Many people out there are wondering how to choose the best supplements that work.
With all the supplement companies out there and endless of options people often times get confused on this subject.
There are endless of supplements out there and some are better than others.
Some supplement companies out there are just in the game to make money off people and they put cheap and ineffective ingredients into their supplement formulas.
In this article we will discuss how you can choose the best supplements that work.
Before buying any supplement you should be able to tell what ingredients are the most important ones and how they work.
In this article we will provide you with the knowledge so you will be able to choose the right supplements based on the ingredients you are provided with.
Don’t be one of those people who gets fooled by fancy marketing, the ingredients in each supplement is what really matters.
In this article we will discuss what ingredients to look and how you can choose a supplement based on the ingredients rather than fancy marketing.
So with out further ado let’s start this by talking about protein:
Whey Protein Supplements
Probably the most used supplement in the game today is whey protein.
Unfortunately for buyers there are endless of ineffective whey protein supplements out there.
Protein is essential for humans and those training hard will need more protein than those sitting on the coach.
Protein helps with:
- Stimulating protein synthesis
- Muscle recovery
- Muscle growth
- Body fat loss
That’s why it is so popular amongst athletes and bodybuilders.
How do I know what whey protein supplement to buy?
There are three forms of whey protein sold in supplement stores today:
- Whey protein concentrate
- Whey protein isolate
- Hydrolised whey protein.
By knowing the difference you should get a good idea what to look for.
- Whey protein concentrate is the cheapest to manufacture, it contains about 35-80% of protein by weight depending on the quality of the product. This is the lowest quality of whey protein available.
- Whey protein isolate it costs more to manufacture isolate and it is better quality than concentrate. These proteins contain more than 90% of protein per weight and is definitely a good option when buying protein.
- Hydrolysate protein is easily absorbed by the body and is completely free of allergic substances found in milk. This is the highest quality whey protein out there and it costs more.
Out of these three options concentrate is definitely the cheapest one to manufacture and does not deliver the best results.
Isolates and hydrolysate are superior to concentrate and they are higher quality.
If you have the money I would definitely suggest isolates or hydrolysate for a better quality product that will have better effects on your physique.
Many of these supplements also have cheap and ineffective fillers in them.
Make sure that your protein supplement is not filled with sugars or any other cheap filler that is only there to make the portion sizes bigger.
When talking about whey protein you often get what you pay for, so the cheaper option is most of the time less quality.
We suggest going for a isolate formula or hydrosalate whey protein.
Also be aware of how much protein is in the product is it 60% , 80% or 100% ?
Try to choose the purest form of whey protein supplement that does not contain any unnecessary fillers.
Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24015719
BCAA’S
Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCCA’S) consist of 3 key amino acids.
The 3 aminos we will be talking about shortly play a key role in muscle protein synthesis.
The 3 Branch Chained Amino Acids (BCAA’S) Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are great to use for those who train are aiming for a better physique.
How do these amino acids work?
- Leucine : Stimulates muscle protein synthesis, helps with growth and repair of muscle tissue, prevents muscle loss and growth hormone production.
- Isoleucine : Regulates blood sugar and energy levels. It is concentrated in the muscles.
- Valine : Helps with muscle growth and energy.
These 3 amino acids are important for muscle growth and energy.
When looking for a BCAA supplement you want to make sure that it contains these 3 key amino acids.
These amino acids are used as fuel for your muscles when working out and can give you a pretty solid boost.
They support muscle growth after your workout is done and reduce muscle breakdown.
When choosing a BCAA supplement you want to make sure it contains these 3 key amino acids in the right dosages.
You should be looking for a formula that has the ratio of 2:1:1 leucine to the comparison.
If you aim for a 5 gram dosage you should be getting.
- 2500 mg Leucine
- 1250 mg Isoleucine
- 1250 mg Valine
This ratio is proven to be the most effective and you should aim for a 5 gram dose with these ratios.
This will give you a good idea on what BCAA supplement to look for.
Some people want to include glutamine into this mix.
