Are you a beginner who is struggling with supplementation?

Nutritional supplements are an integral part of all of us and almost everyone has come across them in some form. There are certain types of "supplements" that are not considered supplements and belong to the everyday life of the vast majority.

This article is mainly for beginners who are looking for basic information regarding the most used nutritional supplements. We are not going to go into any technical terms and explain processes that do not tell the layman anything.

PROTEIN

The first place among all possible nutritional supplements belongs definitely to protein. There are probably the most myths and prejudices about these protein powders. Most often we can meet whey protein, which is made from cow's milk. Its less common colleagues include plant proteins(hemp, pumpkin,sunflower,..), beef or goat's milk proteins. On the contrary, some athletes talk about protein as a product that has the same weight in their diet as classic foods and definitely do not call it a "nutritional supplement". So why is this product so often vilified? Apparently, it is due to the classic ignorance of some individuals who, despite knowing nothing about protein as a product, throw it into the same bag as anabolic substances with great glory.

What is the reality?

If someone says that protein (powder in a pixel) is harmful, they are saying that conventional foods are harmful too... Whey protein, as a dietary supplement, contains whey, which is derived from milk! Protein powder is not a chemical, just a different form of classic products.

What are the benefits?

First of all, its easy digestibility and the associated rapid supply of quality protein. You will relieve your body considerably, the nutrient intake will be fast and you will not strain your digestion any longer. Suitable for use at any time of the day or as a flavouring when baking (pancakes, crepes, buns etc).

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

The importance of vitamins and minerals for our body does not even need to be debated! Many beginners believe that we can supplement vitamins and minerals from our regular diet. Yes, we can find some small amounts in food, but these values are negligible... Considering the way we work with the soil today, the various sprays and the subsequent ripening of fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, you can't expect, for example, an orange to save us... Is the orange really the greatest source of natural vitamin C?

The basic breakdown of vitamins

• Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K)
• Water soluble(C, B)

Among the deficiency minerals that are definitely worth regular supplementation are - magnesium and zinc. For most athletes, mineral supplementation is really essential. Most of them are flushed out through sweating and so our bodies can be in a constant deficit. For vegetarians and vegans we would recommend supplementing with iron and B12 vitamins.

Nutritional supplements in the form of vitamins and minerals are an ideal choice. They can help you with fatigue, immunity, chronic pain, sleep quality, quality of intimate life, headaches, hair quality, nail or skin quality, and much more.

If you are considering incorporating regular vitamin and mineral use into your life we recommend that you first check out the link below.

OMEGA 3

Omega-3s are healthy fats that are classified as "beneficial" and have many benefits for both athletes and inactive individuals. Our bodies cannot make these healthy fats on their own, so we must take them either from food (most commonly fish) or supplements. Considering the region our country is in and how much fish we consume, supplementing with omega 3s certainly won't do any harm, quite the opposite! Very often this dietary supplement is considered as important as vitamins or minerals! When choosing a fish oil, look first and foremost at the EPA/DHA content in 1ml of oil NOT the total amount of oil/price. For this supplement, we would recommend considering daily intake - not just for athletes!

BURNERS

Although it may be shocking to some, a fat burner does not burn fat - it only speeds up your metabolism. It is suitable for pre-workout activity where it will increase your output during your workout. If you won't lose weight without a fat burner, you probably won't start with one. Burners are really only supplements that can help you at some stage. The main work on your body, you have to do yourself through your diet and lifestyle.

FLAVOURINGS/SWEETENERS

If you're looking for some low-calorie yet healthy syrup, we have good news for you! The most suitable sweeteners are stevia, sucralose, erythritol and xylitol. Of course, everything has its limits, so if you decide to use some of the "healthier" sweeteners, don't go overboard with those either! And which foods to use sweeteners on? So-called Flavor Drops are great for flavoring or sweetening all yogurts, coffee, buns, pancakes, flapjacks, etc.

TYPES

I'm sure we all know it. Sometimes we have a day when we just don't have time to prepare a snack, we get stuck somewhere unplanned, or we go on a hike where it's impossible to buy a proper meal, so we reach for a fitness protein bar. Unfortunately, just because you can buy a bar at a fitness store or fitness department doesn't automatically make it a healthy treat. Some bars have disastrous ingredients. So before you buy it, look at the back of the package and read the nutrition label and ingredients!

FLOOD NUTRITION

Joint nutritionals that are commonly available do not serve as a cure, they are only injury prevention. People mistakenly believe that certain products can save their injuries. It is possible that during use, they will dull your pain, but they certainly cannot fix, for example, torn ligaments, ruptured cartilage, torn meniscus, etc.. It is advisable to take these joint nutrition products as a preventive measure and not when some bad thing happens.

STIMULANTS

Don't worry, there are no drugs or similar substances involved... On the contrary, these are products that will not harm us in any way. To give you an idea, one of these stimulants can be coffee, which contains caffeine. Stimulants can be divided into those that stimulate in a certain way only mentally, some only by pumping, some even combine their effects.

If you are going to look for those products that will improve your pump during your workout, look for products that contain L-citrulline and L-arginine. Some athletes, such as strongmen or crossfitters, look for pre-workouts with rather no "pump" effect and so only reach for supplements that will help them mentally.

We also encounter pre-workout products that contain the same ingredients as the workout products. Beta-Alanine, which causes itchy skin.

BCAA

A product that has its supporters but also its critics. BCAAs combine key amino acids (L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine) designed to improve performance, protect muscle mass from breakdown and promote recovery. Often other substances are also added to BCAAs - L-arginine, L-glutamine or even various vitamins. We would include BCAAs in the superstructure of supplementation pyramids.

CONCLUSION

Quality diet, training and recovery! This is the basic pillar from which you should start. You can't expect supplements to save you. You definitely shouldn't replace a varied and balanced diet with them. There are certain types of supplements that should not be missing from your diet(vitamins, minerals, quality protein). The others should be considered as superstructure - we are not saying that they are unnecessary, we mean that a beginner should know about these supplements, but they are by no means necessary in the diet.