Protein stimulates the production of hunger-reducing hormones in your blood. Peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) are two such hormones that increase in your blood as soon as you eat a fulfilling meal or you take a protein supplement.

The feeling of fullness that you get is because these hormones decrease your hunger drive, and also delay the emptying of your stomach contents.

And what’s more? Protein supplementation also reduces the appetite-stimulator ghrelin in your blood, making you less likely to seek out your favourite delicious meal that can send you off track.

Do you know the magic fatigue-fighting compound to alleviate your muscle tiredness?

Beta-alanine produces a compound called carnosine in your blood, that fights off muscle fatigue after a tiresome session. An experimental research article in the International Journal of Physiology revealed that the intake of beta-alanine increased a person’s time to exhaustion by 19% during high-intensity interval training when taken for 6 weeks regularly. Another research in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that the rowers who supplemented for seven weeks with Beta-Alanine were faster than the placebo group in a 2,000-meter race.

In short, for faster performance with lower exhaustion, beta-alanine is a must have supplement.

Are these supplements the only thing to help your muscles recover from the daily breakdown?

Supplements are one of the three vital things that your muscles need. The other two are rest and hydration, which are often overlooked. At least 8 hours of sleep per night is recommended for optimal muscle recovery from intense training, neglecting this often causes muscle degradation from overtraining. Also, a day or two off from your workout schedule every week is an important aspect that you shouldn’t neglect.

How much water do I need to drink?
Did you know that the colour of your urine is an indicator for if you’re adequately hydrated?
Normally, the color of your urine should be pale or amber, which indicates that your body has nough water to excrete the wastes. The darker it is, the more water you need to consume to properly hydrate your body.

Another way to estimate your body’s water requirement is to weigh yourself before and after you exercise. For every pound that you lose, drink at least 2 to 3 cups (16 to 24 ounces) of water to replace your fluid loss.

Remember, your muscles are 75% water!

When you work out intensively, you lose a huge amount of water content through sweat. Making sure you are adequately hydrated pre-workout, and fluid replacement post-workout is a key factor in muscle recovery.

Is water the only way to hydrate my body?

No! There are many options to improve hydration uptake! We have mentioned below two of the best fluids that you can use to fasten your recovery.

“Caffeinated drinks are dehydrating”

You might have often heard this common myth, but the truth is quite the opposite. Caffeinated drinks have been found to hydrate as much as water as highlighted by a study by the University of Birmingham.

And what’s more?

Caffeine can even help you fight off your muscle soreness. Many studies have highlighted the role of caffeine in reducing muscle fatigue, and the effects of DOMS post-workout.

200 to 400 mg of caffeine, 30–60 minutes before a workout will not only improve your workout session performance, but may aid in your hydration regime.

Electrolyte Supplements, most of which are sugar and caffeine free, when mixed with water help your body to absorb the water more effectively and also supply your body with vitamins, trace minerals and of course replace the electrolytes lost through sweat in your training session. For help in choosing an electrolyte supplement contact us for advice.

From expert advice to the best supplements, we have everything that you need to recover.

Protein stimulates the production of hunger-reducing hormones in your blood. Peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) are two such hormones that increase in your blood as soon as you eat a fulfilling meal or you take a protein supplement.

The feeling of fullness that you get is because these hormones decrease your hunger drive, and also delay the emptying of your stomach contents.

And what’s more? Protein supplementation also reduces the appetite-stimulator ghrelin in your blood, making you less likely to seek out your favourite delicious meal that can send you off track.

Increasing your energy expenditure is another way to lose weight.

What happens when you intake a large amount of protein?

Your body decides to metabolize those proteins, but for that, it needs to burn a greater amount of calories than it does for glucose or fats.

It also helps you burn extra calories through gluconeogenesis, a process where glucose is synthesized from proteins or fats in the absence of carbs.

A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that the subjects who took a high-protein, and low carbs diet had a 42% increase in their calorie consumption due to the process of gluconeogenesis. Also, 33% of the glucose produced, was consumed in the process.

If you were still confused if protein supplements actually worked for weight loss, you’ve got the answer now! The scientists have done the research for you!

Belly fat is the nightmare that most people want to get rid of.

However, losing it isn’t only important for aesthetic reasons, but for protecting you from heart diseases and Diabetes that are strongly linked with it.

Well, protein supplements are a savior here too!

High protein diets and supplements have been shown to increase fat metabolism in various studies. In a study highlighted in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, protein was found to be inversely related to the central abdominal fat, i.e. the better the quality and the intake of proteins, the more belly fat you’ll lose.

“So, More protein shakes = More weight loss?”

Reading this blog till now might actually make you think that bombarding your body with protein supplements would actually make you lose more weight.

This isn’t completely true!

While protein supplements have a strong role in your weight loss struggle, there’s an even more important aspect that you need to take care of- your calorie intake.

Losing weight is only possible if you keep your body in a calorie deficit, which can be done by decreasing your intake or increasing your calorie expenditure, or a combination of both.

Protein supplements might decrease your food cravings, but they do add 4 calories to your body for each gram you take. Thus, flooding your stomach with protein supplements might actually mean overfeeding your body with calories, leading to a weight gain instead of the opposite.

So, what can you do to be on the right track??

“Calories in – calories out”

Whatever pre-workout supplement you buy, this is usually the main core ingredient.

Caffeine is a popular morning energy boost for refreshing your sleepy eyes and brain. Just like a cup of coffee activates you before you begin your day, caffeine in these supplements works the same.

Most brands of pre-workout range from 150 mg to 300 mg of caffeine per serving, which is almost around 1 to 3 cups of coffee that you would have take every morning. 99% of this is absorbed into your blood within 45 minutes of its intake, giving you the extra push that you need during your workouts.

A 2020 review of 21 published studies on caffeine also highlighted its benefits in enhancing endurance, muscle strength, jumping performance, and speed. Thus, caffeine’s effectiveness has been backed by numerous scientific studies.

Beta-alanine is an amazing compound that can fight off muscle fatigue when taken before workouts. It triggers the formation of carnosine in blood, which actually helps your muscles to contract for a longer period, allowing you to push harder for longer before reaching the point of failure.

A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition took 30 healthy individuals for a 5-weeks training program. The group that took beta-alanine showed better power output than the placebo group, favoring the use of beta-alanine as a pre-workout ingredient.

Creatine is the most widely known compound for its role in muscle building.

An article published in the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 22 experimental studies on Creatine’s effectiveness on muscles and concluded that Creatine is a potent compound for increasing lean muscle mass and upper and lower body strength during resistance workouts.

A pinch of creatine in your system blood before you begin your workout is definitely a good choice.

Have you ever felt like leaving your workouts just because you’re in a bad mood?

Well, Tyrosine can help! This ingredient is actually a mood-lifter for weightlifters. It releases dopamine and nor-adrenaline in your blood to maintain your cognitive and mental health during stressful workout sessions.
Allowing you to make the most out of your workouts. N-acetyl-l-tyrosine in your pre-workout supplements can be a game changer.