Top 5 Supplements for Muscle Recovery

What happens when you train? You beat your body hard because you believe that it will help you grow stronger and build bigger muscles. True and False. True, because a strenuous workout causes microscopic tears in your muscle fibers and the muscles respond by growing bigger and stronger in anticipation of the next workout, however in this process, there is a finer bit involved of muscle recovery. Your body will start breaking down if a proper recovery plan is not in place. Muscle recovery is closely linked to your muscle growth. However hard you train, if your muscle recovery is compromised, it will show on your muscle gain.  Know the difference between muscle recovery and muscle building supplement and get in-depth information on top 5 best supplements for recovery.

Your primary muscle building supplement is proper nutrition that includes high-protein meals, slow-acting carbohydrates and a healthy dose of fatty acids. In addition, to premium nutrients you will be needing whey protein, a bodybuilder’s eternal favourite and for good reasons.

After you have had your whey protein shake, it begins to break down rapidly and gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Now, amino acids, the basic protein blocks for muscle building reach the injured muscle tissues (your workout causes microscopic injuries in your muscle tissues) for repairing them.  The process is known as muscle synthesis and results in bigger and stronger muscles than soy or casein. Since whey protein digests quickly, it gets absorbed at a faster speed in your muscles that instigates new muscle synthesis at a faster speed. 

WHEY TO MUSCLE BUILDING

Your primary muscle building supplement is proper nutrition that includes high-protein meals, slow-acting carbohydrates and a healthy dose of fatty acids. In addition, to premium nutrients you will be needing whey protein, the bodybuilder’s eternal favourite and for good reasons.

After you have had your whey protein shake, it begins to break down rapidly and gets absorbed into the bloodstream.

Now, amino acids, the basic protein blocks for muscle building reach the injured muscle tissues (your workout causes microscopic injuries in your muscle tissues) for repairing them, this is known as muscle synthesis and results in bigger and stronger muscles than soy or casein.

Since whey protein digests quickly, it gets absorbed at a faster speed in your muscle tissue and instigates new muscle synthesis.

ROAD TO RECOVERY WITH THE RIGHT FUEL

Your muscles are a result of hard work but they are not built in the gym. They get built when you rest adequately and recover yourself from the muscle-building stress. One study conducted by the University of Chicago found that when 10 healthy men reduced sleep for a week from about 9 hours per night to 5, their testosterone levels dropped by up to 14 percent during the day.

It’s also known that insufficient sleep decreases growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) levels, which play important roles in maintaining muscle mass.

Other than rest, the supplements that help pave the road to recovery are Branched Chain Amino Acids, Glutamine, Creatine, Carb blend and Citrulline Malate.  

BCAAs

Branched Chain Amino Acids are three essential amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine. These amino acids account for as much 1/3^rd of muscle tissue – leucine, isoleucine and valine. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are commonly used by athletes during and around exercise. They have been found to reduce muscular soreness and help accelerate the growth and recovery process.

When you train fiercely, you exhaust the glycogen reserve of your muscles, which can set off the process of catabolism or muscle breakdown, where your body will attack your muscle tissues for energy. Drinking BCAAs supplement before or after your workout will provide you with an additional dosage of BCAAs which leads to muscle-sparing effect.

Moreover, BCAAs delay the perception of fatigue. French researchers discovered that during exercise, an amino acid metabolite is known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) signals the brain that the body is fatigued, causing it to reduce muscle strength and endurance. The amino acid tryptophan is responsible for producing 5-HT in the brain.

Several research studies have confirmed that valine, a BCAA lowers the amount of tryptophan that gets into the brain. Since you feel less fatigued you’re able to train for longer duration and push your muscles to the verge of failure.

Recommended Usage: Drink it in-between and before a workout to keep your BCAAs level primed.

GLUTAMINE

Glutamine is not an essential amino acid, which means that your body can make it on its own. It is the most abundant amino acid in the body and it is stored largely in the muscles. An intense training session greatly depletes glutamine level of your body, which decreases strength, stamina and recovery. It could take up to 6 days for glutamine levels to return to normal. Supplementing your body with a high supply of glutamine prior to a workout maintains the high supply of glutamine in your muscles, which stops them from degrading muscles to get those. Glutamine has become increasingly popular among athletes, as it is believed that it helps prevent infections following athletic events and speeds post-exercise recovery.

Recommended Usage: Choose micronised glutamine as it absorbs quickly and mix it with your favourite beverage. Drink it before and after your workout. 

CREATINE

Creatine is an amino acid that is found naturally in any food that has protein. Your body also manufactures it in the liver, kidneys and pancreas. Creatine is involved in boosting the production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATPs), your body’s energy currency and ATPs are your muscles main source of fuel for explosive, short-term contractions. The fact is that you have a limited supply of creatine and you need to boost it significantly to increase your duration and intensity of your workouts. The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s stand on creatine states that supplementation can increase exercise performance capabilities and enhance muscle growth. The increased availability of ATP as a result of creatine supplementation not only means you may be able to perform an extra rep or two here or work maximally for longer, but also that ATP will be regenerated more quickly. This fast regeneration could lead to quicker recovery, allowing you to perform at a higher level in your next workout.

Recommended Usage: Creatine is used in two phases: loading and maintenance. In the loading phase 20g creatine is consumed and in the maintenance phase 5g or lower amount suffices. 

CARB SUPPLEMENTS

As muscle glycogen begins to empty, fatigue sets in athletes and sports persons, which prevents them from delivering their best performance. Ingested carbs act like an antidote to glycogen depletion. The ready availability of adequate carbohydrates in the working muscles and bloodstream is central to an individual’s ability to sustain intensive training load.  This explains why ingested carbohydrates work as the best recovery supplement. Once these carbs get absorbed in the body, they can be used as fuel right away.

As a result, the sportsman needs a   post-workout recovery drink that offers the concentrated dose of carbs and is better than the regular glucose. The best part about such carb blend supplements is that they work perfect as an intra-workout or sports drink and replenish the glycogen reserve quickly.

Also, the blend of carbs (glucose, fructose and Maltodextrin) makes sure that the external source of carbs will be burnt for energy and the muscle glycogen is spared from burning for the fuel. The recovery drink powder is easy to use and can be had whenever the athletes face energy crunch so that they do not hit the wall. The recovery drink for athletes should contain more than the much-hyped glucose. It should have a mix of fructose (fruit sugar) and starch-derived Maltodextrin, like MuscleBlaze Carb Blend.  

Recommended Usage: After a strenuous exercise to replenish the glycogen store. 

CITRULLINE MALATE

Citrulline Malate is of great help for weight lifters and athletes. Still, it is overlooked or under-dosed. The greatest benefit of Citrulline is its ability to remove ammonia and toxic byproducts of exercise. Strength athletes recruit glycogen stored in muscles during their workout for energy.  As glycogen stores deplete Hydrogen ions (H+) and lactic acid in the muscle, you begin to feel a burning sensation in the muscles. This quickens fatigue and you are not able to maintain your exercise intensity throughout your workout. The antidote to the fatigue is offered by bicarbonates, as they stimulate the removal of Hydrogen ions and lactic acid out of the muscle. Citrulline Malate aids in the reabsorption of bicarbonates thereby building endurance and delaying fatigue in the gym warrior. A study published in a 2002 issue of the “British Journal of Sports Medicine” found that 18 men who took 6g of citrulline malate daily for 15 days experienced increased energy and were able to work out for a longer duration without getting tired.

Recommended Usage: Drink it before your workout. You can even mix it with your pre-workout drink. 

Include the right mix of muscle recovery supplements in your supplement stock and you will be able to train longer and harder.