Bodybuilding and Fitness Supplements: Three Effective Supplements

I’ve already written an introduction to bodybuilding supplements in a previous article/post (I would encourage you to read it). 

Though my article was critical of the supplement industry, it doesn’t mean all supplements are worthless (most are, but not all).  There are a few supplements that I believe are worth buying/using.  I’m not going to be giving you in-depth, scientific explanations (you can find plenty of that on other websites).  I’m just going to tell you what I use and endorse, based on my own research and experience. 

I’ll be linking ads to specific products (the shopzilla ads).  These are links to supplements that I actually use, and I believe the links will show the best price available (I usually buy my own supplements online). 

So let’s talk about three effective supplements:

1. Multivitamin:


The humble multivitamin is a good place to start when planning your supplementation.  Common sense tells us our bodies work better when they have all the essential vitamins/minerals.  Just go to your local “health food store” called Wal-Mart and get a bottle of generic multi-vitamins.  As far as I know, these generic versions are just as good as the brand-named counterparts.

2. Protein Powder:

Protein powders are a convenient way to add extra protein to our diets.  I would not recommend you go overboard on protein consumption (don't go over a gram per lb of body weight a daily).  Having said that, these supplements can help if you aren't getting enough protein through meat sources, etc.







3. Creatine Monohydrate:

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance found in skeletal muscle.  It is arguably the most extensively researched supplement on the market.  Creatine Monohydrate does two things: 1). It helps muscle cells produce contractions, especially the types of contractions used in weight training 2). It draws more fluid into muscle cells, causing them to get bigger.  Most trainees (including yours truly) notice some weight gain within days of creatine supplementation.

Helpful Hints:
*Be sure to take in plenty of fluids when supplementing creatine.
*Just buy plain ‘ole creatine powder: "micronized" is OK, but don’t bother with capsules, effervescent, buffered, etc.
*Your body stores creatine, so I don’t believe you have to “load” it by taking several doses the first week.  Just take 5 grams a day and you'll be fine.

I use Prolab’s brand.  As with protein, bigger packages are more economical.





So that’s it: multivitamin, protein powder, and creatine monohydrate.  I’ll write about some “honorable mention” supplements in future posts, but these three are (in my opinion) the most useful.