The Five Essential Supplements for Men Involved with Fitness

 Here at iLiveFit we are constantly asked: “What supplements should I be taking?”

The answer: All MEN in fitness should be taking the following five supplements:

1) Multivitamins are critical to supplement the daily vitamins and minerals lost on low calorie and poor diets.  Vitamin deficiencies are found to cause lethargy, depression, exhaustion and depression.  Dieting causes hunger pangs and blood sugar fluctuations however, a multivitamin that is rich in chromium aids in preventing swings in blood sugar level AND assists your body in using fat storage.  Intense workouts drain your body of essential nutrients that can be replaced by good a b-complex multivitamin.

2) Omega 3 Fatty Acids, have been found to eliminate depression, improve skin health/complexion, lift brain fog, ease joint pain, prevent cancer cell growth, boost your immune system and lower risk of heart disease.

3) Whey Isolate/Casein Protein Blend is far superior to all other forms of protein.  It provides the body with the perfect amino acid profile for muscle building strength and recovery.  Body builders, professional athletes all use Whey Isolate protein to increase lean muscle mass, strength, metabolism and muscle repair.  Hydro whey also works to reduce recovery times and post-workout muscle breakdown.  Hydro-whey protein is fast ingesting and works as an antioxidant to boost the body’s immune system. Casein protein is considered to be the “slow” acting protein and can be taken in conjunction with whey or not.  While whey is fast acting and intended to be ingested ideally within 15 minutes of exercise (and before a workout for mass, and weight building) Casein is slow acting and generally intended to be ingested before bed. Any athlete or body builder will experience benefits of Casein as it is a slow digesting protein that is optimal for recovery, size and strength gains.  Casein works by providing a steady stream of amino acids and suppresses protein breakdown for muscle sparing.

4) L-Glutamine causes healthier intestines, a stronger immune system and improved exercise endurance, fewer infections. Glutamine supplements may also help in recovery from severe burns and play a huge role in a healthy gastrointestinal system. This amino acid is the primary nutrient for the cells lining the digestive tract and allows these cells to better absorb nutrients.

5) Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) – are a group of essential amino acids that are absolutely vital to the proper health and functioning of skeletal muscle and are considered to be the raw building blocks of muscle tissue. The three branched chain amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine are metabolized in muscle tissue while all other amino acids are metabolized in the liver. This means that branched chain amino acids go directly into muscle tissue.  The three branched chain amino acids affect the body in different ways, but they must work together to be completely effective and because of their importance in muscle tissue creation and retention, branched chain amino acids supplements are very popular with athletes who are seeking to get the most they can from their bodies.

Training Tip Tuesday

LIVEFIT trainer using Boxfit to get fiancé’ in best shape for wedding day.

Boxing and kickboxing are two of the best (and most fun) cardio exercises around. Anyone who is looking to shed some pounds should consider the hybrid Boxing, Kickboxing and Exercise program “Boxfit” for weight loss. What makes the Boxfit group exercise and personal training so great are the drills – which essentially act as intense anaerobic and aerobic interval training.

Boxfit should be incorporated into your weekly workouts to build more stamina and gain more muscle tone. In a Boxfit workout session it is possible to burn more calories than you can with with any other training method. My fitness pal estimates 1034 calories burned for me during an hour of Boxfit as compared to 600 calories burned during an hour of running and 862 calories burned during an hour of intense/vigorous swimming.

For more information on Boxfit, the LIVEFIT Group Exercise program Exercise program available at Finest Fitness of Patchogue, The Body Shop of Lindenhurst, Clubfit 247 of Jericho and Snap Fitness of East Setauket please like us on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/BoxFitFight2BFit

or you can watch the you tube video at: