To gain muscle, you have to take enough time to recover from exercise. It’s also important to provide your muscles with the nutrients they need to grow.
Taking time for recovery is especially important as symptoms of overtraining include higher risk for injury, lowered performance, and even depression. Luckily, with the right supplements, you can reduce these risks and decrease the time needed for recovery.
Here’s a list of the best post workout supplement and why you should be using it:
The Importance of Post Workout Supplements
Just as a pre-workout supplement prepares your body for the work you’re about to do, a post workout supplement helps to provide your body with what it needs to recover. But, if you’re going to skip any of them, the best post workout supplement should not be the one.
To give your body the best chance possible for a speedy recovery, you need to feed it the right stuff. Not every supplement is going to be high quality and offer as many benefits as you may desire, so do your research before committing to one.
When you’re shopping for a supplement, look for these ingredients and find a formula that fits exactly what you need it to do:
Glutamine
Glutamine is a popular ingredient and is found in some of the best post workout supplements.
Glutamine does double duty in helping your muscles ability to recover quickly while also supporting your immune system. This added benefit of immune support is great because the more strain you put on your body through rigorous training routines, the harder your immune system will have to work to keep you healthy. If you’re trying to live the #NoDaysOff lifestyle, you can’t really do so if you’ve caught the flu.
It is important to note that glutamine isn’t terribly effective as a supplement on its own and should be used in conjunction with the other supplements in this list.
Creatine
Another popular supplement is creatine. It has been a part of studies for safety and efficacy in over 200 different published clinical trials.
Creatine increases the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that your body produces. ATP is the energy source used by the body for most cellular processes. By increasing ATP production, it boosts your body’s ability to grow muscle and improves your strength and endurance.
Over time, using creatine will increase your training ability and allow you to be able to lift heavier weights for longer sets.
In one of the clinical trials mentioned above, creatine proved to boost muscle growth by 14% as opposed to only an 8% growth in those who were not using the supplement.
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate
The supplement L-carnitine L-tartrate is another key supplement that you should be looking for in post workout formulas.
This supplement works by increasing the number of receptors for androgen that your body has.
L-carnitine L-tartrate has proved itself in a study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research to reduce damage done to muscle tissues during vigorous workouts.
Betaine Anhydrous
Betaine anhydrous works great as both a pre and post workout supplement.
If it’s taken before a workout, it makes for a great boost and enhances your performance. It also helps by protecting your muscles from the impact of breakdown caused by exercises.
When it’s used as a post workout supplement, it helps to build lean muscle. There’s also the added benefit of improving the total ability for output and growth.
The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research did a study on betaine anhydrous. This study established that men using betaine anhydrous gained roughly 4 pounds of muscle in 6 short weeks.
This supplement is great when combined with the others on this list, but can also be effective by itself in doses of 2 and a half grams or so. Taken on a daily basis betaine anhydrous will help you to see rapid results.
L-leucine
One of the best post workout supplements for boosting the synthesis of protein in your body is L-leucine.
L-leucine is one of the main contributors to protein synthesis in your body and essentially is what causes your muscles to absorb protein.
The importance of protein synthesis stems from it being the main cause of muscle growth. Without it, you wouldn’t see any increases in muscle mass.
One of the best ways to consume L-leucine is in a BCAA blend.
A BCAA is a blend of branch chain amino acids that includes L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and valine. The amino acids within BCAA formulas are responsible for 35% of the muscle mass in your body. A BCAA supplement not only helps with muscle growth but also aid in preventing fatigue as well.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is another supplement that works wonderfully both before and after a workout. Because of this, it is an ingredient that is commonly found in both pre and post workout supplement formulas.
Before a workout, beta-alanine provides you with increased endurance and heightened performance ability that is accompanied by a rush of energy that can be described by a tingling sensation of sorts.
After a workout, beta-alanine helps with muscle growth and recovery like most other items on this list.
Beta-alanine works by boosting the amount of carnosine in your body. Carnosine then works by promoting the growth and repair of muscle and also has anti-aging benefits.
Use the Best Post Workout Supplement
You won’t see results overnight, but with hard work and the right nutrients, you’re sure to see increases in power and size.
If you haven’t already, try out the best post workout supplement and find what works best for you. You can find most or all of these supplements together in one formula but shop around to find one that works specifically for your needs. With so many different options on the market, there’s sure to be a formula and flavour combo that suits you.
Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think the best post workout supplement from this list is!