What are nutritional supplements for weight gain. What does a gainer consist of? Using vsaa help

Vitamins and supplements for athletes: what is worth drinking, and what is better not to spend money? The market of dietary supplements and sportpit is very large, and a person involved in sports and controlling his diet - that is, attentive to himself, his appearance and health - is a source of income for any such company. Nutritional supplements and sport nutrition created for “faster, higher, stronger” - that amateur athlete buys a lot and from the heart. But what of it works and what does not?

First, there is not a single dietary supplement or vitamin (with some exceptions) that you must take. These exceptions are deficient states of specific vitamins or minerals based on test results (for example, iron deficiency), vegetarianism or rejection of certain food groups (for example, dairy products), pregnancy. The rest is your personal choice.

All vitamins and nutritional supplements are conveniently divided into three categories, depending on the importance, and presented in the form of a pyramid.

1 Its upper level is simply common supplements that provide the body with vitamins or essential nutrients — something that can benefit anyone, regardless of their athletic goals. 2 The second level of the pyramid - supplements that directly affect the performance in sports and which have an evidence base. 3 The lower level of the pyramid is what constitutes a large market share. An infinite number of sports supplements that do not work and which can be called the word "esoteric". These products can, at best, add + 1% to your performance or appearance. Usually from them there is no sense.

Mandatory Supplements

These supplements are not designed to improve your performance in training, add muscle, stamina, or strength. They simply can help maintain health and provide daily needs for vitamins and minerals.

Multivitamins and Minerals

People engaged in strength training and / or dieters (balanced, but calorie-limited food — what I always call a diet) need more vitamins and minerals than people who are sedentary.

Any vitamin-mineral complex in a digestible form can be very useful. Good brands are presented, for example, on iHerb.com, in the pro brands section.

Fish fat

If there is a nutrient, a sufficient amount of which is impossible to achieve with modern nutrition (outside of a handful of people who eat a lot of oily fish) - this is fish oil.

Fish oil is the most fashionable supplement today, and companies are investing a lot of money in research, so a large base of research has accumulated. Omega-3 fatty acids normalize metabolism, protect the heart, help fats to oxidize more vigorously, help control inflammation. It is easier to list what fish oil does not.

If you can’t or don’t want to eat oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, etc.) up to 5 times a week, then try to take fish oil in additives, choosing firms that monitor the quality cleaning of heavy metals.

Flaxseed oil is usually offered as an alternative to fish oil for omega-3 fats. However, the conversion of flax omega-3 in the body to EPA / DHA is very ineffective in most people. In addition, flaxseed oil oxidizes very quickly and becomes almost harmful.
The average recommendation for athletes on EPA / DHA is 1.8-3.0 g per day.

Calcium

Calcium deficiency is a very common thing, especially among people who refuse from dairy products (and it is fashionable to refuse dairy products today).

Calcium is fundamentally important for women. Women are much more likely than men to experience menopausal osteoporosis. Therefore, starting to take care of bone health should be as early as possible. And calcium is not only teeth, bones and nails - it plays an important role in muscle contraction, that is, in any movement. Without calcium, the movement of muscles is basically impossible, therefore its large storage is provided in the body - the bones. With calcium deficiency in food, “bone” calcium is used.

The minimum daily dose of calcium is 1000 mg in a good digestible form (citrate, malate).

If you want to gain all the calcium from dairy products, then note that in 100 grams of cottage cheese 120-150 mg of calcium. That is, even 3 standard packs of cottage cheese per day do not replenish the rate of calcium. Most of the calcium in hard cheeses (600-1200 mg), but because of its fat content, cheeses can not be considered as the main source of calcium.

Zinc and Magnesium

People involved in strength training often have a lack of magnesium and zinc:

zinc - for those who refuse red meat;

magnesium - for those involved in power, because his losses increase with hard training.

Both minerals are very important for the body. In addition, some studies show that the combination of zinc and magnesium at night helps with sleep and the restoration of the body.
  On average, the daily rate of zinc is 25 mg (the preferred form of picolinate), magnesium is 400-500 mg (citrate is the best form of absorption, while oxide can be seen most often on the market).

Possible additives

Unlike general supplements that work to maintain overall health, this group includes supplements that affect the success in training.
  Take care of sports supplements is only after you take care of vitamins and nutrition.

Protein powders

Protein powder is a cross between food and supplement. This is a dry filtered whey in concentrated form. Protein cannot replace all your daily protein, but can be used as an additive if you cannot provide your standard protein from normal products. Protein, drunk before and after exercise, will provide the body with the most rapidly digestible amino acids and help you recover. But it is not a mandatory supplement of any kind of rolling and fitons; in itself, from the mere fact of its use, muscles do not grow and fat does not burn.

