If you have been training hard at the gym for some time, you have probably heard people talking about a little thing called supplements. In fact, a wide range of people chooses to consume them while working out in the gym, which you can confirm by the number of bottles lying around the gym all filled with colorful liquids.
However, if you are thinking about consuming supplements, you might be wondering – where should I begin? Well, luckily for you, this guide will be able to help you. Let’s take a look at the ultimate guide for understanding supplements, how they work, and when you should take it:
Page Contents
Supplements: Explained
source:pxfuel.com
To put it as simply as possible, supplements should complement, complete, and improve your overall diet. Of course, there are many misconceptions about consuming them – and one of the most common ones is replacing whole food intake with one of the supplements on the market. But, this is not entirely true.
They can actually help you with increasing your intake of specific vitamins, substances, and nutrients, ones that you might not be getting from your regular diet. For instance, they often include important fats, proteins, as well as useful vitamins such as Vitamin B and Vitamin D.
There are various guides such as the ones featured on vaga.org that feature detailed descriptions of each supplement that you might take. This will help you with determining which ones might be suitable for your diet, workout regime, as well as requirements. Hence, ensure that you go through them.
Another advantage that you can gain from opting for consuming them is that they are completely convenient. What does this mean? Well, we are all busy, which means that we might not have time to prepare healthy meals. Hence, they can give you the calories, vitamins, proteins, minerals, and fats that you might need.
So, Where Do I Begin?
source:pxfuel.com
The best way that you can start is to take a look at your diet and training regime. Is your diet choice right for the objective you have? Will you need to train more or less? Well, once you reassess everything, you’ll know what requirements and needs you’ll have. For instance, let’s look at 5 main factors that can help you with growing muscle:
- Protein – does your diet provide you with enough proteins? You should know that approximately 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight are recommended, something which a high-quality whey protein shake can deliver quickly and effortlessly to your muscles.
- Calories – do you consume enough calories to sustain your training regime? If the answer to this question is ‘no’, consider opting for a weight gainer that will help you consume more calories. This will not only help you with building muscles but, it will also allow you to go through your training session.
- Increasing The Intensity – when you train harder, you’ll be able to grow your muscles faster. Harder basically means that you can lift more weight or exercise for longer periods. Creatine is incredibly loved since it is a high-intensity energy source that will help you.
- Regulating Your Hormone Levels – your hormones also play an important part in growing your muscles. you’ll also need to optimize your hormone levels, which fish oil, vitamin D, and Zinc can assist you with. Additionally, consuming high levels of fat can help you as well.
When is The Right Time to Take Supplements?
source:healthista.com
Now, this is something that will depend on your workout, diet, and how much time you have for preparing before you exercise, however, you should choose to take your supplements:
Before You Exercise
source:runtastic.com
If you are training in the morning before work or after a long and tiring day at work, you might not have enough energy. Taking it before you exercise will help you with remaining focused, your energy levels will increase, and you’ll be able to perform better. Additionally, it can help you with increasing the pump while you are training. Hence, you might want to take your shake approximately 40 to 50 minutes before you begin.
During Your Exercise
source:healthista.com
You might have increased the duration of your sessions or your might have increased the intensity by adding more push-ups, weights, or super-sets, and if so, you should know that there is a product known as ‘Intra’ that could assist you. Consuming it during your exercise will give your muscles the amino acids it needs, hence, it will lower muscle breakdown and boost the proteins, which will allow your muscles to grow faster. So, while you are exercising, drink your 500ml drink during the session.
After You Finish Working Out
source:runtastic.com
To be honest, there is no specific time when it is good to consume proteins, carbohydrates, and nutrients. But, after you are done working out, you might want to take it as soon as you can. Why you might be wondering? Well, it will help you with refueling your muscles and delivering the much-needed protein to them.
This will not only help them grow, but it will repair them as well. After you are done with your exercise, you take your supplement, however, do not forget that you’ll need to eat about an hour after you are done. Hence, do not forget to bring your supplements with you to work and the gym.
Keep in mind that you can mix up specific shakes and drink it later. In an ideal situation, you should prepare it and drink it immediately. If you need to prepare it an hour or more before consuming it, it is not a problem, but you should know that it needs to be in a cool area in order to decrease the risk of bacterial growth.
Conclusion
As you were able to learn, supplements need to suit your diet well and, in a way, improve it. Not only will these useful nutrients assist you with reaching your desired weight goal, but, they could also help you with maintaining it, as well as staying healthy, strong, and fit. If you are looking for a wide variety of natural supplements to improve your overall health, be it for joint paint, lung or eye supplement, check out Herb & Fashion (https://myhnf.com/) today.
So, now that you know what these supplements can help you with, you should not lose any more of your time. Instead, you should go through the aforementioned guides that will help you determine which supplement you should take, and then you should start browsing online and brick-and-mortar stores in order to find the ones that will suit your need and budget.
