Supplement Buyers Guide

This is a guide to the common categories of sports nutrition and is useful knowledge for anyone wishing to invest in products to improve muscle mass, lose body fat, perform at peak levels and maintain perfect health. There are a great number of products out there and it is worthwhile understanding what each can do to help you reach your goals.

Each category aims to show which goals the supplements will help you in achieving whilst making the best choices for your budget and individual needs.

Protein (Lean Muscle Gain & Fat loss)

Protein is the fundamental building blocks of muscle tissue and an increased amount is required by those aiming to build or maintain increased muscle tissue. Protein is essential for health and injury recovery. Protein is also difficult to turn into body fat and central to fat loss diets. Protein supplements can be used as low carb meals by themselves, added to normal meals to increase overall protein intake or used pre and post workout for increased recovery.

Categories of common protein supplements:

Rapid Release Proteins: For regular feedings throughout the day or pre and post workout times.

Whey Protein Concentrate: A standard whey protein is far more useful to the body for lean muscle tissue than virtually any other type of protein food and is easy to digest. This is an ideal base for any high protein diet supplement.

Whey Protein Isolate: The isolate form of whey is the purest and most expensive form of whey but is free from virtually all lactose and other sugars or additions and is ideal for those who demand the highest biological value protein for ultimate progress and results.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate: Hydrolyzed or pre-digested protein is designed to enter the blood stream virtually instantaneously to repair trained muscle tissue and is typically found in specialist post workout mixes for instant recovery boosting.

Time Release Proteins: For increasing protein content of meals, for general protein meals and before bed for night time nutrition.

Egg protein: Although less bio available than whey egg remains a far more effective choice than almost any other meat, fish or dairy source of protein especially when isolated as a protein supplement from the excess fats of raw eggs. Egg proteins release at a slower rate than whey.

Milk protein: One of the best protein choices for those needing a slower release protein or for those who avoid high meat or fish diets.

Micellar Casein: A specialist form of protein which forms a natural ‘gel’ in the digestive tract allowing it to release slowly into the bloodstream over many hours providing the body with a constant protein supply and avoiding muscle loss or impaired recovery. This is often combined with whey protein in blends to make highly effective mixes that cover multiple bases.

Specialist Proteins:

Pea Protein Isolate: For those following a completely vegan diet, those who have allergies or digestive intolerances with any dairy product or specific dietary needs this pure form of entirely vegetable protein now offers a better substitute than ever before. Unlike many vegetable proteins this specific isolate will promote muscle growth without excess calories and it mixes the same as a whey protein blend.

MRP (Meal Replacement Powders) (Better daily nutrition)

When eating a full nutritionally balanced meal is inconvenient or hard to digest you can turn to a MRP. These replace a perfect blend of protein, carbohydrates and fats found in a great meal without any of the junk. MRP powders often have a full complement of vitamins and minerals as well as other muscle building and fat burning ingredients to support a perfect nutrition programme. These are ideal to replace one or more of your normal meals throughout the day and are much easier to digest than eating whole foods every few hours. An extremely convenient way of staying on track with your nutrition whether travelling, at work or just to save preparation time for another meal.

WEIGHT GAINS (Mass and strength gains)

For those with fast metabolisms who find it hard to eat enough to grow or those who burn up a lot of calories with work or sport Weight Gainer mixes feature high energy blends of protein and carbohydrates with high enough calories to fuel even the hardest gainer into packing on new mass. If you carry a lot of body fat you may not need a weight gainer unless you are into power lifting or strongman competition. For skinnier types, those in the first few years of training for new size or those with demanding physical jobs such as military careers or building work a Weight Gainer powder may be the ideal addition to your diet to see new size gains fast.

CARBOHYDRATE ENERGY (Endurance & Recovery)

Carbohydrates are the principal form of energy for your body and re supply tired muscles and major organs with fuel to repair and perform at the highest level. Regular training, physical jobs or participation in sport requires varying levels of quality carbohydrate intake to allow performance. Restoring glycogen levels after training decreases recovery times needed and helps maintain strength and focus. Endurance athletes and those who perform a lot of cardio style training will need a lot more energy than others too. Those with fast metabolisms attempting to grow will need extra energy to spare protein for growth.

There are numerous variations on Carbohydrate Energy products. Some are basic carbohydrate supplements such as Maltodextrin for adding extra fuel to the body, others combine protein with carbs for post workout recovery, others yet add in electrolytes to prevent dehydration during long hard training or endurance events.

