Recharging your body after a workout is necessary for recovery and performance, and a post-workout supplements helps muscle recovery and muscle building. When carbohydrates, proteins, and some fats are consumed after exercising, it encourages muscle protein production and promotes recovery with the best results.
Meanwhile, choosing the right supplement depends on your exercise program and fitness goals, and some common post-workout supplements are protein powder, creatine powder, BCAA powder, protein bars, and glutamine. And, you must know that post-workout supplements help to build muscle mass, reduce soreness and prepare your body for the next exercise session.
Common Post-Workout Supplements
Protein Powder
This is the most common post-workout and bodybuilding supplement, and it helps to build, repair and maintain muscles. Whey protein is the most popular protein powder consumed by health-conscious people, and this is because it is quickly digested and absorbed, which makes you feel full and energised. It also rapidly increases the amino acids in your body, leading to better muscle mass and strength. Other forms of protein powder are casein protein, egg protein, pea protein, hemp protein, etc.
Creatine Powder
Creatine helps muscles to synthesise energy during high-intensity exercises. It improves strength, increases lean muscle mass, and helps muscles to recover quickly. Meanwhile, phosphocreatine is a form of energy stored in your cells, and a creatine supplement increases the stored phosphocreatine levels in your body. It also increases the phosphocreatine stores in your brain and leads to improved brain health and fewer neurological diseases. Also, when creatine supplements are taken, muscle mass is significantly increased in untrained individuals and elite athletes alike.
BCAA Powder
Twenty different amino acids make up the proteins in your body, as 11 non-essential amino acids are produced by your body while the other nine essential amino acids are not but are acquired from your food. Three of the nine branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are leucine, isoleucine, and valine, and they are unique because they are metabolised within the muscle and not in the liver. These amino acids are commonly found in protein-rich foods like eggs, meat, dairy products, and fish. Besides, you can consume BCAA powder and supplements to increase muscle growth, decrease muscle soreness, and reduce the fatigue caused by exercising.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are ready-to-eat nutritious snack bars that can be taken after your workout session, and they boost your energy quickly and aid in muscle repair. Also, protein bars are an excellent source of vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. They provide nutrition to build new muscle tissue and also fixes muscle tears that happen during a workout, and they also help you to feel full and keep away from unwanted food cravings.
Glutamine
Glutamine or L-Glutamine is a popular supplement among gym-goers, as it is an important amino acid, which is a building block of protein. Post-workout glutamine supplements prevent the body from breaking down the muscle tissue for energy, and they help you to maintain more lean muscle mass. Moreover, glutamine increases the production of natural human growth hormone (HGH) in your body. Higher levels of HGH lead to increased muscle tissue, decreased body fat, and increased metabolic activity.
When you work out, your muscles fibres tear or are damaged at a micro-level. And post-workout supplements help your body to repair and restore the damaged muscles. They reduce muscle soreness, increase protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown in your body. However, even with post-workout supplements, a nutritious diet and safe exercise habits are important for workout success.
