TL;DR: When it comes to building muscle and losing fat, your local supplement aisles can be confusing. Follow tried and true science-backed ingredients, instead of whatever the shiniest label is.
A cautionary notice: *MAKE SURE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BEFORE INTRODUCING YOUR BODY TO ANY NEW EXERCISE OR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.*
Welcome back UpRiver, Biohacker.
We will start today’s article on supplementation with a distinction of the utmost importance… health and body composition.
Introduction
No doubt, due to marketing, social, and mainstream media, people often conflate and misunderstand two very important concepts when it comes to their body and physique. Namely, we have health on the one hand, and we have body composition on the other. While places like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and Popeyes (supplements obviously, not fried chicken…), claim to be “health-food” stores, they are more in line with “body composition” stores. The important distinction here is that not everything that makes someone healthy, adds muscle or burns fat. Similarly, not everyone with rock hard abs or Thor-like biceps is actually healthy. Notwithstanding, this article is admittedly focused on body composition with respect to both fat-loss and muscle building; and while these are two important factors in overall health, they are both a means to an end and can be relatively easily overdone.
With that said, I will also add that this list does not endorse any particular product that may appear in image form. These images are of examples of products you have probably seen on the shelves to give you, the reader, an idea of what ingredients are out there. The focus should be on the active ingredients listed in this article as opposed to any particular brand of supplement. In fact, some products should be avoided on your local supplements shelves as the long term downsides can easily outweigh the acute benefits. As a general rule-of-thumb, aim for products without artificial sweetening and ingredients we caution away from on UpRiver.
Okay biohackers, let’s talk body-comp supplements in theory before jumping into UpRiver’s actual list of ingredients.
Some Notes…
Off the bat, dietary and fitness supplements should be considered as exactly what they are. There is a huge fad in the fitness industry right now surrounding supplements and their alleged necessity. While the evidence that they can be a crucial aid in your fat loss and/or muscle building journey is pretty solid, they are by no means mandatory, sorry Men’s Health Magazine. They are supplements after all, and should be taken to supplement a diet that’s already tailored and revised to fit the particular body-comp goals of the individual.
The second point we would like to make before jumping into the topic at hand is that not all supplements are necessarily the best idea for taking year round. This is especially true if you’re in, say, a shredding/cutting/fat-loss phase and your caloric budget doesn’t allow for a few items on this list (luckily the majority of the supplements appearing on this list are 15 calories or less a serving). This point will become obvious to you as you read, but in a nutshell: it all comes down to caloric allowance.
The third point that needs to be made is that not all supplements are made equal. You can do your own research or you can save yourself some time and take it from us – some companies are simply more reputable and reliable than others. From the quality of ingredients, all the way to the quantity of key ingredients per serving, supplements. are. not. made. equal. So, before you make a purchase do your research.
Fourth, most people do not want to break the bank on supplements and don’t have tons of cash to spend on fancy labels. Instead, we prefer to go for the best priced ingredients that can still offer the best quality. In light of that, we have provided links to only the best of the best supplements to suit not only our bodies, but our wallets too.
Finally, even though we know that supplements are not a MUST for building muscle or losing fat, there do seem to be some that can help you pack a punch in your local gym, or exercise facility.
With that said and without further ado, ordered from what is in our opinion, the most worth it to the products we can certainly purchase if we have some extra money to invest into our fitness, we introduce:
UpRiver’s Top 10 Supplements For Fat Loss and Muscle Building:
1. Whey Protein
While the jury is out on whether we even ought to consider whey protein a supplement or just simply a food, whey protein tops our list for several reasons. The first is that it helps to ensure that its consumer hits their daily protein intake requirement. This is very very VERY important (if you have questions regarding resources on calories and macronutrients, ask us HERE). Additionally, higher protein content is conducive to both losing fat as well as muscle building. Long story short, it doesn’t matter how many curls and/or squats you do in the gym. If your body does not receive adequate protein throughout the day, neither your biceps nor the rest of your body will grow effectively.
How Much & How Often?
While it is true that you need a certain amount of protein throughout the day and “nutrient timing” is not generally considered a huge factor in muscle gaining or fat loss, it IS true that your body can only put so much protein toward anabolism at one time.[1] This means, your body will be better at using protein for your fitness goals if when you do take it, you spread out your dosages.
Our Recommendation: 1-2 Scoops (28g – 60g) of whey protein sometime relatively promptly following your workout. Other than that, take it whenever you need a shot of protein in order to reach your daily allotted goal.
