Whether you’re trying to train for your first half marathon or are hitting the gym nearly every day in the hopes of building a ripped physique, the topic of fitness supplements is bound to come up. They are exceptionally commonplace in virtually every sport from swimming to cycling and from running to weight lifting.
That said, it’s important to note that fitness supplements don’t just refer to one type of product. This is actually a vast category of products that supplement a range of different types of nutrients, herbs and other ingredients in order to boost your performance and results. Therefore, understanding the benefits that you could obtain from these over the counter products can require a little bit of effort on your part as there are many different forms.
The following are some of the most popular types of fitness supplement and the types of benefits they are meant to provide:
• Caffeine – Yes, this is the same substance you find in your coffee, tea, soda, energy drink and chocolate. It is a stimulant that has been used for centuries in foods and beverages and is also supplemented by athletes who want to max out their workout performance. This is especially great for early morning training when you need the biggest energy boost. Studies have consistently shown that caffeine helps many people to put more into their workout performance both in terms of the length of time they work out and the amount they put into each move. Its impact on delaying fatigue is significant. Moreover, caffeine may also help to boost fat oxidation, so people who are doing workouts to lose weight and people who want to reduce body fat so their muscles will show more clearly both like using this ingredient to achieve those results. You can find this ingredient in great energy boosting products like TRIMTHIN X700.
• Creatine Monohydrate – If you have ever been to a gym, walked by a gym or even heard of a gym, then the odds are that the topic of creatine supplements has come up at some point. These products advertise themselves as being beneficial for speed, strength and energy. Moreover, there have been dozens of studies conducted on this substance. While many of them have been quite small, there have been some larger studies that all indicate that creatine supplementation can be an effective ergogenic aid for people working to boost their muscle size and strength. Still, this supplement comes with controversy regarding how and when it should be used, particularly when it comes to the topic of endurance.
• Protein – Athletes of all sorts need protein. It provides endurance, muscle mass and a range of other benefits. Regardless of the type of diet you’re eating, protein is a vital macronutrient. That said, when you start working out on a regular basis, your body will need a higher amount of protein than it previously did. If you’re not getting that amount, your performance and your results will suffer. Protein is critical to muscle repair, muscle building and maintaining existing lean muscle mass. It helps to prevent burning muscle (atrophy) and other body tissues instead of fat and it helps to speed up your body’s recovery after an intense training session.
• Glutamine – This is an amino acid. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid contained in the body. Despite that fact, when you work out regularly – particularly with intense exercises – you can rapidly use up the glutamine stores you have in your body more quickly than they can be replaced. This makes it tougher for your body to function in a way that is conducive to quick fitness results as it forces the body to break down muscle for the energy it needs. The result is a catabolic state. Low glutamine levels can also have a negative impact on your overall health and wellness, impairing your immune system and increasing your risk of illness and infection.
• Beta alanine – These supplements are often used as an alternative to caffeine as they have also been studied in terms of their ability to boost performance and delay the onset of fatigue during a workout. Fitness supplements containing beta alanine tend to be popular among athletes who are seeking to improve their endurance performance. Sports that often cause participants to turn to these supplements often include swimming, rowing and cycling among others. This substance is an amino acid derivative. It is believed that it boosts the intramuscular carnosine levels in the body, making it possible to better cope with increased hydrogen ion levels that would otherwise reduce pH levels and lead to fatigue.
• Sodium phosphate – Outside of fitness supplements, one of the most common uses for sodium phosphate is as a food preservative, particularly in meats. That said, a certain level of research is now suggesting that it can help to boost athletic performance. These studies indicate that it may boost aerobic capacity and may lengthen the time before a user starts to feel tired from their physical performance. The belief is that it works by increasing the red blood cell ability to carry oxygen to the muscles being actively used.