Supplements needed after intense workouts

Intense workouts leave the body exhausted. Its protein and energy stores are depleted. The muscles need repairs. Post-workout supplements promote muscle recovery, repair and growth, restock the energy stores and cut down on muscle breakdown. After a workout, people need protein, carbohydrates, and creatine. Proteins are vital as they contain the amino acids, which build muscles. Carbohydrates supply energy for all activities. They restock the energy store. Creatine acts as a fuel during low-oxygen phases and strengthens muscle cells. It also helps cells to retain more water. 

Needs quantified

Men need 50 grams of good protein after a workout. Muscle repair and growth are impossible such an intake. The protein intake has to continue throughout the day. Men require 50 grams of carbohydrates after a workout. The carbohydrate store has to be filled again to optimize the density of muscles and store glycogen. Men need 2-10 grams of creatine. Creatine moves easily with proteins and carbohydrates to its destination and speeds up muscle formation.  Branched-chain amino acids added to water are consumed in the last 30 minutes of the workout. After the workout, 25-45 grams of whey protein/ whey isolate are taken. Then the normal food plus some creatine in warm water. The meals may include steak, burritos, bacon, and chicken.

 Online availability

Best post-workout supplements for men are easily available online. There are hundreds of brands and each brand offers innumerable products. There is keen competition among the brands to capture a huge chunk of the big global market of diet supplements. The 2014 global sales of the dietary supplements are estimated to be $50 billion. The brands try to offer the lowest prices, promise best quality, claim that their products are the purest and the most effective and also come up with festival offers and the usual incentives like discounts from 10 percent to as high as 70 percent.

Protein supplements

Various types of proteins are being marketed. They include whey, soy, casein and isolate proteins, protein blends and protein bars. They can be in the form of powder, liquid, syrup, tablets or capsules. There can be many popular flavours of these supplements, including apple, strawberry, lemon, mango and vanilla. 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates supplements include dextrose and maltodextrin. They digest fast. Dextrose is glucose. Maltodextrin digests fast but is not sweet nor has any flavour. Waxy maize has no sugar. It is absorbed quickly. It replenishes the glycogen store. Carbohydrates may be taken immediately after a workout or one or two hours later. 

The case of creatine

Creatine is available in powder, pills and liquid form and can be taken with water or any other beverage. Creatine helps the body to carry out high-intensity work, improves brain functioning, aids bone healing, promotes muscle recovery and growth. But it can have certain side effects. Many experts warn against its potential ill effects. 

Get expert opinion

The supplements to be taken before or after a workout vary greatly with individuals. Each person’s needs, doses and timing have to be decided correctly. So, it is always better to have a consultant to help in selecting and monitoring the effects of the supplements.