Supplements Enhances Your Body

Pre workout supplements enhance the physical performance of all athlete activities. Pre workout supplements in the form of liquid drinks usually contain creatine monohydrates that past studies have shown that it boosts physical output. Creatine aids the body in producing adenosine triphosphate that is produced by skeletal muscles which provide energy during strenuous activities. Beta-alanine is another ingredient which increases muscle carnosine concentrations. Carnosine is known to be a peptide which acts as an antioxidant and also offsets muscle fatigue that is caused by hydrogen ions build up produced during the high-intensity training. Hence boosts muscle and body performance. For the pre workout meal you will want to consume about 25 percent of your carbohydrates in the form of slow digesting and complex carbs. This means that you are consuming things like sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, fresh fruit, lentils, quinoa and whole grains. These carbohydrate sources will replenish your muscle glycogen and give you a sustainable source of energy so you can train at maximum intensity. Directly after you workout you will want to consume about 35 percent of your carbohydrate intake in the form of a rapid digesting carbohydrate source. This means that you will consume a simple sugar in the form of maltodextrin or dextrose along with your fast digesting protein.

Eating the right pre workout meal enables you to explore the full potential from your workouts. While this is vital, it is also of great importance to know the best time to eat as timing is everything. You need to allow enough time for the food to digest and be absorbed before working out. It’s recommended to eat your pre-workout meal about 30 minutes before you train. If you tend to leave the house right after you wake up in the morning, then right after you wake up make sure to go directly to the kitchen and eat your meal. Then, go put on your workout clothes and get ready. By the time you leave the house and drive to the gym, this will allow enough time for the food to digest properly and it will prime your body to be ready for an extreme workout. The pre-workout meal is just one phase of the critical nutrient timing window. There are literally dozens of myths and misconceptions revolving around the subject of pre-workout supplements. And even though they have existed in the fitness realms for several decades now, it is only recently that they have gone from being just another run-off fitness additive to a bodybuilder’s obsession.

Thanks to some of these pre workout supplements, you can count on the ever-present caffeine to sharpen your mental focus precedence that it is necessary for any successful workout drill. If not specifically caffeine, other supplements will also make use of broad range of stimulants to replicate the role of caffeine. Either way, you can be sure of a sharp like focus a few minutes after popping the pre workout supplements.

Why People Love Amino Acid Supplements

The branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a collection of amino acids that are classified together based on their similar branching molecular structure. There are three BCAAs in total leucine, isoleucine, and valine, and they are considered essential amino acids because they are absolutely vital for fundamental processes (like growing muscle and breaking down sugar) and yet are not produced by the human body. BCAAs thus need to be consumed from protein-containing foods or supplements. Gym freaks love BCAAs due to their great leverage for muscle building and recovery.

Branch chain amino acid supplement is mainly taken to maximize muscle growth and improve recovery during resistance training. More specifically, BCAAs are used to:

• Decrease muscle protein breakdown

• Increase muscle protein synthesis

• Reduce exercise-induced muscle damage

Despite this, BCAA supplementation has often been questioned due to the simple fact that more than sufficient quantities may be consumed via everyday protein-containing foods and protein supplements. Because of this, branch chain amino acid supplements are best suited for providing muscle-building amino acids while working out fasted or when on a diet.

The sources of BCAAs:

• Supplement (Whey protein and shakes) 

Drinks with BCAAs have become very popular and come in lots of great citrus and fruit flavors that don't taste like you're just drinking protein. These products are fine to use right after exercise or during long training session (over 90 minutes). However, there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to support unique benefits of pure BCAA supplements over other protein drinks or foods that has similar amounts of these amino acids, so don’t feel like you have to use a BCAA supplement. A simple shake with whey protein will deliver all the BCAAs that you need along with all the other essential amino acids to round out your muscle building and recovery efforts. Or you can simply have a glass of chocolate milk to serve as your nutritional recovery aid. Milk is naturally loaded with BCAAs and the little added sugar from the chocolate will further aid in recovery after a longer exercise session.

• Whole and plant foods

Fish, eggs, lean beef, chicken, and turkey all contain ample amounts of these key amino acids. Plant protein is generally lower in BCAAs, but pea protein is an exception in this area. Just make sure to take in more total protein to get all the essential amino acids your body needs. One study published in Nutrition Journal found that 40g of rice protein worked just as well as 40g of whey protein when it came to improving body composition. But when calories are at a premium, whey becomes the superior post-workout choice as you could most likely get a similar effect as shown in the study with half the amount of whey (20g) than you would obtain with rice protein due to the lower proportion of essential and branched chain amino acids.

Aside from their muscle-building and recovery benefits, research shows branch chain amino acid supplement can also improve performance. Taking them before your workout allows your body to utilize the supplement for fuel and repair during the exercise, which helps increase strength and endurance.

