Everyone knows that taking sports supplements can help boost your energy levels before a workout and give you all the vitamins and nutrients you need to build muscle, but not so many people are aware of some of the drawbacks. Here we’ll look at the most popular type of supplement, and see if it really is as good as they claim.
For anyone starting out on a muscle building regime, it doesn’t take long to realise that it’s going to take more than just lifting weights alone. Getting the right nutrients into your body is the best way to speed up the process, and the most important supplement you can take is protein. Taking a good pre workout supplement and drinking protein shakes has become incredibly popular ritual in recent years in many gyms, as many people recognise how convenient a way it is of boosting your energy levels and increasing your daily protein intake. They’re not without their drawbacks, though.
Firstly, the cost of buying protein shakes as a tub of powder far exceeds the price of the ingredients that have gone into making it – the manufacturers are making a very healthy profit, capitalising on people’s desires of wanting a quick way to a stronger body. It’s usually more cost effective to buy a tub of whey protein, and mix up with some fruit and milk in a blender to make your own shake. This will help get over the second drawback too, which is with the taste. There’s no getting away from it, most of these shakes taste pretty bad. Luckily you’ll only be drinking two a day, and as they’re a means to an end and you’re not drinking them for recreation, you can probably get by with holding your nose as you gulp it down. Shortly after drinking the shake, you’ll begin to notice the bloated swelling feeling you get in your stomach – these drinks can take a little getting used to, and while you are they can play havoc with your digestive system. Starting a weight lifting session feeling like you’re about to pop, is never nice.
The long term effects of protein supplements can’t be argued with – a scientific study published in 2004 showed that increasing your protein intake can have a remarkable effect on the speed that your body builds muscle. Protein is a substance that naturally forms in your body, so there aren’t really any health concerns with increasing your intake – provided you do so sensibly, and according to the instructions that come with the supplement. Those who have a history of liver and kidney trouble would be wise to check with their doctor before taking any kind of dietary supplement, and protein shakes are no exception.
So, all in all, are they worth it – well, they are proven to help build the body you desire and only you will know if this is worth living with the drawbacks outlined above. Even when taking protein supplements you’ll be embarking on a muscle-building process that will take several months, so you should factor this in when you’re working out any costs.