The decision to introduce regular physical activity involves asking yourself important questions. Why do I want to train? What form of movement will I choose? After all, when and where will I exercise? The answer to the latter question, especially when the weather is not favorable, is often given – at the gym. Once you get there, you’re sure to come across a wide range of gym supplements for beginners. Which of them are really worth using? I have checked and selected for you supplements with proven effects that support physical activity.
What are good gym supplements?
Before I introduce you to the world of supplements for physically active people, you need to know one most important rule. It reads:
“Food first”!
A supplement will always be just a supplement to your diet. There is no progress in sport, there is no greater strength, weight loss, muscle building without a balanced diet, tailored to your needs and abilities. No supplement can replace this powerful tool that is diet! Therefore, start by changing your eating habits, and only then think about supplementation.
Before you decide to buy and introduce a supplement recommended at the gym, go through the so-called decision-making scheme. The answers to the 5 questions below will allow you to assess whether this particular supplement is really for you.
Is this supplement safe?
Is this supplement allowed in sports?
Do I need this supplement at the moment?
Have I discussed its validity with my doctor or dietitian?
Do I know how to use a given gym supplement?
If you don’t know the answer (you have the right to do so, you don’t have to have all the knowledge in the world) or if you have doubts about the answer, seek the help of a specialist who will dispel them or simply give up the supplement. Remember that at the beginning of your gym adventure, you don’t have to buy expensive clothes, advanced equipment and a whole set of supplements. First, check if this form of activity is for you, and only then invest money in supplements.
Asking yourself these questions makes you start researching and learning more about supplements for active people. Thus, you gain distance from advertisements, recommendations, marketing messages, the essence of which always boils down to “Buy this supplement, you need it, the effects will be spectacular”. It is not always so “colorful”.
Many of the popular gym supplements do not boast strong evidence of their effectiveness in improving sports performance or accelerating regeneration. Among them are, for example, BCAAs, magnesium and HMB. And what works?
Gym supplements for beginners – a set of the most effective ones
Learn about the 9 most effective supplements to consider when you start going to the gym.
Protein supplement
Why does a protein supplement work?
Protein (or proteins) makes up about 15-20% of human body weight, of which more than half of protein is found in muscles, being its most important building block. However, protein builds not only muscles, but also other body structures important to the athlete, such as bones, joints, cartilage or blood elements necessary for transporting nutrients.
Regular exercise at the gym causes micro-damage to the muscles, and then their reconstruction and even superbuilding with the use of protein. That is why the demand for proteins increases in physically active people. It is about 1.2-1.6 g for each kilogram of body weight. A person weighing 65 kg therefore needs from 78 g to 104 g of protein per day, which, assuming that you eat 5 meals a day, gives 15-20 g of protein for each meal. A higher amount of protein in the diet also protects against a decrease in muscle mass when your goal is to reduce weight.
In practice, it can be difficult to cover your protein needs. This is where protein supplements come into play.
Protein supplements are based on high-quality protein sources, such as whey from milk, but also on the basis of peas or soy. A good quality protein supplement provides a complete set of amino acids (20 different ones). Amino acids are the “beads” that build protein chains. Protein supplements usually come in the form of a white powder that dissolves in water or another liquid, such as milk or kefir. A serving of the supplement on water usually provides about 20 g of protein (more if you dissolve it in a dairy product) and, although it is in liquid form, it fills you up for a long time.
One or two servings of protein supplement a day can supplement your diet with protein. However, remember to first check how much protein you usually eat with food before introducing the supplement. A supplement is a supplement, not the basis of a diet!
Vitamin d
Why does vitamin D work?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, and its main sources are sun exposure and supplementation. In Poland, its deficiencies may affect up to 90% of the population, including athletes. It was once thought that vitamin D was important primarily for bone health, but recent years have brought surprising discoveries. Vitamin D receptors are found on most cells of the human body, and its importance is broader than previously thought. Therefore, it is an important supplement not only for people who attend the gym, but basically for everyone. However, before you start taking vitamin D, first test its concentration in the blood. The full name of this study is vitamin D metabolite 25(OH).
In athletes, vitamin D:
strengthens bones,
reduces muscle soreness after training, accelerates regeneration,
supports the functioning of the nervous system,
It protects against respiratory infections, which can happen more often when you exercise in a larger group of people.
First of all, regularly! The prophylactic dose for adults in Poland ranges from 800 to 2000 IU per day. However, if your blood tests show a deficiency, if you are obese, overweight, or if you suffer from one of the chronic diseases listed in the supplementation recommendations, then you may need a higher dose of supplementation. First of all, choose preparations with the status of a drug.
Probiotics
Probiotics, i.e. live bacteria that have a beneficial effect on health and stabilize the intestinal environment, have very interesting properties in physically active people. A healthy gut microbiota helps remove excess lactate, a compound that accumulates in the muscles after intense exercise and is responsible for their soreness. Intestinal microorganisms also improve protein absorption. In the world of science, their role in regulating the secretion of neurotransmitters is emphasized. Intestinal bacteria affect the concentration of acetylcholine, which is responsible, among other things, for muscle contraction. The state of eubiosis, i.e. the microbiotic balance, also has a positive effect on immunity. It was shown that colds were less common among athletes taking probiotics.
Start by enriching your diet with fermented products such as yogurt, kefir, a variety of pickled vegetables, kombucha. Remember, however, that food production does not provide 100% repeatable conditions that would ensure that certain species of bacteria are always present in the product. Therefore, we cannot say that fermented foods are probiotics.
Consult a dietitian/doctor who will help you choosegood quality, multi-strainprobiotic from the pharmacy. Use it according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Remember that there are live bacteria in the probiotic capsule, so they should not be taken with a hot meal, they cannot be washed down with a hot drink (coffee/tea/herbs). In contact with high temperatures, bacteria die.
Creatine
Creatine is a small protein, made up of 3 amino acids, which in the human body is found primarily in muscles, in the form of phosphocreatine. Your body can produce creatine itself, but you can also get it through your diet or with supplements.
Creatine plays a role in “powering” muscle cells, in providing them with energy in the form of ATP. For this reason, its appropriate content is important in disciplines that require short but intense energy bursts, e.g. during strength sports, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), playing ball or sprinting.
Creatine:
extends the time you can exercise,
accelerates regeneration between workouts,
increases muscle mass and endurance,
has a positive effect on the health of the nervous system.
To increase the amount of creatine in the muscles, it is worth starting with the so-called “loading” of creatine supplementation (usually in the form of creatine monohydrate). During this time, you take 4 doses of creatine per day, in the amount of 5g/dose (4 X 5g). You repeat this pattern for 5 days. In the following days, you reduce the dose of the supplement to 3-5 g of creatine per day, in one or two doses.
Creatine is in the form of a powder that is well soluble in water or juice. The action of insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas in response to the consumption of carbohydrates from juice, increases the uptake of creatine. Therefore, dissolving the supplement in juice may increase the effectiveness of supplementation. Although diet can be a source of creatine, the amount of the compound in food products is usually insufficient to significantly increase the amount of creatine in the muscles, this is the task of the supplement. Creatine should be taken for 3-5 months. After this time, it is worth taking a month’s break.