The No-BS Guide to Workout Supplements (The Build Muscle, Get Lean, and Stay Healthy Series) by Michael Matthews

Author:Michael Matthews [Matthews, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oculus Publishers
Published: 2014-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

While glutamine is a worthwhile supplement backed by good science, it’s not without hype. And the claims usually revolve around building and preserving muscle. Can supplementation with glutamine do this?

Not quite.

Research has shown that intramuscular glutamine levels play an important role in protein synthesis51 and the prevention of muscle breakdown52, and glutamine does improve the body's ability to use leucine53(an essential amino acid that plays a vital role in protein synthesis).

That said, there are no studies to indicate that supplementation with glutamine improves protein synthesis in healthy, well–fed adults (as opposed to humans and rats in diseased or under–fed states).

To the contrary, in fact, several studies conducted with healthy adults showed taht supplementation with glutamine has no effect on protein synthesis, muscle performance, body composition, or the prevention of muscle breakdown54–55.

So, while supplementation with glutamine may not provide an anabolic boost, its anti–stress and anti–fatigue benefits make it a worthwhile buy if you're exercising regularly, intensely, and for prolonged periods.

Nitric Oxide Supplements

These supplements are commonly composed of the amino acids arginine, citrulline, and beta–alanine, with claims of stimulating the body’s production of a substance called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide (NO) widens blood vessels and thus enables more oxygen and nutrients to get to the muscles (as the blood transports oxygen and nutrients).

While this sounds like another dubious marketing pitch, there are studies to support these claims56–58, and I have found several of these products helpful.

That said,most pre–workout drinks these days contain these “NO–boosting” aminos though, so buying them separately isn’t necessary. But if you’re not taking a pre–workout, or your pre–workout drink doesn’t contain arginine, citrulline, or beta–alanine, then you could benefit from a good (properly dosed) NO–booster.

Multi–Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals are necessary for many metabolic processes in the body and are important in supporting growth and development.

Vitamins and minerals also are required in numerous reactions involved with exercise and physical activity, including energy, carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, oxygen transfer and delivery, and tissue repair.

Deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium, can cause many performance problems such as anemia, impaired muscle function and work capacity, and reduced aerobic and muscular endurance.

As you would expect, exercising increases your body’s vitamin and mineral requirements, and as the intensity, duration, and frequency increases, so do your body’s needs for micronutrients.

While research has shown that eating a variety of foods can provide adequate vitamins and minerals59, achieving enough variety is often easier said than done when considering food preferences and availability.

For example:

If you eat insufficient fruits and vegetables, you can become deficient in antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A, E, and C, which play important roles in helping the body combat the oxidative stress of exercise.

If you eat insufficient fish, beef, or poultry, an iron deficiency can develop. This leads to impaired muscle function and work capacity and, if uncorrected, this can lead to anemia, which can take 3–6 months to reverse.

If you don’t get enough zinc in your diet by eating foods such as beef,

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