- Protein powders: Convenient supplement for muscle repair and growth
- Creatine: Enhances muscle mass, strength, and athletic performance
- Pre-workouts: Often unnecessary; coffee and banana provide similar benefits
Whether you are an experienced gym-goer or someone just beginning their fitness voyage, you have likely heard that supplements can enhance your workout.
However, according to sports nutritionists, many of these energy and fat-burning supplements are extra and prohibitively expensive.
According to them, supplementing your workout with a straightforward protein smoothie, banana, and a cup of coffee may be more effective.
Protein powders
Protein powder is among the most widely used supplements in the exercise.
Protein supplements, marketed to promote weight loss, muscle growth, and enhanced physical performance, can conveniently obtain additional nutrients while exercising.
Both whey, derived from cow’s milk, and vegan alternatives, including pea protein, are accessible.
Although powders are its most common form, it is also available in smoothies, tablets, and bars.
While meat, eggs, nuts, and fish provide ample protein, Mr Hobson acknowledges that the supplement is “useful when you’re caught short after a workout.”
He emphasises, nonetheless, that it is optional as a routine ingredient in cuisine.
“There is an abundance of well-executed research on the performance benefits of protein powders,” Mr Hobson told MailOnline.
“These results indicate that they are beneficial for muscle repair and growth following exercise, in addition to promoting recovery and enhancing strength and performance.”
Creatine
Creatine is an endogenous component of muscle fibres and an ingredient in dietary supplements.
It provides a muscular enhancement during vigorous exercise and weightlifting.
Mr. Hobson stated, “This is the most thoroughly researched sports nutrition supplement, and its performance claims are supported by an abundance of research.”
Additionally, it is among a restricted selection of supplements incorporated into the sports nutrition and performance guidelines established by the American College of Sports Medicine.
According to a 2017 study, creatine, which is frequently sold in powder form, not only enhances athletic performance but also mitigates the risk of severe sports injuries and assists athletes in tolerating increased training burdens.
Mr. Hobson stated, “Benefits include increased sustained energy for high-intensity exercise, as well as increased muscle mass and power, which translates to enhanced performance.”
According to experts, products such as Healthspan Elite All Blacks Creatine Monohydrate (£43.000 for a 500g pouch) may increase muscle mass and provide additional vitality.
Although the supplement is primarily designed for power and strength sports, Mr Hobson explains that scientists are also investigating the potential health benefits of creatine for women.
He added that researchers are also investigating whether the supplement can aid geriatrics with cognitive decline and muscle atrophy.
However, daily administration of a modest dose will be required to achieve the intended effects.
Mr Hobson stated, “Contrary to popular belief, this supplement has demonstrated safety even when used continuously for up to five years; however, daily dosing is required to achieve the desired effects due to creatine saturation in the body.”
Pre-workouts
Mr Hobson refers to it as a “kitchen sink supplement” and explains that it comprises numerous ingredients “thrown into the mix.”
However, despite its diverse list of ingredients, Mr Hobson cautions that it is only sometimes essential and suggests achieving the same effect by consuming a banana or coffee.
Certain pre-workout supplements contain caffeine and glucose, frequently marketed as all-in-one powders.
According to Mr Hobson, it may be worthwhile to consume these because the glucose will provide an energy boost and fuel for exercise. At the same time, the caffeine will enhance mental acuity and performance.
Beyond that, Mr. Hobson stated, “Many of the other components are largely unnecessary, particularly for gym-goers.”
Certain pre-exercise supplements comprise beta-alanine and creatine, endogenously synthesised amino acids that influence muscle endurance and high-intensity exercise.
However, daily administration is required for these to be effective.
Mr. Hobson stated, “Taking them intermittently as a pre-workout supplement will not be effective.”
Occasionally, the dosages administered could be more adequate than the body of research concerning their efficacy.
He further states that a banana and coffee before exercising will likely be adequate for the average gym-goer as a pre-workout stimulant.
Fat burning supplements
Mr Hobson warns that dietary supplements that claim to “burn fat” are “ultimate wastes of time.”
Indeed, he advises against investing in products that claim to facilitate weight loss or fat burning by taking a tablet.
He notes that “according to the claims made about these supplements, they can increase fat oxidation and metabolism speed.”
However, neither is supported by credible scientific research regarding the supplement’s constituents.
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Caffeine, green tea, raspberry ketones, and conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that has demonstrated modest effects on weight loss, are typical constituents.
An additional prevalent component is L-Carnetine, an amino acid that participates in the body’s lipid metabolism.
Nevertheless, Mr. Hobson says this is not a “magical fat-burning” remedy.
“Taking it as a dietary supplement does not increase your rate of fat burning, and research examining its potential indirect link to fat loss through enhanced athletic performance is, at best, inadequate,” he explained.
However, squandering money is not the most severe possible adverse effect associated with these supplements.
Specific formulations may also cause undesirable side effects, including hypertension, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
Every single one of these will negatively affect athletic performance, Mr. Hobson continues.
Mr. Hobson is convinced that these fat-burning supplements will not aid in weight management or teach you the value of a nutritious diet.
“Using supplements to manage your body weight or percentage of body fat will not teach you anything about the significance of diet, exercise, and lifestyle, nor will it help you achieve more sustainable performance goals,” he stated.
