Bodybuilders, lifters and trainers are always looking for ways to optimise their performance, whether it be through food, supplements or lifestyle changes. Nutrition is imperative for any trainer that wants to realise their full potential and achieve awesome results. What is most important for any trainer is to ensure they choose the right nutrition for their personal application.
Here is how to optimise your nutrition and supplement intake to maximise your performance.
Supplements are essential for serious trainers who want to recover quickly and build lean, shredded muscle. Many trainers would ideally consume the food required to recover and build quickly, but unfortunately, most store-bought produce doesn’t contain the vital nutrition to make this happen.
Therefore, sports supplements found online and in stores are important for filling the void in modern nutrition. For example, bodybuilders and lifters will incorporate supplements including creatine and protein supplements into their nutritional program to ensure their bodies are receiving the nutrition that store-bought foods cannot provide.
Different supplements are used depending on what the trainer is trying to achieve. For example, trainers trying to produce powerful workouts and push their bodies further may choose to use creatine, as it provides the muscles and tissue needed to produce big workouts.
Post-workout, they might choose to use a protein concentrate to provide them with the building blocks for powerful muscles. Individuals who struggle to gain serious muscle from protein powders might choose to use protein concentrates like Recov to provide them with the calories to do just that.
Ultimately, it all comes down to your personal preference and what you are trying to achieve in the gym. People who are about to enter a serious training period, complete with supplement use, are advised to discuss their proposed regimen with a sports nutritionist or doctor to ensure they are ready to handle the changes these supplements provide.
Healthy fats, vitamin D and other elements are important for maintaining general health and wellbeing throughout serious training periods. The human body requires a balanced intake to ensure it is healthy and prepared for training. Healthy fats like omega-3 and omega-6 are important for maintaining balance, whereas vitamin D is important for developing immune function, bone development and for reducing inflammation.
Many trainers will eat a protein-based breakfast as it is important for recovery and training. People often eat carb-only breakfast and unfortunately these contain little nutritional content. Protein at breakfast ensures your recovery is on track, especially the morning after a big training session. Skip the cornflakes and go for foods like Greek yogurt, sausages, eggs and even beans or quinoa to power your mornings and work hard at the gym.
It is really quite simple: you want to keep your protein intake up, increase calories on training days and keep the fats to non-training days. Fats help with muscle soreness and cellular regeneration (on off days) whilst carbohydrates to replenish liver and muscle glycogen. Balance this with a healthy supplement regimen and you will be boosting training performance like never before.