how to take supplements as a beginner

How To Take Supplements As a Beginner

If you are a beginner and just starting to work out, whether you are hitting the gym, working out from home, or exercising outdoors, supplements might interest you.

Firstly, you will need to get a proper workout program and a nutrition plan in place. You can get this either from your gym trainer or by downloading the Workit App to access dozens of workout programs or request personalized workout and nutrition plans.

Proper and safe supplements can help you improve your athletic performance, increase lean muscle mass, endurance, and recovery.

There are also appropriate times when starting to take supplements is advisable. For example, if today is your first day at the gym, it is better to wait a little, build a habit, learn consistency, adjust to your daily nutrition, get familiar with your workout program, and then consider supplementing.

In this article, we will recommend some of the most popular, best-performing, and safest supplements you can use to improve your fitness progress and build muscle.

How To Take Supplements As a Beginner

There is a boom in workout supplements; every company, influencer, and bodybuilder is selling something. There are hot products like pre-workout or a random ingredient supplement that someone sells as a miracle drug.

As a beginner, it is easy to fall for these claims and start buying supplements that can do more harm than good. Supplements are not cheap, and there are supplements that can be taken pre-workout, during your workout, and post-workout.

You have probably already heard of some supplements like creatine, whey protein, and pre-workout. There are more that have recently become popular, like BCAA, EAA, and multivitamins.

If you have just started your fitness journey and signed up with a trainer, it is possible that they have already recommended and told you to purchase certain supplements from certain places. A lot of trainers have affiliate contracts with supplement brands and might be taking a cut from your purchases.

So before you purchase anything, please be mindful and understand what you are buying, why you are buying it, and if you really need it.

Before we dive into the discussion, note that all the supplements can be obtained from whole foods like red meat, seafood, and poultry. If your diet is generally healthy and balanced, you can achieve very good results without taking any extra supplements.

Let’s start discussing some of the most popular supplements, their advantages and disadvantages, side effects, and recommendations.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is one of the most popular supplements and one of the first ones to be recommended for beginners. Many beginners struggle with eating enough protein and maintaining a protein-rich diet, so supplementing with whey protein is a pretty good idea.

The watery part of milk that separates when making cheese is called whey. Whey is great for building muscle, supporting your immune system, and increasing strength and overall athletic performance. Whey is good for:

  • Muscle building: Complete proteins like whey are ideal for muscle building. Whey protein contains BCAA and EAA.
  • Recovery & wound healing: As whey contains nine essential amino acids it helps with recovery and wound healing.
  • Weight gain and nutritional boost: For people who are underweight or want to bulk up and have trouble consuming enough protein, whey is an ideal supplement that can help you meet your daily nutritional goals.

Whey is also used to treat asthma and diabetes and supports weight loss. Here are the proteins present in whey: Beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptide, immunoglobulins, bovine serum albumin, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme.

There are three main types of whey protein:

  1. Concentrate: Whey concentrate contains 70-80% protein by weight and is higher in fat and lactose compared to other types. Whey protein concentrate is more affordable compared to isolate and hydrolysate. The concentrate is also present in a more natural state, containing beneficial nutrients like immunoglobulins and lactoferrin. The drawback is that whey protein concentrate can be problematic for those who are lactose intolerant or on a low-fat diet.
  2. Isolate: Whey isolate is high in protein and low in fat and lactose. It is 90% or more protein by weight. Whey isolate can be a great choice for lactose-intolerant people; however, refrain from supplementing with any of these if you have a milk allergy. The drawback of whey protein isolate is that it is more processed compared to concentrate, thus losing some beneficial nutrients. It is also more expensive than concentrate.
  3. Hydrolysate: Whey hydrolysate is the easiest to digest. It is similar to isolate but processed differently. Hydrolysate can be ideal as a post-workout supplement. It is also less allergic but much more expensive than isolate and concentrate. Another drawback is its bitter taste.

Whey protein also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. There are other supplements like BCAA and EAA, but whey protein already includes everything these two supplements promise to provide.

If this is your first purchase as a beginner and you are not lactose intolerant, we advise getting whey protein concentrate, as it is a classic and well-researched supplement.

When purchasing whey protein, be attentive to the quality of the product and make sure there are no additional ingredients listed on the label. Low-quality products can cause some health problems, so it is better to consume a quality, ethically sourced product.

Creatine

Creatine is another effective, well-researched and documented supplement. Creatine is very popular among weightlifters, athletes and beginners. Creatine is useful for many purposes like increasing muscle mass, improving endurance, athletic and gym performance.

Creatine helps muscle cells produce more energy (adenosine triphosphate), retains water in muscle cells and can give you a much fuller, ‘bigger’ and muscular appearance, a pumped look, so to say.

Creatine reduces tiredness and fatigue, helps prevent and treat multiple diseases and neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease).

Supplementing creatine is okay for beginners but it is important to learn how to take it to prevent overdosing and prevent potential health risks.

There are two ways to take creatine.

  1. Loading Dose: When starting creatine, you might get advice to do an initial loading dose. This means taking up to 20g of creatine in a day, split into 4-5 separate scoops. As a beginner, we advise skipping this and starting with the maintenance dosing.
  2. Maintenance Dose: Maintenance dosing means taking daily doses of creatine that are in line with your body weight. Maintenance Dose = Body Weight (kg) × 0.03g/day. For example, for a 70kg individual, the formula will look like this: 70kg × 0.03g/day = 2.1g/day.

The main side effects of creatine are dehydration, upset stomach, and muscle cramps. In rare cases, it can cause kidney failure, but such severe cases are recorded in people who had pre-existing gastrointestinal problems.

If you are experiencing gastrointestinal problems, consult with a healthcare provider before starting any type of supplement.

Creatine is a naturally-occurring compound and our bodies make it on a daily basis. It is possible to naturally supplement creatine from certain foods, like:

  1. Milk: 0.02 grams (per 100g)
  2. Herring: 1.0-1.1 grams (per 100g)
  3. Beef: 0.4-0.5 grams (per 100g)
  4. Salmon: 0.45 grams (per 100g)
  5. Tuna: 0.4 grams (per 100g)
  6. Cod: 0.3 grams (per 100g)

Quality is also important when buying a creatine supplement. You need to make sure that the product you are purchasing has not extra ingredients listed on the label. Be attentive that what you are purchasing is purely creatine monohydrate.

In short, creatine can help you build muscle mass, improve your lifting performance, aid in recovery and give you a bigger and fuller look. Creatine is 100% safe and is widely used by top athletes and weightlifters.

Pre-Workout

Pre-workouts are quite popular among gym-goers and beginners as it helps with energy, focus, endurance, and overall workout performance. Suitable for short-term, fun and exciting performance and workouts.

Pre-workouts contain a lot of ingredients so it is important to choose the product wisely as some of the extra ingredients can be useless or harmful, depending on your current diet or supplement stack.

Pre-workout can contain multiple ingredients, including but not limited to:

  • Stimulants: for focus and extra energy. For example, caffeine.
  • Vasodilators: for post-workout muscle pumps. L-citrulline.
  • Nootropics: for mental acuity. For example, creatine.
  • Amino acids: for performance and recovery. BCAAs, EAAs, taurine and beta-alanine.
  • Bioavailability agents: for better absorption. For example, black pepper extract.

If you are already taking creatine or whey protein, it makes sense to purchase a pre-workout supplement that contains as few ingredients as possible. For example, BCAAs and EAAs can be useless if you are already taking whey protein, as whey is already a complete protein.

Supplementing with L-citrulline, taurine, and beta-alanine is under-researched, and there isn’t enough data to support their safety and effectiveness.

Caffeine is very effective at giving you a good mood and confidence boost, and it can definitely help you with your workout sessions, making the whole experience more enjoyable.

The problem with caffeine is that it quickly builds tolerance, and you might need to increase the dosage if you work out at least three times a week. If you have a pre-workout supplement that already has several ingredients, it will be quite easy to oversupplement.

Moreover, if you already drink coffee actively, pre-workouts can cause caffeine toxicity, as one scoop of pre-workout already equals three cups of coffee.

If you use pre-workout responsibly, it can be quite fun to take it sometimes. It can also be a good idea to simply purchase a caffeine supplement if you are looking for that extra kick to enjoy your workouts.

BCAAs and EAAs

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) are also quite popular as many bodybuilders have started promoting and selling them.

If you already take whey protein or have a reasonably good, protein-rich diet, you don’t need these extra supplements. There can be some benefits to them, but compared to creatine and whey, their effectiveness is weaker.

If you can afford them and like how they taste (some BCAAs and EAAs have amazing flavoring), drinking them during workouts can be enjoyable and refreshing.

They can also help with workouts and progress, as it is proven that taking protein during a workout helps with performance (EAA is a complete protein as it contains all nine amino acids). As for BCAA, it only contains leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs can be more effective as a pre-workout or post-workout supplement.

As with other supplements, be mindful of the quality of the product you are purchasing. Make sure what you are buying is ethical and does not contain any shady or sketchy ingredients listed on the label.

Can I Take Several Supplements?

Yes, that is totally okay. You can take both whey protein and creatine as they go hand-in-hand and are perfectly fine to use together.

You can also take pre-workout with whey and creatine, but make sure that ingredients don’t overlap. Since pre-workouts often already contain creatine, BCAAs, and EAAs (and whey also contains EAAs and BCAAs), you may easily oversupplement, so it is important to be mindful.

Moreover, relying mainly on supplements for your nutritional intake is not a good idea. It is better to maintain a healthy, protein-rich diet and use supplements sparingly to get that extra protein or creatine.

If you want to purchase several supplements together, we advise getting whey and creatine. It makes no sense to purchase EAAs and BCAAs along with them, as you already get the amino acids from whey and your regular diet.

Supplementing As a Woman

Creatine, whey, pre-workouts, BCAAs, and EAAs are entirely safe for women. Women need to be mindful about the dosage as their bodies and weight tend to be smaller; for example, women should be attentive not to overdose on creatine.

Some women may experience sensitivity to caffeine, so it is advisable to start taking pre-workouts or caffeine supplements in low doses.

During the menstrual cycle, women might consider stopping supplementation as supplements can increase the level of bloating, which can be an undesired side effect for many.

In short, all of these supplements are safe for women, and there are no extra risks that can harm your body. During pregnancy, it is advisable to stop supplementing altogether. Please consult a healthcare provider before making any big decisions. During pregnancy, it is important to prioritize whole foods and healthy sources of protein instead of relying on supplements.

Conclusion

We discussed all of the widely used supplements that are used by bodybuilders, athletes, and generally by healthy people who work out on a regular basis.

If we had to choose one of these supplements to recommend for a beginner, whey protein would be the obvious choice, with creatine coming up as a close second as it is a super supplement that can really enhance your performance.

When choosing a supplement, be mindful of the quality of the product. Make sure that there aren’t any additional ingredients that can harm your health or negatively affect your progress. Choosing quality over quantity is very important as your health is a top priority.

As a beginner, it is crucial to establish a proper workout routine and get a personalized nutrition plan (download the Workit App to request personalized programs). As you get accustomed to your routine and understand the basics of fitness and nutrition, you can start thinking about buying supplements.

A lot of people get a gym membership, buy new clothes and all the supplements, but stop working out in a week, putting all those supplements on a top shelf to never take them again.

To avoid wasting any money, as a beginner, first complete your first 2-3 weeks in the gym and then consider purchasing whey protein or creatine, or both.

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