Let’s say you’re looking to lose a little fat and pack on some muscle. You’ve already got a healthy diet, a steady cardio routine, and some reliable weight-training workouts, so you head down to the nutrition store to pick up some new supplements—only to be stopped in your tracks by aisles and aisles of unpronounceable tubs filled with who knows what. How’s a guy supposed to know where to start?
No worries, dude: Here are six research-backed supplements you should strongly consider on your quest to reach physical perfection.
1. BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS (BCAAS)
Do you find yourself experiencing muscle soreness and fatigue, but still not seeing the fat loss results you expect? If so, consider taking BCAAs. Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK recently found that study participants who took BCAAs before and after exercise had a significant reduction in muscle soreness. A Brazilian study took it a step further and revealed that BCAA supplementation helped reduce fatigue and burn more fat in glycogen-depleted participants.
2. CREATINE
Want to build strength and lean muscle mass? Try creatine. A group of Canadian researchers conducted an eight-week study and found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), which is known to produce anabolic effects in adults, increased by more than 20% among participants who supplemented with creatine and performed resistance-training exercises. Just be sure not to take excessive amounts, as various side effects have been reported. According to the European Food Safety Authority, creatine supplementation of three grams per day is a safe amount.
3. PROTEIN BARS AND POWDERS
Ask any expert and they’ll tell you the importance of consuming protein before and after workouts to stimulate muscle growth. Unfortunately, few guys can schedule meals around workouts—and that’s where protein supplements, like powders and nutrition bars, come in handy. Need to eat and run? Forget the unhealthy, greasy fast food and grab a nutrition bar that’s high in quality protein and also provides you with essential fats and carbs. Have a little more time on your hands? Mix yourself a refreshing protein shake.
4. CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID
Think all fat is bad? Think again. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) has omega fatty acids, also known as “good fat.” Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that CLA could help you lose fat and help preserve your muscle tissue, according to a study originally published in the Journal of Nutrition. In the study, 71 participants who consumed CLA lost an average of six pounds. Be sure to get omega fatty acids through your diet or supplements.
5. GLUTAMINE
Is all that training making you feel run-down or even sick? If so, glutamine could help reduce inflammation and the risk of infection, according to research from the University of Trieste in Italy. Glutamine might also help stimulate muscle growth by regulating glycogen within your body, thereby boosting enhancing performance and muscle growth, according to research conducted at the University of Dundee in Scotland.
6. MULTIVITAMINS
Can you hear your body talk? Presumably not—but if you could, it would probably tell you that working out takes a lot out of you, including the loss of vitamins that you need to sustain yourself. Unfortunately, research indicates that many who train hard while desperately trying to maintain a specific body weight are often vitamin-deficient. Multivitamins should help remedy that loss. Start your day off with this supplement and be sure to take only the recommended amount.
We give thanks to Men’s Fitness for these amazing tips!