*Often supplement companies will have some sort of direction to consume protein within 30 minutes after exercise. The efficacy of this practice has not been proven to be any more efficient than if you consume it within the first 2 hours after training.[2] Therefore, don’t take the bag’s direction too seriously. Just try and consume some protein within a short while after a workout.*
2. Whey Protein Isolate
The key difference between regular whey protein and the isolated whey protein is that the regular version contains both carbohydrates and fats as well as protein. This results in regular whey protein often having a denser caloric value than its isolate counterpart, and is why regular whey protein is usually marketed as a meal replacement. For this reason, we recommend that in a muscle-gaining phase you stick to regular whey protein. Conversely, when it’s time to reveal those abs and the sculpted physique that goes with them, whey protein isolate is your best friend in terms of protein supplementation.
How Much & How Often?
Refer to previous answer for regular whey protein.
Our Recommendation: 1-2 Scoops (28g – 60g) of whey protein sometime relatively promptly following your workout. Other than that, take it whenever you need a shot of protein in order to reach your daily allotted goal.
3. Creatine Monohydrate
Ah yes… creatine. Historically, this supplement was demonized and sometimes even called a “steroid.”[3] This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, creatine is one of the supplements appearing on this list with the most scientific backing. Second, there are lots of different kinds of creatine you may come across. Despite the different varieties that continue to pop-up on the market promising “Huge gains quick!” this is simply a sales tactic attempting to get you to invest in labeling and other such bullsh*t. At UpRiver, we apologize but we don’t care if the bottle looks pretty… we only care about if the contents WORK! For this reason exactly, we only recommend the tried and tested titan of all creatine supplements: creatine monohydrate.
Here’s how creatine monohydrate works for your muscular system:
Your muscles run on a form of energy called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Loosely speaking, how ATP acts as energy is as follows:
When you do a muscular contraction of any kind, one phosphate molecule bursts, turning the molecule from ATP (adenosine triphosphate) into ADP (adenosine diphosphate).[4] Think of ADP molecules as potential, but exhausted energy stores. With each muscular contraction, you continue to deplete the available ATP that your muscles need for resistance training, especially.
Now here’s where creatine comes in.
In a nutshell, creatine’s job is to recycle the ADP back into ATP.[5] In other words, after you’re finished your set and your muscles are burning, you must’ve noticed that after a few moments, you regain your ability to lift weight again. This is largely because the creatine your body naturally produces (and the creatine you get via predominantly the red meat in your diet), is running around your body adding an additional phosphate molecule to the exhausted ADP molecules so that your body is prepared to undergo physical stress again ASAP.
Now, when you introduce exogenous creatine into your body, you are essentially introducing more shuttles to transport the phosphate molecules to their long-lost adenosine buddies. In the gym this translates to increased strength as well as increased muscular recovery!
Okay creatine seems legit but why Monohydrate?
As stated, creatine is already naturally produced in the human body, and its job is stated above. However, you may say, “okay, I now understand why taking creatine is beneficial to my muscles, but why does it have to be creatine monohydrate?”
The answer is that exogenous forms of creatine necessitate binding to some sort of ester for the body to actually use it.[6] In the case of creatine monohydrate, we find a hydrogen ester.[7] Now, the benefit you receive when supplementing with creatine monohydrate, is your cells become “hyperhydrated.”[8] Yes, this term does sound like a silly marketing term, but there is actual truth to the term. Basically, hyperhydration means that the cell wall is enlarged slightly with water.[9]
This carries tremendous benefits when looking to build or maintain strength in all fitness phases, irrespective of caloric allowance. With cells holding more water, more nutrients can be shuttled into the cells in recovery time.
A quick disclaimer though biohackers. As the monohydrate component of the supplement does draw more water into the muscle (we agree with the supplement companies on this one) make sure you stay sufficiently hydrated, getting at least a gallon of water per day while taking creatine monohydrate.
Finally, unlike some of the other products on this list, creatine monohydrate has no acute effects on the body (other than perhaps increased thirst).[10] This means that for this supplement to work, you need to be taking it for some time. While some people see strength gains after the first week, some people need up to 14 days to see any true benefits. In any event, you need to allow time for your muscles to become saturated with creatine monohydrate before any noticeable results will come your way.
*Creatine monohydrate will have no visible effects on body fat. This means that taking this supplement will NOT give you the appearance of bloating or excess body fat (as some very antiquated research may suggest)*[11]
How Much & How Often?
