There are literally hundreds of supplements on the market
targeted at body builders and meant to increase your body size. They
are designed to maximize the bodyâs natural abilities and help you get
the body mass you want. How do you know which supplement is right for you?
Creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports
supplement available today. There are numerous studies backed by
anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine
supplementation. For the majority of the population, including both
elite athletes and untrained individuals, creatine supplementation
increases fat free mass and improves anaerobic and possibly aerobic
Creatine is a natural constituent of meat, mainly found in red
meat. Creatine is manufactured naturally in the body from the amino
acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. This process takes place in the
kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
Approximately 40% of the body's creatine stores are free
creatine (Cr), while the remaining 60% is stored in form of creatine
phosphate (CP). The typical male adult processes 2 grams of creatine
per day, and replaces that amount through dietary intake and
fabrication within the body.
Creatine is used for the resynthesis of ATP. ATP, or adenosine
triphosphate, is the "power" that drives muscular energetics. When a
muscle is required to contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by
breaking this bond powers the contraction of the muscle.
When ATP is depleted within the cell, the cell can no longer
contract. There are several methods by which the body rebuilds ATP.
The fastest method, without oxygen, is through CP. Creatine
phosphate is "split" to yield the phosphate portion of the molecule.
This phosphate portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP. Once
CP stores within the cell are depleted, the body must use other
methods to replenish ATP.
Supplementation with creatine increases Cr and CP within the
muscle, allowing further capacity to regenerate ATP. In other words,
the creatine enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain power
output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise. The periods are
brief because the ability of a cell to store CP is limited, therefore the
body will quickly move to other methods of replenishing ATP.
There are two way to decide what dosage of creatine you should
take. In the âloading phaseâ which is where you begin adding creatine
to your diet, the dosage is 20 grams a day for five to seven days.
After that, itâs recommended that you stick to 5 grams per day.
You can also calculate creatine dosage according to body weight
and mass. Follow along closely, this could get confusing! Not really,
though. Experts say in the âloading phaseâ, you should be consuming
.3 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight. So if you weight
200 pounds, the formula would look like this:
1 lb divided by 2.2 kg multiplied by .3 = 27 grams of creatine per day
After the loading phase, your weight is multiplied by .03, so you
would require 2.7 grams in the maintenance phase.
Essentially, creatine can create muscle fullness as well as create
an environment within your body that is conducive to muscle growth.
It can also delay fatigue during repeated workouts. However, you
must use your creatine regularly instead of sporadically for it to be
Creatine is also thought to increase the bodyâs aerobic abilities.
One study showed that using creatine supplements help to reduce the
oxygen cost of activity so less strain is placed on the cardiovascular
system while performing aerobic activity. This is a huge advantage for the body builder as this means you will be able to work harder and
longer losing fat and building up muscle.
Creatine is safe for most everyone to take with the exception of
people with renal issues. Doctors are even beginning to endorse
creatine which is generally unheard of with supplements.
Many people like to take their creatine in a shake as it most
often comes in the form of powder. You can mix the creatine powder
with some skim or soy milk and even add some fresh fruit for flavor.
It is generally a good idea to have your creatine after you workout so
that the glycogen in your body is replenished and recovery can be
ng body builders is glutamine.
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally by
the body. Sixty percent of glutamine is found in the skeletal muscles.
The remainder is in the lung, liver,Another popular supplement amo brain, and stomach tissues.
Over 60% of our amino acids come in the form of glutamine.
Under normal conditions, our body can produce more than enough.
However, during times of stress, glutamine reserves are depleted and
must be replenished through supplementation. This includes stress
that the body is under during periods of exercise.
If you have too little glutamine in your system, it can result in
muscle loss. This amino acid is essential to muscle building because it
helps nitrogen in the body move around to where it needs to be. You
have to have a positive nitrogen balance in order to gain muscle mass.
Creatine is also thought to prevent sickness, promote healing,
prevent sore muscles, and speed up growth hormone production.
The typical American diet provides 3.5 to 7 grams of glutamine
daily which is found in animal and plant proteins. Many people are
choosing to supplement daily due to the long growing list of benefits.
Research shows levels of supplementation from 2 to 40 grams
daily. Two to three grams has been found to help symptoms of
queasiness. This two to three gram dosage used post workout builds
protein, repairs and builds muscle and can induce levels of growth
hormone found in the body. If you want to build a ripped body, youâll need both creatine and
glutamine alike. Again, it usually comes in powder form, so youâll
want to take it with milk or in a shake.
