Muscles aren’t just for men, so it makes sense, then, that muscle-building supplements aren’t just for men. That said, there’s a science to figuring out how to put supplements together in a way that fuels your workouts (and your gains) without flummoxing your stomach. You need to build slowly, allowing your body to adjust before adding to your stack. For a strong foundation, start with these five basics.

#1 Protein
Protein is absolutely crucial. Sure, you eat chicken and steak, but if you’re not supplementing with protein powder, you’re not on the fast track to muscle gain. After workouts, getting protein to your muscles as fast as possible boosts protein synthesis and, therefore, muscle growth. But which protein to use? Current research, including a study conducted at Baylor University (Waco, Texas) and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in 2006, shows that supplementing with a combination of whey and casein proteins after working out spurs the greatest increases in lean muscle mass.

Take this: Pre-workout (30 minutes before training), take 10-15 grams of protein; post-workout (immediately after training), take 20-30 grams.

E.g. Allmax Nutrition Isofemme Female Protein, Fitmiss Delight Protein

#2 Creatine
This ever popular supplement is the second most important component of your new plan. Produced naturally by muscles, creatine has been reported to promote significantly greater gains in strength, fat-free mass and performance primarily of high-intensity exercise tasks,” writes Richard Kreider, PhD, in a February 2003 study on the effects of creatine and exercise published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. It also increases endurance and helps create the pump that makes your muscles look so full at the end of a workout.

Take this: Pre-workout (30 minutes before training), take 3-5 grams of creatine; post-workout (immediately after training), take another 3-5 grams.

E.g. Allmax Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate, MusclePharm Creatine Core, Muscletech Celltech (for hardcore)

#3 Zinc Magnesium Aspartate (ZMA)
Wait, you might be thinking, I already get zinc and magnesium in my daily multivitamin. And you do, just not enough. The most definitive study on ZMA to date, published in the October 2000 issue of the Journal of Exercise Physiology, found that subjects who took the supplement experienced higher levels of two muscle-boosting hormones: testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Zinc is also known to be involved in protein synthesis, and magnesium works on the pathways that influence muscle growth.

Take this: Before bed, take two capsules of standardized ZMA, which will deliver 20 mg of zinc and 300 mg of magnesium. [Editor’s Note: The upper limit for zinc and magnesium is 40 mg and 350 mg, respectively. Check your multivitamin, if you’re currently taking one, to make sure you don’t reach these levels.

After three months of supplementing protein, creatine and ZMA, add this to the mix.

E.g.  Allmax Nutrition ZMA, MusclePharm ZMA

#4 Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
This alphabet soup is three essential amino acids (those that can’t be produced by the body and, therefore, must be ingested) that have a similar molecular makeup and are taken together for optimal effect. Of the three—isoleucine, leucine and valine—leucine is the star when it comes to muscle building because it both increases production of insulin, an anabolic hormone, and boosts protein synthesis. Taking all three BCAAs together is ideal, though, because they’re easily converted to glucose, which spares muscle glycogen and amino acid stores and gives you an extra surge of energy when you’re working out.

Take this: Pre- and post-workout, start off by taking 2—3 g BCAAs per dose and slowly increase the dosage to 5 grams.

E.g. Fitmiss BCAA, Allmax Nutrition Aminocuts, MusclePharm Amino1

A month after that, add this last supplement.

#5 Arginine
This gas produced in the body serves to dilate blood vessels, and wider blood vessels mean more blood flow, which equates to more nutrients, supplements and other good stuff getting to the muscles. The catch is that you can’t just pop an NO pill and wait for your muscles to grow. To increase your NO levels, you have to take arginine, an amino acid that the body breaks down into another amino acid, called citrulline, and NO.

Take this: Pre- and post-workout, take 2—3 grams of arginine.

E.g. Allmax Nutrition Arginine

Published by: Muscle & Fitness

1)      Chromium, which is a mineral that helps control blood sugar levels so that we don’t crave carbs as much.

2)      Caffeine Anhydrous is our caffeine source

3)      N-Acetyl l-Tyrosine is a brain stimulator, therefore putting us in a better mood and it helps with stress. This amino acid also helps with building muscles, cell growth and recovery. Super cool

4)      Citrus Aurantium – Fat burner

5)      Capsicum annuum, which works as a thermogenic so someone who takes this will feel their body temperature go up, possibly sweat more.

6)      Bioperine – helps our body absorb all these ingredients

AMINO DRIVE

Why take aminos? To recover. To hydrate.  To increase performance.  It helps fight muscle fatigue, muscle soreness and is perfect for during/post workout. Instead of breaking down our food to receive these aminos, drinking a BCAA drink such as AMINO DRIVE, goes straight to where it needs to go.

**SIDE NOTE: I personally love making POPSICLES out of the green apple flavor J It taste amazing for the summer time!**

Although BCAAs are an extremely popular supplement, few people are aware of the individual differences between their favorite brands. Just like the variance in type and quality of different proteins, a large difference can be found in your BCAA product!

There are many ways in which a BCAA supplement can differ, including:

1. The ratio of the 3 BCAAs,
2. Additional ingredients and fillers used,
3. Sweeteners and colors,
4. The quality of the actual BCAA.

 1. RATIO OF THE 3 BCAA

You’ve probably seen different ratios, varying from 1:1:1 all the way to 10:1:1. This describes the amount of Leucine to isoleucine and valine. While many supplements may use this as a “marketing tool”, manipulating the classic ratios may actually have a NEGATIVE effect on your physique.

Unbeknown to most, the most optimal ratio of BCAA products is 2:1:1, so a 4g serving should provide:

• 2g of Leucine,
• 1g of Isoleucine
• 1g of Valine

This is vitally important as Leucine is the key amino acid for stimulating Muscle Protein Synthesis. Because of its importance, many supplement companies market the idea of a higher ratio, such as 4:1:1, 8:1:1 or even 10:1:1, as being superior.