BCAA amino acids

BCAAs are the three essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. Many studies have shown that BCAAs (and especially leucine) play a major role in muscle growth (protein synthesis) and for this reason, BCAAs are often suggested for athletes trying to gain muscle mass.
  Studies have also shown that BCAAs can reduce fatigue during high intensity workouts and protect muscles from decay.

A person who eats full-fledged protein and gains his daily allowance (2 g per kg of weight) gets enough BCAA. Their highest concentration is in milk proteins: whey protein (powders) and casein (powder or cottage cheese).
  Cons BCAA - an expensive supplement, especially under the condition that it starts working from 10-20 grams per day.

Creatine is an acid that is found in the body and is involved in energy metabolism in nerve and muscle cells. Several hundred studies have shown its efficacy and safety.
  Creatine improves performance in training, reduces fatigue, helps in the growth of working weights. The greatest danger of using creatine is a small increase in weight per pair of kilograms due to fluid retention in the body, which it causes.

Caffeine

A CNS stimulant taken before a workout can improve strength and endurance in a workout. With daily use develops addiction, so any stimulants should not get carried away. Nevertheless, it works and, moreover, is the basis of many pre-training complexes along with creatine.

Glutamine is an amino acid that is contained in protein products and comes to us with food. Usually, builders, taking glutamine as an additive, believe that it restores and even builds muscle (which it does not do). Glutamine is interesting on the other hand - it is an amino acid that is actively involved in the work of the immune system. Heavy workouts by themselves, and especially against the background of a diet, can weaken the immune system.
  Research on glutamine with respect to the immune system today is controversial - some show that it works, others that do not. In any case, if against the background of strength training you suffer from frequent colds, try taking glutamine.

Esoterics

Almost everything else in the world of food additives falls into this category. Hundreds of products come out every year, and 99% of them disappear during the first year of existence.

Developments are ongoing, and maybe someday something new and very effective will appear, but so far this has not happened.

For most, winter and autumn are the perfect time to build muscle. If during this period a certain amount of fat is accumulated, then so be it. Use the following ten tips to improve your results!

At the end of the summer, there always comes a time when intensive training aimed at improving the appearance of the muscles ends. And finally comes the fun season. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to gain weight! If among you there are those who are just starting to do this, then perhaps you are not fully aware of the difference between hunger and gluttony in bodybuilding. And most importantly, why alternate these activities depending on the time of year.

For most, autumn and winter are the best periods for weight gain. There is nothing wrong with earning some fat during this period. In winter, you can pull a jumper or long-sleeved shirt to hide this rare fat.

Then spring comes, followed by summer. During this period, you should stop getting oversaturated and cut down your diet as much as possible. This will get rid of excess fat and demonstrate the "clean meat" and delineated muscles, obtained in the cold season. Most go on vacation to walk on the azure beaches, so that diet and cardio in this period - an integral part of the lives of such people.

In the warm season, enhanced nutrition is completely unjustified. You will look slightly swollen, and excess fat will spoil your appearance in swimming trunks.

And now for the good! We will start with the basics. We appeared on this planet long ago, but still do not know much about the nature of man. So I will now be your salvation! The rest of this article is ideal just for beginners suffering from the desire to effectively gain weight. The following describes the 10 tips that will come to your aid in building meat and strong muscles.

1. FOOD

Here is a list of products that should always be on your list when you go shopping. You can choose any products from this sheet in any combinations and sequence.

• Egg white
• Turkey
• Hen
• Steaks
• Tuna
• Protein powder

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES

• Oatmeal
• Black beans
• Wholegrain
• Brown rice
• Potatoes
• Sweet potato

CARBOHYDRATES WITH FIBER CONTENT

• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Lettuce salad
• Bulgarian pepper
• Spinach

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

• Lemons
• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Bananas
• Zucchini

USEFUL FATS

• Olive oil
• Almond
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Salmon
• Phlox seeds

MILK PRODUCTS

• Egg whites
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Low-fat milk

Calories and meals

During weight gain, you will want to consume more and more calories. You will want to eat more often. So, the food will have to be divided into many small portions. All meals must necessarily consist of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

It is not necessary that every meal is voluminous. Sometimes, a banana or apple with peanut butter will suffice. In any case, you must try to eat 6-8 times a day, little by little. The frequency of meals will support your body with a constant supply of fuel throughout the day. This fuel is a comprehensive set of nutrients needed for muscles and its active growth.

And you will not only grow muscles, but also significantly accelerated metabolism. So fat is not added. Calculate so that a pound of your weight accounted for 1-2 grams of protein. That is, with a weight of 150 pounds should be consumed 150-300 grams of protein daily. Meals should be "at a distance" of 2-3 hours from each other.

2. Additives

Here is a list of supplements that are ideal for use at any time of the year, including the saturation period.

