Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or just starting your fitness journey, finding the right workout supplements can make a significant difference in achieving your fitness goals. Let’s explore the top fitness supplements that will amp up your workout and how they can help. From pre-workout boosters to post-workout recovery aids, we will discuss the top 5 sports nutrition supplements that can enhance your performance, increase muscle growth, and improve overall endurance.

1) Pre-Workout Supplements

What it does: Pre-workout supplements have gained immense popularity among fitness enthusiasts for their ability to enhance energy levels during workouts. These supplements are specially formulated with ingredients that provide a boost of energy, allowing you to push harder and maximize your performance in the gym. The key to their effectiveness lies in the combination of ingredients such as caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine, which work synergistically to increase alertness, improve endurance, and reduce fatigue. By stimulating the central nervous system and increasing blood flow to the muscles, pre-workout supplements help you feel more energized and focused throughout your training sessions. As a result, you can achieve greater intensity and productivity in your workouts, leading to improved fitness gains over time.

What ingredients to look for: When shopping for a pre-workout supplement, you want to look for one that is from a trustworthy brand that makes high-quality supplements. Finding a blend that uses organic ingredients when possible is ideal; however, you also want to check what they’re sweetened with. Look for formulas that use a natural sugar alternative or no sugar at all. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you can find blends that use a gentler form of caffeine like green tea to avoid jitters. Beta-Alanine is also a great ingredient to have in your pre-workout supplement because it helps decrease lactic acid build-up post-workout, and creatine helps build muscles during your workout. 

2) Creatine Supplements

What it does: Creatine supplements are often used by fitness enthusiasts and athletes looking to enhance their workout performance. These supplements are known for their ability to improve strength, power, and muscle endurance. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in your muscles, but supplementing with it can significantly increase its levels in your body. This leads to improved energy production during high-intensity exercises, allowing you to push harder and recover faster between sets. Additionally, creatine has been shown to promote muscle growth by increasing protein synthesis and reducing muscle breakdown. Overall, incorporating creatine supplements into your workout routine can help maximize your training efforts and achieve better results.

What to look for in a supplement: Make sure you select a supplement brand you trust and is known for making high-quality formulations. It’s also important to select a product that’s made with pure, clean ingredients and organic when possible. 

3) BCAA’s And EAA’s

What They Do: BCAA supplements, also known as branched-chain amino acids, are well known by the fitness community. These supplements contain 3 of the 9 essential amino acids, Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine, each playing a crucial role in muscle growth and recovery. By providing the body with the necessary building blocks for protein synthesis, BCAA supplements can help improve exercise performance, reduce muscle soreness, and support muscle repair. Incorporating BCAA supplements into your workout routine may help maximize the benefits of your training sessions.

EAA supplements, also known as essential amino acid supplements, provide your body with the necessary amino acids that it needs to build and repair muscle tissue. However, unlike BCAA’s, EAA supplements contain all 9 essential amino acids. This group of amino’s are “essential” because your body can’t produce them on its own. EAAs fuel muscle protein synthesis, which has been shown to increase anabolic exercise response when taken before a workout. You can take this supplement before or during your workout to maximize benefits. By incorporating EAA supplements into your routine, you can experience improved muscle growth, enhanced endurance, and faster recovery times.

Finding a high-quality supplement: Like shopping for any supplement, the first most important thing is to buy a high-quality brand that is trusted by many. You also want to select a product that uses clean, pure ingredients and doesn’t contain unnecessary fillers or sweeteners. It’s also best to select organic if possible. 

4) Protein Supplements

What It Does: Whether you don’t get enough protein from your diet alone to maximize your gains or you’re looking to increase your protein intake, protein supplements are designed to provide an additional source of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. By consuming protein supplements before or after a workout, you can ensure that your muscles have the necessary nutrients to recover and grow stronger. Additionally, protein supplements are convenient and easy to incorporate into a busy lifestyle, making them a popular choice. You can simply mix them into water, a milk of your choice, baking, or smoothies. Whether you're looking to build muscle or improve athletic performance, adding a protein supplement into your routine may help you achieve your fitness goals more effectively.

Whey vs Plant-based protein: Whey protein is derived from milk and contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source. It is quickly absorbed by the body, making it ideal for post-workout recovery.

On the other hand, plant-based proteins are sourced from plants like peas, soy, quinoa or hemp. They are suitable for vegans and individuals with lactose intolerance. Plant-based proteins can also contain all 9 essential amino acids, whether they’re derived from a single source containing all EAAs or use a mix of different plant sources. Plant-based proteins may have a lower bioavailability compared to whey but offer additional benefits like being rich in fibre and phytonutrients. They can be just as effective in supporting muscle growth when consumed in adequate amounts.

Ultimately, the choice between whey and plant-based protein depends on your dietary preferences and needs.

5) Post Workout Supplements

There are many ingredients that support your post-workout recovery. You can either get these ingredients in isolated form or you can buy a recovery blend to optimize your workout benefits. Many of these ingredients include beta-alanine, creatine, l carnitine, l glutamine and protein. Let’s take a closer look at how each ingredient can help. 

Beta Alanine: an amino acid that maintains muscle strength and endurance. It can be taken before or during exercise, but is especially beneficial post-workout. Beta-alanine also increases the benefits of creatine.

Creatine: high creatine levels inside muscular cells are optimal for strength and energy. 

L Carnitine: helps turn fat into energy and helps increase muscle mass which decreases body fat. Reduces mental fatigue and speeds up muscle recovery between workouts. 

L Glutamine: aids in muscle protein synthesis, which helps increase protein intake. It also stimulates the release of natural growth hormones and decreases muscle soreness. Lastly, l glutamine supports the immune system and reduces fatigue to help better your training. 

Shopping For Quality Workout Supplements

As previously mentioned, selecting a supplement from a reputable brand is the most important step. This ensures your supplement will be bioavailable, made with quality ingredients and offers a formula that’s potent and pure. You should also select supplements that will specifically help you reach your fitness goals. If you need a boost in energy to get through your workouts, a pre-workout supplement may be for you. If you lift heavy and feel sore after workouts, a recovery blend would be beneficial. If you still need guidance, speak to a knowledgeable team member from a reputable natural health food store. Our team of certified holistic nutritionists and naturopaths are always happy to help.