by Ben Davis, manager/coach Iron Tribe Fitness On Ponce

Whether it’s pre or post workout, your body needs the correct fuel for maximal performance. The most important step that you can take is to make sure that you are properly recovering from your workouts.

Vitamin D and fish oil are two supplements that can help you the most with your recovery process. Vitamin D is a very underutilized supplement. Just about every type of tissue and cell in your body has vitamin D receptors. This means that it is an essential hormone that plays a critical role in a large number of physiological processes.

One of the biggest benefits of vitamin D is that it helps preserve insulin sensitivity. Maintaining insulin sensitivity not only helps maintain optimal overall health, but also helps with muscle development by magnifying the muscle-building effects of leucine (one of the three BCAAs)Fish oil decreases inflammation and cortisol which helps your body recover from injuries and helps build muscles by increasing protein synthesis.

Time to go one step further.

Now that we have covered the most important part of increasing performance, recovery, we can now take it to the next level. Pre-workout supplementation can give your body the best shot in recovering faster and staying energized throughout your workout. Listed below are the 5 most important supplements in a quality pre-workout.

  • BCAA’s Branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine). These amino acids by-pass metabolism and help build muscle. Leucine is very important because it also induces protein synthesis in muscles.
  • Beta Alanine A special amino acid that combines with histadine to make sarcosine which is stored in muscle and acts as an acid buffer (prevents acidification, prolongs endurance).
  • Arginine A special amino acid that releases nitric oxide which increases blood flow and can help wash fatiguing muscles of toxic byproducts generated from exercise.
  • Quercetin Supports cardiovascular health by encouraging blood flow.
  • Caffeine Most widely used performance enhancing drug. Stimulates the brain and body for both short and endurance workouts.