5 Best Protein Supplements for Body Builders

A combination of healthy eating and weight lifting is a great start to building muscle. Applying tried and true methods to your fitness routine is nearly always a good approach. Trusted methods for sculpting the body you want will help you to reach your goals, for sure.

These days, fitness experts are advocating for supplements to enhance your good habits. Take a look at five of the best protein supplements for bodybuilders. A breakdown of some of the most beneficial types can help you to narrow down a supplement regimen that works for you.

1. Whey Protein

Whey protein tops most body-building supplement lists. That's because it's most effective for stimulating protein synthesis. Whey is a natural milk protein, so it digests quickly and is expediently transferred to the muscles. Peptides are an ingredient of whey. These small proteins boost blood flow to the muscles.

Of course, if you're allergic to milk or have trouble digesting it, this may be a choice you wish to avoid. Otherwise, it's a good choice for most individuals that produce consistently positive results. A smart option for many users is to choose a whey protein isolate such as ISO protein powder. These are whey proteins that are smaller and easier to digest, allowing your body to be fueled more quickly and efficiently.

2. Creatine

Creatine is a supplement that has been shown to add around 10 pounds of body weight and significantly increases strength. It's made up of three amino acids. These are arginine, glycine, and methionine. Creatine takes a multi-level approach to its effectiveness.

It helps you to perform more reps by increasing the amount of fast energy in your muscles. Having a higher amount of available fast energy means you can do more reps, leading to an increase in muscle size and strength. It also promotes long-term muscle cell growth by drawing more water into the cells, causing them to stretch. Finally, creatine boosts levels of insulin-like growth factor - 1 (IGF-1) in your muscles. This substance stimulates muscle growth as well.

3. Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that's been a go-to for bodybuilders over the past few decades. It's found naturally and plentifully in the human body, and it's essential to muscle function. This supplement is packed with benefits to enhance your bodybuilding routine.

One way it increases muscle growth is by stimulating leucine levels in the muscle fibers. It also decreases the breakdown of muscle mass. Plus, it fortifies the immune system, meaning you'll get sick less often and miss fewer workouts. Take it before your workouts to lower your muscle fatigue and raise your levels of growth hormone.

Recent studies seem to indicate that glutamine increase the number of calories and fat you can burn at rest, improving your chances of losing weight.

4. ZMA

When it comes to beneficial bodybuilding supplements, ZMA is one you'll want to strongly consider. That's because it supplies you with some of the primary minerals you need, which are often lost through vigorous exercise such as weight lifting. ZMA contains zinc, magnesium aspartate, and vitamin B6.

Critical functions of these minerals include hormone level maintenance and better sleep. Studies indicate that taking ZMA can increase both testosterone and IGF-1. As you probably know, higher levels of these factors can result in more muscle gain.

5. Carnitine

You may have heard of carnitine before due to its popularity as a fat-loss supplement. It's also great at enhancing muscle growth in ways that can be backed up by clinical research.

Benefits include:

-Increased testosterone levels

-Higher blood flow to muscles

-Increased levels of IGF-1

Supplements loaded with multiple benefits can give you a quality jumpstart to your muscle-building routine. Carnitine is well worth your consideration.

Which supplement is right for you will be a matter of trial and error. Each individual's body composition, lifestyle, and goals differ. Therefore, plan to try out different supplementations to your workout routines.

Starting with this list of some of the most tried and true bodybuilding supplements will streamline the process, increasing your chances of finding something you like. You can always branch out to other supplements once your core regiment is solidly in place.