Whey Protein Isolate
Protein supplements are essential supplements for bodybuilders and fitness lovers. After all, 80% of dry skeletal muscle comprises a protein. We have known for decades that muscle cells need a constant and abundant supply of amino acids to renew, repair and synthesize new proteins during growth.
Whey protein isolate is made from whey protein concentrate (whey, one of the milk proteins) and represents the purest protein source of all those on the market, with a purity of around 90% on most products.
Whey Protein Isolate Benefits
Whey protein isolate contains approximately only 0.5% fat and less than 0.5% lactose making it ideal for those who want to control their fat intake and are lactose intolerant. Its importance for muscle building is due to the abundance of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and the profile of the eight essential amino acids.
Whey protein isolate is quickly digested (compared to other products), which leads to greater use of amino acids to quickly repair and build muscle tissue. Numerous studies confirm the positive effect of this “super supplement” on muscle development and strength.
Whey protein isolates act as a powerful anabolic agent and provide multiple benefits for muscle building. For example, it upregulates the production of antioxidants (glutathione) due to its large amount of cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. In addition, ß-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and immunoglobulin subfractions positively affect general health and development.
Strategy to gain mass:
Upon waking, take 30-40 grams of whey protein isolate to kick start anabolic mode and stop any possibility of catabolism from overnight fasting. Then, 30 minutes before training and again immediately after, have a shake containing 20-30 grams of high-quality whey protein isolate.
Protein shake
This food guarantees that the levels of amino acids in the blood are optimal and constant during training and recovery.
Note: Remember that not all protein products are the same and that the quality and the moment they are taken are key to gaining mass.
Recommended product: Isolate Whey 100 CFM
Caseinate
Micellar casein (the other milk protein) is the purest form of casein. A micelle is a large colloidal particle, and this property gives casein the ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach, making it a long-acting amino acid supplier. Micellar casein is isolated using microfiltration, so protein supplementation should be one of the essential supplements for athletes.
Recommended Product: Day & Night Casein
Hydrolyzed
Whey protein hydrolyzate is usually manufactured from whey protein isolate, producing enzymatic degradation (hydrolysis, breakdown) in it to “pre-digest” the protein; therefore, it contains a high proportion of peptide fractions (short chains). Of amino acids).
The result is a powder with many small, low molecular weight (MW) peptides. These low-MW diy tri-peptides are absorbed faster than any other protein or amino acid supplement.
Consequently, the intake of whey protein hydrolyzate brings more water to the muscle cell (giving it more volume). It stimulates anabolism, accelerating recovery and the normal functioning of the immune system.
The rate of absorption of di- and tripeptides is greater than that of free amino acids; therefore, the competition between these two substrates is minimized, which favors the assimilation of small fractions of peptides.
Consequently, the intake of whey protein hydrolyzate brings more water to the muscle cell (giving it more volume). It stimulates anabolism, accelerating recovery and the normal functioning of the immune system. The rate of absorption of di- and tripeptides is greater than that of free amino acids; therefore, the competition between these two substrates is minimized, which favors the assimilation of small fractions of peptides.
Strategy to gain mass
Consume a shake containing 25-30 grams of high-quality hydrolyzate immediately after training (instead of the whey protein isolate shake). This will allow you to take full advantage of the anabolic window by providing a rapid flow of amino acids into the blood, fully maximizing muscle growth.
Creatine
If you think that the advantages of creatine supplements originated in the science of the 20th century, you are wrong. A scientist named Leibeg first hypothesized about creatine’s muscle-building potential as far back as 1847. More than half a century later, researchers began extracting creatine from meat and investigating its properties as a performance-enhancing ergogenic aid.
Creatine is a non-essential substance that the body produces (from arginine, methionine, and glycine) and is found mainly in meat products. Countless scientific studies show creatine’s impact on muscle strength, building, and power.
Creatine Monohydrate Optimum Nutrition supplementation is associated with skeletal muscle hypertrophy and increased protein synthesis due to its ability to create an osmotic gradient that draws water into muscle cells (a signal for anabolism). Furthermore, creatine increases muscle phosphocreatine, which produces more ATP (a form of energy) and, consequently, allows training sessions to be longer and more intense. Recent scientific evidence has also shown that creatine ingestion elevates Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), thus providing another avenue for mass building.
How to take it?
Based on scientific data, the best way to supplement with creatine monohydrate is through a loading phase of approximately 4/5 days at the rate of 0.2 grams (200 mg) per kilogram of body weight per day, followed by phase maintenance at a rate of 0.05 grams (50 mg) per kilo of body weight per day.
During the loading phase, divide the total daily dose into servings of approximately 5 grams to be taken throughout the day in 3-4 servings. Make sure you take one 30 minutes before training and one after training.
Recent scientific evidence has also shown that creatine ingestion elevates Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), thus providing another avenue for mass building and making it another must-have supplement that should not be missed. miss you
- pure creatine supplement
- Strategy to gain mass
During the maintenance phase, on training days, this is one of the essential supplements, so take a portion before and another after training; on rest days, take one shot in the morning and one in the afternoon. Take your creatine with fast-digesting carbohydrates (for example, sugars like dextrose (glucose)) to maximize absorption.
