What Are Sport Supplements?

Sport supplements are simply highly refined food derived from natural sources. They come in a variety of formats including powders, liquids, tablets, capsules and even snack bars.
Because of this they offer athletes of all levels a quick and often convenient way to meet the bodies demanding nutritional needs while participating in any form of physical activity.

Without eating correctly and ensuring your body receives the required nutrients you are severely limiting your body’s ability to grow and develop through training.

Do I Need To Use Sport Supplements?

When you first start training be it for bodybuilding or any other field of sports using supplements is not compulsory for progress, the bodies basic nutritional needs can be achived through ensuring a correct diet.
However using supplements can often offer a faster and more convenient way of ensuring your body receives all the necessary nutrients, especially if you live an active lifestyle and find it hard to eat enough in a day to cover your needs.

The use of supplements really comes down to personal preference and if you feel that your diet cannot provide you with an adequate supply of minerals to promote growth while you train.

Which Supplements Should I Use?
Browse through any supplement sellers store and you will come across a vast range of sports nutritional supplements and aids, each aiding athletes in different ways. Many or these are tailored towards professional and intermediate level athletes and are not necessary for beginners. The most popular supplements for beginners include the following:

Protein Powders
Protein is used by the body to build muscle and as a result remains one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements available today, and for good reason. There are various forms of protein available including Milk, Soy, Whey and Casein and blends (consisting of mixed proteins). At the time of writing, Whey Protein remains the most popular type of protein. Whey Protein is a highly refined by-product from the Dairy Industry that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat. Supplement manufacturers take this, add flavourings and process it, more often than not into a powder format for sale. You can then simply add milk or water to the powder to make a nutritious high protein shake very quickly.

Meal Replacements Products (MRP's) are exactly what you would expect. A powdered supplement similar to protein shakes which are intended to replace your meal with a highly nutritious drink that is tailored towards aiding muscular growth and recovery. MRP's differ from Protein Shakes in that they often contain carbohydrates, fats and additional vitamins etc. MRP's usually come powdered in tubs, or in sachets.

Weight Gain Formulas are very similar to Meal Replacement Products but usually contain many more calories in the form of carbohydrates and good fats to help promote growth.

In recent years, the development of "All in One" or "Combination Supplements" has become increasingly popular. These usually take Protein Powders or MRP's as a base and add specialist supplements such as Creatine, Glutamine or HMB into a single easy to take supplement.

Which Brand Should I Buy?

Despite the numerous marketing claims from different supplement brands within the industry, Sport Supplements are largely the same from company to company. The brand of supplement you choose is really down to personal choice be it taste, price or just recommendations from friends.

However make sure you remember that supplements are called supplements for a reason, they are used to supplement your existing diet and should not be used to cover 100% of your body’s needs, and you will still need to fuel your body with a substantial whole food diet.

There are no quick answers in bodybuilding, weight training or any other sport for that matter. Sport Supplements will help you if used correctly, in conjunction with a carefully structured and properly administered training and diet regime. It is important to remember that Sport Supplements are not the easy answer! You can take all the Weight Gain Formula in the world, but unless you put in sufficient effort in the gym, your muscles aren’t going to be growing. Used correctly Sport Supplements can complement your training and accelerate your progress.