoop of protein powder to enhance absorption.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant and the most crucial amino acid in the body. It is found in all the living cells with largest concentration in your muscles. If you want to improve your training results, you need to keep your Glutamine stores full as it helps your muscles grow and recover, supports your immune system and helps with nutrient utilization. Glutamine stores are limited and get depleted very rapidly during exercise. Found in various protein containing foods, it is best absorbed from the supplemental powdered form. Take 5-10g three times daily – in the morning, after exercise and at bed time.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), a combination of three protein constituents – leucine, isoleucine and valine, take up a third of your muscle tissue. They are essential for growth, maintenance and repair of all cells helping your body recover after the workout. Supplementing with BCAAs has shown to assist in balancing blood sugar levels during exercise, delay and the feeling of fatigue and keeping your body fuelled throughout your workout. What's more, leucine, isoleucine and valine facilitate your body's production of endorphins and natural pain-killers keeping you mentally alert and emotionally aroused so you can enjoy your blood-pumping session for a little longer and giving you that extra lift of energy you absolutely need to push yourself a little harder. Best sources of BCAAs are dairy, red meat and eggs. Individually, amino acids are also distributed in a variety of foods that contain protein. Take 5 grams of leucine, 2.5 grams of isoleucine, and 4 -5 grams of valine on an empty stomach twice daily - in the morning and before workouts. Or choose a single BCAA supplement to meet the requirements.

Protein Powders

Given an increasing attention for its weigh-loss effects in popular low-carb diets, protein is actually one important macronutrient that serves an important function when it comes to training. Protein may not give you immediate energy like you get from carbohydrates, but it is vital for tissue rebuilding and repairing. When you exercise, body's protein requirements increase as your muscles need additional replenishment. Getting sufficient amounts of all amino acids from diet alone may be a challenge, so drinking protein shakes becomes handy. There are many forms of protein powders on the market. Taste, texture, and digestibility are important, but sources of your supplement are the most paramount way to ensure your body makes use of your smooth and creamy delicious shake.

Sources

Combining several dietary proteins is be the best approach to build lean strong muscles with training because each source provides a variety of needed compounds. Most researchers agree that whey protein from dairy is the best source due to its high biological value (BV). That means that your body digests and absorbs it better than other proteins. With superb amino acid profile, whey contains all essential amino acids with half of these coming from BCAAs. Containing numerous nutritional compounds, whey has also shown to support your immunity and digestive function. And if weight loss is one of your fitness priorities, you'll be glad to know that this protein powder may suppress your appetite by stimulating the release of hormone CCK from you stomach cells which enhances feeling of satiety. Even if your digestive system doesn't agree with milk, you may find whey to be much friendlier. One shortcoming of whey is its fast rate of absorption.

Casein, another form of protein from dairy, is released slower into your system giving you a steady supply of amino acids over a longer period of time. Egg protein is also a wonderful way to upgrade your protein intake. Naturally, eggs have the highest BV with a balanced ratio of all amino acids your exercising body craves. You may also try soy protein powder which is very popular among women for its phytonutrient content and ability to balance hormonal levels. However, soy doesn't have the superior biological value of whey or egg.

Besides sources, look for the processing methods of your protein powders. Protein isolates have a BV of almost 100 percent and are much better used by the cells than protein concentrates of which almost 30 percent can get excreted.

Replenishment

Still, for many of us protein drinks may be the surest way that we replenish the used protein reserves. Even if you eat plenty of fish, chicken, meat, dairy, grains and legumes, you may still be missing some of the essential compounds. The reason is that food is more difficult to digest, and not all enzymes needed to break down the food are always perfectly secreted. Additionally, all eaten foods interact with each other blocking the absorption of various nutrients and assisting others to get into the cells faster.

This issue is extremely critical after training when your hungry cells scream for energy restoration. Natural foods are terrific in themselves, but take a lot longer than protein powders to get into the tissues. This may lead to temporary nutrient deprivation and compromise your training results. Try to supplement with protein and carbohydrate shake within an hour after you finished your workout and you will feel refreshed and revitalized for hours thereafter. What's more, you are less likely to overeat later as your muscles and mind will be happy with nutritional support they've received right when they needed it most.

By Elena Voropay