Supplements are a big part of the health & fitness industry, with almost everyone in the gym carrying around a supplement shake of sorts. Protein shakes aren’t the only supplements out there, we have many powders and tablets you can take to enhance your training.

Is it essential that you take as many supplements as can be? No, of course not. Instead, you should supplement things that you need more than others. In this guide, I’ll explain exactly what that means.

What Are Supplements?

Firstly, what are supplements? Simply put, they’re things we use to supplement various nutrients, vitamins, and products in our bodies. We already produce the things we supplement, they just give your body a helping hand.

What Supplements Do I Need?

A lot of beginners go to the gym and assume they need a cupboard-load of supplements to gain muscle or lose fat. In reality, you can get by with just a couple of different supplements, depending on your goals.

Supplements For Muscle Gain

There are two main things you should take if you’re serious about gaining muscle mass. The first is a protein supplement. Something like a Bulk Powders whey protein shake will do, it’s used to increase your protein intake. Protein helps with muscle recovery, which ultimately leads to greater muscle growth. If you don’t eat a lot of protein and struggle to get the grams up, then a protein shake per day is perfect for you.

The second thing is creatine, which is naturally occurring in our bodies. It helps to create protein and is made up of amino acids. Unfortunately, most of us don’t produce much creatine, so a supplement comes in handy. It can help improve your strength, muscle endurance, pack on mass, and provide more energy.

Supplements For Weight Loss

Again, whey protein is a good supplement when you want to lose weight. The difference is that you should get one that’s a ‘diet’ version and low in calories. As I mentioned earlier, protein helps with muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to burn fat.

BCAA’s are another great supplement for weight loss. Branch chain amino acids help provide extra energy so we can workout harder and longer. They also help control our metabolic rate and speed up your metabolism, again, this helps us burn fat.

Omega-3 supplements are also good for losing weight. They contain essential fatty acids that we need to get for a healthy and well-rounded diet. Furthermore, studies link omega-3 intake to our appetite. Apparently, if you get a lot of essential fatty acids in your system, you’re less likely to be hungry, meaning fewer opportunities for snacking and putting on weight!

Conclusion

In conclusion, beginners can get away with only taking about 2 or 3 supplements depending on your goals. The key thing to remember is that supplements won’t do anything unless you have a healthy diet alongside them. You can’t take protein shakes and then eat rubbish food, it’s pointless.

Eat well, supplement responsibly, and you will see better results.