San Antonio Personal Trainer Boyd Myers

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Do Supplements "Work"?

Everywhere you look, the current emphasis seems to be on a "magic pill" or powder to help individuals "lose weight fast" or "add ten pounds of muscle in 4 weeks". While many dietary and sports supplements do make it easier for someone to follow a nutritional program, many individuals make the mistake of making supplements the cornerstone of their dietary plans. Not only is this practice counterproductive, but it is can also be quite expensive.

Everywhere you look, the current emphasis seems to be on a "magic pill" or powder to help individuals "lose weight fast" or "add ten pounds of muscle in 4 weeks". While many dietary and sports supplements do make it easier for someone to follow a nutritional program, many individuals make the mistake of making supplements the cornerstone of their dietary plans. Not only is this practice counterproductive, but it is can also be quite expensive.

Nutrition and sports supplements is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, and for good reason. Supplements can be looked at as "super foods" that can assist individuals in a number of ways, including aiding weight loss, gaining muscle, providing energy, or helping individuals recover from intense exercise. They provide a specific measurement of nutrients, and they can also aid in making up for the poor nutrient content of many of the foods that we eat. But too many folks neglect proper nutrition and exercise, instead relying on a magic pill to help them reach their personal fitness goals.

Here are some important tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your exercise time and the most of your money when purchasing dietary supplements. If you're a weekend warrior, a stay at home mother, or a regular "gym rat", I encourage you to take a look at your overall nutrition and exercise programs and implement these guidelines as needed.

Take a multivitamin/mineral everyday Without a shadow of a doubt, the most important, and probably the most neglected supplement is a high quality multivitamin. The body is a very complex machine, and requires different amounts of many different substances to function optimally. A shortage of just one vitamin or mineral can cause the body to go into total chaos, and not function at an optimal level. I recommend a high-end multivitamin (not just a basic one-a-day). Find one that has high amounts of all essential vitamins that aid in fat metabolism, muscle repair, strengthening of the immune system. Many individuals rely on the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) established by the government, but fail to realize that this designation is the essential amount of nutrition for mere survival. If a person wishes to eat for optimum performance, they must go well above the RDAs.

Eat five to six meals per day. Many individuals feel that they can survive, and perhaps perform optimally on two or three large meals per day. This just isn?t possible. Eating several times throughout the day, preferably every two to three hours, provides the body with a constant supply of nutrients, increases metabolism, reduces the chance of overeating, and keeps blood sugar and energy levels stable. The meals can be simple-a serving of high quality complex carbohydrates, a fibrous vegetable, and a serving of lean protein will do the trick. Although it may be impractical to eat whole meals every few hours, I personally rely on meal replacement bars and drinks to assist me in getting the nutrients I need, especially when I?m away from home. There are many companies out there that market many high quality meal replacements that actually taste surprisingly good.

Eat several servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. Somehow, you had an idea that this would be included. Your mother always told you to eat your veggies, and believe it or not, she was right! Fruits and vegetables contain a high number of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that meats and breads do not. Also, most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which plays a very important role in one's overall nutrition. Not only has fiber been clinically proven to reduce cholesterol and the chances of heart disease, it also aids in digestion and absorption, ensuring the body is accepting all of the vitamins and minerals that you are feeding it.

Exercise. Sounds like a no-brainer, but many people are lured into believing that they can lay around and do nothing but take a pill and watch the fat melt away. This may not only be a waste of time and money, but it can also be very dangerous. Many "fat burners" or thermogenics, are designed to increase the heart rate to get it to a training level in a shorter amount of time. If an individual has a weak heart, the increased workload could potentially cause problems such as dehydration, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure, or even a heart attack. When used in conjunction with sound nutritional practices and exercise, these metabolic aids can safely assist individuals in shedding unwanted body fat. But be careful, more is not always better, and the body will build up a tolerance to these supplements, which often contain caffeine and aspirin. If you do decide to use a supplement that increases metabolism by increasing the heart rate, I suggest that you consult a physician, and always use the supplement as the label suggests, even for the products that do not contain ephedrine.

Get Plenty of Rest. This is the missing factor in so many training routines. Your body needs time to repair. If you're not allowing muscles to heal before breaking them down again, they'll never grow to their fullest potential. Also, if you?re not getting enough sleep at night(at least 7 hours, preferably 8-9 hours), you will never realize your full fitness potential. In today's society, so many people believe that they don't have time to sleep, when in all reality, they don't have time NOT to sleep. Getting enough sleep will make your awake hours more productive. So what it took you 11 hours to do on 4-5 hours sleep, will be done in 6-7 hours with 8 hours of sleep!

Supplements are just what the word implies: supplements, or as the dictionary words it, something added to a complete thing. They should not be used as the cornerstone of your nutritional program, yet as an aid to assist you in making sure that you are getting the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fats.

There are many other ways to assist you to get the most "bang for your buck" when trying to reach your fitness goals. Consulting a knowledgeable personal trainer or nutrition specialist is a step in the right direction. These individuals are educated in constructing diets and exercise routines that are tailor made for each individual to assist that person in reaching their fitness and health goals.