7 Benefits of taking Supplements - Perth Fitness BOOTCAMP | Group Fitness | Weight Loss and Fat Burning | Circuit Training | Bootcamps Perth | Boxing | For Fitness

Introduction

Okay here's the truth:- supplements aren't magical powders that'll transform you from a guy who's often mistaken for a garden rake to some massive front rower in a few weeks without lifting a single weight. Most supplements are simply food or compounds of food. Do you need them? Can you achieve a perfect physique , loss weight , improve sports performance without them of course you can but to get fit and strong you don't need to go to the gym either . Or weights or runners for that matter but they help don't they?

So why Supplements I hear you say? To state the obvious , they supplement your diet when your training 3 -4 times a week or if your not training supplements can be very convenient for keeping you in the zone of burning fat throughout the day. Supplements can provide an edge interms of the amount of muscle you can gain or how quickly you can gain it .

7 Benefits of taking Supplements:

• Supplements simplify delivery of nutrients your body needs to grow and get stronger
• Supplements are convenient ,it takes approximently one to two minutes to to prepare and consume compared to cooking a meal not to mention cleaning
• Time: Australians are working longer hours. Supplements make it more realistic to consume 5-7 small meals across the day. Not only does it take time but preparing a meal that contains protein in it can be difficult therefore we are leaving out the main macronutrient that helps build and maintain lean muscle.
• Cost: Supplements can cost as little as $1.50 per serve with healthy food being very costly
• Calories: If you are counting calories it is much easier using supplements you know exactly what your going to get every time
• Nutrients: Fact the food we are consuming today lacks far more nutrients in it than it did 20 years ago
• Our environment: It seems everywhere you go people are being influenced to eating 'bad food' whether it's on television, driving your car, catching a bus etc

Protein Powder

The most basic of all the supplements is protein powder. Not very exciting well it should be! The word protein originates from Greek and literally means "of first importance".

So why protein? Protein provide the building blocks for the body to build and repair muscle tissue such as muscle, hair , mails and skin. It is broken down through the process of digestion to building blocks called amino acids. The human body cannot store protein, so it must be supplied on a daily basis. So why is protein of "first importance" quite simply most people who want to lose weight, put on lean muscle, improve sports performance simply don't consume enough of it.

"Certainly the consumption of a protein / carbohydrate supplement before and after resistant training has been shown to facilitate protein synthesis"

Protein Powder supplements biggest benefit is it simplifies delivery of nutrients to your body so it can grow and get get stronger. An example would be you have just torched your chest and triceps or you have just completed a BOOTCAMP. You feel awesome . Your muscles ache wit that beautiful pain. Inside your blood is coursing around your sytsemespecially your chest and triceps or for that matter your full body aftter a BOOTCAMP.Your muscles have been damaged by your workout -which is the first step in growing muscle and your body is trying to repair it. To do that it needs an injection of protein and amino acids. On your way home you could stop of at Coles pick up 150gms of lean breast chicken, some veggies head home cook em all up. Or you could throw 2 scoops of protein powder in a shaker with a splash of skim milk or water and drink it. Sounds easier well it is in fact by consuming a protein shake within 30 minutes post-workout you can improve your recovery by up to 80%.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?

"As a general rule to maintain muscle mass the body needs 1 gram of protein per kilo of your body weight per day , to build new muscle the body will need 1.7 grams of protein per kilo per day to achieve overall size the body needs 2.2 grams per kilo per day. So an 85 kg male trying to amass new muscle would need about 176 gm of protein on a workout day, Sure you could  get that by eating two two 100gm chicken breasts (60gms of protein ) and two large boiled eggs ( 15g). Or you could half that and chug back a whey protein powder shake before and after your workout!

Nearly every protein powders are based mostly on whey protein. There are two types of whey isolate, and concentrate. Isolate has a igh biological value (BV) , concentrate less so  ( BV is the measure or how "good" a protein is) In terms of BV both isolate and concentrate surpass egg and meat. The difference is

Whey Isolate vs Whey Concentrate

• Whey Isolate Protein Powder is more pure then Whey Concentrate Protein Powder
• Whey Isoltate Protein Powder has less fat than Whey Concentrate Protein Powder
• Whey Isolate Protein Powder has less Carbs than Whey Concentrate Protein Powder

Note: Most people buy a Whey Isolate Protein Powder based on these facts thinking the less carbs the better but in fact you need carbs and fats in your diet to build muscle and burn fat. Whey Isolate is best used with a strict nutrtion plan. An example would be someone who hasn't got  strict nutrition and consumes  Whey protein Isloate will find that

Different Protein Brands and Varieties ?

You will also find that most protein blends have a mixture of Whey Isolate Protein and Whey Concentrate Protein very few are purely Whey Concentrate.

Protein Powders differ in:

• Different Amino Acids
• Ratio of Concentrate and Isolate
• Carbohydrates
• Fat Content ( Good Fats )
• Energy Per Serve
• Cost

The Bottom Line:

Unless you like eating or have the time to cook a lot of red meat , get a protein powder to consume before and after a workout. It will help put muscle on. Can you take a protein powder ,not train and lose fat at the same time of course you can. The bottom line is most people lack protein in there diets so if your serious about putting muscle on try a protein shake!  

 Creatine

Creatine is often touted as the magical muscle building solution. It's easy to understand why this estonishing chemical attracts such a wrap if you understand what it does in your body.

 Put simply when you do high intensity activity like weights or sprints, your muscles use adenosine triphospahte ( ATP ) as an energy source. During short bursts of exertion, ATP turns into adenosine diphospahte  ( ADP ). Creatine a natural occuring substance stored in the body , helps turn ADP back to ATP. Once all creatine is depleted the body's ATP restoration declines rapidly. In other words , your muscles are smashed and your ready for a nana nap. But with extra creatine before and after your workout your body has the ability to restore more ATP , so you can go harder for longer , which translates to getting fitter and stronger faster.

3 reasons to Why to Take Creatine ?

• Strength Gains- Creatine will help you get more reps out because you will maintain your strength
• Cellular Hydration- Creatine helps hydrate muscles. The more hydrated muscle the better it will perform ( try lifting your 1 rep max with dehydrated muscles)
• Improved Muscle Capicity- Plain and simple Creatine makes you stronger. With enough protein and proper training it will help you build enough muscle

When to take Creatine?

Creatine Ingestion 30-45 Minutes Before A Work-out

When Creatine is ingested 30-45 minutes before a work-out, an athlete can take advantage of the training induced increases in blood flow to muscle tissue to transport essential nutrients across muscle cell membranes. (This also acts as a buffer to lactic acid).

Since high intensity work-outs trigger the release of adrenal hormones such as Epinephrine and Norepinephrine, the cellular uptake of nutrients is improved.

The First 30 - 45 Minutes Following A Work-out

Within the first 30-45 minutes following an intense work-out, the body is in a very nutrient receptive state. Heavy training reduces muscle glycogen stores (glycogen comes from blood sugars such as carbs) and receptor-sites for nutrients become sensitive.

This means the body is in a catabolic state requiring nutrient supply. Creatine (CP) levels are lower which of course means intramuscular nutrient storage ability is at a high level. It also means the muscle cells need ATP regeneration

The Bottom Line

It work's, but only if you do!  A spoonful pre- workout and post-workout with a low intensity workout will see you gain muscle but go hard with a high intensity workout and reap the major benefits! The bottom line is the faster you recover the harder you can go!