CREATINE (Size, strength and intensity increases)

Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most popular and thoroughly researched supplements available today. It is a totally natural supplement that increases ATP a fuel used by the muscles as well as brain and nerves. It is extremely safe and legal in sports. It is not a drug and has virtually no negative side affects. It is suitable for men or women who work out or play sport. Creatine products increase explosive strength and rapidly speed up recovery. Creatine products also hydrate and volumize muscle cells causing lean size gains.

Common creatine categories:

Creatine Monohydrate: This is the simplest form of powdered creatine that has been used and studied for years and shown to be a totally safe and effective product for boosting athletic ability. Not everyone responds as well to basic creatine but for those who do it is an extremely affordable addition which provides excellent benefits. Also available in Micronised form which means the powder is massively finer making it more mixable in liquid without left over waste residue.

Creatine loading products: These blends contain various ways of spiking insulin and help drive creatine directly into muscles and provide a more reliable way of gaining size and maximizing creatine levels in the body than using the raw ingredient alone. Excellent choice for those who struggle to gain size.

Kre-Alkalyn Creatine: Kre-Alkalyn is a patented pH buffered form of creatine that packs the useful dose of creatine into a smaller size and also avoids any acidic side affects such as bloating or digestion problems. Often found in tablet form this is better for those who prefer not to drink huge amounts of creatine products or have not seen great results from the powder forms.

Liquid Creatine Serum: Premixed as a high concentration serum these can be used rapidly and without the hassle of carrying powders or mixing drinks but with the rapid absorption of a liquid product.

Creatine Ethyl Ester and Advanced Creatine products: Along with a host of new creatine bound agents, these can be found in tablet form or in powdered drink mixes. Binding creatine to other compounds allows more to get into the blood stream without using excess sugars to drive creatine into muscles. These mean a loading phase is unnecessary and can be used long term without side affects. Many people who do not respond to simple monohydrate creatine find advanced creatine products will work for them.

ALL IN ONE (Complete muscle and size solutions)

It can often be confusing entering the world of sports supplementation with literally thousands of different products to choose from, all with different goals and individuals in mind it can sometimes take a lot of time and effort to choose and prepare a huge variety of different drink mixes or capsule combinations. For beginners or those who are interested in minimizing the amount of different compounds they need to buy and store, All-in-One mixes represent the easiest choice. Combining high protein, quality carbohydrates and essential fats into one mixture they also come equipped with sensible and effective doses of all the most popular bodybuilding supplements such as Creatine and HMB. Many All-In-One products will also come equipped with other more exotic and advanced muscle building and fat burning ingredients to offer a total solution to physique enhancement.

FAT LOSS DIET AIDS (Fat burning, appetite control)

The flip side of building new muscle size is stripping away unwanted body fat to sculpt a healthy, fit, athletic body. Although a balance of correct diet and exercise is essential to this goal there are a number of products that can profoundly improve your fat loss goals.

Diet aids are some of the most popular supplements available in the world today, after all who wants to be carrying unsightly (not to mention extremely unhealthy) body fat around? There are literally thousands of different ingredients that are used in these formulas but they can be generally divided into a few major categories.

Some fat loss aids will combine these categories into a blend, although some products can also be combined by choice to speed up fat loss from different approaches.

Stimulant Diet Aids: Any ingredient or combination blend that causes a nervous system response and increases adrenaline will have a stimulatory effect and cause more calories to be burnt. Stimulant fat loss aids also help release stored fat in the body to be used up as energy. These products often give a rush of energy which is useful on low calorie diets when you may feel low on energy generally. These products speed up your nervous responses however and can make some people feel jittery or anxious. They should not be taken too late in the day as they may interfere with sleep. Common stimulant ingredients include ephedra and related compounds or substrates, caffeine and yohimbine.

Non-Stimulant Diet Aids: Non stimulant diet aids can be divided into two main types – thyroid hormone boosters and natural diet aids.

Thyroid hormone boosters contain ingredients which cause the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone which regulates metabolic turnover. Leaner individuals have faster metabolisms and these offer a way to have a ‘hotter’ faster metabolism that burns fat constantly without any nervous or jittery side affects.

Natural diet aids cover a large variety of ingredients that have shown to improve our body’s response to foods, insulin and other fat storing hormones. Some can help blunt the formation of new fat cells, others help free up fat to be used as fuel during exercise, and others help insulin push sugars into muscles rather than into fat cells. Some natural fat loss aids also cause an overall improvement in the metabolism meaning less fat in the long term.

