Do supplements really work?

You’ve encountered them before. Whether on display in the nutrition aisles of pharmacies or advertised on bodybuilding websites and forums, the fitness market is awash with a never ending flood of muscle building supplements. They guarantee rapid gains – enlarged muscles and ultra lean physiques, the desire of many a workout enthusiast. The question we all have is a simple one: Do they actually work? There’s an abundance to choose from, and the price tags don’t exactly put you in the spirit of experimenting. Here are a few things to take into account:

They are exactly what we call them

Supplements. They don’t supplant regular, rigorous exercise routines, healthy dieting, sufficient sleep and plenty of water. Think of them as an aid, but not a necessity in your fitness quest.

Know what you’re after

Do you dream of sporting abs chiseled in the vision of Michelangelo, or is your desire to lift heavier weights and do more reps on these weights? Different supplements fulfil different needs. Here’s a few known and trusted ones:

Protein

This supplement has been around longer than all others, and for a reason: It’s what muscles are made of. The traditional powders, like whey, do work. Talk to someone at your nearest sports nutrition shop to find a product that best suits your requirements.

Creatine
This stuff gives you a spike in muscle energy and helps you execute short-interval high-intensity exercises, like sprinting and weightlifting, with more vigour. It’s also been in use for quite a while and has been deemed safe and effective by many studies. It gets our vote.

Multivitamins and essential fatty acids

It isn’t always possible to supply your body with all of its daily nutritional requirements.These assist you in doing just that. That being said:

Here’s what you need to look out for

As we said, there’s a cornucopia of supplements hitting the market all the time. Scientists are constantly hard at work conducting tests for eligibility; most of the time, they claim the new stuff is ineffective.

What’s recommended

Don’t start using a supplement before it’s been thoroughly tried, tested and vouched for, and stick to what’s trusted. Also, don’t spend all your hours pouring over what works and what doesn’t – you could have spent that time in the gym!