While this may sound correct in theory, science and research show otherwise. In short, when the ratio increases in favour of Leucine, you are basically taking a Leucine supplement, not BCAA. When scientists researched this, they found that supplementary Leucine post workout was LESS effective than a complete BCAA 2:1:1 product. As all 3 amino acids play an important, integrative role, they should be consumed as a COMPLETE product.

The other two amino acids also provide benefit, for example Valine can reduce fatigue, rate of perceived exertion in your workout and reduce the effects of serotonin on the brain (which leads to fatigue / tiredness).

Finally, our muscles naturally contain a 2:1:1 ratio, meaning we should use this to replenish our natural stores. If we do dose one specific BCAA too high, research has shown that we can deplete the other two BCAA, which is counterproductive and can cause negative effects!

2. ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS AND FILLERS

Many other products continually use fillers and additional ingredients to “Boost” their BCAA product. Again, this is a common marketing trick seen in the industry, with the supplement company trying to combine additional minerals and ingredients which are supposedly “beneficial”. While this may be the case in efficacious doses, these products usually only contain 10% of what is needed to be effective. It’s similar to eating just one bite of a chicken breast and expecting to grow, yet people continually buy into these “multi ingredient” BCAA products.

If you’ve not already guessed the REAL reason behind this, it is, of course, profit. BCAA alone can be fairly expensive; whereas other amino acids are extremely cheap. By adding the 1 gram of this and 1 gram of that, they can easily sell that 500g BCAA tub for more money. To the average consumer, it may even seem like they are getting better value for money!

Always check the label: that 500g BCAA tub may actually only be 250g of BCAA! This means you are actually paying DOUBLE the price for your BCAA products. Aim for BCAA products that contain at least 80 – 90% BCAA, e.g. 5g of BCAA powder should provide a minimum of 4.5g BCAA.

3. SWEETNERS AND COLORS

Following on from the point above, many BCAA products are filled with a ton of sweeteners and artificial colors. While some natural sweeteners can be fine, most commercial BCAA products contain several spoons full of sweeteners and flavorings.

Not only is this a quick trick to increase the amount of physical powder in the tub, which, as discussed above, is a clever marketing trick, leading the average consumer to think..

BIGGER TUB = MORE POWDER = BETTER VALUE

but it can actually be detrimental to your health, diet and physique! While some sweeteners in moderation can be ok, (with some natural sweeteners even being beneficial), this isn’t always the case in the supplement world.

Common issues when supplements and sweeteners/colors are combined include:

• A decrease in fasting blood sugar levels, which could cause fatigue and weakness during the exercise bout.
• Digestive issues and bloat, leading to discomfort and decreased performance.
• Impaired gut function over the long term, which can lead to fat gain, reduced nutrient absorption, less muscle and health issues.
• Sweeteners can also increase cravings for sugary food and make you more hungry – however this depends on the type of sweetener, the amount and the individual.
• Artificial colors can cause skin issues
• Artificial colors are constantly being banned by the FDA, with some research showing they are linked to mood and behavior disorders.

While we may not be able to avoid all artificial sweeteners and colors, if you are making every attempt to lead a “clean” and healthy lifestyle, it’s worth considering the 10 scoops of sweetener and colors in your BCAA product!

4. QUALITY OF YOUR BCAA PRODUCTS

As mentioned at the start, not all BCAA are created equally. There are various ways for companies to produce products such as BCAA and Glutamine, with the most common and cheapest method involving an undesirable, long extraction process.

This process starts with the hydrolysis of proteins to create the BCAA product, which can take several hours of heating involving commercial chemicals. This process also causes the by-products of amino acids hydrolysates, which require filtering before the product is fit for human consumption.

Unfortunately this process will occur for most of the BCAA products we see on the market. Due to the growing demand and popularity of supplements, natural fermented supplements are unable to compete with the requirements of modern day manufacturing in terms of volume and production time or cost. In fact, to create natural, fermented products it usually costs 300% – 400% of the cost of commercial synthetics!

It’s important to be aware of the negatives from synthetic BCAA / Glutamine production; this artificial manufacturing process can decrease the quality and increases the allergen andintolerance risk.

In fact, most BCAA products are made from..

DUCK FEATHERS & HUMAN HAIR

So if you’re adding in some BCAA or taking a regular pre workout, you are likely to be chugging down some human hair on a daily basis.

Just like eating natural whole foods, it’s important to take in NATURAL supplements, that your body is designed to process.

Many doctors and functional medicine practitioners agree, anything synthetic has a higher chance of being rejected/excreted from the body whereas natural, fermented products are digested without issue.

This is one reason KAGED MUSCLE uses natural, fermented BCAA and Glutamine only, thus decreasing any risk of intolerances, allergens or negative consequences of artificial products. All fermented products are made from 100% natural vegetable Sunflower Lecithin.

SUMMARY

In summary, purchasing a commercial BCAA / Glutamine product may not help you optimize your physique or health. We see many individuals making great lifestyle changes, removing artificial foods, ingredients and toxins; however they continually buy commercial pre workouts and BCAA products. Remember, the cheaper product may actually be more expensive when you consider fillers, BCAA ratio and quality.

If you’re trying to optimize your health and physique, avoiding these artificial supplements will help in the long term, especially with the emerging link to artificial products and gut health, intolerances, Xenoestrogens, hormones and toxins.

100% Vegan Fermentation Process

When purchasing your BCAA or Glutamine products aim for natural, fermented products that are Allergen free. BCAA should be purchased in a 2:1:1 ratio without additional fillers.