Supplements have become popular among fitness enthusiasts over the years. Athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts take one supplement or the other to enhance performance and for faster, greater results.
If you walk into any health store, you will be faced with a different kinds of fitness supplements that come in form of pills, powders, and shakes. So many people who are looking to be fit however turn to steroids because of its fast results for fat loss, weight gain, strength and power- whichever they are looking for.
Fitness enthusiasts take supplements because it supplies their body the adequate nutrient they need to build muscle, lose fat, gain strength and endurance and recover faster.
Supplementing gives bodybuilders and athletes greater workout results when combined with the right diet. This is why supplements are very important to them.
Natural supplements and Synthetic supplements
Fitness supplements however come in natural and synthetic forms. Synthetic forms are called anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroids have muscle building properties which is the reason it is so popular among bodybuilders and athletes.
They contain substances that mimic testosterone, a male hormone that is important for healthy libido, development of male secondary sex characteristics and development of lean muscle mass.
Adding anabolic steroids to normal levels of testosterone can lead to increased muscle size and strength. It can be taken in injectable form, pills and topical creams. Common examples of anabolic steroids are;
- Methadienone (Dianabol)
- Methyltestosterone (Android)
- Nandrolone (Durabolin)
- Oxymethonole (Anadrol)
- Stanozolol (Winstrol)
The natural supplements are dietary supplements which contains nutrients the body needs for the purpose it is being used for. These supplements are taken orally. They can come as tablets, concentrates, powders, liquids, capsules, softgels and gelcaps.
Natural supplements include amino acids, protein, creatine, fish oil, vitamins and Human growth hormone.
Benefits of natural supplements for fitness
The advantage of taking natural supplements is that they supply the body adequate quantity of superior nutrients it needs to function properly.
Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle or simply look fit and healthy, your body needs the right nutrients to do these, and since we can’t get all we need from our daily diet, you need supplements to feel the gap.
Here is a list of benefits natural supplements offers for fitness;
Corrects Dietary Deficiency
If your body doesn’t have enough nutrients, it cannot function the way it should. Dietary deficiency can lead to malnutrition which may cause you to be either overweight or underweight. This means you are not fit.
If your goal is to burn fat or build muscles, your body needs the right nutrients to achieve this goal. Protein supplements is good for weight loss and muscle building. Testosterone supplements does this too and even gives you more strength and energy.
Accelerate results naturally
With natural fitness supplements your results are fast due to the fact that your body already has all it needs. And this result is natural because the supplements are natural.
Natural supplements also gives you strength and energy and helps you recover after workout. Pre-workout supplements will give you strength to workout, while post-workout supplements will speed up recovery after workout, thereby preventing muscle and joint soreness. This leads to better workout results.
No side effects
Oh yes, this is the most important of all. You get good results without side effects that comes with steroids. No man boobs, no steroidal acne, no liver damage, no excess growth of muscles, all natural! And they are as effective as steroids are.
Why natural supplements over anabolic steroids?
You may be wondering why we favor natural supplements over anabolic steroids for fitness. Although both are fast and effective and you will get your desired results with them, one is not so great and that one is anabolic steroids.
Here is why natural supplements are far better than anabolic steroids;
Anabolic steroids come with side effects
If you are tempted to try steroids for your fitness goals. Read this first. Steroids are loaded with side effects.
Common side effects are;
- Severe acne and oily skin
- Hair loss
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease such as tumors and cysts
- Heart disease such as heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Infertility…scary right?
- Gynecomastia/male breast enlargement (trust me, you don’t want to experience this)
- Shrinking of the testicles
- Stunted growth and height in teens
- Risk of bacterial or viral infections
- Excess facial or body hair
Anabolic Steroids are illegal
Except they are prescribed by your physician, anabolic steroids are illegal for you to purchase. Even though they are sold in store, they can be bought only under a doctor’s prescription.
Anabolic steroids are illegal because of the side effects they could cause. These side effects are risky to the health of the individuals that take them.
Natural Supplements For Fitness
Natural fitness supplements can be found in health stores and you may even get confused buying one when you get there because there are lots of supplements that have been produced for fitness purpose.
However here are top common fitness supplements you should be familiar with as a fitness enthusiast;
Whey Protein
Whey protein comes in powder forms or shakes form. It is derived from milk and it is easily absorbed by the muscle. Taking whey protein supplements is a great whey to increase the amount of protein you take, and this is beneficial if you want to lose weight and increase muscle mass.
Studies show that replacing other calorie sources with whey protein, along with lifting weight, can cause you to lose weight of a roughly 80pounds and also cause you to gain more lean muscle mass.
Generally protein powders are a convenient way to lose fat and gain muscle mass. Other protein powders include; Soy protein, casein, pea etc.
Casein
Greater muscle gains, fat loss? Think Casein. Casein is another form of protein used by body builders and athletes. Casein has greater strength and its strength is timing. It can improve your bloodstream with slow and steady flow of amino acids which can last for hours.
Although you cannot build your muscles overnight, having a glass of casein rich milk before bed is greater than other protein option.
Casein is both great for muscle growth and fat loss, and if you want greater strengthyou are not wrong if you turn to casein.
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
BCAAs are leucine, valine and Iso-leucine. If you are looking to increase lean mass and performance, then go for BCAAs. They are popular for helping athletes and bodybuilders increase strength, build muscles and repair muscles.
BCAAs stimulate protein synthesis and may even do it more than protein on its own. They also increase synthesis of the cellular machinery that carry out the process of protein synthesis.
Creatine
Creatine helps you increase your workout intensity, and increased workout means increase in muscle mass. Creatine allows you to keep pushing out during your workout so this helps you build your muscle quickly.
If you are an athlete, then creatine is good for you as it increases performance and strength. Simply put, creatine promotes strength, power and faster muscle growth.
Conclusion
The best way to achieve your fitness goals is the natural way. The side effects that come with steroids are deadly and then, steroids are even illegal, so why go through stress in order to reach your goal when you can get natural supplements that are side effect free and legal.
There are different kinds of fitness supplements out there. In fact, the list is an endless one, so when choosing your supplements, make sure you have done a good research on them so as to know which one suits you better. Also make sure you are buying from a reputable and reliable company as there are so many scammers out there.
