When reaching the level where you want to compete, performing well becomes that much more important and knowing what supplements on the market truly work and will improve that performance is hard to come by!!
There are actually very few proven sports supplements that ACTUALLY make a difference, yet it remains one of the biggest money makers in the fitness industry! So what you really need is;
A List of supplements that actually work!
This is a 2 part blog on Recovery and Performance so you can bring your A game all the time!!
First up PERFORMANCE;
Protein;
This doesn’t have to be whey protein or isolate, casein it can just be meat, though meat isn’t a supplement it should be the main ingredient in all diets especially those who want to lose weight, grow muscle or perform better
- Vital in Performance & recovery
- Needs to be high in L-Leucine (most anabolic amino acid)
- Protein intake every 4 hours to maximise muscle protein synthesis
- Available everywhere
- Also available in Protein powder form, great when in a rush
Creatine;
The most tested sports supplement on the market… It works, here’s why
- Intake from diet is roughly 1g/d and body synthesizes 1g/d. Need about 5g per day to saturate the muscles over time.
- Improves muscle hydration
- Increases strength over the 1-5 rep range
- Aids in ATP re-synthesizeation
- Only go for high quality Creatine in the form of “Creapure” tm.
- Reasonably cheap
Beta – Alanine;
New..ish great product that helsp prevent lactic acid build up in the muscles, so you cna push that bit harder for longer.
- Increases performance by 2.5% in exercise between 60-240secs
- Reduces time to reach fatigue by hydrogen ion buffering
- Inexpensive
- Best incorporated in endurance sports
- 1.5g x 4 a day for 6 weeks – then 1.5g x 2 a day ongoing
Caffeine;
- Between 4-6mg per kg is considered optimal for performance benefits. >9mg per kg does not lead to an increase in effects
- Increase power output in weightlifters and cyclists as well as a wide variety of other sports
- Do not use for prolonged periods of time due to increased dependency and reduced effectiveness.
- Best used during peak weeks or pre competitions
- Very cheap
So there you have it!! A list of what works and what could be helping you reach your new PB. Though I want to add nothing really does beat training hard, eating well and sleeping like a hibernating bear!
There are other potential supplements like beetroot juice, tart cherry juice, why not drop a message and ask a question if you’re not sure though.
From Will,