Bodybuilding Supplements

The Top 30 Facts You Need to Know: Part 1

When you set foot in the gym to pound the iron and do your cardio, several elements must be in place in order for you to reach your physique and performance goals. There is no substitute for hard work, focus and dedication, combined with gut-wrenching workouts and consistency with your training and nutrition, to get you huge and/or ripped. But more and more research is demonstrating the benefits of supplements for health, performance, fat loss, improved training and lean muscle building. In light of the latest scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, we put together 30 of the best researched-based tips on supplementation and present the first ten in the first part of three-part series. Take your training and performance to a whole new level with these surefire tips for success.

1. Protein Plus Creatine Promotes Healing After Injury

Soft tissue injuries, such as strains and sprains, trigger increased metabolic rate, protein breakdown and inflammation. Chris Tack from the Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in London, United Kingdom— in a review of literature— noted that athletes are often nutrient deficient as a result of injury and immobility. Adequate protein and creatine monohydrate intake provides amino acids for promoting tissue hypertrophy and triggering protein synthesis— and increases muscle creatine phosphate levels, which supplies energy for cell repair. Based on other studies, recovering athletes should take two shakes per day, each containing 30 grams of whey protein. They should also take five grams of creatine monohydrate a day. (Strength and Conditioning Journal, 38(1): 22-26, 2016)

2. Green Tea Extract Linked to Liver Toxicity

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenol found in green tea extract that enhances the action of insulin, improves blood vessel health, lowers blood pressure and promotes weight loss. However, a case study of a 77-year-old man led by Filip Couturier from St. Vincentius Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium found that a supplement containing green tea extract was toxic to the liver and caused toxic hepatitis. Studies on rats found that EGCG could cause liver damage by reducing important antioxidants that protect it from free radical damage. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals linked to cell membrane damage, destruction of DNA and cell death. People should be extremely careful about taking supplements that affect individual performance or physiological variables. While they might improve performance, they could also have serious side effects. (Clinics in Research In Hepatology And Gastroenterology, published online March 9, 2016)

3. Protein, HMB and Vitamin D Promote Wound Healing

Nutritional support is important after surgery or following soft tissue injury. Increased dietary protein, particularly from the amino acid leucine, turns on protein synthesis (i.e., mTOR pathway). Turkish researchers found faster healing rates in older women recovering from hip fractures who took supplements containing 36 grams of protein, three grams of HMB and 1,000 international units of vitamin D. HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) is a breakdown product of the amino acid leucine that increases lean muscle mass and decreases muscle breakdown. The supplement promoted wound healing, shortened immobilization and increased muscle strength without affecting body mass index. This is another study showing the importance of nutritional support in promoting recovery from injuries and surgery. (Nutrition in Clinical Practice, published online March 10, 2016)

4. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate Slow Deterioration in Knee Arthritis

Glucosamine (400 milligrams per day) and chondroitin sulfate (500 milligrams per day; GC) decreases knee joint pain and prevents joint deterioration linked to osteoarthritis— according to a six-year long study led by Jean-Pierre Raynauld from the Montreal Hospital Research Center in Montreal, Canada. GC effectively delayed the progression of the disease, while improving functional capacity and decreasing pain. GC reduced cartilage loss and was effective for long-term management of arthritis progress. Nearly 1,600 subjects participated, but the study did not include a control group. (Arthritis Care & Research, published online February 16, 2016)

5. Citrulline Improves Performance

Cyclists consuming 2.4 grams of citrulline per day for eight days improved performance on a four-kilometer cycling speed trial by 1.5 percent, compared to a placebo (fake citrulline). The cyclists reported less fatigue and improved mental concentration after the ride. Citrulline is an amino acid that is converted to arginine, which increases levels of nitric oxide— an important chemical that regulates blood flow throughout the body. Nitric oxide is an important marker of metabolic health and is essential for well-being, sexual performance and overall energy levels. Citrulline supplements can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension and can increase muscle blood flow. The effects on performance are small, so the practical value of this supplement is questionable. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, published online February 20, 2016)

6. Whey Protein Plus Weight Training Reduces Abdominal Fat

Whey protein was superior to carbohydrate or carbohydrate plus whey protein as a post-exercise supplement for decreasing abdominal fat— according to researchers from Finland. Recreationally active men with no weight-training experience trained with weights two to three times per week, and took one of three supplements after each workout. While the study was interesting, it is of little practical value to serious weight trainers. Protein intake was approximately the same in all groups, even though to the groups were taking protein supplements. Also, the subjects had no weight-training experience. It takes beginners months or even years to learn to train intensely. The initial phases of weight training mainly involve motor learning, and don't typically overload the muscles very much. (Journal Of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12:48, 2016)

