The Right Times To Take Your Supplements
Once you get all the supplements you need, the next question that arises is, what is the right time to take the supplements? Supplements have a tendency of getting better results when taken at specific times during the day.
Each supplement has a time window where your body absorbs and makes the most of it. Following a planned approach towards your supplementation, nutrition and training will get you the best results.
Whey Protein
Whey protein is arguably one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements. Protein is the building block of muscles and helps your muscles grow bigger and stronger. You can’t expect to build muscle mass while being on a protein deficient diet.
While you can take the whey protein supplement at any time throughout the day to meet your daily protein needs, whey protein (especially in its isolated form) is best absorbed by your muscles right after a workout.
Pre-Workout
Pre-workout supplements are self-explanatory. You need to take these supplements 30-45 minutes before your workouts. Some people make the mistake of taking them too close to their workouts and so the supplements end up being ineffective.
Pre-workout supplements these days have a lot of stimulants and ingredients in them. These stimulants can take up to 45 minutes to enter your bloodstream. You’ll only feel the kick of a pre-workout after the stimulants are carried all over your body through blood.
Glutamine
Many people don’t know the uses of glutamine and give up on it too soon. Glutamine is a building block of protein and forms a critical part of the immune system. Glutamine is an α-amino acid which is used in the biosynthesis of proteins.
Some people take glutamine as a pre, post or intra-workout supplement. Glutamine is a great supplement for recovery and is best taken before bed at night. Taking glutamine helps in improving the intestinal system, immune system, muscle mass gaining, and exercise performance.
BCAAs
BCAAs (or Branched Chain Amino Acids) are made up of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine which are not produced by the body naturally. These amino acids need to be taken as supplements or through food to help in protein synthesis which results in muscle growth.
While you could sip on BCAAs throughout the day, the best time to take them is intra-workout. Taking BCAAs during your workouts will help delay fatigue, reduce muscle soreness, prevent muscle breakdown and eventually result in muscle growth.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most controversial and researched supplements. Many people falsely believe creatine causes liver and other health-related problems. Creatine has been proven to help build muscle mass and strength without any side-effects.
There are two ways of taking creatine. You could do a loading and maintenance cycle in which you take 20 grams of creatine for 5-7 days and then lower down to a 2-10 gram maintenance dose. In the second method, you could take 5 grams of creatine pre-workout on a regular basis.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Which supplements do you take? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
