 Fitness and BodyBuilding
When it comes to gaining muscle building, fitness, weight loss and bodybuilding most people think that supplements are the most important part of the equation. However, this could not be any further from the truth.
Supplements are just additions to an already good nutrition, training and weight loss program. Nutrition and training are the most important components of a bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss programs, with rest and recovery next to them. Once all of those aspects of your program are maximized, then you can start thinking of adding supplements to your program.
In order to achieve bodybuilding, fitness and weight loss results, body builders push their bodies to the limit day in and day out at the gym.
So in a nutshell, if you want to remain healthy as you train hard in order to build yourself up, you have to remember that diet, nutrition and supplementation (along with rest and recovery) go hand in hand with your training, fitness and weight loss program.
 Why Supplements?
Nutritional supplements are good because they prevent us from getting any nutritional deficiencies. The increased activity levels from your new exercise program will make your body have greater demands for vitamins and minerals, which will increase the probability of you suffering a deficiency without nutrition supplementation.
Not all supplements are created equal though. Some your body always needs, others are more dependent upon what your fitness goals are and what your budget looks like. There are many types of supplements ranging from creatine, protein, weight loss pills, whey protein, protein powders, protein bars, weight gainers and other weight loss supplements.
 Protein Supplements
Because of hectic schedules it is impossible to eat the six perfectly balanced meals that are required to get in shape a day. Therefore, supplements can be used as "fast food" for nutrition . They are easy to prepare (if it is a protein bar then no preparation is required) and most of the formulas that are available on the market today pay close attention to taste.
There are many categories of protein supplements, some are described below.
The benefits of protein supplements are:
- Protein supplements supply the body with many essential amino acids needed for good health and nutrition
- Protein supplements are used by athletes and body builders to repair and build muscles after a tough workout
- Protein supplements come in the form of whey protein powders, egg or even soy
 Whey Proteins Powders (Whey Concentrate and Whey Isolate)
Whey protein powders are a great protein source for the following reasons shown in a growing number of studies:
- It improves sports and fitness performance because it reduces stress and lowers cortisol levels.
- Improved immunity by increasing glutathione (GSH), which is a water soluble antioxidant found in the body.
- Improved liver function in some forms of hepatitis.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Can help fight HIV.
- Helps reduce overtraining (which is linked also to low levels of GSH).
In addition to the above, we need to mention that whey protein powders are highly digestible and have a better amino acid profile even than egg whites. So in other words, whey protein has the highest biological value (value that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein) of any protein.
Having said this, whey protein is not the steroid-like substance that many advertisers would like you to believe, but based on the research it is a valuable addition to one's diet and nutrition for the reasons outlined above.
Also, you need to understand that all whey protein is not created equal. The whey protein that will give you the benefits described above has to be micro-filtered. Otherwise, it is just the garbage left after pasteurizing milk.
 Isolates & Concentrates
In addition, there are whey protein isolates and whey protein concentrates. Whey isolates are sub-fractions of whey protein that are absorbed much more rapidly into the system. This is a good thing for post workout nutrition as at this time the body is in dire need of amino acids.
However, whey protein isolate makes a poor choice for during the day supplementation as if the body does not have a need for all of the amino acids that are released into the bloodstream, then it will use them for energy production as opposed to muscle building.
Also, it is important to mention that whey protein isolate does not have many of the health enhancing properties that are described above, as the expensive process required to produce whey protein isolate destroys many of the health/immune system enhancing sub-fractions such as the lactoferrins, beta-lactoglobulins, and immuno-globulins.
Therefore, for during the day use, a product consisting mainly of whey protein concentrate is your best bet while for after the workout, a whey protein isolate product would be a better choice for nutrition.
Of all the proteins out there, whey protein powder is no doubt the best. Whey protein powder contains high quality proteins that come from milk. There are 2 main proteins in milk: casein and whey proteins. Whey protein is derived from the process where milk is turned into cheese - the liquid whey is separated from the casein protein.
Studies have found whey proteins contain just the right combination of amino acids at the right concentration for optimal performance and nutrition. Both hormonal and cellular responses are greatly enhanced with whey protein supplements.
Protein levels are depleted through workouts. Whey protein powders supply essential amino acids and are a precursor to building muscle. It builds muscles, enhances your endurance, and reduces muscle deterioration. Whey protein supplements supply a good amount of branched-chain amino acids that are important to body builders since they are metabolized directly into the muscle instead of the liver like other amino acids.