Studies on BCAA

Most studies showed that when athletes were given BCAA before training, post-workout test levels remained elevated for several hours, whereas the control groups noticed a significant drop in test once training stopped. This pro-longed elevation in test levels may help to maximise muscle growth after your workout. BCAA is recognised as a safe and effective supplement to help naturally increase H levels leading to greater muscle gains. Amino acids are the building blocks that make up protein. Your body puts them together like Legos to create muscle. While your body can make some from scratch (called non-essential amino acids), you have to obtain others (essential amino acids), from food or supplements. These essential amino acids especially a certain kind called branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are the limiting factor in your body’s ability to build muscle. Here’s more on what the BCAA are, why you need them, and how to get them into your diet.

Dosage for Post Workout

·         Research studies have used 5 – 14 g doses of BCAAs

·         BCAA supplements typically offer 5 – 10 gram servings in the form of powder

·         As other essential amino acids, BCAAs are also present in dietary protein and protein supplements

One of BCAAs main roles is to stimulate amino acid uptake by cells, and protein synthesis. This role is so well established that they are given to bedridden patients to slow down muscle wasting. Bodybuilders and athletes, of course, use BCAAs to help maximise muscle gain from training. Recent studies have shown that leucine interacts and activates the mTOR pathway in cells. mTOR stands for ‘mammalian target of rapamycin’ and is a pathway, that acts as a cellular nutrient sensor among other roles. High levels of leucine are interpreted as high overall nutrient levels, and as a sign that the environment is good for increased protein synthesis and growth. Leucine activates the mTOR pathway, which in turn activates other proteins like the initiation factors, which have to be activated to start protein synthesis on the ribosomes.

The vast majority of amino acids can only be metabolised in the liver. BCAA amino acids, on the other hand, can be metabolised directly for energy in muscle cells. Loading up muscles with BCAA before exercise, was shown in scientific studies, to improve performance and endurance. This is presumably because, they increase the amount of fuel immediately available to cells, which can be turned into ATP, which in turn provides energy for muscle contractions. It is a well known fact that BCAAs are severely depleted during exercise. Presumably this happens because they are used up as fuel.

Branched chain amino acids can also lesson the mental perception of fatigue. We all know that how you feel in your mind is at least as important as your physical state. BCAAs achieve this because they compete with transport across the blood.

Protein synthesis is a muscle building process that generates new proteins in the body.  The more protein your body stores during protein synthesis, the larger your muscle will grow. A well known BCAA benefit is their ability to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Combining BCAAs with resistance training results in maximal protein synthesis because they both help to trigger the mTOR signalling pathway that is essential for building muscle.

Proper Nutrition and Eating

Pre-workout nutrition is the real deal by strategically eating prior to your weightlifting workout you can optimize your performance. Bodybuilding workouts are typically of high intensity and require a significant amount of time out of the day to train. Failing to eat before your workouts can lead to fatigue, but eating right before your lifting session can leave you working out with a full stomach. Any high quality protein source will work here. Whey protein is ideal because it’s light on the stomach and is high in branched-chain amino acid content, but if you prefer chicken, fish or red meat that’s fine too. As for carbohydrates, a minimum of 20-30 grams from any basic source is acceptable. Fruit, pasta, oatmeal, rice and others, it depends upon to you.

Suggested meals for your pre-workout nutrition:
Oats

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 small banana
• 1 scoop whey protein powder

Energy Rice Cakes

• 2 wholemeal rice cakes
• Peanut butter or Nutella spread

Pre-Workout Yoghurt

• 1/2 cup low fat Greek yoghurt
• Small handful of blueberries/raspberries

Protein Power Shake

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 banana or handful of assorted berries

Water is very important to keep yourself hydrated during workout. Drink 0.5 to a liter of water few hours in advance before workout. Water will ensure your body is getting enough oxygen supply and easy blood circulation to meet and recover from the exercise stress. You should always pay attention to how your body adapts to the changes in your diet. For best results you need to adjust both your pre-workout nutrition meal and your workout exercises. Fruits contain a lot of water which assist in exercise hydration, and digest quickly and easily while providing immediate energy. You’ll be all set for your intense basketball match, run, or the weight training session with your partner or friends.

No doubt a meal can be of any size. However not all of us need tons of calories therefore it is necessary to plan the meal according to when you will be working out. The lesser time you have the less should be your meal. For a large meal it is necessary that you eat 2-3 hours before the workout. Eat a small meal a couple of hours before and if snacking then an hour before workout. The calories you intake should also be compensated with care. Eat half the calories you intent to burn during workout. For instance, if you will be burning 500 calories in workout better you eat 250 calories a couple of hours before. Replenish your body not only with protein, but with carbohydrates and essential fats as they all work harmoniously to get the body rested, recovered and ready to workout again in the near future. Since carbohydrates are the primary fuel source used up during exercise, it becomes extremely important to consume carbohydrates after a workout of any type to replenish fuel stores and other nutrients lost or eliminated during exercise.