Bodybuilding Supplements - Top 30 Facts You Need to Know

Part 3

When you set foot in the gym to pound the iron and do your cardio, several elements must be in place in order for you to reach your physique and performance goals. There is no substitute for hard work, focus and dedication, combined with gut-wrenching workouts and consistency with your training and nutrition, to get you huge and/or ripped. But more and more research is demonstrating the benefits of supplements for health, performance, fat loss, improved training and lean muscle building. In light of the latest scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, we put together 30 of the best researched-based tips on supplementation and which is being posted in three parts. Part 1 (items 1-10) was posted Wednesday, January 11. Part 2 (items 11-20) was posted Monday, January 16, and this is the third and final part. Take your training and performance to a whole new level with these surefire tips for success.

21. GABA Promotes Sleep

Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is an important amino acid found in the brain that inhibits the activity of nerve cells. Increased GABA levels in the brain cause relaxation, reduce anxiety, and influence growth hormone production. A study from Pharma Foods International in Japan found that a supplement containing 100 milligrams of GABA promoted deep sleep and reduced sleep latency— the early period of sleep. Mental arousal to exercise, stress and sexual activity triggers the release of a brain chemical called dopamine, which makes people feel good and psyches them up. The GABA system that limits stimulation from dopamine acts as a brake on mental arousal and promotes sleep and relaxation. Excessive stress leads to an increase in dopamine receptors and interferes with the GABA system, which hurts with sleep quality. (Food Science and Biotechnology 25: 547-551, 2016)

22. Beetroot Juice Improves Performance and Cardiovascular Function

Beetroot juice improves endurance capacity, boosts oxygen delivery and reduces the work of the heart during exercise— according to researchers from Korea and the University of California, Davis. College-aged males were fed beetroot juice or nitrate-depleted beetroot juice for 15 days. Beetroot juice doubled blood nitric oxide, a critical chemical for controlling blood flow. Beetroot juice reduced systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance at rest and during exercise. It also lowered the load on the heart during exercise, as measured by rate-pressure product (heart rate times systolic blood pressure). Beetroot juice is an important supplement for improving cardiovascular health and enhancing endurance capacity. Other studies have found that a single glass of beetroot juice increased performance in kayaking and cycling. (American Journal of Physiology Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, published online June 17, 2015)

23. HMB Improves Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition in Athletes

Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. Some studies found that HMB prevented muscle protein breakdown, stimulated muscle growth and promoted fat breakdown. Researchers from Poznan University of Technology in Poland found that rowers taking three grams of HMB daily for 12 weeks showed increases in maximal oxygen consumption, heart and breathing responses to exercise, and decreased fat mass compared to a placebo (fake HMB). HMB improves aerobic capacity, reduces body fat and increases peak power output, so it would be an effective supplement for endurance athletes. (Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12: 31, 2015)

24. Beta-Alanine Is an Effective Sports Supplement

Alanine is an amino acid that helps supply energy during exercise. It is converted to blood sugar in the liver by a process called the glucose-alanine cycle. While it is not used to synthesize muscle tissue or enzymes, it influences exercise capacity— particularly endurance performance. The International Society of Sports Nutrition, in a position statement, concluded that alanine increases muscle carnosine levels and acts as an intracellular buffer. Alanine is a safe supplement with few side effects. It improves exercise performance in exercise lasting one to four minutes. It reduces fatigue in older people, and may be particularly beneficial when consumed with other supplements such as creatine monohydrate. (Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12: 30, 2015)

25. High Vitamin D Intake Might Improve Athletic Performance

High intake of vitamin D might increase muscle function, decrease recovering time after exercise, promote strength and power and increase testosterone levels— according to a literature review by researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada. Vitamin D receptors are located in almost every tissue in the body, and the vitamin is involved in controlling the activities of more than 900 genes. Doses up to 4,000-5,000 international units per day combined with vitamin K could improve athletic performance. High doses of vitamin D have negative side effects and increase the risk of premature death. (Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12:33, 2015)

26. Oral Phosphatidic Acid Promotes Muscle Protein Synthesis

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is an important component of phospholipids, which are the major components of cell membranes. Phosphatidic acid and the amino acid leucine are important regulators of muscle protein synthesis. Brooks Mobley from Auburn University, and co-workers, in a study on rats, found that PA with or without consumption of whey protein increased the activity of a metabolic pathway critical for muscle protein synthesis (i.e., mTORC1). Many recent studies have shown that whey protein and leucine activate muscle protein synthesis, even in the absence of muscular exercise. We need more information to determine if PA is an effective anabolic supplement in humans. (Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12:32, 2015)

27. Glutamine Interferes With mTOR-Protein Synthesis Pathway

The amino acid leucine is the key chemical signaling molecule that turns on the mTOR pathway in muscle, which is responsible for muscle protein synthesis and growth. Nutrition research shows that for optimal muscle growth, athletes should consume about 25 grams of high-quality protein that supplies about 3 grams of leucine. Many athletes consume glutamine supplements because they boost the immune system. The immune system has been called the ultimate limiting factor of performance in intensely training athletes. A Belgian study, however, found that glutamine suppresses the mTOR pathway and could interfere with muscle protein synthesis. Individual amino acid supplements can have unpredictable effects in athletes. (Amino Acids, 35: 147-155, 2008)

28. Bitter Orange Extract Improves Squat Endurance

Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) is a nervous system stimulator included in many weight-loss and energy-boosting supplements. A chemical called p-synephrine is responsible for its effects. A study led by Nicholas Ratamess from the College of New Jersey found that supplementing p-synephrine or caffeine plus p-synephrine improved squat endurance in college-age males. Subjects performed squats for six sets of 10 repetitions at 80 percent of maximum. Adding caffeine to p-synephrine had a small effect on endurance during the later sets. The energy-boosting effects of these supplements reduce the perception of fatigue during exercise and make workouts seem easier. They might improve performance by increasing training adherence (i.e., showing up at the gym). Other studies have concluded that bitter orange extract is safe when taken as directed. (Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12: 35, 2015)

29. Creatine Might Prevent Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness

Intense weight training, particularly involving eccentric muscle contractions (lengthening contractions), can trigger delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Intense training causes small injuries to the muscle fibers. This causes an inflammatory response that helps heal the tissue. Creatine monohydrate supplements might speed recovery from intense weight training and reduce the severity of DOMS— according to a literature review led by Jooyoung Kim from Kookmin University in Korea. Creatine might reduce oxidative stress, modify inflammation, enhance muscle cell calcium metabolism and promote satellite cell activation— all of which might promote healing and speed recovery. We need more research before we know for sure. (Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 11: 244-250, 2015)

30. Vitamin D Increases Upper and Lower Body Muscle Strength

Low vitamin D levels are linked to poor bone health, muscle weakness, deficiencies in reproductive hormones, low aerobic capacity and increased body mass index (the proportion of weight to height). A meta-analysis by British researchers that combined the results of seven studies concluded that vitamin D supplements (4,000 per day and 14,000 to 60,000 international units per week) increased muscle strength in active, healthy, young adults. Vitamin D is synthesized in the body in a reaction involving sunlight. It can also be consumed in the diet by eating fatty fish, mushrooms and supplements. The supplement works best in people who were vitamin D-deficient (less than 30 nmol per liter) and in people over 65. Vitamin D is important for muscle growth, but it won’t make much difference in most young, well-nourished men. (Journal of Science and Medicine, 18: 575-580, 2015)

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