Everyone who has played sports at least a bit and has at least minimal experience in this business will probably understand how important and relevant sports nutrition is for progress. Now we are talking about the most harmless supplements that are often prescribed by nutritionists even to people who have never been involved in bodybuilding – because they are really useful and really safe. Now we will consider the main categories of sports nutrition, with the help of which your workouts can become an order of magnitude more effective.

What is the category of sports nutrition?

It should be clearly understood that sports nutrition and steroid drugs are different things. Sportspit does not contain hormonal supplements that make a change in the hormonal background of our body. Thanks to the active ingredients, you can choose sports nutrition for weight gain, for “drying”, to increase stamina and tone, for accelerated recovery.

The following items should be included in this category:

• Proteins
• creatine;
• amino acids;
• fat burners;
• power engineering;
• pre-workout complexes;
• vitamin complexes.

Each category is designed for specific purposes and has supplemented with a specific composition of key substances needed by the body. How and what exactly – read on.

“And they told me that this is harmful!”

Immediately I want to pay attention to this stupid and unconfirmed belief.

With the advent of sports food on the free market, there was a fairly widespread belief that “steroids” will make you impotent, destroy your kidneys, and you will die in a few years. Typically, such statements belonged to people far from sports, or not too competent doctors who do not even have the basic knowledge of sports nutrition but are taken to judge supplements that they know nothing about.

Sports nutrition, these are not steroids!

Such judgments very quickly formed among the older generation (our parents, grandparents) the opinion that any sportspit is real poison, and taking it is serious harm. However, try to ask them to justify their opinion – and you will not hear any intelligible argument, except for references to someone’s words.

Now, fortunately, this myth has almost completely disappeared – with the advent of the Internet, it became very easy to receive any information, and people began to better understand such issues.

Of course, taking sports supplements can be harmful to the human body. But! This is only possible in the following cases:

1. If you seriously or regularly exceed the recommended dosage.
2. If you have purchased and accept low-quality products or fakes that have a different chemical composition.
3. If your body does not accept these products (this can be quickly understood if your health worsens after taking them).
4. If your course consists of several units of products that have a similar effect.
5. If your course consists of products that are incompatible with each other.

That is, everything is exactly the same as with ordinary food or medicine: follow the dose, do not take what you feel bad after, do not pursue cheapness and do not combine the incompatible. In this case, there is practically no risk of problems.

Now – with regard to each category specifically.

Proteins

The most famous, most popular and most relevant category. Essentially, a protein is a protein that goes to the “construction” of muscle fibers and is necessary for our body. Using such sports nutrition, gaining muscle mass and post-workout recovery can be significantly accelerated.

Externally, the protein looks like a fine powder. For use, milkshakes are usually prepared in which it dissolves.

Among the presented products, there are several varieties of protein:

• Whey protein concentrate is the cheapest option, having a considerable proportion of fats and carbohydrates in its composition. Often causes diarrhea, especially in the initial stages of admission. As for quality and relevance – deserves attention if you want to save.
• Whey protein isolate is a better processed previous version with fewer impurities. The best option for most athletes.
• Whey protein hydrolyzate – from the “whey” three – the most expensive, but the most high-quality and useful option. It contains a complete set of amino acids and contains virtually no impurities. In practice, however, there was no significant difference between the hydrolyzate and the isolate (except for the price, which differs by an order of magnitude).
• Egg – an advertised and unreasonably expensive product; It has a balanced amino acid composition, but it is much more reasonable and profitable to buy a concentrate or isolate “serum”.
• Soy – is relevant for people with intolerance to dairy products or for vegetarians. In terms of quality – a solid “middling” with an average rate of assimilation.
• Casein is a long-digestible protein that is best suited for bedtime.
• Milk – a mixture of whey and casein proteins (ratio of about 20 \ 80). The option, although expensive, but ideal, provides proteins both immediately after administration and continues to “charge” the body later for a long time.

To summarize:

1. If you want to save, take the concentrate.
2. If you want to take sports nutrition for muscle mass with an optimal ratio of quality and cost – take isolate.
3. If the price is not the main criterion when choosing, and you want to buy the most useful and effective product – take either milk protein or two cans at once – a hydrolyzate and casein.

Creatine

The main purpose of taking creatine and creatine-containing supplements is to increase health, stamina and speed up recovery. The most common and cheapest creatine monohydrate ideally copes with this task.

It can be used both separately and as part of courses. It is often combined with protein – such a bunch is simple, harmless, cheap, but it demonstrates a really serious result in terms of effectiveness.

It is usually taken with juice or in cocktails. Since creatine (which looks like a white powder, similar to flour) is poorly soluble in liquid, it is necessary to shake the container before use. As an option – you can buy creatine more expensively available in capsules – for a more convenient intake.

Amino acids

Organic compounds involved in all life processes – this is what amino acids are. Some of them are synthesized by the body, others come only with food or additives. They are the basis of all proteins, energy sources, accelerate the metabolism and the process of burning fat.

They are usually produced either individually or in a complex (when a single supplement contains several “amines” at once).

However, if we talk about how popular such sports nutrition is, bodybuilding can hardly be called the actual direction where it is often consumed. Too high a price and too inconspicuous result are the main “enemies” of amino acids in sports. Of course, in general terms, their use for the body is very useful, but in fact for progress it is much more beneficial to purchase the same protein or creatine.

Fat burners

This category includes supplements containing a vitamin-like (akin to B-vitamins) natural substance – L-carnitine (or levocarnitine). It activates the transport of fatty acids and improves oxygen circulation in the body, corrects and improves metabolism. As a result, we can really note the progress in terms of reducing fat mass. However, taking the supplement must necessarily be combined with diet and intense training – otherwise it will be practically useless.

Available in capsules and in liquid form.

Energetics

These include non-alcoholic drinks, in large quantities containing caffeine and glucose. In addition, the composition often includes additional stimulants: taurine, theobromine, theophylline. The drink is usually carbonated – it speeds up the efficiency.

It is recommended to consume energy drinks as little as possible, and the dosage should not exceed the established norm. Otherwise, problems can often arise – insomnia, rapid fatigue, slow recovery of the body, disruption of the cardiovascular system.

Their consumption is relevant during the period of intensive training.

Pre-workout complexes

“Charge” immediately before training – the decision is correct and useful. For this, you can use balanced pre-workout complexes (in that case, for example, if you go to the gym immediately after work, and do not have time to eat on the way).

Typically, the complex includes a complete set of everything that is required to increase performance under intense loads. The list is approximately the following:

• amino acids;
• creatine;
• vitamins;
• caffeine.

The list can be supplemented with stimulants, minerals, antioxidants – the assortment of additives in this category is simply huge, and here everyone can choose for themselves an option that is suitable in price and composition. The basic rule is to carefully read what the supplement contains.

Vitamin Complexes

Attention should be paid not only to sports nutrition for weight gain – it is equally important to provide the body with enough vitamins and minerals. This is not so easy to do, especially in the fall and winter, and therefore such complexes are especially relevant if you plan to seriously and intensively engage.

Complexes usually contain several vitamins at once and are sold in tablet form.

That’s all. Now you know enough about sports nutrition, in particular, sports nutrition for weight gain.

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