The Pros and Cons of Using Body Building Supplements

There are so many great body building supplements on the market today, which can prove to be a powerful ally to a good exercise regime. Unfortunately, there are other products that are not only a complete waste of money, but could be potentially deadly. So how do you know which one is which?

Supplements: when the hard times hit

Everyone reaches a workout wall at times. The scales stay the same, or muscles don’t seem to respond in the way you would like. That's where supplements come in.

Not only can they improve the health of the body, by supplying vital nutrients, but they can also boost energy, enabling a workout to go for longer, and with more intensity.

Some supplements provide vital amino acids, such as Glutamine. Many scientific research studies have shown that Glutamine helps to build muscle mass by not only increasing the levels of growth hormones, but is also responsible for transporting as much as 35% of muscle-building nitrogen into the muscles tissue.

Protein powders provide the building blocks for muscles. As carbohydrate intake has been shown to largely go to fat cells, protein powders are a handy way to take in calories that will be used by muscle tissue instead. Protein powders, simply put, help to build muscle tissue without adding ‘empty calories’ which can increase fat.

Vitamin and mineral supplements can also be a valuable part of any good health regime. As the body secretes some minerals and vitamins more easily than others, being deficient in some vital nutrients is common in many people – even more so in people who train hard.

Know your supplement

Not all supplements are created equal, and unfortunately some are, at best, completely useless or, at worst, downright dangerous.

Before taking any body building supplement, it’s a good idea to get an all-over health check first, and get advice from a health professional. Some energy-boosting supplements contain caffeine, which is fine for some people, but for others they can have adverse side effects.

Importantly, supplements containing some ingredients have been banned from sale in other countries, such as Ephedra in the US. A derivative of the plant ephedra sinica, Ephedra is an alkaloid chemical compound, which contains two main active ingredients—pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

In 2002, the company Metabolife, which made a Ephedra supplement, was forced to hand over to the US Department of Justice well over 15,000 reports of adverse cases related to Ephedra, ranging from insomnia to death. Fortunately, the ban of Ephedra has spawned the increase of “Ephedra-free” energy supplements.

Supplements that focus on hormones are also a common area of confusion for many. Unlike anabolic steroids, which are dangerous for a user as they increase hormones way above the normal human levels, many supplements only increase hormones within a safe range. Some supplements increase testosterone, which helps to build muscle mass and is commonly used to increase sports performance. Others block oestrogen, the ‘female’ hormone.

Excess testosterone can have some very unfortunate side effects, however, including hair loss and acne. In some cases, the body will convert excess testosterone to oestrogen, which can affect virility in some males. Fortunately, there are other supplements that can inhibit this, such as antiaromatics, or Milk Thistle.

When buying supplements online, it’s important to check their origins. Just because an ingredient has been banned in one country, does not mean it has been banned in others, and the accidental importation of banned substances can lead to big trouble. Fortunately, there are very good online retailers based in Australia. They do the importing for you, making sure that not only are the products safe, but also allowed.