According to a study made on 2 groups who had the same resistance program.
It was concluded that glutamine supplementation during resistance training had no significant effects on muscle performance or body composition in young healthy adults.
While others suggest otherwise we believe that glutamine is not a key ingredient and it is not a branch chain amino acid.
We simply wanted to talk a little about glutamine due to the hype and misinformation about it you can find all over the web.
Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11822473
Study: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-leucine#section=Top
Study: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6306#section=Top
Study: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6287#section=Top
Fat Burners
When looking for an effective fat burning supplement there are a few things you have to keep in mind.
Fat burners can be pretty effective if they contain the right ingredients, unfortunately for buyers many fat burning supplements do not contain the best ingredients.
The reason why these supplement are so popular today is because they can help you get the following benefits.
- Increase metabolic rate which means that you burn more calories throughout the day.
- Suppress hunger cravings, you won’t feel as hungry during the day and you will be satisfied with less food.
- Increased energy, which is vital especially when you are on a restricted diet.
So which ingredients should you be looking for ?
When looking at fat burning supplements you should avoid products that contain proprietary blends.
Proprietary blends are a few ingredients put together in a blending formula and you don’t really know how much of each ingredient you are getting.
For all we know these blends could be filled up with fillers and only containing a small dosage of the key fat burning ingredients.
It should definitely be a big warning sign when reading a label and you see it contains a proprietary blend.
Instead look for a product containing these ingredients.
- Caffeine will give you an energy boost as well as increase your metabolic rate which means that your body will be burning more fat.
- Green Tea Extract gives you a thermogenic boost that can help you lose weight as well as an increase in energy levels.
- Glucomannan makes you feel full.
- Vitamin D is an important vitamin for human survival and is also an powerful appetite suppressant.
- Hot peppers give your body a thermogenic boost and raise the natural temperature in your body forcing it to burn off additional calories.
Look for a product that contains these ingredients without having a proprietary blend included.
We’ve done a lot of research on fat burners so that you don’t have to spend your money on products that don’t work. Wou can see the top 3 fat burners here.
Pre Workout Supplements
Pre workout supplements are pretty popular amongst lifters and athletes today.
These supplements can provide you with great benefits if they contain effective ingredients.
The goal of most pre workout supplements is to provide the user with a:
- Enhanced mental focus
- Increased energy
- Better muscle pumps and blood flow
These are obviously very helpful when lifting weights or performing some kind of a demanding workout.
When choosing a pre workout supplement you want to go with a product that gives you all the benefits listed above without crashing after a workout.
Many pre workout supplements in the industry today can make you feel bad while training and make you crash after your workout.
When I say “crash” I am talking about when you will be extremely tired and even get a headache after using the product.
You want to avoid the ineffective products and choose a formula that contains effective ingredients in the right dosages.
It also depends what you are looking for, are you only looking for an energy boost or do you want to combine it with a mental focus and better muscle pumps?
It’s important to understand the ingredients listed in a product, knowing how each ingredient works will make it easier for you to choose a product based on your goals.
Here are some of the ingredients you should be looking for in a pre workout formula and how they work on the body.
Pre Workout best ingredients:
- Caffeine is a stimulating compound that increases wakefulness, increases focus, energy levels and reduces physical fatigue.
- Taurine improves athletic performance and can boost mental performance when combined with caffeine.
- Beta Alanine is a non essential amino acid that enhances muscular endurance and performance. It can give you tingly feeling when you consume it.
- Arginine is an amino acid that changes to nitric oxide when consumed, it helps blood flow circulation and can give you a better pump when lifting weights.
- Creatine helps the body to produce ATP which provides energy for muscle contractions. Creatine will help you build more strength, muscle mass and helps you recover faster during exercise.
- BCAA’s we’ve discussed Bcca’s in this article(above) and the benefits it provides. It’s great to choose a pre workout formula containing BCAA’s.
These are our favourite pre workout ingredients, I am sure there are some other ingredients out there that work well but most of the supplements on the market today contain some of these ingredients.