5 grams everyday mixed into your choice of beverage. While less than this dosage has been shown to be less efficient in the body, more than 5g a day has been shown to have little to no effect.[12] Put another way, don’t throw precious money down the drain by taking more than this dosage in hope of procuring more gains.
*There was historically discussion about whether or not you need to periodize or cycle your use of creatine in any form. The strongest and most up to date scientific research indicates that this is not necessary, provided you have properly functioning kidneys.[13] Again guys, check with a healthcare professional if you’re unsure about your internal physical situation..*
4. BCAA’s
Branched-chain amino acids. While protein is essential to muscle building, protein itself is made up of smaller amino acids. Three of those animos are valine, leucine and isoleucine. These three amino acids are also known as the mighty branched-chain amino acids. While you’re already likely getting these from the protein you consume and other dietary sources as well, branched-chain amino acid products set themselves apart from other products in that they’re typically intended to be consumed intra-workout.
The benefits of consuming these guys during both cardio and weight lifting is that they aid in keeping the body anabolic.[14] To understand what we mean by this, you must first come to terms with the fact that as a natural athlete and/or fitness enthusiast, anabolism (muscle gaining/building) functions analogously to a light switch.[15] It’s either on, or it’s off. This means that you’re always either building muscle or breaking it down – anabolism vs. catabolism.
The thought behind BCAA’s is that their ingestion during both aerobic as well as anaerobic exercise helps keep the body in a state of anabolism. You can kind of think of BCAA’s as a protective shield around your hard-earned gains in times where your muscles would otherwise be in a catabolic stage. Although it sounds counterintuitive, when you’re in the gym, you’re actually in a catabolic state. Conversely, as a basic rule of thumb you’re anabolic when you’re eating (i.e. ingesting calories) and sleeping.
How Much & How Often?
As there is typically a scooper in the tub itself, which is normally about 12.5 grams or so in size, we recommend that you stick to the scooper and take this supplement during your workout. If you do cardio as well as weights, consider taking your BCAA’s during both sessions. Other than your recommended ‘once a day’, BCAA’s can really be taken as often as you would like – some people sip on it all day.
Finally, just for full-disclosure, we do not necessarily think that taking BCAA’s is necessary during a lean muscle-gaining phase. As you’re likely eating a surplus of calories throughout your day, you can probably get away without taking an intra-workout supplement. In fact, your money would probably be better off spent on the following product on our list. However, if you find yourself in a shredding/cutting phase, we think BCAA’s are arguably an appropriate weapon to avail yourself of.
5. Pre-Workout Supplement
While this supplement could’ve easily taken fourth place on our list, it took fifth place for the simple reason that not all people require this supplement, in our opinion. This supplement is in one that will work best for people who have been lifting for at least a few months and are ready to take their fitness to the next level.
Pre workout supplements are products that are designed to be consumed before you begin your workout (yes, we know… it should be obvious by the name), allowing the ingredients anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to activate the muscles and central nervous system. What are the ingredients, you ask? Well… pre-workouts are notorious for varying ingredient profiles from brand to brand and product to product. However, you can normally expect some mix of the following ingredients (all of which will be explained if not already done so.)
- Caffeine → Energy
- Creatine → Strength
- Beta-Alanine → Helps delay the feeling of muscular fatigue
- (Acetyl) L-Carnitine → Non stimulant energy and fat loss
- L-Arginine / Citrulline Malate / Agmatine → Vasodilation (allows blood to flow to the muscles with more ease)
- B-vitamin Complex → Mental energy + Potentiating the body’s receptiveness to above components.
Although most quality pre workouts will contain some amount of these ingredients (except caffeine as some pre workouts are intentionally made devoid of any stimulants – called: Non-stim pre workouts) the quantity of each ingredient varies depending on the specific product you’re taking. While most of the fitness industry professionals will preach one product over another (usually the one they’re sponsored by) we recommend that you experiment with different products so that you can find the one that perfectly suits your needs and workout style.
How Much & How Often?
We recommend that you take 0.5 of a scoop, up to 1.5 scoops of your favourite pre workout 15-45 minutes before your workout. However, keep in mind that if your products DOES contain caffeine that you might want to consider taking a smaller dose if you prefer to workout in the evenings – sleep is important (check out why HERE and find sleep supplements HERE)!
