Fitness is fast becoming a growing trend and along with this, we’re seeing more and more sports nutrition supplements flooding the market.
Anything from shakes to protein bars and boosters promise the kinds of results that take hours and hours in the gym, but do we really need them, or are they just cheap promises of a quick fix?
Johandre Rabe, owner of Xtreme Nutrition situated in Mareua Mall said: “Supplements are fuel to the muscle.
Food only gives a certain amount of nutrients compared to supplements and only a certain amount of calories come from food”.
He said protein and creatine are the most basic ingredients in these supplements.
While they are found in food, they are of utmost importance when it comes to muscle building because they are the building blocks of body tissue.
Creatine is an acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, especially the muscles.
If you want to bulk up, he says, and build muscle, you need to look at your body type.
Typically skinny guys, also known as ectomorphs, would first need to gain weight and would need supplements high in calories.
Men who are naturally big do not need to take in as many calories, they should rather focus on protein intake.
When it comes to supplements for people who are trying to lose weight, they should first find out how sensitive they are to stimulants, said Johandre.
Those who are not very sensitive are able to take in substances which have a high caffeine content.
These increase your heart rate which in turn speeds up your metabolism.
However, using weight loss supplements alone will not get you where you want to be.
“Losing weight is 70 to 80% reliant on your diet.
You need a training programme and a diet. You can’t expect lose weight if you eat KFC but you are using supplements,” Johandre said.
Johandre himself is sensitive to carbohydrates, so instead he opts for using protein.
“I’m currently in my gaining phase. I eat eight meals a day, drink whey protein in the morning and after training, take amino acids twice a day and 10g of creatine for a pre-workout,” he explained.
He also regularly takes multi-vitamins and noted that amino acids are optimal for muscle recovery and building.
“They are good for the cutting phases, as they retain the muscle while losing fat.”
So what should one look out for when shopping for supplements?
“Firstly, check your blood pressure, cholesterol and fitness levels. We usually advise people to train for at least a month or two before starting supplements.”
He explained that people who have high cholesterol should stay away from mass gainers, while those who have problems with blood pressure should steer clear of any testosterone.
Johandre noted that South African brands usually do not fair well against international or American brands.
However, since the Rand has weakened against the USD, South African brands have used the price increase of the bigger brands as an opportunity to improve on their quality and the two are slowly starting to match up.
The team from Xtreme Nutrition assures those considering the use of supplements that they are safe, regardless of perceptions.
“Bodybuilding and fitness is getting really big. In four or five years, Namibia will be on the same level as SA.”
Grantham Sawyer, an avid gym-goer, said he mainly just uses protein for building lean muscle.
“Creatine allows my muscles to grow faster and it gives me more energy,” he added.
