People do not always know how to use supplements in the most appropriate way, so to improve this we will give some tips to know how to use food supplements, and review some of the more appropriate and effective supplements you can use. Thanks for stopping by!
First of all we must be very clear that a supplement is not something we should take lightly, but it must be because the body really needs it and we have been prescribed because either in our diet lack that nutrient, or because of our pace of life we need extra doses of the above nutrient. But it is not only useful to take the supplement, we must adapt our habits so that its intake is effective.
A supplement is a concentrated amount of a certain nutrient, so it is advisable to distribute the takes throughout the day so that the body receives a constant stream of that substance and can process it much better. For it we will distribute the dose throughout the day between the main meals. When taking a supplement or another must respect specific times to ingest them. For example, some such as shark cartilage or amino acids should be taken two hours before or after eating. Fibres, algae such as spirulina… must be taken half an hour before the meal for its satiating effect to be noticed… We must be aware of these times, which are usually marked by the manufacturer.
Some supplements must be supplemented with others to make the desired effect. For example, if we are taking iron because we need it, it is necessary that we take vitamin C, since with it we will assimilate iron much better. When consuming calcium we must also maintain good levels of vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus or boron among others, since the body alone is not always able to assimilate all the nutrients that come to it, but there are many that are complementary to each other and must be present in the diet.
One thing we must also bear in mind is that supplements such as fat-soluble vitamins such as D, E, A or K should be taken with fatty foods for the body to assimilate, as well as make us the sun for at least ten minutes a day for the proper assimilation of vitamins such as D. It is necessary to take this into account if we want the supplements to be as effective as we are looking for.
The Best Nutritional Supplements
Proteins and amino acids, for muscles and energy in intense exercises
Amino acids are small molecules whose union forms proteins. There are a total of 20 amino acids that give rise (their combination) to all types of proteins in the human body. Some of them, specifically 8, can not be manufactured by man, the so-called essential amino acids, so they must be provided through the diet (food and / or food supplements).
Within the practice of sports it is essential to provide the correct amount of protein to “nourish” the muscles correctly and prevent possible injuries after the training sessions. From El Búho Verde we propose some of the best products based on proteins and their amino acids to improve your sports performance.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in plasma and muscle and is therefore of vital importance for the maintenance of body musculature and protein synthesis. For this reason, its benefits include its anabolic action (muscle building) and its immunostimulatory action. In relation to the latter, glutamine is required for the synthesis of leukocytes (specifically lymphocytes) and intestinal mucosal cells Glutamine is a very interesting food supplement because the practice of sport of a certain intensity tests our defenses so it is also convenient to closely monitor the immune system.
How much glutamine to take?
AESAN proposes a maximum daily amount of 5 g of L-glutamine. For this reason, nutritional supplements that work with this daily dosage should be recommended. Because in cases of intense physical exercise, branched chain amino acids can be used for the synthesis of glutamine, it is recommended to combine these with glutamine (see next section, BCAA).
How much whey protein to take?
It is currently accepted that the amount of protein supplementation that facilitates muscle protein synthesis after physical exercise and helps repair damaged muscle microfibers, is about 20-25 g, although some studies have reached 40 g of supplementation with whey protein after exercise. But as the average use of doses for studies has been 20 to 25 g in the market for supplements most reference brands work precisely with these doses and this is what you should look for. These supplements are usually presented in powder, to dissolve in a drink and we suggest both if you practice strength sports (weights, bodybuilding) and endurance sports (cycling, running) as long as you are constant people, ie do not go to the gym or go out to run only when “you remember”.
We hope that this guide can help you improve your sports performance and achieve all your goals but above all we want to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of physical exercise and sport in your health. No matter how old you are and even if you feel that “you are not in shape”…everything is to start. Look for a sport that you like, that motivates you and do not leave for tomorrow all the good you can do today.