Also, keep in mind what your goals are and what muscles you’re working. Sometimes those factors can determine how much of a preworkout you want to take. For example, if you have a very strenuous leg workout ahead of you, you might want to consider taking a little extra so that you can keep an optimal “muscle pump” throughout the duration of the entire workout.
Also, keep in mind that you’re not limited to a single pre workout supplement. It isn’t uncommon to have two pre workouts on hand – one that has some caffeine, and one that is stimulant-free. That way you can either have one, the other, or on really difficult workout days… a combination of the two. Just be careful to follow the labels on the products closely, biohacker.
Quick Tip: Buy ingredients in bulk and assemble your own preworkout concoction depending on what the daily fitness task requires!
6. Acetyl L-Carnitine
Acetyl L-Carnitine, also referred to just as “carnitine” is a product that some athletes – especially fitness models – swear by for getting their ripped and defined physiques.[16] Essentially what carnitine does is that it helps the body switch to burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, which is normally the body’s preferred source of fuel.[17] It does this by shuttling fat stores into the mitochondria of cells, which is essentially the energy furnace for the cell as a whole.
The thought is, that if one takes a dosage of carnitine before performing cardiovascular exercise, the body will be better at turning one’s body fat into fuel for the session.[18] Additionally, it’s posited that this effect is magnified when the cardio is also performed in a fasted state (more on fasting HERE).
While usually taken during a shredding/cutting cycle, as carnitine provides energy to the body without the need for exogenous stimulants such as caffeine, it is often the base of many non-stim pre workout supplements and weight loss products.
*Acetyl L-Carnitine is also considered a very useful nootropic as well! More to come on that and nootropics in general in the future!*
How Much & How Often?
As this product is NOT a central nervous system stimulant, this product can be taken for the most part anytime some extra jitter-free energy is desired. On the other hand, for fat loss purposes, we recommend that you take a serving (depending on the serving size of the specific product you have) a full hour before a cardio or training session.
7. L-Arginine / Citrulline Malate / Agmatine
Even though these are three distinct ingredients, they all by and large do the same thing as far as body composition is concerned. PUMP! Put another way, they allow blood to flow more easily throughout the body as you workout.[19] This provides you with two unique benefits. The first is, as you workout, blood will not only flow more easily to the muscle you are working, but it will also stay in the muscle for longer. The second benefit is: the all-holy “mind-muscle connection.” Several studies have been done that show conclusively that someone who can activate a muscle in their mind will reap significantly greater anabolic benefits from a particular resistance exercise than someone who cannot control their muscles in the same way.[20] Having a (as famously described by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself ) “pump”, will greatly increase your ability to have a mind to muscle connection; which means that your workout will be more effective and will get you to your goals much quicker than without it.
How Much & How Often?
Regardless of which of the three you decide to go with, they are all intended as pre workout supplements due to their vasodilation properties. While L-Arginine is recommended in pre workout doses of 3-5 grams, Citrulline Malate is a minimum of 6 grams to feel effects, and Agmatine is 500mg – 1500mg.
Note that you can ‘stack’ all three of these ingredients if you feel like making your own pre workout shake in order to really control the amount of each ingredient you ingest.
8. Beta-Alanine
Again, we land on another ingredient that could have easily taken a higher place on our list but simply didn’t because we consider this product to be better for more experienced lifters. In any event, beta-alanine is another product that is best taken alongside both creatine and some sort of ‘pump-agent’ (this is why it’s typically a key component in most pre-made pre workout supplements). Generally speaking, beta-alanine’s intended function is to prolong the duration the body can undergo intense physical stress and more specifically the concomitant “burn” it comes with. Beta-alanine does this by increasing the body’s production of carnosine.[21] In layman’s terms, beta-alanine is one of the best consumer-grade supplements to improve high-level physical exertion and output since creatine hit the scene. Also, as this ingredient is naturally found in meat – especially red meat – supplementing with it can provide huge benefits for vegetarians who do not ordinarily come across beta-alanine at all through their diets.[22]
How Much & How Often?
As this supplement has been known to give some the ‘tingles’ on their hands, arms, eyebrows, and ears, we recommend that you experiment with your dosages in order to find an amount that works comfortably for you. However, the minimum dosage you should aim for in order to reap beta-alanine’s physiological advantages is no less than 800mg, 30-60 mins pre-workout.[23]
9. Mass Gainer
While most of us active adults will not require this supplement to make progress in the gym, this product can be a godsend for those of us with lacking appetites. Mass gainer supplements are effectively a protein shake with added fats, carbs and amino acids so that we can make sure we get the calories in our bodies that we need to fuel our hard earned gains. With that said, this product is obviously best used during a lean muscle gaining phase as opposed to a cutting/shredding phase. We believe the reasons motivating this recommendation are self-evident. Conversely, mass gainers taste damn good so if they’re something that you’ve come to develop an affection for, then throwing them into your cutting regiments may be possible – provided you budget your daily calories accordingly.
