LAZAR ANGELOV - Supplements Why they are important?

Supplements - Why they are important?

 

I get asked often if supplements are really necessary. I personally believe that supplements are helpful especially in terms of shortening recovery times between workouts. However, people that can benefit mostly from supplements are intermediate and advanced athletes. Novice and beginners do not really need supplements that much, because their bodies have the capacity to recover from workouts and progress easily.


Advanced athletes can really benefit from supplementation, because the intensity and volume of their workouts is very big and the body’s natural ability to recover is limited, so any additional diet optimization through the use of concentrated amino acids, protein powder or vitamin combinations may boosts the recovery process significantly. I would make a gross estimate that for beginners supplements may give an additional boost in recovery of approximately 5%, in intermediate trainees 5-10% and in advanced athletes 10-20%, depending on the products and quantities being used.


Many of my online clients ask if they need to use supplements. Most of the times my answer is YES, supplements do help and optimize nutrition, however, if your diet is 100% in-check, you sleep well and your energy levels are good, then you can get away without using any dietary supplements. This holds true for the majority of people, but there are still some basic supplements that everyone can take and benefit, such as whey protein, BCAA, omega-3 essential fats and multivitamins/multiminerals. These supplements you can take all-year round because they provide numerous health benefits in combination will better recovery and muscle growth. Supplements can often become a necessity for people who cannot have all their meals because they are travelling or busy at work.


In such situations having a protein shake may prove the best solution, because you will supply your body with vital amino acids, while still following a healthy diet and not eating those junk sandwiches from the kiosk down the street. I recommend whey protein shakes as the single most valuable supplements not only for people involved in sports, but for everyone wishing to improve his health and protein intake, while keeping track of calories and time. So the answer to the questions “Are supplements needed” is NO, but “Are supplements helpful” – definitely YES. One should also keep in mind that a single dose of whey protein may cost less than a dollar, while it’s very hard to find a quality food protein source with 25 grams of clean bioavailable protein for less than a dollar, especially when considering the ease of consumption that supplements provide over whole foods.

So my advice is for beginners to pay more attention to their diets and establishing good eating habits, while only using supplements such as whey protein and creatine. Intermediate and advanced athletes may benefit from supplementing with wider range of products, but they have to make sure they are buying quality stuff that works.


In my Pro Tips you can read more in-depth analysis about which supplements are recommended for beginners, for intermediate and for advanced bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts.The maintenance of high levels of carbohydrate consumption for long period of time causes a drop in insulin sensitivity. Lowered insulin sensitivity means that your body doesn’t respond to insulin very efficiently and this creates a “damaged” glucose deposition and usage system, which will ultimately lead to more fat deposits and less muscle glycogen.
My advice is to do bulking for 2-3 weeks followed by 1-2 weeks of lowered carbohydrate intake. Another way is to eat high carbs for 2-3 days of the weeks, followed by 1-2 days of low carb consumption. This cycling will help maintain good insulin sensitivity and the body will continue to use carbs efficiently and prevent unwanted gain in fat. Carb cycling is essential for optimized muscle growth and fat loss!