Body Building Supplements

Arginine

2008-05-16T15:52:00.003-07:00

Recently, dietary supplements containing Arginine have become popular due to Arginine's nitric oxide producing ability, its ability to scavenge free radicals, as well as its ability to signal muscle cells, release growth hormone, support healthy cholesterol, and enhance fat metabolism. Arginine helps regulate salt levels in the body

HMB

2008-05-16T15:49:00.001-07:00

HMB is a metabolite of leucine, one of the body's essential amino acids. Many of the world's champions and athletes are using HMB and receiving dramatic results. Specifically, HMB plays a role in the synthesis of muscle tissue. It has the ability to burn fat and build muscle consistently in response to exercise.

HGH

2008-05-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

Growth Hormone, a polypeptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, is the latest advance in bodybuilding supplementation! Human Growth Hormone levels decline rapidly after age 30.

ZMA

2008-05-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

It contains Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, and is an all-natural product that has been clinically proven to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained athletes. It is all natural.

Nitric Oxide

2008-05-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

The fact that nitric oxide increases blood flow should make it of interest to bodybuilders, as increased blood flow will serve to deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus helping muscles become larger when subject to stress.

BCAAs

2008-05-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Bodybuilders can especially benefit from supplementing amino acids because they aid in repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue.

Multi-Vitamins

2008-05-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

If you are deficient in even one vitamin or mineral, your gains can really be hampered. A good multi-vitamin is a must for the best gains in muscle mass, not to mention good health.

People who are working out need more vitamins than the average couch potato, so your supermarket brands won't cut it.

Glutamine

2008-05-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle tissue. It helps prevent muscle wasting and improves recovery. The better and quicker you recovery, the sooner and harder you can hit it in the gym! Glutamine is safe to take year-round. Glutamine should not be taken at the same time as creatine because they compete for receptors to be absorbed. Take glutamine pre-workout and creatine post-workout.

Creatine

2008-05-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Creatine works very well for increasing muscle mass. It is naturally occurring in the body. It increases ATP (the main energy source muscles use for explosive power) availability so that you can perform more reps and sets and lift more weight, consequently growing more muscle tissue. Creatine should be cycled. Many have found great results taking it for four weeks, followed by one to two weeks off.

Protein

2008-05-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Protein is made of amino acids. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of muscle. Therefore, protein is an essential ingredient for muscle building. You can't build muscle without it! You will want to take in about 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight throughout the day.

There are several forms of protein including: Whey, Soy, Egg, and Casein. So which kind is best? Well that depends on how and when you want to use them.

Whey - Basically, whey protein is awesome for post-workout supplementation because that's the time when your body needs protein the most, and whey is digested very quickly (about 30 minutes).
Casein - Casein, on the other hand, is digested very slowly (over 2 - 7 hours). This means it's great to use a protein supplement with casein before bed because the longest time your body goes without protein is during the night while you are sleeping.
Egg - Egg protein (albumen) digests at a medium pace (1.5-3 hours) so it's a good anytime protein to provide a good sustained release of aminos to the body.
Soy - Soy protein is the vegetarian's friend because it's one of the only complete protein sources derived from plants. Soy is a good overall protein, although it's not as effective in terms of absorbtion as whey or egg albumen. Additionally, soy has many recognized health benefits for women.