After an intense training session, your muscles will have been broken down, your energy depleted, and the body dehydrated. You will also most likely find that you are sore and need to heal so that you can resume workouts. The essence of post-workout supplements is to help in muscle recovery and rebuilding. This is quite different from the pre-workout ones that are meant to give an energy boost and aid in endurance to enable you last longer in your exercises.
It can be a daunting task to find the appropriate post-workout products thanks to the tons of powders and capsules on the market and the quantity of information in circulation, all of which leaves those in need of these essential supplies more confused.
Benefits of post-workout supplements
The exercisers or athletes consume these supplements to achieve the following goals:
- To refill their energy reserves
- To grow the muscles bigger as well as improve their quality
- To repair any destruction to the muscles due to physical activities
As they seek to achieve the above goals, the trainees look forward to improving their appearance, enhancing their performance, and making their bodies remain free of injuries.
Below are some of the benefits of using the supplements meant for use after exercises:
- Faster recovery
- Reduced soreness
- Enhanced ability to build muscles
- Better bone mass
Examples of post-workout supplements
Here are some of these products that are considered the best and are most commonly used:
Glutamine
This is a vital amino acid with a myriad of functions in the human body. It is the basic unit for building proteins and a critical part of the immune system. It is naturally produced in humans as well as supplied by many foods. Similar to other amino acids, it is found in two forms with those being L-glutamine and D-glutamine. The former one is found in foods and supplements and the latter seems to be unimportant in organisms. The L-glutamine is a component of the protein in the body and plays a crucial role in immune function and intestinal health.
According to researchers, glutamine can reduce soreness and speed up recovery following intense exercises. In fact, going by the findings of one of the studies on this building block of protein, it emerged that the amino acid alone or when combined with carbohydrates can assist in minimizing fatigue within two hours of running. Although there are varying results, it has also been used to boost the immunity of athletes. However, there is need for more research on whether glutamine has any benefit for muscle gain or strength.
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Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
These are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The three are grouped due to their shared trait of being the only ones with a chain that branches off to one side. They are considered as essential amino-acids since the body does not make them and they must be supplied by the diet, unlike the non-essential ones.
BCAA supplements are usually consumed to enhance muscle growth and improve performance in workouts. They may also come in handy to minimize fatigue after training and in weight loss. They are also credited with the possibility of reducing muscle soreness after workouts. They work by lowering the levels of the enzymes creatine, kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase, which play a role in damaging the muscles. The result is faster recovery and protecting the muscles to some extent against damage.
Studies on the BCCAs supplements involved asking participants to rate their levels of soreness after doing specific strength training workouts. Those who used BCAA indicated that their soreness levels were lower–at times even 33% lower than those who did not use them. Besides, those who used the supplement were in some cases observed to have better performance by up to 20% when repeating the same strength exercise after 24-48 hours. But there could be varying results depending on gender and the total quantity of protein in the diet.
Since research shows that BCAA activates muscle building, they can also work to increase muscle mass. This is especially the case if the BCAA have higher levels of leucine than the other two. However, obtaining your BCAAs from supplements has not yet been proven to be more beneficial than from your diet or less costly whey or soy protein supplements. It could also be more beneficial in some cases to take whole protein supplements than those for individual amino acids.
Casein protein
So, what is casein protein and how is it used as a supplement? Well, this is a protein derived from milk and it is known for being slow digesting. It releases amino acids gradually, so people usually consume it before going to sleep to aid in muscle recovery and decrease muscle breakdown while they are in slumber.
Milk has two proteins with casein forming 80% of milk protein and whey that makes 20%. While the former takes longer to be digested, the latter is digested faster. Casein is a complete source of protein, similar to others from animals, and as such it provides all of the essential amino acids that the body requires for growth and repair. It also has unique proteins and bioactive compounds, and some of them have health benefits.
Casein protein has been used by athletes and bodybuilders for many years because it increases muscle growth. It also helps with weight loss. Casein protein could also help in improving long-term muscle mass as it reduces the breakdown of proteins. This is why casein is usually consumed before bedtime at night to hinder the protein breakdown that may happen due to the relatively long duration without food while one is asleep. It also enhances muscle strength when combined with strength training.
Conclusion
Your best post-workout supplement depends on your fitness goals as well as your training program. To pick the right one for you, you should analyze your case and consult your trainer and doctor. All in all, these products help to quicken recovery and enhance muscle growth among other benefits, so athletes should consider using them.