Supplements can aid you in your fitness goals
Supplements can help you with energy, muscle gain and weight loss, but use them as aids only, not staples of your diet! Also, don't depend on them only to reach that fat loss or muscle gain goal; they are created to be used with a clean diet and aid in your fitness training program.
Vitamins, protein powders, creatine powder, herbal formulas, pre- and post-workout boosters, energy potions and drinks for during your workout - all of these are awesome creations of science that can help you get through that tough workout or shred off the last of your unsightly fat.
But again, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have the foundation of your fitness to be from:
1. A clean, healthy, balanced diet
2. Some type of strength training for your muscles, bones and connective tissue health and strength and
3. Cardio for your cardiovascular system health and functionality as well as many of your other systems.
If you don't already have these in place, it makes no sense and it useless to try and help something that isn't there. No pill will make you come out with a toned and lean body and no protein powder will make your muscles shapely or strong without the 3 ingredients above.
So how can these products help? How do they work and where do you get them? How exactly do you use them?
Here are several categories:
Protein
Protein is used as a diet staple in some cases but also is used to help with weight gain, promote muscle growth, help with fat loss and to help with recovering from your workouts.
There are several different kinds of protein as well as different forms you can consume it in. There is whey, soy, egg, beef, plant, and casein proteins. There is also low-carb, weight-gainer, low-lactose and meal-replacements proteins. This all comes in either bars, ready-mixed drinks, or powders to mix yourself.
Wow! That's a lot to digest. So how do you figure it all out? What are the benefits of each? Click on the links below to see more info about each type.
Creatine
Creatine is used by bodybuilders and athletes looking to improve their muscle size and strength, Creatine is naturally found in the meats we consume but is available in a more concentrated form.
Vitamins
In the sports and fitness world they are called 'performance multi-vitamins' but they are additional amounts of the vitamins we don't get enough of in our normal diet and also the vitamins we don't get at all from our diets and need.
Weight loss pills have a bad rap...all sorts of rumors have gone around and the worst part is us women probably at some point thought about there really being a miracle potion or pill that would make us slim, trim and fit. NOT! It isn't out there.
Diet aids are best used on a short term basis and with an exercise and healthy diet plan. Fat burners, appetite suppressants, fat and carb inhibitors, caffeine and other diet aids DO work, they just have to be used in the right way and not depended upon.
