The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are endless - you add years to your life, enhance your mood, and look and feel your best. Regular exercise will always be part of the equation when forming healthy habits. Whether you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight, lose excess fat, build muscle, or improve your athletic performance, you’ll need to adapt a sensible workout routine to help you reach your fitness goals.
To power up those workouts, it’s important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. However, if you’re looking to maximize your results, supplements can help take your workouts to the next level and enhance your performance. There are different types of supplements for different needs. One of the most commonly used are pre-workout supplements. They are great for boosting energy so you’ll be able to do more at the gym and reduce fatigue. However, pre-workout supplements don’t do so much when it comes to helping your body through recovery after a long and good workout.
BENEFITS OF A POST-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT
A good supplementation program should include a post-workout supplement. Our bodies process nutrients in different ways, depending on our body’s current activity. What you consume after you work out is just as important as what you take in prior. Feeding your body the right nutrients at the right time improves your overall body composition as well as your recovery speed and performance. Post-workout supplements should aim to:
- Replenish the energy stores you’ve lost during your workout
- Improve muscle mass by minimizing protein breakdown
- Repair muscle damage by promoting protein synthesis
- Improve the body’s fat metabolism
- Maintain bone mass
- Reduce muscle soreness
Must-Have Ingredients
In order to protect your gains and speed up muscle repair, you’ll need a good post-workout supplement. Here are must-have ingredients to accelerate recovery, promote muscle growth, and repair muscle damage.
Beta Alanine
Adding Beta Alanine to your post-workout recovery program is known to enhance strength and endurance levels. It also supports the growth of lean muscle mass. While your body is able to produce this non-essential amino acid, it only does so in minimum amounts. Increasing your body’s Beta Alanine levels through supplementation will amplify its benefits.
Beta Alanine triggers an increase in carnosine in the muscles. High levels of carnosine promotes the development of lean muscle mass. Supplementation of Beta Alanine allows you to maximize your workouts as you achieve optimal gains. If you’re looking for something new to add to your post workout supplementation, try Purisure’s Beta Alanine Powder. It’s available in 1kg, 250kg, and 500kg packaging variants to suit your level of need and preference.
Huperzine A
Derived from a plant called Chinese club moss, Huperzine A is known for boosting energy and alertness. As with CDP Choline, Huperzine A increases the levels of acetylcholine in the body. Acetylcholine is a vital element that facilitates the brain’s communication with muscles and other parts of the body. Huperzine A is also used as a treatment for a muscle disease called myasthenia gravis.
Betaine Anhydrous
A versatile nutrient, Betaine Anhydrous plays different roles in various bodily processes. It is often used as an ingredient in supplements as it helps enhance peak physical performance, increases energy, and supports lean muscle mass growth. It also promotes better fat metabolism, which helps in the reduction of excess fat.
Di-Caffeine Malate
Also known as Infinergy, this patented ingredient holds the perfect fusion of 25% malic acid and 75% caffeine. When taken as a supplement, it helps replenish energy reserves while preventing caffeine induced crashes. The malic acid it contains supports digestive functions and intracellular energy production. As a compound, both caffeine and malic acid help minimize fatigue and boost thermogenesis.
Vitamin B6
Also known as Niacin, Vitamin B6 helps you make the most out of your workouts by supporting muscle growth. It also helps regulate hormone production, increase good cholesterol, and promote a more efficient glucose metabolism.
While all these ingredients have shown positive benefits, the effects may still vary from person to person. If you’re planning to start a new supplementation program to go with your workouts, it’s best to know what your body needs and how it reacts to different types of nutrients and doses. Consider consulting a licensed physician first.
References:
https://www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/health-fitness/must-ingredients-post-workout-supplement/
https://examine.com/supplements/cdp-choline/
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/about-post-workout-nutrition
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-764/huperzine-a