Post Workout Supplements: Things You Should Know

The Truth About Post Workout Supplements


The effectiveness of your training will greatly depend on your diet. Your choice of supplement is crucial to your success. Taking post workout supplements is considered one of the critical steps toward muscle and strength building.

One of the considerations you should make concerning post workout supplements is affordability and safety. Affordability does not always equate to cheapness. As a customer you should regard affordability in terms of the helpful components and composition of a particular product.


A cheap item does not matter if it will not give you the kind of result you seek. Neither should you simply go for the most expensive product. You might end up paying for fancy packaging and not substance.

The level of safety on the other hand is something that a particular product will not include on its packaging or even on the brand's website. Therefore you should devote ample time to research on the product's safety quotient by reading supplements reviews online.


Why use both pre and post workout supplements?


To achieve the best result in terms of strength training, pre and post workout supplements consumption, it should be taken in adherence to a carefully laid out training plan.

Usually pre-workout supplements are used for added strength and endurance. These are made to give you more power, focus and endurance to get through intense workout sessions.

One should also take a post workout supplement or meal. The advantage of a post workout supplement over a meal is that a supplement is easy and quick make as well as consume. Most come in powder form and all you have to do is mix in water or other beverage. But why do you need a post workout supplement in the first place?

Well, your body has a heightened need and ability to utilize amino acids and other nutrients to recover from exercise.  It also helps prevent catabolism (breakdown) after your workout.  And no, this is not just within the first 45 minutes to an hour after your workout as is popularly believed. It can be up to four hours.

Pre and post work out supplement is the best way to maximize the effects of supplement usage. This method will help the body to get its needed fuel during both before and after exercise routines.

Post Workout Supplements Ingredients to Look For


All Natural Ingredients - One should choose post workout supplements that are free from synthetic ingredients. Synthetically manufactured ingredients could potentially cause various harms and illnesses to your body.

Steroids and prohormones free - The best post workout supplements should be effective enough even without the inclusion of steroid or prohormones, which can produce unwelcome physical side effects to its users.

Essential amino acids - These amino acids will facilitate optimum bodily functions and will help your system cope with the rigors and stresses caused by strength training and other intense exercise routines. Choosing post workout supplements rich in amino acids protects your body against catabolism (muscle breakdown).

Glutamine – This is one of the most underrated nutrients in bodybuilding and sports in general. But it is extremely important. Though your body does produce glutamine (an amino acid) naturally, it can be used up pretty fast during an intense workout. Glutamine supplementation can help avoid catabolism, speed up recovery, promote growth hormone production, and reduce muscle soreness.

The bottom line is that post workout supplements should be affordable, safe, and effective. Of course, going cheap is frequently a bad idea as quality products don't come cheap. Always go for popular and reputable brands as they will typically have better quality control.

Types of Whey Protein: Which One Is Best?


Virtually everyone who has been around the sports nutrition circles has heard of whey protein. The wonders it can do to a body are also well known and documented. Yet products are not created equal. In this post we shall look at the types of whey protein.

Little Miss Muffet had it right as she sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey. Whey's high reputation for its healthful benefits has a history almost as long as dairy products have been food.

The properties of whey make it a valuable, highly digestible protein source. Its health benefits make it a favored protein food for modern body builders and dieters alike. Modern processing methods make all three types of whey protein widely accessible to health-conscious consumers.


Whey Protein Concentrate


Whey protein concentrate (WPC) contains highly variable levels of protein, from 25% to nearly 90%. Consumer products that list whey protein concentrate on their labels generally contain about 80% protein with fat, minerals, moisture and lactose making up the remainder. This type also contains slightly higher amounts of lactose; therefore the lactose-intolerant may want to stay away from it. WPC is relatively cheap.

Whey Protein isolate


Whey protein isolate (WPI) has protein levels tightly ranging between 90% and 95% for a high protein, low-lactose product. Many bodybuilding formulas and other nutritional products commonly contain whey protein isolate prominently in their formulas. This is the purest protein source available from whey, with its low-lactose and fat levels making it a useful supplement for dieters and bodybuilders. Processing this type of whey requires greater care, therefore it naturally costs more to buy.


Whey Protein Hydrolysate


Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) is hydrolyzed whey protein. The process for producing hydrolyzed whey protein involves breaking down the long protein chains in whey into shorter chains. These shorter chains, called peptides, are more readily accepted and utilized by the body than the original protein structure. This is thought to reduce the possibility for allergic reactions, while retaining the full nutritional value of the product. With 80% to 90% protein, low-lactose and fat levels, hydrolyzed whey protein is useful in sports medicine products, baby formulas and products designed for sensitive individuals.

Whey Protein Benefits


Scientists know that protein in the human diet is necessary to keep body fat under control and insulin levels stable. As reported in the June, 2004 issue Journal of Nutrition, whey protein proved more effective than red meat in reducing body weight and increase insulin sensitivity, at least in rats. Like benefits to people are safely assumed.

Its long history establishes all types of whey protein as generally valuable and safe in the human diet. As for finding the best product, reading whey protein reviews could help. With modern marketing and production techniques, it's readily available to purchase and consume in various forms. It's a terrific “whey” to add protein to your health regimen.