As we tackle our new exercise routines, whether we’re building muscle or aiming to improve our stamina and endurance, we can increase the effectiveness of these workouts with certain supplements. Not only are these beneficial for every workout regime, but they can also help to smash you through that plateau you may have reached in which you’re seeing no more changes to your body. A plateau like this happens once your body has reached a sort of equilibrium with your caloric intake and exercise intensity. Stepping up your workouts is only beneficial if you can match it with an increase to your nutrient intake, especially with essential things like protein. Here are 8 supplements that have been proven to help with exercising and gaining muscle mass.

Creatine

This wonderful little supplement is actually naturally occurring in our bodies and helps to provide our bodies with useful energy during exercise. Its role is actually twofold as it also helps in the repair and growth of muscles that have been put under stress, such as from a heavy workout. Many people swear by creatine to help them in pumping out a couple more reps than normal, edging their performance over the line.

Cod Liver Oil

Joint care is incredibly important when it comes to exercising, and not only is it going to be incredibly painful to sustain an injury to a weak joint, but you’ll also find yourself out of action for a significant amount of time. Cod liver oil supplements helps with a myriad of things in our bodies, as its packed with essential vitamins and minerals that the body can make good use of. Not only will it strengthen joints, but it will also improve bone strength as well as improve your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Amino Acids

These are some of the most vital chemicals when it comes to muscle growth and there are many different types which serve varying purposes. They predominantly play a large role in growing and repairing our body tissue such as organs and muscles as well as things like our skin and hair. Our bodies won’t be able to survive without these, and that’s why they’re found in just about all of our foods. However, there are some huge benefits to increasing the amount of amino acids in our systems, and while it can be hard to figure out whether to choose between leucine vs isoleucine or glutamine vs tyrosine, there are plenty of resources online to help you choose the ideal ones for you, such as this Ingredient Optimized article. As with all supplements, do your research and consider discussing your plans with your doctor before taking them.

Glutamine

Speaking of amino acids, and glutamine in particular, this handy supplement is perfect for maintaining your muscle mass. Getting enough of this into your body via fish, red meat, and nuts is not always feasible, and getting a boost to your glutamine levels may be necessary if you’re concerned with loosing performance during particularly intense and heavy workouts. It’s important to note the added fats that foods like nuts and red meat can put into your body and replacing some of these with a supplement can both maintain those levels and help you to avoid gaining too much body fat.

Protein Powder

While protein is basically made up of amino acids to help your muscles repair and grow, there are some benefits to taking protein in the form of whey powder, and this will ultimately help when you’re looking to gain mass in general. All bodybuilders will understand that it’s important to at least reach your recommended daily calorie intake to maintain muscle mass, and to surpass that level to grow. Or caloric intake is based on our metabolism, which is how quickly and efficiently our body converts food into useful components for energy and growth. If you’re not reaching these recommended levels, you may find that your body will begin to conserve energy in the form of fat, and you may even experience muscle loss. A good quality, weight-gaining protein powder is a great choice for hitting those calorie limits and giving you that added boost if you’re struggling to eat much more.

Vitamins & Minerals

Getting the right number of essential vitamins and minerals into our bodies is so important, and this is why a balanced diet full of healthy vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods is key to a healthy lifestyle. Vitamins and minerals are often known as micronutrients, in that they are in such small quantities, but fill some very important roles. These nutrients do jobs such as helping to create oxygen-carrying proteins, strengthening our bones, and regulating our immune systems, to keep us going strong. They also help in breaking down certain foods to help with the distribution of other useful chemicals throughout the body. For example, vitamin B helps to release energy from carbohydrate-rich foods keeping us alert and active.