Suns out guns out! Pool season is here and if you’re like most people I train, you’re slaving away in the gym to make sure you feel comfortable in your bathing suit this summer. Having a goal and training hard is always great—but my motto is that you cannot out train a bad diet. Most people push themselves to their limits in the gym but once they leave they don’t always make the best choices to help with their body composition goals. If you have a personal life, business life, family life or all three, it can be very difficult to find time to train, let alone follow a perfect diet. Realistically, nobody is going to be perfect at his or her diet 100% of the time. Here are some easy supplements suggestions that can help you fill in those gaps when you’re not perfect.
Multivitamin – This seems like a no brainer, but start with a good multivitamin. Almost all vitamins and mineral are involved in energy production for the body. In short, taking a multivitamin will produce more energy for you to attack your workouts but will also help you recover more easily.
How do you pick a good one? Find one that is broad based and isn’t packed with fillers. Avoid multi vitamins that contain additives, colors, or fillers. These are most often used in the “one a day” types.
Fish Oil – Fish has been long time classified as brain food. This is true due to the amount of DHA found in fish. DHA is a fatty acid that has been researched to show improvement in our cognitive development. Fish is also rich in another fatty acid known as EPA. EPA helps reduce inflammation in the body, which happens when we eat foods that are not good for us.
How do you pick a good one? Find one that has combination of both DHA and EPA and read reviews. If reviews say it has a “fishy” after taste it is most likely not a quality brand.
Magnesium – This little supplement can help with insulin sensitivity and sleeping patterns. Reduced insulin sensitivity happens with stress and illness so taking a magnesium supplement can help combat these daily stressors. Taking magnesium before bed can also help calm the brain inducing a much deeper and restful night of sleep. The better your sleep, the more you recover, and the more energy you will have to train the next day. It is nonsense to think you can consume enough magnesium from food alone. Help yourself and add a little supplement to your diet.
How do you pick a good one? Make sure the magnesium is in a chelated form. This means type of magnesium ends in –ate (ex. Malate, threonate, glycinate)
Vitamin D3 – More than 50% of the population is deficient in Vitamin D. Low Levels of Vitamin D are associated with obesity, both types of diabetes as well as over 20 different types of cancer. Taking this supplement will boost your immune system and your ability to burn fat. After all, you cannot build muscle if your immune system is not strong. One last thing—if you are properly supplemented in Vitamin D3 you are less likely to sunburn. This will come in handy when you are out at the pool with your friends!
There you have it—four supplement suggestions to help you improve your workout outside of the gym. Interested in learning more? Contact the team at FAST N. Central Phoenix to schedule a free assessment today!