Post-workout supplements are popular because they help ease post-workout fatigue. Recent post-workout formulas combine the best ingredients to make you recover faster while making your muscles bigger and stronger. In addition, post-workout supplements produce a wide array of health benefits. However, these products also have risks. Let’s find out about Post-Workout Supplements’ Pros and Cons in this review.
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Post-Workout Supplements Pros
PRO: Provide essential nutrients for faster recovery
Your body can only recover properly if it has enough nutrients for cell repair. As you work out, levels of essential nutrients in your body deplete. That is why recovery gets slower if you are unable to replenish essential nutrients in your body. Post-workout supplements help replenish nutrients which you used up during exercise. They also promote faster recovery. Remember that you need more nutritional support as you work out.
PRO: Post-workout supplements promote consistent muscle gain
Post-workout supplements help maintain muscle anabolism after a hard training session at the gym. That is why athletes and bodybuilders take post-workout supplements. When your muscles are in an anabolic state, this is also when muscle growth happens. However, after exercise, your muscles don’t maintain their anabolic state. The reason: too much exercise also triggers muscle breakdown due to stress. Post-workout supplements not only promote muscle gain, but also keep muscle loss at bay. Many factors affect muscle loss. So, it is ideal to take post-workout supplements if you are after consistent muscle gain.
PRO: You can reduce post-workout oxidative stress with the intake of post-workout supplements
Post-workout supplements promote antioxidant activity in your body. This helps reduce stress on a cellular level. Antioxidant activity promotes your overall health and ward off certain health issues (such as carcinogenicity). Oxidative stress is detrimental for your body and mind. The intake of post-workout supplements is greatly effective in improving your physical and mental performance after intense physical activity. In addition, you also get a lot more health benefits due to fewer free radicals in your body.
PRO: Post-workout supplements optimize fat loss
You work out because you want lean muscle mass and optimum physical performance. However, you need to lose fat to achieve this. Post-workout supplements help you get rid of belly fat while helping you maintain peak physical performance. Fat loss may also enhance your physical performance because it gives room for more muscle which eventually helps you increase your strength. If you are a bodybuilder, you need to maintain or reduce fat to a minimum, so you can emphasize your muscles better.
On the other hand, if you are an endurance athlete, post-workout supplements may help you lose fat to enhance your endurance the next time you train or compete. Post-workout supplements are beneficial for active people who want lean muscle mass. However, don’t expect post-workout supplements to work as good as fat burners in helping you lose fat quickly. For best results, exercise regularly, establish healthy eating habits, and get enough sleep to complement your post-workout supplementation.
PRO: Soothe post-workout pain in your muscles, joints, and connective tissues
After you work out, your muscles, joints, and connective tissues sometimes feel discomfort . This pain is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This can affect anyone involved in physical activity. Novice and elite athletes are at risk for DOMS. Post-workout supplements help manage or ward off DOMS. However, if you already have joint and connective tissue problem prior to exercise, you might also want to check out our reviews on bones and joints supplements.
PRO: Post-workout supplements hydrates your body
When you exercise you lose more than just water and energy. In addition, hydration isn’t always about drinking plain water. You need electrolytes in your body, too. Post-workout supplements provide your body with essential electrolytes which one loses during exercise. They hydrate your body on a cellular level.
However, you still need to drink plenty of water to hydrate your body effectively. Another good source of water and electrolytes is coconut water (which you can also take post-workout with your desired post-workout supplement). Once you hydrate completely, you regain some of your lost energy during exercise and your body and mind can recover faster.
Post-Workout Supplements Cons
CON: Some post-workout supplements are pricey
Post -workout supplements are mostly safe, effective, and convenient. However, you can’t expect a good supplement to come cheap, considering the premium ingredients that it contains. Therefore, some post-workout supplements are pricey. You can also create your own post-workout stack if you think it can save you a few dollars. Some post-workout ingredients are readily available in the grocery store. But, if you create your own post-workout stack, don’t expect it to be as good as full-fledged post-workout formulas.
CON: Anabolic window of opportunity for post-workout supplementation is still far from definitive
If you consistently eat healthy as you work out, you probably don’t need post-workout supplements. Post-workout supplements may help speed up the process of muscle hypertrophy. However, some studies suggest that nutrient timing somehow affects certain biological processes in your body.
Taking post-workout supplements attempt to take advantage of the “anabolic window” after exercise. However, science has yet to validate this so-called “anabolic window” of opportunity for optimum muscle gain. Here are the purported benefits of proper nutrient timing on your body:
- Glycogen restoration
- Muscle anabolism
- Stimulation of muscle protein synthesis (MPS)
- Muscle hypertophy
CON: Post-workout supplements have side effects
Just like any other awesome bodybuilding supplements on the market, post-workouts may also have side effects. People respond to dietary supplementation differently. That is why some people who take post-workout supplements also experience side effects. Even though these side effects aren’t severe, you might still experience discomfort and it might affect your regular activities or disposition. Here are some side effects to look out for, just so you can either lower the dosage or change the post-workout supplement that you’re taking:
- Gastric discomfort (symptoms: indigestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea)
- Muscle cramps
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
Conclusion on Post-Workout Supplements Pros and Cons
If you live a healthy lifestyle, you don’t need any sort of supplementation. However, if you want to amplify the effects of your workout or you want to experience faster post-workout recovery, you can take post-workout supplements. Even though post-workout supplements aren’t really necessary, they are beneficial for you.
The pros of post-workout supplements obviously outweigh their cons. The takeaway: post-workout supplementation is worth your while. You just have to choose a good supplement for you to reap its maximum benefits. If you need more help in choosing the right post-workout supplement, our Best Post-Workout Supplements 2018 Edition might help you decide which product to buy.
On the other hand, if you’re a woman who wants a post-workout supplement which provides your gender-specific needs, Best Post-Workout Supplements for Women might help you out.
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