The importance of protein to a body builder is a no-brainer. It is
the single most important nutrient in a body building regimen. Protein
is what makes up and maintains most of the stuff in our bodies.
Protein has been shown to have the best effects on the body when
combined with carbohydrates.
Much of your protein will come from your diet, but if you really
want to grow your body mass, increasing protein through weight
gainers or protein powders is necessary. Of course, youâll need to be
careful not to overdo it and monitor the amount of protein you are
The best type of protein supplement on the market is whey
protein because it is the highest yield. Whey is the best investment
because of its capacity as a post-workout recovery supplement. This is
a critical time after severe physical stress when the cells will act like a
sponge and take in almost anything. The extreme hunger of the cells
and the fast-acting properties of whey will make sure you use the best
window for recovery to the fullest.
If not, the body will hunt the stored reserves of nutrients and
when on a diet for example that will cause them to rob other muscle
tissue of glutamine. So whey is the best protein, especially on a diet.
It also supplies the most amino acids that bodybuilders use.
Its unfortunate high cost however makes me advise you to use it
sparingly. Whey protein is the only choice when on a diet however.
When on low-carb diets whey can function as an alternate source of
energy, sparing hard-earned muscle protein and glutamine stores
As with creatine, the best time to take your protein supplement
is post-workout. As we said before, itâs good to combine your protein
with some form of carbohydrate for maximum results. Combine the
powder with some eggs, low-fat milk, ice cream, and olive oil. You can
also add in some fruit for flavor.
Another powerful supplement you can take as part of your body
building program is nitric oxide. Many body builders take nitric oxide
for a variety of reasons.
Nitric Oxide, a key molecule manufactured by the body, causes
vasodilation [an expansion of the internal diameter of blood vessels],
which in turn leads to increased blood flow, oxygen transport, delivery
of nutrients to skeletal muscle and a reduction in blood pressure.
Nitric oxide promotes extended ability to life weights. It also
signals muscle growth, speeds recovery, and increases strength along
with stamina. This element also increases energy levels and some
people even feel that it promotes a better sex life!
During a workout, when a muscle contracts and blood vessels
dilate, Nitric Oxide is present for a brief moment. The release of nitric
oxide creates surges of blood flow, which is the muscle pump we are
familiar with. Unfortunately this pump is only temporary, and will
dissipate shortly after you complete your workout.
It often comes in pill form, and should be taken in the
manufacturerâs recommended dosage. Nitric oxide also comes in
powder form as well, so you can take it in a shake just like with other
Steroids and Growth Hormones
Weâre not going to spend a lot of time on these types of
supplements because they are certainly not recommended, but they
are used by body builders all over the world. Both of these substances
are highly controversial, and in many places, they are illegal.
Steroids and growth hormones stimulate muscle growth often
quite quickly which is why they are so popular among body builders.
They also enhance performance making a person stronger and
Steroid use is generally not condoned in the sports world and
constant testing is done of the athletes to see if they are getting an
unfair advantage by using steroids or growth hormones.
Steroids do have some advantages. They are used in treating a
variety of health problems including AIDS, cancer, and other serious diseases. They help the body fight the ill effects of these diseases and
However, steroids have some serious health implications when
taken for reasons other than therapeutic. They can cause serious liver
damage and even lead to liver failure.
Steroids increase testosterone production which can lead to
overly aggressive behavior, a decrease in libido, and low sperm count.
The reason many body builders use steroids is because they
increase water retention in the muscles which leads to an anabolic
state. However, this increase in fluid retention makes the heart work
harder which can increase blood pressure and even bring on a heart
All steroids eventually change to estrogen which causes
feminization in men. That causes an enlargement of the breasts along
with an increase in fatty deposits.
Growth hormones stimulate the elements in the body that make
muscles grow. They are naturally produced by the body, but many
body builders take them to basically tell their muscles to get bigger.
They can be dangerous, though, as well.
You can get huge, ripped muscles without having to resort to
using illegal substances like steroids or artificial growth hormones.
They can make you bigger quicker, but the disadvantages far outweigh
the advantages you are taking by introducing these substances into
Body building has long been thought of as a manâs sport, but
more and more women are getting interested in it as well.
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