 Creatine Supplements
Creatine supplements are the most popular and commonly used sports and fitness supplement available today. There are numerous studies backed by anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine supplementation. For the majority of the population, including both elite athletes and untrained individuals, creatine supplements increases fat free mass and improves anaerobic and possibly aerobic performance. While the effectiveness of creatine is well known, the most effective way to take creatine is not known. In order to design an "optimal" cycle for creatine, a number of factors must be considered.
Creatine is used for the resynthesis of ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the "power" that drives muscular energetics. When a muscle is required to contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by breaking this bond powers the contraction of the muscle. When ATP is depleted within the cell, the cell can no longer contract. There are several methods by which the body rebuilds ATP. The fastest method, without oxygen, is through CP. Creatine phosphate is "split" to yield the phosphate portion of the molecule. This phosphate portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP. Once CP stores within the cell are depleted, the body must use other methods to replenish ATP.
The majority of studies regarding creatine supplements have used creatine, the form of creatine bound to a water molecule. Some studies suggest that the combination of creatine and carbohydrate will enhance absorption or "uptake" of creatine. Science shows that creatine is unstable in liquid form, meaning that serum or liquid delivery systems are currently not supported by scientific literature.
The creatine rapidly degrades to creatinine, which is not useable by the body for nutrition. There is very little support for the notion that creatine in any type of mixture, including an effervescent mixture, is absorbed more efficiently by the body. A company known as Albion Laboratories, Inc. claims to have found an effective delivery mechanism by chelating creatine to magnesium (a chelate is an organic compound that is typically absorbed more readily by the body than individual elements).
 Weight Gainers Supplements
Weight gainers are protein shakes whose protein source consists mainly of whey proteins (mostly concentrate with some isolate as well). Some also include other proteins such as milk proteins and/or egg. These products are characterized by their extremely high carbohydrate content; typically in the form of maltodextrin (a high glycemic complex carb) and fructose (simple sugar originating from fruits).
Weight gainers were very popular back in the 90s but their popularity has died mainly because most people do not have the fast metabolism of a hardgainer; so as a result, a high carbohydrate diet applied on a person with over 10% body fat typically leads mostly to fat gains instead of muscle mass gains. For hardgainers however, and body builders who are below 10% body fat, these products be very useful for getting in the amount of quality calories required to gain quality muscle.
 Weight Loss Pills and Weight Loss Supplements
Obesity is an epidemic and significant public fitness health problem and body builders are always trying to shed unwanted fat with weight loss pills or other weight loss supplements. Individuals often turn to dietary supplements to enhance their fat loss and weight loss goals. Weight loss supplements are often thought of as a "quick fix." The majority of weight loss pills can contain some of the following:
- Hoodia Gordonii - A number of weight loss pills now contain this ingredient, but Trim Spa has catapulted this ingredient to the forefront of the weight loss pill market.
- Green Tea - Green tea extract has recently seen a surge in popularity; it is hard to avoid this ingredient in weight loss pills and supplements. Green tea contains an ingredient called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (say that 10 times fast); fortunately it has an abbreviation, EGCG. This ingredient in particular has showed promised as an adjunct to an effective diet and exercise regimen. One study published in 1999 demonstrated that green tea does in fact increase metabolic rate. It is still not proven that green tea is an effective weight loss supplement in the long run.
- Caffeine - Caffeine is often the cornerstone of many weight loss supplements because of its well-documented effects on thermogenesis (heat production in the body) and lipolysis (fat burning). A lot of weight loss pills do contain caffeine, however, it is not necessarily considered as a stand alone product intended to enhance fat loss; rather, it is included with other ingredients with the intention of producing a synergistic effect.
- White Bean Extract - This ingredient is a fiber that is purported to safely decrease starch (carbohydrate) absorption, decreasing the amount of carbs and, subsequently, calories consumed. Weight loss pills may contain this ingredient.
- Hydroxycitric Acid - Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) has grown in popularity and its inclusion in weight loss pills and supplements is common. Early research has shown that administration of HCA inhibits the enzyme that may enhance weight loss. The problem is that the positive research with this supplement has been in rodents, rather than in humans.
The Protein Supplements Plus management have always operated with the utmost integrity, recommending only the highest quality fitness supplements. As body builders our lives center around protein, weight loss, fitness and nutrition.
There are plenty of good reasons to take protein supplements or weight loss supplements for fitness and nutrition. Protein supplements are not only for athletes and body builders, but for all types of people supplementing their diet for fitness and nutrition.
Start the process of bodybuilding and sculpt your body with the aid of supplements.
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