Essential Supplements for Athletes

If you’re an athlete or fitness enthusiast you know how hard it is on your body to keep up with all the strenuous training. Training every day, sometimes multiple times a day can really take its toll over time. I have a background in bodybuilding, powerlifting, MMA and Brazilian jiu jitsu myself and still train two to three times a day and work 40 hours a week.

To keep up with a crazy schedule like this it’s good to have your diet in check of course. That should already be perfect. Sometimes that’s not enough though. Your body needs more to recover and to be ready for the next session.

There are some food supplements out there that are perfect to help you recover better when following a crazy schedule where you have to combine your training and work and perform your best all the time.

Protein

The most important nutrient in your diet is going to be protein. Eating too little will definitely have a huge impact on your ability to recover properly from each training. Proteins are the building blocks for your muscles and you do want to increase your intake when you are training all the time to repair the muscle that will break down.

In order to build muscle bodybuilders always advise to eat 2 grams of protein per kg of body or 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. I think it’s difficult to put an exact number on how much you need in order to recover faster or build muscle. But eating a lot of this macro nutrient will for sure help you recover faster.

If you find it difficult to eat enough protein from your diet alone there are many options to supplement. I like Whey Protein shakes myself the best. It’s easy, the shakes are light and not calorie dense, you absorb it very easily. One shake usually has around 30 grams of protein so with just two a day you make a lot easier to reach your daily goals.

Because whey protein is so easily absorbable it’s probably best to take in the morning or right before or after training. If you’re looking for something that’s digested slower and will give you a longer and slower release over time you might want to look at Casein protein. This one is perfect right before bedtime hits and will feed you all through the night.

If you feel it’s not just protein your diet is lacking, there are some full meal shakes out there as well. I think it’s always best to eat solid foods and chew slowly etc. But for some us it’s just not really possible timewise. To reach caloric needs it can be good to get in one or two full meal shakes. Always make sure to go for options that have a high protein content and have complex carbs. There’s no need to load up on sugars here!

Pre and post workout supplements

I’m not the biggest fan of pre-workout supplements myself but they can help you when motivation is low. They usually have various ingredients that promise to give you the best workout ever. The most important ones are the BCAA’s and caffeine. The BCAA’ are just amino acids protecting your muscles and the caffeine will give you the energy. Be careful using pre-workout supplements when most of your training is during the evening. If you’re a bit sensitive to caffeine they can keep you up at night.

I like post-workout supplements a lot more than pre-workout supplements. For me the pre-workout is not much more than a can of energy drink, post-workout supplements actually have some great benefits.

After a hard training your body is depleted of a lot of important nutrients. Post-workout supplements are designed to replenish you as fast as possible so you can start the recovering process right away. That will make sure you are back in the gym or on the mat just as fit the next day. Most beneficial ingredients in a post-workout supplement are the fast-acting carbohydrates like dextrose or vitargo for example, creatine and some amino acids. Always look for a post-workout that has at least those ones.

Sleep

This is probably the most important thing in order to recover properly…sleep. Having a busy schedule sometimes makes it even more difficult to find some much needed shut eye. It’s only natural that the things you did that day will keep you up at night. There are a couple of supplements that might be able to help you sleep better though.

ZMA is one of them. ZMA has three ingredients, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. The magnesium has a role in your metabolism, muscle health and can help you sleep better. Better sleep can raise growth hormone levels and that leads to better recovery for sure.

Another one is melatonin. This one is my favorite. The only downside is that the dose you need will probably be a bit high and should always ask a doctor for advice before exceeding the recommended daily intake. Melatonin is the hormone that makes us sleepy when it gets dark. You make more of it yourself when it’s dark. This is probably my favorite since I’m from the Netherlands and the during the summer it gets dark very late. Latest sun down is around 11.00pm during this time. Supplementing melatonin always helps me during this period.

I think if you have trouble sleeping and are struggling to recover because of it, you should definitely look into if you’re either deficient in magnesium or melatonin. If so, these supplements can really benefit you. For athletes it’s actually not that uncommon to be deficient in magnesium. Because you will lose this during sweating as well.

Conclusion

Being fit and performing your best is definitely a challenge when combining it with work, family life etc. It does take hard work but it’s not impossible. What’s most important is a solid diet with only the best choices. For some that’s not enough. Luckily there are some supplements that can assist you along the way.

Protein can help you build and or maintain your muscles. There are pre and post workouts that can help you with motivation and optimizing your recovery. What’s a really important aspect of recovering fast is how you sleep. This is the time where you actually recover. If you have trouble sleeping you might want to check if you a deficient in magnesium or melatonin.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at contact@essentialrecovery.info or start a thread on our forum.