Supplements
Whey Protein
WPC (whey protein concentrate) is the cheapest and most common whey protein and also has the highest proportion of remaining milk sugars (lactose). Lactose can be a problem for some people, especially those who struggle to digest dairy products. This is mostly taken in a shake form, typically milk but can be blended with water depending on the consistency you desire. Other ways it can be taken is mixed with yogurt and oats.
WPI (whey protein isolate) where sugars are refined out to produce WPI. This also typically has less fat and carb content than WPC. People who benefit most from this are typically people who have low macro targets. This is most commonly known to be taken in a juice shake form, mixed with water.
A good whey protein for both WPC and WPI typically has around 20-25g protein per scoop. This is a good way to aid daily protein targets while getting the most of your macros from whole foods.
Protein brands I would recommend are
- Per4m
- Gold Standard
- Trained by JP
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements on the market and the benefits have been found to be effective and well tolerated. The most common is creatine monohydrate, and it’s also the cheapest, but there are many others. Creatine monohydrate has been found to saturate the muscles by 100%. Creatine can increase lean body mass, strength and athletic performance.
The idea is to take a vast quantity for a period of time till your muscles are saturated and this is where the benefits of taking creatine comes from. By taking 15-20g you will saturate your muscles well within a week. By taking around 3-5g per day youll saturate your muscles within a month, it just depends how quickly you want to see results.
You may find your body feels like its holding water retention with higher amounts of creatine, if that’s the case try taking around 3-5g per day. Some have also reported gastrointestinal discomfort, therefor lower amounts of creatine would work best.
You can take creatine in any diet phase, but it will work even better when cutting because it’s going to help you retain your lean body mass and it’s going to keep the muscle volumized more anabolic. Should you use creatine while bulking? Yes, it increases performance, which lets you train harder and strengthen the muscle hypertrophy.
Caffeine
Caffeine improves performance in the gym, increases your energy throughout the day and can increase strength and help manage fatigue. Caffiene blocks the adenosine receptor, which helps us feel awake and alert, which can also aid as a pre workout in the gym to make us feel most energised. A typical dose used as a pre-workout will be 3-6mg per kilogram of body weight 30 minutes before training.
Everyone has a different tolerance to caffine, you’d be better starting at the lower end of the range till you know how well your body adapts to it.
The more you use caffeine, the more your body will tolerate it to the point it wont give you much effects. If you use it regularly, having a break for around a week should be enough to reset your sensitivity to the product.
BCAA’s/EAA’s
BCSS’s (Branch Chain Amino Acids) are commonly used as a pre workout, but doesn’t have much evidence to support its role as a pre workout. It does increase muscle protein synthesis and does appear to reduce muscle soreness (doms) which can aid recovery. This does not increase muscle mass and should be looked at more of a recovery supplement.
BCCA’s are most useful for vegan athletes, as vegan protein sources have low levels of branch amino acids, so adding a BCAA supplement to meals can help with improving the quality of their protein sources.
Typical dosages of BCAAs are 10 to 20 grams as a pre-workout and six to eight grams as a post-workout.
EAA’s are similar to BCCA’s but are most useful for those who engage in fasted exercise. So if your somone who gets up and likes to train first thing in the morning and don’t like to eat before you train because it upsets you, an EAA drink will help you get out that catabolic state without food.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA in particular). There is very strong evidence to suggest that omega 3 can reduce inflammation on the body and possibly decrease soreness from exercise. There I also evidence of a direct benefit to net protein synthesis. EPA + DHA can decrease muscle protein breakdown and when taken with a meal can help increase the natural boost and protein synthesis from food.
Not only can fish oil help with inflammation, it can possibly help with decreasing blood pressure and aid heart health too.
An effective dosage is around 1800mg for EPA and around 1500 mg for DHA. Unfortunately, some fish oils can contain as little as 100 milligrams of each per 1 to 1.5 gram soft gel
Multivitamins
A multivitamin can be highly useful especially whilst on a low calorie intake diet as it can be hard to consume all your required vitamins with such low calories. A Multivitamin can help provide gaps of your multivitamin profile. When picking which multivitamin to take, try keep to a reputable company and within natural forms as appose to synthetic forms (ie, natural vitamin E)
Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda has growing evidence to support that its benefits improves strength, lean body mass and reduces muscle damage. There is also evidence to support it can reduce anxiety. The recommended daily dose is around 300-600mg per day.
Electrolyte’s
Electrolytes are an essential mineral that carry electrical charge whilst dissolved in water. The help fluid balance, muscle contractions, nerve signals and over all cellular function. It helps keep your body hydrated, your muscle’s contracting properly and your nervous system firing efficiently.
Electrolyte’s help your body retain and use water properly. Drinking water alone isnt always enough if especially if your sweating. Electrolyte’s aid muscle function to prevent muscle cramps. Weakness, fatigue and poor performance.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps muscles relax after they contract. IF you ever find you are “tight” especially after stretching, magnesium may be a good supplement to add to your daily intake of supplements. Its also great for muscle and sleep recovery, it can improve sleep quality, help you fall asleep faster and reduce through the night restlessness. Magnesium also helps regulate cortisol levels (stress) and supports your nervous system. People whp have high training loads, busy or stressful lifestyle periods or even in a low calorie deficit may benefit from taking this. A Typical recommended dosage is around 200-400mg per day and often taken at night time.