You’ve left nothing on the table and crushed your workout – great job! Now it’s time to reap the rewards of your hard work and let your muscles grow bigger and stronger. Sure, you could rely strictly on your own clean diet to slowly… slowly… slowly get the results you’re craving long-term, but wouldn’t you rather reach the top of the mountain more efficiently? Wouldn’t you rather have your peers notice the effects of your amazing effort a lot sooner? Post-workout supplement blends to the rescue!
If you’re someone who actually enjoys busting their ass in the gym, nearing muscular failure every set, then it’s easy for you to assume that the harder you work out, the greater the results you’re going to accomplish. Unfortunately, training itself is only about one-third of the equation. What really grows your muscles, increases strength and reduces fat is how well you adhere to sound nutrition and the right supplements. These important elements of fitness are really what accelerate your gains and allow you to hit your goals efficiently and sustainably.
Here’s a look at some of the most important ingredients you should look for when choosing a post-workout supplement blend:
LEUCINE
This powerful amino acid is responsible for kick-starting your recovery, which is why it’s best to supplement with it immediately after training. Leucine also happens to be the leading and most-effective branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), such that it’s usually dosed at a 2:1 ratio over isoleucine and valine. After you’ve completed your workout and successfully stimulated your muscle fibres for growth, leucine gives you an extra advantage in igniting anabolism. So important is leucine to muscle activity, that if you perform a weight training workout with intensity, your blood leucine levels may drop by as much as 30 percent. Make sure you replenish – and as soon as possible!
Post-Workout Dosing: 5 grams of leucine
WHEY PROTEIN
The mainstay of all post-workout supplements is whey protein, ideally in isolate form. Making sure you consume copious amounts of whey protein, both immediately after your workout and also on off days, is the real key to progressive muscle growth. In conjunction with leucine, which “warms up” your muscles for anabolism, whey protein post-workout will saturate your tired muscles with amino acids that get absorbed at a pace of about nine grams an hour. Furthermore, the consensus in research on whey protein is that the sooner you take it post-workout, the higher the anabolic reaction.
Post-Workout Dosing: 25 to 30 grams of whey protein
CREATINE HYDROCHLORIDE
You’ve known for ages that creatine is a safe and highly effective supplement for adding strength and power. Originally, in its monohydrate form, you’d perform a “loading” phase of about 25 grams a day for five days, then adhere to a “maintenance” phase of five grams daily. Well, thanks to advancements in technology and manufacturing, the more efficient hydrochloride (HCI) form of creatine has proven to be effective for strength and muscle-building, not just taken before but after workouts as well. Scientific research has shown conclusively that post-workout creatine is important for the development of the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is vital for muscle growth.
Post-Workout Dosing: 1.5 grams of creatine hydrochloride
L-CARNITINE
When you think of carnitine, you likely think of its effectiveness in burning fat, from the way it transforms your workouts with prolonged energy. After you ride the stationary bike for 20 minutes, for example, carnitine kicks in and gives you a needed boost to keep going and burning more fat longer. However, a study in the journal Nutrients says that carnitine is very effective in a post-workout function as well, from the way it immediately “reduces markers of cellular damage and free radical formation”. By enhancing oxygen supply and blood flow, carnitine is a powerful teammate to the above three supplements to make your post-workout supplementation as comprehensive as possible.
Post-Workout Dosing: 1 to 2 grams of l-carnitine