Should You Use Muscle Building Supplements?

It has long been recognized by the body-building community that many forms of supplementation will speed up the muscle gains and increase the size of those results. Medical science says that some types of supplements are not necessarily good for you, in fact, they may be harmful to your health.

Anyone with a television set and an interest in sports is aware of all the furor about the use of performance enhancing drugs that some athletes have been caught taking.

Drugs like anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) were the original culprits, but there has been evidence of drug labs formulating products for which there is no known discovery testing.

The awareness of performance drugs in the bodybuilding world has generated two types of contests; those open to all competitors and drug-free competition where testing is done on all entrants.

But what about the average person who just wants to get in the biggest and best condition of his life? What can he or she do to accelerate their program and give them the best results in the fastest possible time?

There are many natural ways to supplement your diet and workouts and none of them require a doctor's supervision or a prescription to the pharmacy.

The late, great bodybuilding trainer, Vince Gironda, eschewed steroids and HGH personally and encouraged his charges to avoid them as well. I'm sure some of them succumbed to the lure of fast and easy muscles, but Vince maintained that you could boost your metabolism and testosterone naturally.

In order to accelerate muscle growth, one has to take is enough protein to rebuild the tissue damaged from extreme workouts.

The best source of natural protein is the food you eat, but sometimes that isn't enough, so protein supplements are recommended. The best protein-in-a-can comes in natural forms, will little or no filler or additives.

Creatine Monohydrate is a hormone produced naturally in the body. Creatine aids in the assimilation of protein and the rebuilding of muscle tissue and it gives explosive power to your workouts. Creatine is taken by many bodybuilders and there are no known negative side effects.

L-Glutamine is another naturally occurring supplement. L-Glut assists the muscles in recovery from strenuous exertion. Taking L-G will ease the soreness that accompanies a hard workout and will get you back into the gym sooner.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are responsible for muscle tissue growth. Inositol, Choline, Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are some of the amino acids that may be safely taken as supplements.

In some medical circles the use of human growth hormone (HGH) is advocated to stave off the body deterioration that comes with aging. Our bodies produce a diminishing amount of HGH past the age of 30, heralding beginning of physical aging.

Properly supervised by medicos, the supplementation of HGH has shown remarkable results in muscle growth, fat reduction and the reversing of aging signs.

As the saying goes, "You may not live any longer, but you'll look great at your viewing."

Nitric Oxide (NO) has been discovered to be a "heart healthy" product. The Nobel Prize winning medical doctor, Louise Ignarro has researched the benefits of NO and has written extensively on this gas that is formed by the breakdown of the amino acid arginine in the body.

Dr. Ignarro maintains that supplementation with NO will improve the health of your cardiovascular system. For a body builder it produces better blood circulation and increased energy.

In summary, natural supplements can boost your metabolism and help you build muscle while losing fat. This is good. Excessive supplementation may be counterproductive, however as your body will slough off the excess.

Anabolic steroids may cause a health hazard as well as being illegal in many forms. It is always best to consult with a doctor before embarking on any program of supplementation.