In the world of Sports Nutrition there are: Protein Powder, Creatine, Amino Acids, Weight Gainers, Energy Boosting Supplements, Energy Bars, shakes, and Drinks. These come as powders, ready-made drinks, bars, gels, capsules, and pills! I am a proponent of supplements, in moderation: there is absolutely no need to take everything on the market!
Protein Powder
(I use IsoGold or Vega Sport)
This will be a lengthier section since I have so much to tell you about protein powder!
What is it?
Protein powder is the extracted form of protein that comes from various sources such as milk, soy, casein, pea, plants, and hemp. Each type and brand of protein powder will vary in its contents and its nutritional value.
Who is it for?
People have asked me in the past why I use protein powder. My simple answer is: It helps me stay lean and is conducive to my lifestyle when it comes to exercise and being on the go. I love the taste of it in my smoothies, and last but not least, knowing the benefits, I ensure I get a shake in everyday (sometimes twice a day).
In the body there is fat tissue and there is lean (muscle tissue). Muscle tissue is essentially made from proteins therefore, a protein powder supplement would be beneficial if you are looking to:
- Get lean
- Stay lean
- Preserve muscle (lean) tissue
- Fuel your metabolism
- Keep yourself full during a meal or between meals. (I use it especially often when I just have a salad for lunch with lots of vegetables and a carbohydrate serving – beans, lentils. Adding a scoop of protein powder in almond milk or coconut water helps to fulfill my protein intake for that meal).
It is safe for adolescents up to seniors. I recommend it for men and women. Ladies, it will not “bulk you up,” it will do the opposite—just use it correctly and keep active.
How to use it?
Make a breakfast smoothie: 1 scoop protein powder, include 1 fruit, include fibre, and a healthy fat. The key is to including the fiber and fat to fuel your metabolism and keep you full.
See breakfast smoothie recipes here
Post-Workout: A protein source is paramount following any strength/circuit training workout. Protein powder is convenient and easily digested to go directly into muscle for replenishing.
Between meals: Protein powders are quick, convenient, and unlike most other foods that are quick and convenient, protein powders are a clean source of protein without processed carbs, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.
After Dinner: But I thought we aren’t supposed to eat after dinner? If you are trying to drop weight, not eating after dinner is a mandatory principle. If you are maintaining or want to gain muscle, eating a high protein, no sugar snack is okay. I usually will mix half or a full scoop of protein powder with some almond milk. It’s perfect since the protein powder I use satisfies my sweet craving and tastes like dessert!
I also use it in my healthy baking to add protein and sweetness. Check out my protein cookie recipe here
Creatine
What is it?
Creatine is the energy source used by our bodies during short, quick burst activities in sport and exercise. It is produced naturally in our bodies and is stored in muscle cells. Creatine supplementation helps to increase this type of energy.
Who is it for?
Creatine has been the most widely researched sport nutrition supplement for decades. It has been deemed safe and also beneficial for:
- Those who perform high intensity type exercises i.e. crossfit
- Those looking to gain muscle size faster
- Body Builders as it helps with recovery and increasing muscle size
- Athletes who play anaerobic type sports—quick bursts of high energy for short periods. It isnot very beneficial for endurance activities where you maintain a moderate energy output for a length of time—i.e., marathons, pilates, etc.
- Since creatine naturally occurs in meats and animal products, vegetarians have been shown to have lower muscle creatine and hence show increased benefits from creatine supplementation
How to Use it?
Results are best when mixed with a glucose (sugar) containing drink as the sugar helps the creatine diffuse into the muscles.
Amino Acids
What are they?
Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein in our bodies (all proteins are made of strings of amino acids) and are responsible for various bodily functions such as enzyme production, digestion, muscle growth, and cell repair.
Amino supplements can come in different varieties:
General Amino Acids: This will be a blend of a number of different amino acids. Because there are so many Aminos, the amount of each amino acid present is less.
BCAA’s: This stands for Branch Chain Amino Acids, specific to muscle growth, muscle recovery, and negating muscle breakdown—Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine
Single Amino Acid: A stand alone amino acid: i.e. L-glutamine, helps with muscle repair and recovery
These are usually all mixed with vitamins and minerals in small doses such as vitamin C, B6, magnesium.
Who is it for?
For the general population, supplementing with amino acids may not be necessary. If you have goals to compete, are monitoring your body-muscle strength, and your size to the next level, and you are training hard then supplementing will be important. It will help improve your results and help prevent injuries such as muscle strains. Keep in mind that amino acid supplementation (along with most other supplementation) must be paired with a healthy diet. Supplementing alone will be a waste of time and money.
Weight Gainers
What is it?
As the name suggests, weight gainers are supplements help you gain weight.
Who is it for?
People looking to put on weight, most often people with endomorphic body types – that have a hard time gaining weight. It is a quick intake of high calories to stay on track with the # of grams of protein and number of calories needed to put on weight.
How to use it?
It comes in a powder form. I recommend mixing with atleast 2 cups of water to aid digestion.
Energy Boosting Supplements
What is it?
Energy boosters come in powder, liquid, and capsule form. The type you choose is simply based on your preference and convenience. These are to be used to boost your energy before a workout (pre workout drink) or help with repair after a workout (post workout drink).
These energy boosters contain various ingredients from caffeine to vitamins and minerals and since sugar gives us energy there will be a certain amount of sugar in these. Side note: Sugar is not always a bad thing when it comes to pre and post workout as it facilitates an increase in energy as well as nutrient absorption into muscle cells.
Who is it for?
It is not to be relied on as a means of energy but simply an extra kick in the rear!
Energy boosters are essentially filled with stimulants to give you … well a boost of energy! If you are doing something beyond your usual intensity (i.e. a spin class!) or a big leg workout with, an energy boost may give you the extra push so you can grind it out until the end!
A word of advice – I don’t recommend pre workouts for someone who has sleep issues because of the stimulated and “excited” effect it has on your body. I recall taking the recommended dosage of the 1 M.R. Pre-workout a while ago in the afternoon. I definitely had a huge boost of energy, however it left me feeling too energetic for too long into the night. Next time I took half the recommended dosage and I still got a boost however, I was not in a vibrating state
until 11pm and was able to fall asleep.
Energy Bars, Shakes, and Drinks
This is my second favorite category next to Protein Powders.
In this category you will find protein bars and other products that are beneficial for just about anyone.
I will try to contain my excitement but my favorite Protein bars, are made by Quest! The reason they are my favorite is three-fold:
- They taste GREAT!!! Seriously guys—dessert.
- There have few additives. The bars are made up of about 5-6 ingredients with whey protein being the main ingredient.
- Each bar contains about 17g of fibre. This is great for the digestive system and helps keep me full.
Over the weekend a friend and I hit the seawall early for a long walk. I was planning on eating breakfast after the walk so we grabbed coffees and quest bars. It also tied me through our 2.5 hour power walk.
I have not tried the other protein bars in this category but I have tried and do use many of the other products on a daily basis. The ones I use regularly are Greens powder in my morning smoothies and I use Coconut oil for all my cooking and baking.
Click here to read on the benefits of coconut oil
Hope the breakdown of sport nutrition categories was helpful to distinguish which products are for you and which are not. As previously mentioned, I am a proponent of sport nutrition supplementing as it helps to fuel your goals, results, and hence keep you motivated. Choose a couple of supplements to start with and go from there. Good luck!
Article By:
Asma Kassam, BHK
Kinesiologist and Personal Trainer in Burnaby