Diuretic Diet Aids: Diuretics are compounds that cause they body to expel excess water retention. A lot of the bloat caused by overeating, poor food choices, and hormone changes or stress is often excess water stored under the skin producing a ‘puffy’ look to the body that is both unsightly and has dangerous effects on blood pressure and overall health and energy levels. A diuretic diet aid helps flush this water through your system producing rapid changes in the appearance of your body. Diuretics are generally used short term when bloat is a problem or at the end of a diet to improve overall leanness but they can be used more frequently if you have regular water retention problems.

NITRIC OXIDE (N.O Boosters) + PRE WORKOUT STIMULANTS (Pump and intensity enhancers)

Nitric Oxide boosters are a popular class of product which enhance the rush of blood to working muscles with a host of benefits. Not only do they improve the pump or ‘swell’ of full muscles and enhance vascularity but they can help shuttle more nutrients direct to working muscles, prolonging workout intensity, help start repair and growth faster and reduce inflammation leading to less soreness and more work capacity. Nitric Oxide boosters are available in different tablet or drink mix formulas. Most drink mixes combine Nitric Oxide products with pre-workout booster blends.

Pre Workout boosters can come in the form of mental stimulants, most often as tablets. These help speed up reactions, ramp up intensity and concentration and activate more of the nervous system so more muscle can be recruited for a faster growth effect.

Pre workout drink mixes often combine these mental and physical stimulants with Nitric Oxide products and sometimes creatine to offer a total pre workout product. Although these products are not muscle builders directly like protein they do massively improve workout or sport performance which leads to better growth, faster fat loss, harder and fuller muscles and less soreness with quicker recovery.

AMINO ACIDS (Muscle recovery)

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of your entire body and especially concentrated in muscle tissue. Most of our amino acids are provided by high protein diets but there are certain Aminos which have been shown to be extremely beneficial to those working out hard or competing in sports or undergoing stress.

L-Glutamine: L form glutamine is one of the most prominent constituents of contractile muscle tissue (the muscles you can build through exercise). During low calorie dieting or when working out extremely hard your body can often lose more glutamine than it can synthesize from protein alone. Glutamine can be added to recovery drinks or taken alone and can often reverse and prevent muscle loss during dieting or during times of physical or mental stress. Glutamine makes up over a third of the total pool of amino acids in your muscle and is obviously vital. Glutamine also improves nervous function and has shown direct improvement on immune function and injury repair.

BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids): These three specialised and complex forms of amino acids (Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine) are essential in contractile muscle tissue. By ingesting them in this complex branched chain form you save your body the trouble of having to convert through multiple processes meaning they prevent muscle loss and help speed up recovery. You will find BCAA’s in most recovery drink mixes but they can also be taken in capsule form around training sessions. They are also useful before bed to stop muscle loss during sleep.

EFAs AND OILS (Fats for health and performance)

Fats and oils in the diet are often seen as unwanted calories that cause body fat but some are actually essential to life and can promote good health and improved performance. EFA stands for Essential Fatty Acids and your body cannot make them so you must eat them. You may have heard of Omega 3 and 6 oils and these are responsible for making muscle building and fat burning hormones in your body, as well as helping fight chronic disease and increasing overall health and well being. There are numerous healthy fats and oils that may play a part in your supplementation regime.

Omega 3-6-9: These can appear as a blend or individually and are essential to all areas of health, particularly protecting joints and preventing disease. They also improve focus, mood, better hair, skin and nails and are essential to life itself. These oils are delicate and often destroyed in cooking or processing so supplementation may be essential.

MCT (medium chain triglycerides): These are a class of fats that do not turn to body fat but act more like carbohydrates providing useful energy. You can often find these in Meal replacement and weight gain drinks as a healthier option to excess sugars.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): This is a specialised fatty acid that has been shown to actually promote body fat loss and commonly called ‘the fat that burns fat’. It requires long term use but those who keep it up not only lose body fat but stay lean even with a higher calorie diet.

TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS (Maximize muscle gain and sex drive)

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men which helps control muscle building, fat loss, confidence and sexual function. Increasing testosterone means protein is utilised more effectively, strength goes up, less fat is stored, more energy is available and libido increases.

There are numerous herbal extracts, co-enzymes and other micro-nutrients which can have beneficial effects on testosterone levels. All natural testosterone boosters are not drugs, illegal or banned by sporting or military organisations. They work by helping your body produce more of its own hormones, not by introducing an outside hormone. These can generally be divided into three main categories

ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Blends): Zinc and Magnesium levels tend to be low in hard working athletes, both men and women due to the stresses of high exercise levels. Using a ZMA supplement at night helps naturally regulate the production of healthy hormone levels and is safe to use in both male and female athletes who need a boost. ZMA supplements tend to induce deeper and more restful sleep as well.

