You have set the habit of going to the gym, made positive changes to your eating habits, and are  ready to crank up the workout intensity. “What supplements should I take?” and “Do I need supplements?” are very common questions.

The supplement industry has dramatically grown over the last decade by expanding supplement categories. This growth has made it easier to find products directly related to your individual goals.  Categories range from pre-workout,  intra workout, post workout, protein, mass gainer, vitamins, fat burners, and joint support just to name a few.

Remember, the purpose of  sports nutrition supplements is to work in conjunction with your healthy eating lifestyle.  Sports nutrition supplements without healthy eating will not produce drastic results.  On the other side of coin, many goals and results are possible without sports nutrition supplements but they do make life more convenient and the process more effective.

Since you are still in the early stages of your fitness journey, I recommend starting with a protein supplement.   The purpose of protein is to help the muscle recover and grow.  Since you have added resistance training into your training regiment, there will be days that you will find it difficult to intake adequate protein through food alone.  This is why protein is the best supplement to start with.

Protein powder is a product you can take even on days you are not working out.  A protein shake would be a great option  when you are in a rush and do not have time to sit and eat.

Not all protein powders are the same.  There are different types of whey, egg, casein, and vegan  proteins. I would highly recommend starting with Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard protein.  Its main protein source is whey protein isolate which is one the purest forms of protein. This product all includes  more than 5 grams of the naturally occurring branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine per scoop.

You can simply stir the protein powder with water or even blend it with frozen fruit to make a healthy smoothie.   In between meals as a snack and directly after a workout are two of the best times to have a protein shake.

By adding protein in your nutrition game plan, you will be able to recover more efficiently. Therefore, you will be able to train harder which in return will help you reach your goals faster and more efficiently.

Other supplements are also very helpful to help you reach out goal. In the next article, I will discuss pre-workout supplements.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Feel free to contact me for any questions you may have or topics you would like me to cover in the future.

Have a great workout,

Houston Fry

Ultimate Fitness