Male Bodybuilder Supplements

Body building supplements have flooded the market with the promise to do everything from change your DNA to give you a ripped body in three weeks. In the end they are all doing the same thing, promising to do more and do it faster than the competition. The problem with these promises is they are not being backed up by hard proof. The companies that market these supplements know that body builders want to look good as fast as they can and are willing to spend to do it.

The question then is do they work? More importantly do they work safely or are they just the latest scam to hit the market like yesterdays fad diets? While some body builders swear by supplements and gladly fork over their hard earned money for any edge they can get in the gym, other body builders are more skeptical of the benefits and look at the old school body builders like Reg Park who managed to get the perfect ripped body before supplements were even around to be peddled.

Who makes the supplement or who endorses them is not nearly as important as what is in the supplement and what benefits does it really carry verses what risk it carries. Some supplements are legit and have a proven track record to help you get your body into shape and stay in shape but even those proven supplements have look alike contenders trying to add unnecessary ingredients just to up the price tag. So how do you know what works and what you should avoid?

One way to be a product savvy consumer is to look for red flags. Some red flags are supplements that promise to burn body fat or increase your metabolism or testosterone levels. Some promises are so outlandish it is hard to believe anyone really believes them like the supplement that is promising to change your DNA. Other supplements are pushing the envelope and endangering your health with labels that suggest their supplement is a “legal” substitute for anabolic steroids.

Not all supplements are a scam though and if you are careful reading your labels and have realistic expectations there are some supplements that may actually work to help you. Supplements in themselves won’t build the body mass of muscles that the after photos are showing in marketing ads. The only realistic expectation you should have for supplements is to help you with your workout routine and to enhance your diet.

That being said lets look at some of the supplements that have a track record of working. Any serious body builder is already aware of the importance of protein in his diet and is probably already drinking protein shakes. 100% pure whey powder with no additive or sugar is a convenient, quickly digested way to get a form of protein in your diet. It is an ideal drink to recover from a workout and increase lean mass while reducing body fat. It is a great proven dietary supplement and has no health side effects. The products that are adding additives and sugar are not adding anything to the benefits you will get with 100% pure whey powder.

Creatine is a supplement that supplies energy to the muscles and is the most widely researched body building supplement on the market. Research has shown that it works for some people under certain conditions but doesn’t work for other people. Since Creatine is a naturally occurring organic acid it is found in meat and poultry which should already be a part of any body builder’s diet. Body builders who are vegetarians see more results from using Creatine probably because their bodies are not already getting Creatine from a meat and poultry diet. Creatine is considered safe unless you have certain underlying medical conditions. It basically helps your recovery time doing reps and allows you to do more which does help you build muscle.

Finally a simple supplement that shouldn’t be overlooked is fish oil. It is high in Omega 3, a fatty acid, reduces the risk of heart disease and it has an anti inflammatory effect on the body that helps in recovery time after a grueling workout. What more could you need?