Whey - Basically, whey
protein is awesome for post-workout supplementation because
that's the time when your body needs protein the most, and
whey is digested very quickly (about 30 minutes). View all
Whey products.
Casein - Casein, on the
other hand, is digested very slowly (over 2 - 7 hours). This
means it's great to use a protein supplement with casein
before bed because the longest time your body goes without
protein is during the night while you are sleeping. View all
Micellar Casein products.
Egg - Egg protein (albumen)
digests at a medium pace (1.5-3 hours) so it's a good
anytime protein to provide a good sustained release of
aminos to the body. View all Egg Protein
products.
Soy - Soy protein is the
vegetarian's friend because it's one of the only complete
protein sources derived from plants. Soy is a good overall
protein, although it's not as effective in terms of
absorption as whey or egg albumen. Additionally, soy has
many recognized health benefits for women. View all
Soy products.
Blends - Either protein
supplements are straight whey, soy, egg, or casein; or they
are a combination of any or all of these kinds of proteins.
What can a blend of proteins offer that a straight protein
cannot? Basically, different rates of digestion. This means
you can take a blended protein any time to get quick,
medium, and prolonged absorption of protein.
ProM3 is one of the best in the
blended proteins category.
Low Carb - Of the many
protein supplements, the two other main categories are
weight gainers and low carb protein shakes and bars. These
two are on opposite spectrums of each other. Yep, you
guessed it low carb protein shakes are good for those
dieting or trying to lose or maintain weight. View all
Low Carb products.
Weight Gainer - Weight
gainers are high calorie protein products that are great for
people who are looking to bulk up. If you are having trouble
gaining weight, taking in extra high quality calories will
usually do the trick. View all
Gainer products.
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Creatine
works very well for increasing muscle mass. It is naturally
occurring in the body. It's safe and very effective for
anybody, especially if you've never used it before. We have
tons of great articles on creatine,
so you can become an overnight expert on it! The basics
behind it are this: it increases ATP (the main energy source
muscles use for explosive power) availability so that you
can perform more reps and sets and lift more weight,
consequently growing more muscle tissue. Creatine should be
cycled. Many have found great results taking it for four
weeks, followed by one to two weeks off. There are quite a
few different types of creatine which you can
view by top sellers. For example,
there is pure creatine monohydrate, liquid creatine,
micronized creatine and many more.
Okay, so now your head's spinning
with different creatine products and types. What's best? The
creatine supplements with built in dextrose,
aminos and other goodies are probably the best, but
cost-effectively a good
micronized creatine taken with
grape juice wouldn't be a bad choice. Take creatine
post-workout.
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L-Glutamine
is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle tissue. It
helps prevent muscle wasting and improves recovery. The
better and quicker you recovery, the sooner and harder you
can hit it in the gym! Glutamine is safe to take year-round.
Some of our favorites are listed below.
Glutamine should not be taken at
the same time as creatine because they compete for receptors
to be absorbed. Take glutamine pre-workout and creatine
post-workout.
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You
can't forget about this! It seems so basic and simple, but
it's very important! If you are deficient in even one
vitamin or mineral, your gains can really be hampered. A
good multi-vitamin is a must for the best gains in muscle
mass, not to mention good health.
People who are working out need
more vitamins than the average couch potato, so your
supermarket brands won't cut it.
Some of the best ones for
bodybuilders and athletes are below.
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Raising
your testosterone helps you to gain muscle, enhance your
mood, increase your libido, and more! Steroids do a great
job of raising test levels, but they are not legal for use.
These all-natural products would be perfect for you!
You can also use these natural
products when you are off of your prohormone cycle.
This category includes popular
products with ZMA, Tribulus, and much more.
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Methoxyisoflavone
and Ecdysterone are the latest advancements in
supplementation for anabolic gains. They are non hormonal
flavones that naturally increase protein synthesis, nitrogen
retention, and muscle growth. They work very well taken in
conjunction with protein because they increase the
absorption of protein. Some companies even combine the
Methoxy into the protein for you.
The most popular supplements with
these ingredients are below.
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Amino
acids are the building blocks of protein. Bodybuilders can
especially benefit from supplementing amino acids because
they aid in repair, growth, and development of muscle
tissue. Among the most beneficial and effective supplements
in any sports nutrition program are branched chain amino
acids. These are the essential aminos leucine, isoleucine,
and valine. If you are looking for better results, make sure
you are taking your amino acids! You'll be surprised at how
well they work.
The most popular amino supplements
are below.
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Nitric
Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the body and is
used by the body to communicate with other cells in the
body. The fact that nitric oxide increases blood flow should
make it of interest to bodybuilders, as increased blood flow
will serve to deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus
helping muscles become larger when subject to stress. People
are noticing huge increases in muscle pumps while using this
product!
The most popular NO (Nitric Oxide)
supplements are below.
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ZMA
is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula. It
contains Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium
Aspartate and vitamin B-6, and is an all-natural product
that has been clinically proven to significantly increase
anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained
athletes. It is all natural! Studies have shown that
supplementing with 30mg of Zinc and 450mg of Magnesium per
day can elevate testosterone levels up to 30%! In a recent
study, the strength of a group using ZMA increased by 11.6%
compared to only a 4.6% increase in the placebo group.
This is a great choice for people
wanting to avoid prohormones. The most popular ZMA
supplements are below.
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Growth
Hormone, a polypeptide hormone secreted by the anterior
pituitary gland that regulates tissue growth, cellular
repair, energy levels, fat loss, and muscle growth, is the
latest advance in bodybuilding supplementation! Human Growth
Hormone levels decline rapidly after age 30. These HGH
levels, along with the related IGF-1 amounts, must be
elevated in order to maximize muscular size and growth.
Products are now available to help with this. HGH helps with
muscle building, anti-aging, fat loss, energy, libido, and
much more.
The most popular HGH supplements
are below.
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It
is a new and exciting supplement that is one of the most
popular body building supplements today. HMB is a metabolite
of leucine, one of the body's essential amino acids. Many of
the world's champions and athletes are using HMB and
receiving dramatic results. Specifically, HMB plays a role
in the synthesis of muscle tissue. It has the ability to
burn fat and build muscle consistently in response to
exercise. A seven week long study showed a much greater gain
in muscle when a group of 28 participated in a regular
weight-training program.
The most popular HMB supplements
are below.
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Many other products help with your
adventure in gaining muscle. Here are some of the best, with
links to full info:
