What sports nutrition is right for you?

There are many sports nutrition products available today; they are taken not only by bodybuilders, but also by athletes from other sports, and just people who lead an active lifestyle.

Do you need to take protein? And if so, which one? Can L-carnitine help you lose weight? Casein — the same protein, or not the same? We understand popular sports supplements using the PWR ultimate power brand products as an example.

Protein

Protein, also known as protein, is the material from which our body is made. Its reserves must be constantly replenished, even if you do not play sports. Muscles, skin, hair, nails, even hormones are all created by the body from protein; without protein, your immune system will not be able to function normally; protein is the basis of the cytoskeleton, the support of the living cell.

How many grams of protein does a person need per day?

Most nutritionists agree on the formula «1 gram of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight per day» — provided that the person does not play sports.

For athletes, this figure will be 2 grams, and for those who seek to gain muscle mass — even 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
Athletes need more protein. During physical activity, the body takes energy from various sources: from the breakdown of glucose, ATP molecules and amino acids. When the body lacks amino acids, it begins to take them from its own muscles, destroying them. To prevent this from happening, you need to provide yourself with protein.

In bodybuilding, protein is taken to build muscle mass and also to maintain muscle during the cutting period.

Like other nutrients, protein comes from food. The most valuable products in terms of protein are meat, eggs, fish, cottage cheese, and some legumes. It’s great if you have time to buy and prepare healthy high-protein foods; But this is not the case for everyone and not always. A protein shake allows you to get the right amount: it is prepared in seconds, and allows you to make up for the deficiency.

To calculate the optimal amount of protein supplement for you, you need:
a) determine your daily requirement based on body weight and activity level;
b) understand how much protein you get from food (for this, arm yourself with BJU content tables and kitchen scales);
c) subtract the second value from the first value. This is a protein deficiency that can be covered with a cocktail.

By the way, it is advised to dilute protein with water, not milk: milk contains substances that can slow down the absorption of protein.

The best time to have a protein shake is between meals, instead of snacks, and right after a workout if you can’t eat right away.

Casein

We just mentioned milk as a component that can slow down the absorption of protein. This property can be useful! So much so that it gave rise to a separate sports nutrition product, the feature of which is precisely in slow consumption.

Casein has two of the most valuable properties: it contains essential amino acids and it maintains a constant rate of amino acid consumption (this is important for both growth and muscle recovery). Since casein is absorbed for a long time, it is usually taken in the evening, an hour or two before bedtime.

L-carnitine and other fat burners

The main superpower of an amino acid called L-carnitine is to deliver fatty acids to the mitochondria, where they are broken down for energy. To spend energy, muscular or mental work is needed; the amino acid only makes it more effective in terms of fat burning.

In other words, if you just drink L-carnitine while lying on the couch, it will not burn anything. The fat will stay where it was.

But for athletes, this is the most important and most useful product: it starts the process of fat burning during physical exertion, improves energy metabolism, increases endurance and strengthens the immune system.

In addition to L-carnitine, other fat burners are also used, where the principle of action is different. For example, FAT BURNER works while you sleep: it speeds up the metabolism without disturbing the quality of sleep and dulls the feeling of hunger. Both people who do not lead an active lifestyle and people who do not follow a diet can take this supplement. However, the fat burner will give the best effect if you sleep well and you have regular physical activity.

How many useful things in the world that can be said the same, right? Share your experience in the comments!