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Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

Most people have heard of antibiotics and how you have to take them when you get sick, but how many people know what Probiotics are?

It is not a must that you use bodybuilding supplements when you are training. However if you decide to use them it can significantly improve your bodybuilding progress. Bodybuilding is a very competitive sport and if you want to increase your chances of becoming the best in this sport then you need to take bodybuilding supplements together with your diet. It is no wonder that many professional bodybuilders use bodybuilding supplements in order to stay on top of there game.

If you are trying to decide which bodybuilding supplement you are going to use, below is a list of some supplements which have proven to be very effective in terms of helping a person build there muscles. They include;

1. Nutrition Bars

The reason why nutrition bars have become so common is because of the busy life styles that most bodybuilders have. Some times a bodybuilder could get so engaged in there daily life style that they lack enough time even to eat a proper meal. This is where nutritional bars come in; you can be able to take them even when you are on the move. Nutritional bars usually come in form of high protein bars or high carbs bars. The good thing about these nutritional bars is that they are able to provide a person with the necessary burst in energy needed to train intensely in the gym. If you are looking to slim there are other nutritional bars which can help you achieve this they are referred to as flapjack nutritional bars.

2. Pre-work out drinks

There are various concoctions in which energy drinks come in form of. Some energy drinks are sugar based while others contain stimulants such as caffeine, ephedra and guarana. When selecting the best energy drink to take you should go for the ones which do not contain a lot of glucose because they have the effect of making a person feel sluggish after an intense workout plus they contain a lot of calories.

3. Fat burners

Fat burning products has become quite a booming business due to its high demand among people who are overweight. The good thing about this product is that it enables a person to burn fat through thermo genesis and when you do this you are able to train even more intensely.

4. Creatine monohydrate

If there is a bodybuilding supplement which will surely help you improve your performance then it is creatine supplements. The science behind it is as follows; for ATP to be used as energy it needs to be first broken down to ADP. This process cannot occur in the absence of Creatine Phosphate (CP) which is present in muscle tissues. Therefore the more CP you have in your muscles the more energy you will be able to generate. For you to be able to lift heavier weights you need as much energy as you can get. For you also to be able to train intensely you also need plenty of energy.

Do you wish to add an incredible nutritional supplement to your daily diet to boost your overall health and also prevent many diseases? An omega 3 fish oil supplement is what you need. Fish oil provides omega 3 fats in adequate amounts that are needed for the prevention and treatment of many illnesses.

However, there are some fish toxins in omega 3 fish oils that are dangerous and detrimental for health. These toxic substances are available in the form of impurities, contaminants and bacteria. Furthermore, raw fish oil contains heavy metals like mercury and lead found in oceans and these metals are also harmful for the health.

It is therefore very important to buy a fish oil product from a reliable source. Since Internet has made everything so easy, it is not difficult to find a quality product online after carefully studying all sources.

The best omega 3 supplements are the ones that contain high concentration of omega 3 fats and fish toxins in omega 3 fish oils are very low. These toxins are removed from pure fish oil with the help of molecular distillation. This vacuum distillation kills bacteria and filters fish oil to make it totally refined and clean.

The effectiveness of a fish oil product can be found out by asking about its contents, how pure and natural they are, whether they have been clinically tested, and do they cause any side effects. In order to avoid fish toxins in omega 3 fish oils, these questions need to be answered.

How refined and purified your fish oil supplement is depends on whether it has been molecularly distilled or not. Molecularly distilled fish oil is also sometimes called pharmaceutical grade fish oil. Another indication is that refined fish oil is usually tasteless and odorless and does not cause health complications.

Always try to find a supplement product that provides adequate amounts of fatty acids as required by our body on a daily basis. Normally 300 to 400 mg of DHA and EPA are recommended by health specialists to be taken daily through diet and nutritional supplements.

Eating fish twice a week fulfills this requirement. Alternatively you can consume foods rich in omega 3 fats like tofu, omega 3 enriched eggs, walnuts, beans and seafood, and also consume omega 3 supplements or fish oil capsules on a regular basis. This will help you to maintain an optimum level of DHA and EPA in your body.

Some people just do not like to take pills; they would probably want to take the minimum supplements needed. Other people believe in the power of muscle building supplements and want every advantage they can get.

Do not replace food with muscle building supplements, that is not the way it works. You need your complete six mini meals a day with your proportioned carbs, proteins and fats among other foods for a healthy diet. There are some essential supplements that body builder expert’s suggest. They also comment that you are not going to turn in to Mr. Universe overnight.

Different trainers may suggest different supplements. There is a consensus among them that you should buy the well known brand. You may spend a little more money but it is worth it and that Creatine and Whey protein should be taken as building muscle supplements.

Creatinine is a natural occurring substance in the body. It has been used as a supplement for years. Creatine is a substance that is created during the body’s metabolism of proteins. Creatine produces spurts of muscle activity. With intensive training and packing up muscle, creatine can improve your performance and relieve your recovery.

Some Trainers recommend combining the creatine with a protein source. Carbohydrates increase the rate of absorption of muscle building supplement.

