If you're about to get started on any type of diet plan, be it for building more lean muscle mass or losing excess body fat, one thing that you need to be making sure of is that you're thinking about which supplements you can add into the mix to help your progress along.
You should never let yourself come to believe that a supplement can replace a proper diet plan as that's simply not the case. Instead, supplements are designed to supplement the diet that you're using, helping ensure that you do see the results that you're after.
There's also no question that there are an overwhelming number of supplements that you can choose from. If you walk into the supplement store, you're going to be met by hundreds of different supplements all in a row, so trying to figure out which ones are best can be trying indeed.
Let's clear up some of that confusion right now by looking at the basic supplements that you should be considering as you go about your diet planning.
A Good Quality Multi-Vitamin
The very first thing that you'll want to be thinking about is purchasing a good quality multi-vitamin. There are going to be days when your diet is less than optimal and on those days, having this multi-vitamin there for assurance can definitely work in your favor.
If you aren't eating as you should, you could be seriously lacking in some pretty big nutrients that could impact your energy levels and how you feel on a day to day basis. If you are using a lower calorie diet plan, this is only intensified as it's going to mean that you aren't taking in as many calories as normal, so now you're already at a risk of lacking in nutrients.
While you should always be making an effort to eat right – get in plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, on those days you struggle, let the multi-vitamin be there for support.
Glutamine
The next supplement that you may want to consider is glutamine . If you're hard at work with your workout program, then you're going to be depleting your glutamine stores on a regular basis, meaning that you may find it becomes harder and harder to keep up with the demands of those sessions.
By supplementing with glutamine, you'll ensure that your stores never run low and that you feel better on a regular basis. Glutamine supplement will help you recovery faster, prevent the risk of common colds and flus, and can help you sustain adequate energy levels as well.
Glutamine should be taken immediately post-workout as well as right before bed also.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is the next must-have supplement. This is a good one for everyone to take because it's going to help to achieve so many health benefits.
Fish oil contains the omega fats that are so important in the diet plan and will help to reduce your risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
In addition to that, fish oil can help to boost your insulin sensitivity, which refers to the fact that your body will be better able to manage the carbohydrates that you eat, shuttling glucose off to the muscle stores rather than directly into body fat storage.
Insulin sensitivity is important for preventing diabetes as well, and for keeping you lean in the long run. More and more people are struggling with this aspect of their health due to the type of diets that they're consuming, so this is one powerful benefit that shouldn't be overlooked.
You should be aiming to take 3-6 grams of fish oil daily along with your usual diet plan.
Whey Protein Powder
Moving along, whey protein powder is the next supplement that you don't want to neglect as you go about your diet plan. Eating a diet that's rich in protein is important for success as this is going to best help ensure that you maintain your lean muscle mass and it will also help to reduce the amount of hunger that you feel on a day to day basis as well.
Whey protein powder comes in a few different varieties including casein protein powder, which is best used before bed and between meals as well as whey isolate protein powder, which is designed to digest as rapidly as possible and is ideal for right before or after your workout program.
Whey protein powder is fast and easy, so for those who really struggle to meet their protein requirements, it's a great way to boost your daily intake with ease.
Creatine
Finally, the last supplement that you might want to consider adding to your diet plan is creatine. Creatine is going to be for helping with intense workout sessions as it's the primary source of fuel for fast muscular contractions.
By adding creatine to your supplement protocol, you'll find that you're not as fast to fatigue during the workout and thus can perform more work total overall. This additional work means that you'll have a better chance of adding more lean muscle mass or maintaining your muscle mass while dieting, so can really help out in the results you achieve due to these main benefits.
It is important to note however that you will likely gain some temporary water weight when first starting on creatine, so make sure that you don't panic should this occur.
Especially if you are on a fat loss diet, when you first start if the scale goes up a few pounds this may tempt you to jump right back off of it, when it isn't really fat that you're gaining.
So there you have the main supplements that you should consider adding to your workout and diet plan. Each will bring you one step closer to success and help you maintain optimal health while being able to give full effort in each workout that you complete. Always remember that supplements are there to enhance the results of your diet and exercise, not replace them. With the right balance of these basic supplements, you can support your body's needs, optimize performance, and achieve your fitness goals effectively.