Milk protein, whey (in any form)

Protein - the basis of growing muscles. Without it, you will not achieve the desired results. Protein can be consumed at any time during the day, and it does not hurt you at all. There are a lot of protein supplements, and therefore it will not be difficult to choose the one that will appeal to you.

This supplement can be used before and after training, as a snack, mixed with fruit in a blender to get a full meal. This is the easiest way to replenish the supply of protein in the body.

Casein

The best protein to combat anabolic night processes. It is a slowly digestible protein that will take your digestion to do serious work for the next 6-8 hours. You do not want to lose the result earned by nutrition and exercise due to enhanced catabolism. Casein can solve this problem and is perfect for taking it at bedtime, unlike whey.

Multivitamins

It is important to get a multivitamin. You need to get enough vitamins and minerals that cannot be obtained from food. Multivitamins are important in helping you to be active and at the same time provide the body with everything it needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Creatine

Creatine will help not only to recover quickly, but also to gain muscle mass faster. Creatine is one of the most common and most studied supplements to date. There are no proven negative effects that he could cause, so it can be safely used both before and after workouts. No need to take it cyclically.

Fish fat

Fish oil provides you with polyunsaturated fatty acids, that is, the “good fats” that we all need. Fatty acids are a necessity that not all people realize. They are important for the brain, heart and stable metabolic activity of the body. We do not receive enough of healthy fats from food, so it is absolutely necessary as a food additive.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building base for protein. Without protein, all your achievements are minimized. Amino acids are important participants in brain activity. In addition, they are actively involved in the restoration of muscle tissue. Yes, amino acids are present in the protein powder, but as a rule, in low doses. So, it is necessary to separately purchase amino acid drugs.

3. Many-joint basic exercises

Comprehensive exercise is exactly what will make you grow. Isolated movements are more suitable for shaping individual muscle groups. But they do not affect the hormonal growth in your body and, accordingly, the growth of muscle mass. Complicated, complex exercises are squats, deadlifts, army press and any similar movements.
  These are exercises that require the use of the maximum number of muscles simultaneously. And this is the basis of bodybuilding and the art of growing muscles in general.

4. Rest

Muscles do not grow in the gym - it is a fact. And they grow just at the time when you are already relaxing from the gym. Naturally, if you shook violently in the gym, your muscles will swell a little and will look much larger. This is what makes you think that with each workout you become bigger and more muscular. Only you are wrong. It must be remembered that this result is a temporary phenomenon.

About an hour later, this effect begins to fade away and your volumes will decrease to about the same with which you came originally to the gym. Your muscles need a good rest and “sleep” overnight to provoke a healthy growth of hormones in the body. Namely, the amount of muscle depends on the hormonal level in the body. You need to sleep at least eight hours a night. Any lack of sleep will prevent you from achieving the desired result.

5. Eating after exercise

It is very important. Imagine an old train that runs on coal fuel. You throw coal in order to train started, and then you stop pouring coal into the furnace. What happens immediately? The train stops. The same thing happens with your body. Food before exercise gives you energy during the workout itself.

At the end of the workout, the fuel in your “firebox” will be running out and your muscles will starve in the absence of food. If you do not feed your body, it will not grow. And you need to feed it, first of all, after training, because at this moment the body absorbs nutrients best of all.

Your body literally suffers if it lacks nutrients at the end of the workout. If you don’t feed them, you don’t have enough energy to rebuild muscles and grow them later.

In the post-workout period, you should take at least 45-50 grams of protein. Add to this two times more carbohydrates (90-100 g). If you are aiming for serious results, then try to choose the simplest foods for nutrition. If you are prone to quick weight gain, you should stick to more protein in complex meals.

6. Keep cardio load to a minimum

Here you have another science - and in order to comprehend it, you do not need to have a scientific degree. When you engage cardio loads, you will definitely need fuel (calories). Calories are needed for growth. You spend calories - you lose your results. No, I'm not saying that cardio loads should be completely abandoned. This is not strictly necessary.

Cardio is a great way to prevent excess fat from accumulating when it is saturated with nutritious foods. Also, cardio helps to strengthen the health of the heart muscle.

Another cardio stimulates the appetite, giving you the opportunity to compensate for the calories lost during intensive workouts. You will feel great using low intensity exercises in your cardio workouts. This will help avoid muscle loss. Minimal cardio loads are ideal for the saturation period.

7. Increase calories

To increase the mass (muscle), you need to increase the amount of calories consumed. This does not mean that you need to overeat daily at McDonalds, if, of course, you do not want to look like a dirigible.

An easy way to do this (especially if you have already been stunted in muscle growth) is to monitor the calories consumed. As soon as you calculate how many calories you consume daily, add 250-500 calories to your daily diet and check your results in exactly one week.