Depending on the kind of mass gainer product you decide to invest in, it may contain certain things like: added vitamins, minerals, creatine, branched-chain aminos (leucine, isoleucine and/or valine), glutamine, etc. We recommend that before purchasing your product that you check the label for exactly these kinds of additives to make sure that your gainer is as comprehensive as possible and ticks all the boxes you’re looking for it to tick.
How Much & How Often?
The answer to how much and how often will vary greatly on your caloric restriction. Furthermore, we will add that even though we do not believe that so-called ‘nutrient-timing’ has much of an effect on natural athletes, you may want to consider having your mass gainer shake either 2 hours before or 2 hours after strenuous exercise. Often these mass gainers contain quick digesting carbohydrates in them. Quickly digestible carbs are a good source of energy to fuel an upcoming workout, or a good source of recovery to fill your muscle glycogen stores rapidly following a workout (especially if you workout more than once a day).
Another note on mass gainer: if your mass gainer DOES have a full daily serving of creatine in it (5g) then it may be a waste to have more than a single mass gainer shake per day. If this is the case with your particular product, then perhaps consider filling the remainder of your daily caloric allowance with actual food or other supplements as that way you can use the added creatine in your mass gainer as efficiently as possible with respect both to your body and your finances.
Other than these recommendations, a supplement aimed at increasing one’s caloric or macronutrient statistics for a day can really be used to one’s own discretion.
Finally, not to bash any particular companies, but some products out there, even the big ones, really are garbage. The biohacker must be diligent to find a high-quality product that does not come at the cost of disturbing the health to body-composition equilibrium.
10. Casein Protein
In tenth place, we find yet another protein supplement. While at UpRiver we love protein, the reason why this product didn’t place higher on our list is due to the fact that not everybody likes to have something in their stomach as they’re going to sleep for the night (fasters, we’re looking at you). While to some this may sound bizarre, that’s exactly what this supplement is commercially intended for. Casein is a protein supplement that is designed to be slow digesting and accordingly be consumed preceding one’s nightly slumber. The idea behind this product goes back to something we mentioned earlier – anabolism (muscle building) effectively works on a light switch type system… its either on or its off. As you sleep, you are technically fasting; that is why when you eat your first meal of the morning it’s called ‘breakfast’ regardless of it being 7am or 11am.
Casein products look to keep the gains coming around the clock, even while you sleep.
If you’re someone who prefers to wake up not as ravenous as others, then casein might be a good idea for you! Alternatively, some people like their morning protein shake to contain casein instead of conventional whey protein so that they stay fuller longer, especially if one has a long day of work, studying or class ahead of them!
How Much & How Often?
Refer to the answer provided for #9 – mass gainer.
11. Fat Burners
For the final item on our list, we have fat burners. The reason fat burners are the lowest on our list is because of their efficacy. While almost all of the ingredients in fat burners have been proven at one point or another to help people drop unwanted body fat and increase energy, it seems that they only really play a significant role in the latter of the two uses. What we mean by this is as follows:
Suppose you and your biologically identical twin both went through the same workout and diet regimen. You took the exact same supplements, ate the same food, worked out together – both weights and cardio. Suppose also that the only difference between the two of you was that one of you decided to take a fat burner supplement. At the end of a 10 week cutting/shredding phase, the twin who took the fat burner might experience an extra 0.5 of a pound loss over you, who didn’t take the supplement. This is the long and short of what the real scientific literature indicates – regardless of what self-interested supplement companies and their marketing teams say.[24]
While most fat burner supplements DO contain ingredients that are known to raise one’s internal body temperature (caffeine, black pepper extract, green tea extract, cayenne pepper, etc.), it doesn’t really seem that this plays a big factor in the actual fat loss of an individual. It has been speculated that the added caffeine one takes in throughout the day (thanks to the caffeine in the fat burner) leads to more energy, which leads to slightly higher bodily exertion, which in turn leads to more weight loss.[25] Ultimately though, a fat burner might be best for someone close to the end of their cutting phase looking to break through that final stubborn fat-loss phase.