Recommended Product: Pure Creatine
Glutamine
Glutamine is another essential supplement and one of the body’s most abundant amino acids; it is probably the most popular amino acid supplement used by bodybuilders worldwide. And for a good reason – glutamine is necessary for normal muscle function and plays an essential role in muscle growth.
It is a primary energy source for the immune and digestive systems and is destroyed during intense workouts. Regarding its direct effect on muscle growth, glutamine triggers the level of intramuscular Leucine, which produces an anti-catabolic effect, that is, it preserves muscle and prevents its loss and its degradation. It also raises growth hormone levels and contributes to energy production. What’s more, glutamine ingestion strengthens the immune system, decreasing the risk of overtraining and, therefore, losing training due to illness.
New studies show that taking glutamine before training combats exercise to fatigue (buffers metabolic byproducts, allowing longer, more intense workouts), and post-exercise ingestion helps replenish glycogen in fatigued muscles (contributing to faster energy recovery). Fast). BCAAs are true muscle builders and are essential supplements during exercise and recovery.
- l glutamine
- Strategy to gain mass
Take glutamine four times daily in doses of 3-5 grams, once upon waking up, another 30 minutes before training, another immediately after training, and another before bed.
Recommended Product: L-Glutamine from Weider
Arginine
Most bodybuilders recognize the benefits of high-quality Arginine supplementation. What can bring us relatively short or long-term success when taken alone or accompanied by other anabolic ingredients? L -Arginine fulfills many important bodily functions, and recent studies have found multiple reasons to add it to our list of essential supplements.
In metabolic terms, L-Arginine is vital for its ability to transport, process, and excrete nitrogen. It also functions as a much-needed substrate for synthesizing creatine and nitric oxide. Through its effect on nitric oxide production, arginine supplementation increases blood flow to skeletal muscle when you train, transporting nutrients and eliminating waste metabolites, allowing you to train harder and longer.
When you’re resting, the extra blood flow to tired muscles increases nutrient transport and removes waste byproducts, optimizing the muscle environment for recovery.
Benefits of L-Arginine
Supplementation with L-arginine favors growth hormone (GH) levels in the blood, norepinephrine, and epinephrine concentrations, and insulin, glucagon, and prolactin levels in the blood to increase even more. “L-Arginine drives increased nitric oxide production, which opens up blood vessels increasing flow – congestion – and transport of muscle-building nutrients.” anabolism.
In addition, it works by increasing mitochondria (the energy “powerhouses”) in skeletal muscle, which intensifies metabolism and increases the ability to use energy for contraction.
As if that weren’t enough, prolonged use of L-arginine has been shown to increase blood vessel growth in both skeletal and cardiac (heart) muscle resulting in a greater ability to transport nutrients and remove metabolites during and after training.
Strategy to gain mass
Most products are sold as nitric oxide precursors, so try to find one that contains at least 2-5 grams per shot of arginine in the form of L-arginine base, L-arginine HCl (hydrochloride), or L-arginine. -alpha ketoglutarato. Take three servings daily: the first upon waking, the second 30 minutes before training, and the last before bed.
Recommended Product: L-Arginine from Weider
BCAAs
The essential amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine share a unique branched structure and are transported and metabolized by the same mechanisms. One of the fundamental properties of BCAAs is that the muscles quickly consume them after intense training. Leucine is key to accelerating protein synthesis through different mechanisms in skeletal muscle. First, Leucine has been shown to increase the secretion of insulin, a highly anabolic hormone.
At the molecular level, recovery after resistance exercise is mainly supported by Leucine. Hence the importance of ingesting supplements that can increase its intramuscular concentration (very necessary), which activates muscle growth factors. Studies have shown that neither carbohydrates nor non-essential or essential amino acids have the anabolic capacity of Leucine.
BCAAs have been shown to lower blood cortisol (which is catabolic and reduces testosterone levels), improve training intensity, decrease perceived exertion, combat fatigue, and improve recovery. This makes BCAAs true muscle builders with incredible benefits during exercise and recovery. For them, they are another of the essential supplements when you work on strength.
Strategy to gain mass
Take 5-10 grams of BCAAs at breakfast, 30 minutes before exercise, and again after 60 minutes of training. Studies show that the best ratio of BCAAs is 2:1:1 (there should be twice as much Leucine as the rest). Most product manufacturers take this into account in their formulas.
Recommended Product: BCAAs with L-Glutamine from Weider
Prohormonals
For years, scientists have worked hard in their labs trying to find more and more compounds that naturally increase testosterone production, and this effort has only increased since prohormones were banned.
Natural testosterone boosters have been around for centuries, mainly used to increase libido and virility. For this reason alone, it should be one of the essential supplements in your day to day.
weider-prime-testosterone
Studies on protodioscin have shown that it increases testosterone levels, luteinizing hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels. A recent publication clearly showed that the protodioscin concentration in herbal extracts is highly influenced by plant standardization. This is why you should always look for products that contain standardized plant extracts and only buy products from reputable and well-established manufacturers. Quality products usually use standardized extracts indicating the percentage of standardization and, if possible, the method of analysis used.