Herbal Testosterone boosters: Herbal extracts such as Tribulus Terrestris, Eurycoma Longifolia, Maca Gold and Fenugreek have all been shown to cause natural rises in testosterone production in the body. Because each can work in different pathways in the body some formulas use a blended combination of ingredients. High quality extracts are important to ensure that the herbs effect is not wasted. Many of these herbs are extremely potent and it is often necessary to cycle them, usually in a 5 days on 2 days off format to ensure they have maximum impact on the body. These are generally NOT suitable for women and are aimed at hard training male athletes looking for a hardcore edge.

Anti-Estrogens: Estrogen (sometimes spelt Oestrogen) is the dominant female sex hormone and promotes more female fat distribution, breast development; higher water retention and can have negative effects in men. Natural anti-estrogens can reduce the effect of this hormone in men, while others can stop its production altogether. This generally leads to less fat storage and a harder, leaner physique. Use of anti-estrogens can also cause a boost in testosterone in response and you will therefore often see anti-estrogens appear in complete testosterone booster formulas.

HORMONE SUPPORT (Fat loss, muscle size, improved sleep and immune function)

Hormones are the regulators of all processes in the body. Testosterone is often the most famous when it comes to muscle gain but there are plenty that have important effects on the body.

Growth hormone boosters: Growth hormone is a slightly misleading name as the actual hormone is more closely linked to fat loss and anti-ageing properties. Growth hormone support includes various herbal and mineral blends, usually taken at night or around training times which can boost this hormones production. This often leads to deeper sleep, more focus and energy, better strength and recovery from exercise and rapid loss of excess body fat.

Insulin hormone control: Insulin is the primary shuttle hormone in the body, transporting nutrients from food into other parts of the body. Insulin regulation can often decide how much muscle you build and how much fat you store. Obviously most of us want to maximize muscle development with the minimum fat storage whilst still eating and various co-enzymes and herbal extracts have shown excellent abilities to mimic insulin or help regulate its release in the bloodstream leading to a leaner, stronger body with less energy ‘crash’.

Natural anabolics: Anabolics are substances that cause muscle gain and fat loss, many are artificial but there are many modern extracts and compounds that can act like drugs but are totally safe and natural. These compounds do not directly raise or lower testosterone but instead act on other hormones or mimic the effect of hormones but without the associated side affects that can occur with artificial hormones.

BARS AND SNACKS (Convenient muscle building)

A perfect diet can be hard to maintain with a busy lifestyle and hectic schedules. Many people sabotage their muscle building and fat loss efforts by eating junk food especially at work or when travelling but there are a host of options to keep your supplied with optimum nutrition on the move or in place of a treat.

Bars: Just like any chocolate bar or flapjack, convenient and easy to carry around but with a high amount of muscle building protein and often other useful ingredients without all the junk of a normal snack.

Shake n take: A small single dose serving of protein, recovery formula or energy drink mix in a container. Just add water and shake for an instant drink.

RTD (Ready to Drink): If you have trouble with mixing up lots of protein or meal replacement shakes on the go or don’t have access to water for mixing these provide easily digested protein or protein/carbohydrate blends in a pre-mixed liquid drink that can be used any time.

Snacks: Protein puddings, breakfast porridges and other specialist products that recreate tasty desserts but with top quality nutrition instead of empty calories.

WELL BEING AND GENERAL HEALTH (Health, fitness, injury prevention and immune function)

For everyone working out hard the general level of health and fitness may be overlooked in favour of the latest hardcore muscle building supplements but injury, illness or general poor health will destroy any attempt to build a better physique or perform at your best.

Well being and health supplements can be divided into various categories.

Vitamin and Mineral formulas: Micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals are essential to a properly working body and many athletes may require higher levels than ordinary people due to the stresses of regular training. Most modern diets neglect proper levels of these essentials. Vitamins and minerals can come as individual high dose supplements to target specific problems or as multi ingredient formulas to act as a safety net for your proper nutrition.

Joint protection: Many of us will experience wear and tear on our joints and those lifting weights or participating in sports are likely to see more injuries and chronic stress damage than the average person. A whole variety of formulas are now available to help limit this damage as well speed up recovery from previous overuse.

Well being: This covers a variety of formulas and herbal extracts. Although not essential to life itself these can help prevent specific damage often encountered by hard training athletes. From anti-oxidant formulas which prevent the critical damage caused by free radicals in the body to herbal extracts that can protect the liver or remove toxins from the blood, these can all make a significant impact on your ability to remain disease and illness free and continue performing at peak levels.