Showing posts with label Supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supplements. Show all posts

Friday, February 8, 2008

Body Building Supplements For Beginners|Supplementation To Gain Muscles Fast

by: Chris Chew

“Do I need supplements to gain muscles fast?”, “What supplementations are needed for body building beginners?”, “Are the nutrients from my daily meals enough for me to gain bigger muscles fast?”

All body building beginners must have asked themselves these questions. You are reading this article because you would have probably asked these questions yourself.

The answer to these supplementation questions is an affirmative yes. Body building supplements are necessary if you want gain bigger muscles faster. This is because various supplements have their own benefits and they work together complementing each other to support muscle mass gain. You will probably not be getting enough of them through your normal meals and that is the primary reason why you need supplementation.

Since there are so many body building supplements in out there, choosing the correct and effective supplementation to gain muscles fast is a daunting task for a body building beginner.

Well, your anxiety will be solved in this article. As a body building beginner, you need only the basic supplementations to gain muscles effectively. You may need some other supplements when you are at the intermediate or advanced stages of body building.

So what are the basic supplementation to help a beginner to gain muscle mass?

•Protein Supplements – Without protein, you will never gain muscles. Protein is the fundamental supplement for every bodybuilder. You need 1 gram of protein for every pound of your bodyweight per day to faster gain bigger muscles. This is a lot of protein and most people will never get enough of protein from their meals.

•Creatine Supplements - Creatine can significantly increase muscle volume along with protein. It will also improve your weightlifting performances and raise your energy levels so that your workouts are more intensive and this provides for greater muscle gain.

•Glutamine Supplements – Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, which makes up to 60% of the amino acids in the muscles. Glutamine helps in your muscle recovery after your workouts and also prevents muscle lost due to muscle catabolism.

•Multi Vitamins / Minerals Supplement – Your muscles need many vitamins and minerals for every stage of its function and recovery. Some vitamins and minerals are antioxidants and will also help in protecting muscle waste, help in muscle recovery and mopping up free radicals after your muscles are stressed out and damaged during your gym workouts.

As a bodybuilding beginner, these are the only supplementation you will need to help you gain bigger muscles fast.

About The Author

Chris Chew is a fitness trainer of fashion models, actors and international male pageant titleholders. Check out his interesting websites at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.


Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Improve Your Mood with 5-HTP Supplements

by: Chester Ku-Lea

What is 5-HTP?

The Griffonia Extract is rich in 5-HydroxyTryptophan (5-HTP), which comes from an African vegetable, the Griffonia simplicifolia seed, and contains 30% 5–HTP. 5-HTP is an amino acid that is a direct precursor of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter having pain soothing and relaxing effects. 5-HTP is not present in significant amounts in a typical diet. The human body manufactures 5-HTP from L-tryptophan, a natural amino acid found in most dietary proteins. However, eating food that contains L-tryptophan does not significantly increase 5-HTP levels.

5-HTP and Serotonin

5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin. It improves mood, anxiety and is beneficial in weight loss. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. There is a massive amount of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The lifestyle and dietary practices of many people living in this stress-filled era results in lowered levels of serotonin within the brain.

5-HTP and Carb Cravings

Researchers believe that inadequate serotonin levels are in part responsible for the desire to overeat. Not surprisingly, obese individuals who crave carbohydrates usually show abnormally low levels of serotonin. Taking a 5-HTP supplement half an hour before a meal can " turn off" cravings and hunger pangs by feeding the brains carbohydrate satiety center. In this way 5-HTP can be a great asset as part of a weight-loss regime.

5-HTP and Addiction

The use of many addictive substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and certain narcotics, elevates serotonin levels. When these substances are eliminated, serotonin levels drop drastically, causing anxiety and cravings. Taking 5-HTP can stabilize serotonin levels and help minimize the symptoms of withdrawal.

5-HTP and PMS

PMS sufferers report pain relief, as well as decreased irritability and mood swings from using 5-HTP. The supplement works by countering the hormone-induced decrease in serotonin levels that occur naturally during menstruation.

5-HTP and Sleep

Because of its calming effect, many rely on 5-HTP to alleviate stress-attacks, as well as to encourage restful sleep. Unlike sedative drugs, 5-HTP is not associated with unwanted side effects, such as disturbed sleep patterns or grogginess. It can be taken regularly one hour before retiring as a remedy for insomnia.

Side Effects

Very high intakes of 5-HTP have caused muscle jerks in guinea pigs and both muscle jerks and diarrhea in mice. Injected 5-HTP has also caused kidney damage in rats. To date, these problems have not been reported in humans. “Serotonin syndrome,” a serious but uncommon condition caused by excessive amounts of serotonin, has not been reported to result from supplementation with 5-HTP; in theory it could be triggered by the supplement. However, the level of intake at which this toxic effect might potentially occur remains unknown.

Warnings

5-HTP should not be taken with antidepressants, weight-control drugs, other serotonin-modifying agents, or substances known to cause liver damage, because in these cases 5-HTP may have excessive effects. People with liver disease may not be able to regulate 5-HTP adequately and those suffering from autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma may be more sensitive than others, to 5-HTP. These people should not take 5-HTP without consulting a knowledgeable healthcare professional. The safety of taking 5-HTP during pregnancy and breast-feeding is not known at this time.

Conditions with low serotonin levels helped by 5-HTP:

• Depression


• Obesity


• Carbohydrate craving


• Bulimia


• Insomnia


• Narcolepsy


• Sleep apnea


• Migraine headaches


• Tension headaches


• Chronic daily headaches


• Premenstrual syndrome


• Fibromyalgia

About The Author

Chester Ku-Lea is a health nutrition consultant and is the owner of

www.AstroNutrition.com - a provider of premium health nutrition and sports supplements.

chester@astronutrition.com