Finally, let us add that due to the lowering of carbs throughout the cutting phase, it is true that one’s energy levels do decrease from week to week, generally speaking. At times like these, pre-workout supplements can give you a big boost in the gym that allow you to perform optimally if utilized correctly and fat burners could reasonably fall into the ‘pre-workout’ camp. Additionally, some people like them in the morning instead of coffee or tea because they are largely composed of the ingredients one would find in caffeinated drinks.
How Much & How Often?
While it’s easier for us to make recommendations about how much you should take with respect to other products, fat burners are one that rely heavily on the specific product you’re taking to determine precisely how much of it should be taken and at what frequency. However, let us give you a cautionary note that with conventionally caffeine loaded supplements, definitely including but not limited to fat burner supplements, be very careful to read the labels on these bad boys.
As a final note on the topic of fat burners, make sure that you really analyze the ingredients in your product to determine the legal status of its constituent ingredients. While in the U.S.A. an ingredient by the name of ephedra is illegal, it is very much legal in other countries such as Canada, for example. As many products DO NOT contain the very powerful central nervous system stimulant ephedra, we will not go into detail what it is here, but we do caution to do your own research should you find yourself either in the possession of, or wanting to take an ephedra based product.
12. BONUS: Fish Oil Supplement & Multivitamin
We get it guys, this one may look like a waste of money… but trust us, it isn’t. Despite fish oil and multivitamins being technically a bonus item on this list, they are in actuality, probably the most important and overlooked health and fitness supplement on the market. While some of you may rebut that protein is the most important item on our list, consider the fact that countless academic and scientific papers illustrate the body’s near total inability to develop muscle when it is devoid of the minerals and vitamins it requires. This also includes both EPA and DHA, which are found in fish oil, krill oil, and other sea life. The nutrients that are in fish oil that help not only with your cognitive function, they also help keep your cardiovascular system healthy.[26]
We understand that if you’ve been with us on UpRiver for a while you are likely a healthy individual – you’re not a withering old grandmother or whatever. On the other hand, however, you ARE looking to transform your body into a great physique. Fish oil supplements and multivitamins are truly an essential part of this transformation and will aid in the following things as your fitness journey continues:
- Healthy and strong hair
- Increased physical and mental energy
- Increased focus
- Better muscular development
- Well lubricated joints (a real problem that people run into and is not as easily reversed as it is onset)
- Strong and healthy bones
- Better sleep
- Better digestion and food absorption
- and many, many more.
How Much & How Often?
Again, follow the directions on your specific supplement of choice as the recommended dosages rely heavily on the concentration of their ingredients.
As a last comment on fish oil and multivitamins: if you’re learned enough on the topic of health and fitness to realize how essential these are to your muscular and bodily development, be it losing fat or building muscle, realize also that not all of these supplements are made equal. In fact, there are specific fish oil and multivitamin supplements designed to support active individuals. Often these supplements are also uniquely designed to support either a man’s biological needs or a woman’s. Make sure you pick the one that is best suited to YOU! We don’t want you to put in all that work at the gym and not reap the FULL benefits of your efforts. Find UpRiver’s full comprehensive list of all nutrients and their purposes HERE.
Finally, we would just like to add that all of these supplements in their recommended dosages have been shown by years and years of research to be both safe and effective for men and women. With that being said though, it might be in your best interest to do your own individual research when it comes to the specific product you’re interested in and what benefits it can bring you.
Conclusion
GNC, Bodybuilding.com, Vitamin Shoppe and all the others can be difficult places to navigate. For this reason, we decided to put together a list that generally explains the products you will come into contact with when seeking out either things to build muscle, or drop body fat. It is especially important to know what the active ingredients in all these products do so that you’re not duped into buying the thing with the shiniest label and providing the highest commission to the salesperson. It is important to be an informed consumer who knows what he is looking for in order to keep your health optimal, wallet spared and ultimately, physique at whatever you determine is ideal.
Note: If you’re someone who is interested in fitness, come check out UpRiver’s BodySteam HERE.
As always, best of luck biohacker and keep moving UpRiver.
REFERENCES
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595342/
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://examine.com/nutrition/is-creatine-a-steroid/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
[15] Ibid.
[16] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12378044/
[17] Ibid.
[18] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12378044/
[19] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20386132/
[20] https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03998800
[21] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374095/
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21951331/
[25] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4477151/
[26] https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-new-qualified-health-claims-epa-and-dha-omega-3-consumption-and-risk-hypertension-and
