Sports nutrition comes to the rescue when it comes to muscle strength . Any attempt to cut a corner is welcome here, unless of course it is harmful to health. In general, it will be beneficial to take all the supplements from the recognized arsenal of sports nutrition, since they all lead to muscle growth. And the big muscle, as you know, is always stronger than the smaller one. However, there are sports nutrition (supplements) in the above list that directly increase muscle strength. We will talk about them.

Caffeine

DESCRIPTION The most popular psychoactive substance in the world.

MECHANISM OF ACTION Caffeine has been used since time immemorial in cyclic sports to increase endurance and fight fatigue . At the beginning of the last century, wrestlers and boxers were required to take coffee before fights. With the birth of bodybuilding, caffeine made its way into a new sport. For a long time, it was believed that taking caffeine before strength training creates only a superficial mental arousal effect.

However, scientific studies have shown that caffeine actually increases physical strength. In one experiment, bodybuilders after taking caffeine were able to increase working weight in the bench press and leg press.by 11 and 12 percent, respectively. Although the “power” effect of caffeine increases as the dosage increases, scientists do not recommend experimenting with large doses. The side effects of caffeine are poorly understood.

DOSAGE Most sports experts agree that 4-5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is optimal. Caffeine is taken half an hour before training.

Beta-alanine

DESCRIPTION An essential amino acid , an important source of energy for muscles, brain and nervous system. It is one of the initial components for the synthesis of glucose in the body.

MECHANISM OF ACTION Comparative experiments using placebo groups have shown conclusively that beta-alanine supplementation reduces muscle fatigue and improves performance in athletes. As for bodybuilding, where drugs that accelerate protein synthesis are most valued, beta-alanine was not used here, since this amino acid is not involved in muscle growth. However, a few years ago, the amino acid carnosine attracted the attention of science., which for some reason is contained in the muscle tissue of all vertebrates, including humans.

It was not possible to establish the biological role of carnosine, but its inclusion in the diet of strength athletes led to an unexpected effect of a sharp increase in physical strength. Since carnosine is synthesized inside the body from beta-alanine and histidine , researchers had the idea to increase its production by enriching the diet of athletes with additional beta-alanine. It turned out that this technique can increase the power of muscle contraction by 10-12%.

DOSAGE Take 3 g of beta-alanine with a protein shake before and after your workout. After 3-4 weeks, reduce the intake to 1-2 g.

Creatine 

DESCRIPTION Nitrogen-containing acid. Participates in energy metabolism in muscles.

MECHANISM OF ACTION In the human body, creatine is synthesized in the liver , pancreas and kidneys . It then accumulates in muscle cells. There it serves as a source of ATP and, in the process of transformations, breaks down into water and creatinine. The latter is a useless slag and is excreted in the urine by the kidneys. Water accumulates in muscle cells and, according to scientists, increases their contractility. Active physical activity, which is accompanied by increased breakdown of creatine, leads to the “pumping” of water into the muscles and an increase in their diameter. Taking creatine as a dietary supplementduring the period of heavy strength training, it sometimes leads to an increase in body weight by 3-4 kg in just a month and a half. Creatine is very often included in sports nutrition to increase strength.

DOSAGE Take 3-5 g of creatine along with protein after training.

Gliatilin (alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine)

DESCRIPTION Phosphorylcholine donor.

MECHANISM OF ACTION Gliatilin is able to activate the synthesis of acetylcholine by neurons, thus improving neuromuscular coupling. Can be used in bodybuilding and other strength sports to develop muscle strength and speed . The effect has been proven in several independent studies.

DOSAGE 600 mg per day.

Magnesium 

DESCRIPTION Macroelement .

MECHANISM OF ACTION Takes part in many biochemical processes, participates in the synthesis of testosterone .

DOSAGE 300 mg per day.

Betaine

DESCRIPTION This organic matter was first isolated from beets.

MECHANISM OF ACTION The bodybuilding betaine long been used as a prophylactic agent against fatty liver under the action of steroids . However, recently, scientists have found that betaine significantly enhances the liver’s synthesis of creatine, since it is a donor of methionine , one of its components. Comparative experiments involving placebo groups have shown that taking betaine during a period of hard baseline training did not significantly increase explosive strength and muscle endurance .

DOSAGE Take 600 mg of betaine along with protein before and after training.

Force in minus

If you really want to get stronger, don’t fall for the myths about the benefits of running . It is useful only at the first stage of training if you have previously been sedentary and your metabolism has slowed down. However, further increasing the intensity of running in a fruitless attempt to transform yourself into a versatile athlete will lead to the effect of reducing muscle strength and blocking muscle growth. Numerous comparative studies prove that interval running is beneficial for strength athletes, rather than exhausting running loads. Contrary to popular mythology, a long run burns less fat than sprint runs of the same duration.