7. Beetroot Juice Reduces Muscle Soreness

Beetroot juice is a superfood. More than 50 studies have shown that beetroot juice enhances blood vessel health, improves endurance, boosts oxygen delivery, reduces the work of the heart during exercise and helps control blood pressure. A study led by Tom Clifford from Northumbria University in the U.K. found that beetroot juice decreased muscle soreness and promoted recovery in the vertical jump following high-intensity eccentric exercise (100-drop jumps). Eccentric exercise, which involves lengthening muscle contractions, is linked to muscle soreness and post-exercise inflammation. The test subjects drank either an eight-ounce or four-ounce glass of beetroot juice or placebo (fake beetroot) immediately after exercise, and 24 and 48 hours during recovery. High doses of beetroot juice reduced muscle soreness and prevented deterioration in jumping performance, compared to the placebo. Delayed onset muscle soreness is caused by small injuries to the muscle cells, and further damage triggered by inflammation. Beetroot works by decreasing inflammation. (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 116: 353-362, 2016)

8. Leucine Prevents Muscle Loss During Bed Rest

Too much bed rest will kill you! In 1947, British physician Richard Asher wrote, “Teach us to live that we may dread unnecessary time in bed. Get people up and we may save our patients from an early grave.” Bed rest studies by scientists from NASA showed that three weeks of total bed rest (not allowed to get out of bed during the experiment) caused a 25 percent decrease in aerobic capacity, a 13 percent decrease in lean muscle mass and a 25 to 35 percent decrease in strength and power. Everyone gets sick occasionally, so how do you maintain precious training gains when you have to stay in bed? A study led by Kirk English from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas found that supplementing the amino acid leucine with every meal (0.06 grams per kilogram of bodyweight) during 14 days of bed rest prevented some changes in lean muscle, strength, power and body fat, compared to a placebo (fake leucine). Leucine is an amino acid that acts as a chemical signal to turn on protein synthesis in the muscle cells. Leucine can prevent physical deterioration during short breaks in training or when you are confined to bed with the flu. (American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 103: 465-473, 2016)

9. HMB Lowers Death Rate in Hospital Patients

Older people often have poor appetites, reduced lean muscle mass and poor strength that impair mobility and quality of life. Physical deterioration from illnesses such as flu or pneumonia leaves them with little reserves, which increases the risk of death. HMB supplements might build up their reserves and improve the chances of survival when they get sick— according to a study led by Nicolaas Deutz from the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity at Texas A&M University. HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) is a breakdown product of the amino acid leucine that prevents protein breakdown and promotes muscle hypertrophy, particularly when combined with weight training. It also increases fat-free weight (mainly muscle) and decreases fat. Researchers fed a drink containing 1.5 grams of HMB twice a day or a placebo (fake HMB) to older, malnourished patients treated for heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia or lung disease. Patients given the supplement were five percent less likely to die within 90 days of hospitalization than those given a placebo. The HMB group gained more weight and showed improved nutritional status after discharge from the hospital. HMB increases protein synthesis in older adults and young athletes. Most studies show that the ideal HMB dosage is 38 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. It works best when taken close to a workout and consumed daily for two weeks prior to a competition. It is effective in young and old people, and is a safe and effective supplement for athletes and active adults. (Clinical Nutrition, 35:18e26, 2016)

10. Antioxidants Interfere With Training Gains

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive chemicals produced naturally during metabolism by the cell mitochondria (powerhouses of the cell). They are linked to delayed onset muscle soreness, fatigue, delayed recovery and cell damage. Many athletes take antioxidant supplements to suppress the activity of ROS. This is a mistake. A review of literature by Troy Merry and Michael Ristow from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland concluded that antioxidant supplements might interfere with positive adaptations to exercise. ROS act as signaling chemicals that affect mitochondria formation, immunity and blood sugar regulation. Antioxidant supplements interfere with blood vessel formation, insulin sensitivity, cell defenses, muscle hypertrophy and cell endurance adaptations. Antioxidant supplements do athletes more harm than good. (Journal of Physiology, published online December 7, 2016)

The second part of this series will be posted on Monday, January 16.

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