Sport drinks and nutrition products are good for supplements on the go. Some of these sources also contain carbs and proteins the best ingredients to speed muscle growth and ease the muscle repair. Protein that comes from low fat milk or cottage cheese are the best. Whey protein is supposed to be one of the best muscle building supplements and it increases the immune system. Whey protein combines with amino acids to help build muscles. These supplements should be taken at least one half hour after your workout.

Creatine and whey protein are a good place to start with muscle building supplements, especially for beginners, they will notice the fast changes. Some people do not think the role of muscle building supplements may not be that important. Your nutrition and training are the most important in building muscle. Often supplements claim achievements that are far fetched and as they say “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”.

Pre workout supplements have grown in popularity the last few years. Other selective supplements include Anatator P-70 and muscle tech gakic, Endothil CR, Matrix cinnamon Oatmeal, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, and desiccated liver. Muscle building supplements can be complicating you need the right supplements and they need to be taken at the right time.

Weight gain and meal replacement powders do work if used appropriately. L-Glutamine is an amino acid builder stimulant; it enhances glycogen, and spares the protein. It also increases your immunity and protein synthesis. Some say more emphasis should be placed of vitamins and minerals then other supplements. Vitamins do not provide the energy but they affect the metabolism. Choose a multivitamin that is made for athletes.

As far as muscle building supplements go, it is not a good idea to use one as a meal replacement. Do a lot of research on products and only buy things from a well known manufacturer. Some experts say first concentrate on your diet and training schedule and then worry about supplements.

Phosphorus supplement – how do you ensure that you include this humble mineral in your diet?

Phosphorus is essential for the structure and function of your body, phosphorus is also vital for communication between cells and for energy production.

It is found in most foods and deficiency is rare, but too much phosphorus can upset your mineral balance and decrease calcium levels.

How It Works

Phosphorus is needed for the production of energy from food and to activate the B-complex vitamins (also involved in energy production).

It is a component of genetic material, essential for growth and repair, and combines with calcium to form calcium phosphate, which makes teeth and bones rigid.

Phosphorus requires vitamin D and calcium in order to function and you need to have twice as much calcium as phosphorus for both to work properly.

Deficiency Symptoms

Deficiency of phosphorus will result in these symptoms:

Bone pain

Weak, soft bones

Twitching muscles

Loss of appetite

Fatigue

Benefits of Phosphorus Supplements

Bone Health – Phosphorus is needed to maintain bone density, and an increased intake may shorten the time broken bones take to heal.

Energy Booster – Phosphorus is valued by athletes because it increases endurance and reduces tiredness.

Alcoholism – Phosphorus supplements are thought to reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Heavy drinkers are usually deficient in phosphorus and may need to take supplement.

Kidney Stones – Kidney stones reduces the level of calcium in urine and may help to protect against the formation of kidney stones.

Phosphorus supplement is essential for the structure and efficiency of your body, phosphorus helps to boost energy levels and fight fatigue.

How to get phosphorus from your supplements?

Multimineral tablets usually include a low dose of phosphorus, despite the fact that deficiency is rare.

Antacids and alcohol may interfere with phosphorus levels, and pregnant or breastfeeding women may need slightly higher doses.

Precautions

Fizzy cola drinks may upset your calcium- phosphorus balance (they contain high amounts of phosphotic acid). Extra phosphorus should only be taken under medical supervision.

For more details about phosphorus supplement and where to get a good multimineral supplement, please visit the author’s website about best vitamin supplements and vitamin information.

The University of Auckland performed a study, headed by Associate Professors Robert Scragg and Peter Black from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, suggesting that supplementing with vitamin D could improve lung function.

Both professors analyzed information from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1988 to 1994, and performed lung volume tests with 14,000 people. While studying their subjects, the team found that healthy lung patients had remarkably higher levels of vitamin D, while those with low levels of vitamin D had weaker lungs. The tests measured the amount of air that can be forced in one second after taking a deep breath and the amount that is expelled after taking a deep breath. Those with the highest levels of vitamin D showed a much larger lung capacity.

Regardless of warnings about the sun, vitamin D has been involved in many studies that prove the benefits of getting daily sun, without sunscreen, which blocks the absorption of vitamin D. Many doctors recommend that ten to twenty minutes of direct sunlight a day, depending upon skin color, is enough to keep vitamin D levels healthy. Vitamin D can also be found in oily fish, eggs, butter and some leafy greens.

Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to MS, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, various cancers, hypertension and diabetes, to name a few conditions.

Although the Auckland study showed that vitamin D has an association with lung health, they could not conclude that supplements could help those with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. The team found that vitamin D was distinguished from other vitamins in that it was associated with obesity levels, declined with age and was higher in men than woman. They also found that vitamin D was lowest in those who smoked more than a pack a day.

Although the researchers are unsure as to why vitamin D has an effect on lung health, they have noted evidence that vitamin D repairs lung tissue, is essential for the body to absorb calcium, and also affects cell growth. The evidence suggests that vitamin D is needed to develop strong bones and that strong bones could effect the size of the lungs. Some authorities think that vitamin D may be needed for the development of the rib cage, instead of the lung tissue. More research is needed for this hypothesis.

More research is also needed to determine whether dietary supplements can improve lung function.