The 4 Best (and Worst) Fitness Supplements on the Market This Year

As gyms reopen worldwide, you might be nervous to return after time away—and not just because of COVID-19. While we’ve all been doing our best to keep gains at home, most of us don’t own a lot of exercise machines and have lost muscle.

If you do have your own gym, lucky you! You were able to keep fit while staying home, but you know you can do even better. You’ll benefit from this article too, so keep reading.

Fitness supplements success stories abound, even among your gym buddies. But there’s only so much that protein powder can do, right? How did they get so in shape, anyway?

It’s time to bust some fitness mysteries. Read on to learn about four great—and four not so great—supplements to build muscle and burn fat.

The Best Fitness Supplements on the Market

Going to the health store and poring over endless rows of supplements, vitamins, and other fitness products is confusing even for athletes. To make things easier for you and everyone else, check out these five top-rated fitness supplements.

1. Create Muscle With Creatine

One of the best supplements you can take to boost muscle growth is creatine. Creatine keeps your muscles in top condition by increasing their water retention and even increasing testosterone.

These benefits make for a better workout and better recovery.

2. Kratom for Energy, Pain Relief, and Most Anything Else

Energy drinks containing supplements like caffeine and ginseng are fitness classics. These short boosts are great for boosting your blood flow and getting your body in exercising shape.

However, drinks with those supplements often come with lots of stuff you don’t want, like sugars and artificial ingredients. An all-natural alternative is kratom, which you can learn more about if you visit golddustkratom.com. It’s an easy addition to a protein shake.

Kratom has tons of other great benefits too, like pain relief and even aphrodisiac effects. Before you buy, do research on the different varieties to choose the one that’s best for you.

3. A Classic: Protein Powder

Protein powder is popular for a reason: It gives muscles fuel to grow. Whether you’re trying to get ripped or just toned, you need a lot of protein.

It’s good to have a protein shake in hand for after your workout, and one at night helps rebuild muscle while you sleep. However, overreliance on protein shakes deprives your body of other nutrients, such as carbohydrates and fats, that it needs just as badly for healthy functioning. A balanced diet is of the highest importance.

4. Get More Technical With Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine might sound fancy, but it’s a basic part of muscle growth. A nonessential amino acid, you don’t need to eat it as it’s created by the human body.

Combined with L-histidine, another amino acid, it creates carnosine. If you’re looking to improve endurance, you want more carnosine. Most bodies create more than enough L-histidine, so taking beta-alanine balances things out for optimum fitness.

Supplements You Should Stay Away From

Best-case scenario, a misleading supplement does nothing. Maybe it even tastes good and makes a nice expensive snack. In the worst case, a supplement is downright dangerous. 

Picking through nutrition supplements to weed out the fakes is like picking mushrooms: Sure, you’ll probably be fine, or maybe even better. Without good information in your pocket, though, there’s nothing more than luck keeping you from getting sick—or worse—and one mistake can ruin your life.

You already have a guide to the best supplements out there, so here are four to stay away from.

1. You Won’t Get Pumped up by Testosterone Boosters

Every testosterone booster commercial boasts their product as one of the best workout supplements for men. You know, take one pill and you’ll be just as strong as a professional athlete. It sounds too good to be true, and it is. 

Testosterone boosters like maca and fenugreek do nothing at all for your testosterone levels, so save your cash for something better.

2. Avoid Antioxidants and Other Anti-Inflamatories

No pain, no gain is a mantra you’ve heard a million times. While you’re probably used to it as a motivation-booster, it’s also the truth. Working out damages your muscle slightly, which causes inflammation and pain.

The inflammation is what triggers muscle growth, so cooling it down with post-workout antioxidants like vitamin C is counterproductive. It’s still good to consume them at other times, but skip the orange juice before and after your next session.

3. Danger in a Bottle of Caffeine Powder

Caffeine is a great heart rate booster, so popular energy drinks include some, and we all love a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. That’s all fine and good, but caffeine powder is something to avoid at all costs.

This supplement isn’t well-regulated and dosing caffeine is something to leave to the experts. A mishap with caffeine powder could end in cardiac arrest! 

4. Branched-Chain Amino Acids Aren’t Anything Special

Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are a popular variety of protein supplements. These particular proteins improve muscle growth and help reduce soreness after a workout. So, why avoid them?

BCAAs on their own aren’t very useful. They work best in tandem with other amino acids, and you don’t need to buy them on their own, because they’re already in most high-quality whey-based drinks.

Staying Fit With or Without Supplements

Now that you know about the best fitness supplements out there, you can maximize your gains. By steering clear of bad supplements, you can both protect your health and save money. 

We have all the tips you need to get healthy and stay healthy with or without supplements right here, so take a look around!