A-Z of supplements

Let’s get one thing straight – despite what anyone says, you don’t have to take supplements to build muscle or lose weight, provided you’re eating a wholefood-based diet that’s high in protein and contains plenty of vegetables. But what supplements will do is allow you to maximise the gains you make at the gym, helping you to get stronger, faster and – crucially – recover quicker. Here’s our guide to some of the key supplements.

ARGININE

This non-essential amino acid is produced naturally in the body and improves performance by increasing nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a powerful vasodilator, which means it widens your blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the muscles and enabling better delivery of nutrients and oxygen to promote muscle recovery and growth during weights sessions. These effects are most beneficial for beginners.

BETA-ALANINE

This amino acid is great for improving your levels of focus and concentration during workouts or sports that require repeated sprints or bursts of power. It also increases concentration of the dipeptide carnosine in muscle, which allow s you to perform more reps