Top 5 supplements

I love to eat. I really do, and I eat a lot!
But its often necessary to add to what you eat by using supplements. Here are my top 5...

Whey protein

Our bodies need proteins and their component amino acids to produce the enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies that alllow our bodies to function optimally. Without an adequate protein intake, our bodies just can’t function well. Protein helps replace worn out cells, assists in transporting various substances throughout the body, and importantly for us gym junkies, aids in growth and repair.

How much protein you ask? Well it, like so many other things, depends, mostly on your activity level.
The minimum recommendation for protein intake is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for untrained, generally healthy adults.  This amount will only prevent protein deficiency however. For those of us who train regularly and hard, the optimal amount is higher. For people doing high intensity training, protein needs might go up to about 1.4-2.0 g/kg of body weight. To use me as an example, at 94kgs, I take in between 131 and 188g of protein each day.

This is the one I use, the vanilla is great!

Creatine

First a quick science lesson...
For quick and powerful movements lasting fewer than 10 seconds, such as a sprint, the energy demands are met by the phosphate energy system. This system uses ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which provides energy to the working cells. Muscles have an existing amount of ATP ready for action, but only enough for a few seconds work. ATP is broken down by removing a phosphate, which turns it into adenosine diphosphate (two phosphates). The energy released during this reaction is what fuels the muscle contractions.  To make more ATP, the muscles need to get the missing third phosphate from somewhere. Creatine, or more exactly creatine phosphate, is that somewhere.
It gives up its phosphate so that ADP can once again become ATP again, ready for the cycle to begin again and allow you to continue with the sprint etc

This is the pack I use.

Fish oil

It’s rich in two groups of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EHA), also found in things like flax and walnuts.
Omega-3s are very important for health, including

• cardiovascular function
• nervous system function and brain development
• immune health
• cell membranes
• DHA and EPA, can increase metabolism.

Since we can't make omega 3 (or 6) fatty acids in our bodies, they need to come from our diet. Omega 6 is the easy one...plant oils,  corn fed animals and vegetable oils which are in almost all processed foods mean that our omega 6 levels are often close to 20 times the levels of omega 3, when we should have a 1:1 ratio of omega 3:omega 6.

I use this one.

Vitamin D

Studies show that low vitamin D levels are associated with:

• Increased loss of muscle strength and mass as we age
• Increased risk of cancers
• Lower levels of immunity
• Higher blood pressure
• The development of neurological disorders
• The development of diabetes 

First of all, you should know that vitamin D isn't really a vitamin, we don't need food to get it. Sunlight allows the body to create vitamin D. Sunshine will give most of it, (glass and sun cream will block most of it) and since we are not in the sunniest climate we need an alternative source...1000 - 2000 IU per day is recommended.

I use this one.


Caffeine

Ah caffeine. Love it!
Its the worlds most commonly used drug and its effects are well known. After about 30 mins of consumption, alertness and awareness are improved peaking about 60 mins after consumption. Around 3 mg/kg of body weight are recommended, so for me at 94kgs, 282mg is the dosage to achieve performance effects (around 3 cups of instant coffee at 95 mg/cup) although 3 cups of coffee before a workout is only gonna end in a puddle on the floor... A caffeine tablet or energy drink would work too.

More than 400mg/day is considered too much, as it'll start to give you the shakes and lead to anxiety and irritability.

Try to only use it when you need it as consistent use will cause you to become less effected by it and you lose the potential benefits.


Bonus!!


I always try to over deliver (or under promise...) so here is number 6 on the list!


Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

The BCAAs  (leucine, isoleucine, and valine0 are, which are the only amino acids not degraded in the liver. All other amino acids are regulated by the intestine and the liver before distributin to elsewhere in the body. BCAAs are burned for energy during exercise,making them an important source of fuel during exercise and are key to the synthesis of protein.

To encourage protein synthesis and therefore muscle growth, you need to have an adequate source of BCAAs in your bloodstream (particularly leucine) in your system during and/or after your workout.

A carb, protein and bcaa drink during and after your training session is hugely important if you want to not head down the slippery slope of catabolism!You can add BCAAs into your post workout shake at around 5g /hour of training.

I use these

I would just like to say that I don't receive a penny from my recommendations of any of the above products, but if anyone from Myprotein.co.uk reads this...I wouldn't complain if some supps were to find themselves coming my way...

Stay healthy.