Best Dietary Supplements
What are the best dietary supplements for weight training and overall fitness? This is one of the most common questions.
We'd all take a magic pill if we could wake up one day with the perfect body, all the fat melted off, full of energy and nice lean toned muscles or rippled huge muscles that turn heads.
Unfortunately there is no such pill. The best way to achieve great health and a great physique is through smart training, eating sensibly and getting plenty of rest.
With so many promises from so many products that make such claims, you have to wonder if they are true. Most of these claims are unfounded because supplements are not regulated.
So producers, advertisers and re-sellers of a supplement can pretty much claim anything they want as long as they don't claim to cure a disease or treat a medical condition.
Fitness magazines are filled of course with these advertisements for supplements that claim to be the best dietary supplements and make other false claims ...
For example one promises to burn 24 lbs of fat in record time and it's "quick and easy". Then the very fine print on the add says results vary with diet and exercise. In other words, it won't work if you don't diet and exercise.
If you don't exercise and eat sensibly then what you lose taking that pill, that is if you lose anything, will be lean muscle tissue not fat. Why not just skip the pill and it's side effects and lose fat with proper nutrition and training.
Now not all supplements are bad. They can be an aid in boosting metabolism, restoring your energy, and providing recovery of muscle tissue. But without proper diet and consistent exercise nothing can work in a way that's healthy and without side effect.
Some of the best dietary supplements you should consider using include
Multi vitamins can be very beneficial, especially if your diet doesn't meet all the micro-nutrient requirements. If you're eating the same foods everyday and not eating a variety you may be deficient in one or more nutrients. You should consider taking a low to moderate dose of a vitamin supplement. But if you're eating a variety of foods you may not need to supplement.
Omega fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats found in foods like salmon, flax seeds and walnuts. These essential fatty acids cannot be manufactured by your body so it's important to get them from natural foods or a supplement.
These fatty acids have been shown to reduce body fat, reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure among other benefits.
Protein supplements can enhance your recovery after exercise. And also can be used when whole foods are not an option, like working out early in the morning.
Whey protein is the current popular protein supplement due to it's high BV (biological value), which is how fast the body will absorb and utilize the protein. Read about the benefits of whey protein here.
Creatine is a very popular supplement used by athletes and especially bodybuilders. Creatine is protein made by our bodies but in limited stores. Creatine works with ATP to fuel muscle contractions during high intensity anaerobic exercise.
Once you're body's natural stores of ATP are depleted, it typically takes the body 3 minutes to recover 100% of its ATP stores. That's where creatine can be beneficial. It helps build up larger stores of creatine in muscle tissue and allows you to squeeze out a few extra reps. But for aerobic type activities it's not beneficial.
Read this article if you're considering Muscle Building Supplements.