A great way to find the right pre workout supplement that works well on your body is purchasing a few samples containing the key ingredients listed above.
That way you can test out a few products and see how your body responds to them.
Make sure you go with a product without a proprietary blend so you know exactly how much of each ingredient you are consuming.
Study: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1222-beta-alanine.aspx?activeingredientid=1222
Study: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/taurine/faq-20058177
Study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Enhancing_performance
Study: https://www.webmd.com/heart/arginine-heart-benefits-and-side-effects#1
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most popular supplement for athletes today it is well researched and gives you benefits like:
- Increases strength
- Enhances muscular endurance
- Great for adding muscle mass
- Helps you recover faster
You want to go with a creatine supplement that is 100% pure creatine, otherwise you could be consuming fillers that do nothing for you.
How does it work?
Creatine is important for energy storage, it converts into ATP which is fuel for muscle contractions.
So by consuming creatine you will have more ATP(fuel for muscles) and you will be able to enhance your performance.
Consuming sugar with creatine can enhance the absorption of creatine in your muscles.
A glass of fruit juice should do just fine.
What to look for?
Look for a product that contains 100% pure creatine.
Some supplement companies include a lot of sugar in their creatine which can help with the absorption of creatine to your muscles.
You can simply mix it with a glass of juice which is probably way cheaper.
As we all know consuming too much sugar can make you fat, so we would suggest going for the 100% pure form of creatine.
Creatine is definitely a supplement to consider if your goal is to build more muscle and strength.
Study: https://www.webmd.com/men/creatine#1
Testosterone Boosters
Testosterone is an important male hormone responsible for muscle growth, sex drive, strength levels and some other essential bodily functions.
The body naturally produces testosterone and most of it is produced in your testicles.
Since testosterone plays a key role in building muscle it is a known fact that many bodybuilders take steroids.
Steroids are in a simple explanation testosterone injections.
Steroids can come with nasty side effects such as
- Gynecomastia (accumulation of fat in your breasts)
- Hair loss,
- Losing the ability to produce testosterone
- Losing muscle mass
- Anger issues.
- Health issues
The supplement industry have come up with healthy safe supplements that naturally increase your testosterone production.
They do not come with any dangerous or nasty side effects like steroids, they simply help your body to produce more testosterone naturally and are completely safe.
The goal of testosterone boosters are to:
- Safely increase your natural testosterone production
Obviously with higher testosterone levels you will be able to build more muscle in a shorter period of time.
Testosterone boosters are getting popular amongst lifters and athletes who want to stay drug free but still want the increase in testosterone levels.
There are countless of products out there and unfortunately for consumers many of them contain ingredients that are ineffective and do not work.
So lets talk about what ingredients you should look for in a testosterone booster:
- D-Aspartic Acid – a crucial amino in the testosterone boosting process.
- Vitamin D-3 – Releases luteinizing hormones that help with releasing testosterone and growth hormone.
- Ginseng – Can boost nitric oxide levels that increases blood flow and helps you get a better pump. It also supports testosterone production
- Stringing Nettle – Allows more testosterone to be free in your body.
- Oyster Extract – Oysters contain a lot of zinc. Which realeses luteinizing hormones that boost testosterone production.
When looking for a testosterone booster keep these ingredients in mind.
Stay away from products that contain proprietary blends.
Product that contain proprietary blends do not reveal how much of each ingredient you are getting and could be filled with useless filler ingredients.
We have made a lot of research on testosterone boosting supplements.
See our top 3 recommendations for testosterone booster on the market today by clicking this link.
Final words:
The supplement industry is there for a reason, if you choose the right supplements you will get your moneys worth.
Unfortunately the supplement industry has a lot of products containing ingredients that simply do not work.
Some companies produce ineffective formulas that are cheap to manufacture so they can make more profit.
They will fool those who have not done their research on supplement with fancy marketing and huge promises.
Stay away from those products and companies.
Hopefully this article has helped you understand how to choose the best supplements that work and contain ingredients you should be looking for.
