The Truth About Taking Supplements
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

The Truth About Taking Supplements

Are supplements favorable or unnecessary in your exercise regimen?

11
The Truth About Taking Supplements

Chances are, if you are into exercise you have heard about supplements.

Here are a variety of supplements that can help you get lean. The best accessory to get skinny will depend on your specific goals. A fat burner may be the best option if you want to lose body fat. A protein powder or mass gainer may be the best option if you want to build muscle. There are also a variety of other best supplement to get lean that can help with fat loss and muscle building, such as creatine, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and glutamine.

Maybe your friend in the gym told you to start drinking protein shakes or a pre-workout supplement for added energy. But how necessary and beneficial are these supplements to achieve the results you're looking for? To put it simply: No, you do not need supplements to preform well in the gym. Drinking a protein shake does not mean you will suddenly build muscle over night. There is no magic pill or quick easy fix to weight loss or muscle gain. Unless you’re a professional or competitive athlete, you probably just need more vegetables, water, real food protein sources or a cup of coffee. Supplements are exactly what the word sounds like – a supplement or added benefit to an already healthy diet and exercise plan. Supplements are there to enhance your current regimen, not replace or act as an easy alternative to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They are not necessary for progress and results can most definitely be achieved without supplements by maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, combined with consistency and hard work. So does this mean supplements are bad and should be avoided? No, if you’re already maintaining a consistent exercise regimen, eating a well balanced diet full of lean protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and full micronutrients. Then supplementing your current routine could give you a little extra boost you need to enhance your results.

But before you go crazy stocking up at your local supplement store you should educate yourself on what each supplement does for you and the potential risk and benefit of each of them..

Multivitamins:

Although no pill can compare to a nutrient dense diet, nobody is perfect and a multi-vitamin can be useful in filling in the nutritional gaps in your food choices. a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition shows that exercise and training can cause lose of vitamins through sweat and urine loss so increasing uptake with a multivitamin can combat this.

Protein Powder:

Protein is one of the most popular supplements in the industry. Like vitamins, protein is better to be consumed through real foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs or non-animal based sources such as tofu or beans. Not only is it better for your body to consume an unprocessed real source of protein, but also it is a lot more cost-efficient. Protein powder can be useful to increase your protein intake if you’re on the go and don’t have time to cook a meal or simply don’t have the appetite to eat a plate of food post-workout. There is a variety of protein powders on the market. Whey protein is a milk protein, which is quick digesting and can help boost muscle recovery post workout. There also a variety of plant based protein powders such as soy, hemp or rice protein.

BCAA:

Often found in protein powders or can be supplemented itself, BCAA (branch chain amino acids) help reduce muscle soreness and increase the speed of recovery from training.

Pre Workout:

This supplement typically contains caffeine and other ingredients that increase energy and endurance. The downside is that pre workout is typically a diuretic and can dehydrate you if you're not properly hydrated before and during your workout. Often times people become reliant on the energy boost to get them through their workout and build up a tolerance taking more and more as time goes on. Unless you are competing or have a specific reason to push extra hard, pre workout is unnecessary to preform well in the gym. If you’re the average gym goer and just need an extra boost of energy try drinking a cup of coffee or water instead of putting a highly processed chemical powder into your body.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Love Lost

Being the girl that is falling for the boy is never easy.

330
Love Lost
Pexels

You constantly text my phone telling me that you want to see me and hang out, even though we may not have sex we cuddle and that’s intimacy in its own. I’m tired of buying you food and being there for you like a girlfriend when you consistently tell me you aren't ready for a girlfriend. I am constantly feeling I’m getting slapped in the face because I’m doing all these things and getting nothing in return. Every day I feel myself liking you more which is just crazy because why would I even waste my time liking someone there isn’t a future with. I just want you to be honest with me and with yourself, tell me how you feel from your heart, stop just saying you aren’t ready. You are wasting time telling me you aren’t ready because while you are “getting ready” some guy somewhere else is telling me that he likes me and thinks I’m beautiful and wants to date me. I’m not asking for much, but I at least want exclusivity because you ask me for all these things but in return you give me nothing.

Keep Reading...Show less
Pretty Little Liars

From reading the books in eighth grade to watching the television show all throughout high school, "Pretty Little Liars"basically defined my teenage existence. I was completely and totally obsessed on all accounts. However, even though I loved the fact that the books and the show are starkly different, there are simply just some ways in which the books are much better. Let's take a look:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

To The Girl In The Back Row

I just want you to know you are loved. You are loved so very much.

1206
To The Girl In The Back Row
Sojo.net

Recently I was blessed to be a counselor at a wonderful camp, secluded in a cornfield somewhere in Virginia. I consider myself to be a seasoned camp counselor, as I have not only been a camper for most of my life but have been privileged enough to work multiple camps with all kinds of different facilities. I have worked camps with multi-thousand dollar facilities, with zip lines, rock walls, ropes courses, and boats. I have worked at camps with amazing water sports, camps with paintball, camps with canoes and paddle boats and floating blobs or trampolines in the middle of the water. I have worked at camps with in ground pools and camps without any pools, and even some camps with go-karts. I've had problem kids, kids who refuse to listen to anything I say, kids who sneak out after lights out to meet a significant other, and kids who are every camp counselors dream.

Keep Reading...Show less
Politics

Why The United Nations Is Key For The World

"As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th"- Donald J. Trump

1618
Why The United Nations Is Key For The World
Flickr/ses7

The United Nations (UN) has been in existence since June of 1945. Since then, the world has come together to work on and solve some of the harshest problems that face the Human Race. Be it children in societal ills like Human Trafficking, natural issues like Deforestation, or issues of extreme poverty, the UN has worked together in an attempt to make it a better place for us all. It's the only organization in the history of the world to bring people together in a willing, peaceful way; a feat that not even the League of Nations could do in the Post- WWI era. Why was it that one organization failed, and the other one is still going strong, 72 years later?

Keep Reading...Show less
Rory Gilmore
Bustle

Quick-witted and insanely smart, Rory Gilmore has a track record for memorable, relevant quotes that have become a part of fans’ repertoires. With it being finals season, many of Rory’s words can be conveniently interpreted to reflect life during the last weeks of the semester. Here are some of Rory’s wisest words that explain your life during finals season.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments