What is sports nutrition for weight loss
Nutritional supplements that differ in their composition and principle of action due to this, united only by purpose - this is what sports nutrition is. Depending on the components used to create them, they can:
- help improve endurance indicators;
- help the body tolerate power loads more easily;
- provoke muscle growth;
- speed up metabolism.
The only common feature of all sports nutrition is its focus: these nutritional supplements are designed for individuals exposed to physical activity. In the absence of training, they do not work or can give the opposite result, which often happens to those who use sports nutrition to burn fat without exercising either in the gym or at home.
Is it possible to lose weight on sports nutrition?
A number of drugs aimed at athletes have the ability to reduce the amount of fat mass, but “lose weight” and “reduce weight” in this case are not synonymous, because Most representatives of the sports nutrition category additionally have the function of increasing muscle volume. However, fat burners are indeed present among these drugs and represent a separate category that specifically helps to lose weight. Other sports nutrition options work differently: they suppress the feeling of hunger or accelerate the breakdown of incoming nutrients.
Features of the female body that are worth considering
The female body differs from the male body not only externally, but also internally. And these differences are much more significant than they might seem at first glance. The very first thing I want to talk about in this section is the amount of muscle mass. Alas, no matter how much feminists are against this situation, nature has established that the main function of girls is to give birth to offspring. This is why women have much less muscle mass, more body fat, and all metabolic reactions are a little slower than in the male body. Metabolic rate directly depends on the percentage of muscle mass in the body - this rule also applies in the opposite direction. Therefore, it will be much more difficult for women to gain muscle mass.
Women and men have different main hormones in the body. The male hormone, or testosterone, causes the body to destroy fat reserves, accumulate muscle mass faster and better, and increase strength. In women, on the contrary, estrogen forces the body to accumulate fat and retain fluid in the body. Therefore, many female athletes specifically use male hormones to improve muscle growth. But the price for such methods is that they become more masculine in appearance.
Another special factor is the menstrual cycle. To begin with, in the first days of this cycle there are constant mood swings, decreased motivation, and there is often pain that can interfere with training. In addition, some phases significantly increase appetite, which also needs to be taken into account when creating a diet.
Sports nutrition is the same food, only in a processed form. All that remains for your body to do is absorb it and start using it. Therefore, sports nutrition can be very useful as a supplement to the diet, or a complete replacement for harmful products. Before you buy sports nutrition, let's look into this issue.
How does sports nutrition work for weight loss?
The operating principle of such products and supplements depends on the composition and focus: among sports nutrition you can find classic fat burners, appetite blockers, nutrient breakdown accelerators, etc. There are also options designed to replace meals without compromising your health: these are nutritional complexes with good calorie content, but without microelements that interfere with weight loss (for example, protein). Sports food for weight loss can be in the form of bars, mixtures for making soups and cocktails, and gels.
For burning fat
The key properties of these drugs, designed to reduce the amount of fat mass, are to accelerate metabolism, slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and reduce fluid levels. An additional quality that helps you lose weight is their ability to convert fat molecules into energy. Sports fat burners begin to do their work only during physical activity to which a person is exposed, so they are not effective without training.
Among these types of sports nutrition that help you lose weight are:
- thermogenics – warming substances;
- lipotropics – fat-breaking agents;
- calorie blockers.
L-carnitine
An alternative name for this supplement is levocarnitine. This is the main fat burner in sports nutrition, which is of interest to everyone who wants to lose weight safely. L-carnitine is a substance that is produced by the brain and kidneys, but sufficient amounts are produced only in people who eat a healthy diet that focuses on animal protein. If a person is aiming to lose weight with a strict diet, the doctor may prescribe additional L-carnitine capsules to make up for its deficiency.
This drug is not so much a sports nutrition as a nutritional supplement that:
- helps the body transport fatty acids to the breakdown zone;
- is needed so that a person can lose weight naturally, because... L-carnitine deficiency leads to obesity;
- converts fats into energy;
- helps reduce cholesterol levels;
- prevents the formation of new fat deposits.
How to increase the effectiveness of funds
It is important to understand that sports supplements are not a panacea for losing weight for an endomorph (a person with a round body type). They are a kind of catalysts that work in the presence of important conditions.
In this case, sports and a healthy diet are mandatory factors.
Reviews from those losing weight indicate that it is not necessary to go on a diet to lose weight, burn fat and make your body fit and slender. In most cases, women's weight loss with the help of supplements includes the basic principles of proper nutrition, namely:
- 5 meals a day in small portions;
- eating protein foods, fiber, complex carbohydrates, minimizing fat;
- reduction of daily calorie intake;
- consumption of large amounts of water;
- refusal of unhealthy foods - sweets, fast food, semi-finished products, fried, flour, smoked meats.
Another important rule is that the last meal should take place three hours before going to bed. To adhere to these rules, it is most convenient to create a menu for the week in advance and not deviate from it
If you feel a burning feeling of hunger at any time of the day, you can drink a glass of low-fat kefir.
Sports nutrition and physical activity
Consume pure protein or fat burners in tablets, but you can’t not exercise. In this case, you can seriously harm your body and gain even more weight.
It is important to exercise regularly. You can practice at home or purchase a gym membership
The second option is more convenient, because the gym has a wide selection of equipment for training, as well as experienced trainers who will help you competently create a training program. You need to visit the gym 3-4 times a week. The duration of the workout should not exceed 1 hour.
It is necessary to properly combine cardio exercises and strength training. Cardio will help speed up your metabolism, burn fat, and develop endurance and flexibility. Strength training is effective in pumping muscles, maintaining muscle tone, and increasing strength. An important condition for quality training is rest. The body needs time to repair damaged muscle fibers and build muscle mass.
Only an integrated approach guarantees noticeable and quick results when losing weight using sports nutrition. Be responsible and attentive when choosing an auxiliary product, and you will be able to enjoy the results after 3-5 weeks of effort.
We hope this article from the “Me and Fitness” team will help you with choosing sports nutrition. If the information was useful, share it on your social media page. networks. Friends and acquaintances will definitely thank you for this. See you again!
(No ratings yet)
How to take sports nutrition for weight loss
All these means to help you lose weight will only work if you know 2 rules. Firstly, you need to follow a diet, i.e. forget about junk food (simple carbohydrates, carcinogens) and drink plenty of clean water. Secondly, you must exercise, otherwise you will not lose weight, and from some types of sports nutrition you may begin to gain weight. The remaining nuances are determined by which product you decide to use:
- To quickly lose weight, you need to take protein sports nutrition at night and instead of breakfast or lunch. You can use protein as a snack, but the portions should be small: 15 g each.
- Sports meal replacements are used primarily as snacks and cannot be an alternative to classic food.
- To lose weight, any sports nutrition must be taken according to medical instructions, without exceeding the dosage by a single gram, no matter how fast and intense you want to make this process.
Additional sports supplements for girls
As an addition to the basic complex, you can take supplements to improve the quality of training and life:
- Pre-workouts;
- Pampilki;
- Creatine;
- Nootropics;
- Relaxers.
Pre-workout complexes allow the body to cope with stress much more easily, provide increased motivation for training, and increase strength and endurance. By taking supplements of this type, you will be able to perform a much larger volume of exercise in one workout. Pre-workouts also differ from each other in their effects. Some of them are mainly focused on the action of stimulants, which allow the body to “mentally” cope with stress more easily. Others cause your body to produce large quantities of the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine, which increase the body's energy potential. Still others allow you to prolong your workouts because with their help, lactic acid is produced more slowly in the muscles, which causes a feeling of muscle fatigue. Each of these supplements has a unique effect. But it’s worth remembering - they act differently on different people, and if one of them doesn’t suit you, then another may well suit you
Please note that you should not take pre-workout and fat burner at the same time
Pampilki will allow you not only to look more impressive during training due to muscle fullness, but also to improve muscle nutrition and speed up recovery after physical activity. We recommend reading about nitrogen in sports nutrition.
A supplement such as Creatine will make your muscles visually more voluminous, plus it will increase your strength and endurance, which will allow you to progress faster.
There is another type of very interesting additives. Nootropics, and they can also include relaxants. What are they needed for? They help not only improve your mood and fight stress, but also improve your thinking processes. With them, you will feel that your brain is working much faster and better than usual, and that your thoughts are completely controlled by you. Such drugs are often used by students before preparing for exams, and they can help you solve any of your problems and improve your overall mental state.
Most supplements for girls can be found in the usual “male” assortment of sports stores. Don’t forget and don’t hesitate to consult with professionals to select sports nutrition for your goals!
How to choose sports nutrition for weight loss
For persons who are overweight (this does not mean 2-3 kg, but more than 10 kg), recommendations on the selection and use of sports nutrition should be given by a doctor. Often, they are first advised to lose weight using a standard, proper diet with the introduction of complex preparations with L-carnitine and other microelements, and then add high loads and take sports nutrition in order to effectively lose weight. If you decide to choose such a remedy yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the main categories of these drugs.
Effective fat burners
Today, the range of drugs of this type is huge, but the key point remains their natural origin. Due to them, fat-burning sports nutrition for weight loss is the same for men and women, and girls do not need to choose separate complexes for themselves. According to doctors, maximum effectiveness is ensured by:
- guarana;
- caffeine;
- naringin;
- tyramine;
- dopamine
- Squats for weight loss at home. How to squat correctly to lose weight on your legs, sides or stomach
- Tsarsky salad - recipes with photos. How to cook Tsar's salad with seafood and red caviar
- Signs of measles in children and adults
Amino acids bcaa
Losing weight with this type of sports nutrition will not be as obvious as with the fat burners mentioned above - mainly BCAAs work on muscle growth and have an anti-catabolic effect. Unlike other amino acids, they are not formed in the body independently. The BCAA content is as follows:
- isoleucine;
- leucine;
- valine
BCAA is rarely used as a sports nutrition to lose weight, since the effect of these amino acids on body fat has not been scientifically proven. Experts also argue about increasing strength indicators and even increasing muscle mass. The only advantage of BCAA is the increase in results from taking other types of sports nutrition, so they are used as an additional element, and not the main one.
Protein for weight loss and muscle gain
According to statistics, the most popular sports nutrition for losing weight quickly is protein. This is the only supplement that helps achieve everything from muscle growth and endurance to an anti-catabolic effect. The protein contains protein mixtures necessary for muscle tissue and more. The number of functions they perform in the body of a person who has decided to lose weight is very large, so if you have a specific goal, you need to choose a separate type of protein nutrition:
- For those who want to lose weight, it is advisable to use whey protein or casein: the latter belongs to the group of slow proteins that are absorbed within 8 hours. Some experts mention soy protein, but the effectiveness of this type of sports nutrition is disputed.
- Whey protein is also used for muscle growth, but more actively than for weight loss. Meat protein is also called a natural and effective option.
Taking l-carnitine
According to doctors, you should use sports nutrition to lose weight only in combination with physical activity, but L-carnitine is an exception: it is allowed to be taken even by people who are not familiar with sports. Dosage regimens vary depending on this factor:
- For athletes and those who attend fitness (and other aerobic exercise), doctors advise using up to 1200 mg of L-carnitine per day to lose weight. The indicated amount is divided into 2 parts: 600 mg is divided into 3 doses, each of which is before meals. The remaining 600 mg must be taken before physical activity (half an hour before), preferably from an ampoule rather than a capsule.
- If there is no sports in your life, but you are trying different sports supplements for weight loss, the dosage of L-carnitine will be lower: no more than 6 capsules per day, 2 before each meal. Increasing the dosage to effectively lose weight is only allowed for overweight people - they can drink up to 12 capsules.
Vitamin-mineral complex
The safest, but at the same time the least effective, are products that are complexes of vitamins and essential microelements for the body, designed to replenish the need for them during strict diets. These are not effective sports fat burners, but nutritional supplements that help the body function properly so that weight stagnation does not occur. For women and men, such drugs must be selected separately.
How to choose suitable supplements, what is included in the composition and what to give preference to
All of the above leads us to believe that sports nutrition is an ideal addition to the daily diet of those who want to lose weight, but at the same time stay fit and maintain muscle tone. But how to choose exactly the ones you need from the whole variety of additives:
- L-carnitine, which has recently been positioned as a fat burner, actually is not. Its main task is to transport consumed fats to the place of their disposal, that is, into muscle cells. This supplement has virtually no contraindications and has no side effects. But it is useless to take it if there is no aerobic exercise.
- BCAA is one of the most important components of sports nutrition. This is a specific complex of amino acids, characterized by branched chains. It includes valine, isoleucine, leucine. Taking this supplement makes it possible to take control of weight, maintain muscle activity during training and build muscle mass.
- Mineral and vitamin complexes - any life support process requires reserves of vitamins and minerals, so you cannot lose weight if you are constantly deficient in these substances. A wide range of complexes is due to the possibilities of individual selection of additives.
- Protein is needed to replenish proteins. Along with it, experienced athletes advise taking polyunsaturated Omega-3, which lowers cholesterol levels and affects the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, promoting weight loss. And also means that help block the process of absorption of carbohydrates and fats, which prevents the formation of errors in the diet menu.
Pros and cons of sports nutrition for weight loss
The key positive aspect of taking such drugs is that a person can lose weight without losing body quality - all types of sports nutrition, even if they have a fat-burning effect, do not have a negative effect on muscle tissue. In comparison with pharmaceutical “fat burners”, which are mainly laxatives, they hit fat deposits directly and do not upset digestion, but are also not safe.
Doctors call their main disadvantages a large number of side effects:
- L-carnitine stimulates appetite, because provokes an acceleration of metabolic processes, so a person aiming to lose weight has to take up to 6 meals and be sure to include complex carbohydrates in the diet.
- Frequent intake of protein sports nutrition can contribute to the development of pathogenic microflora in the intestines and impair liver function, causing constipation.
Where to start in the fight against excess weight
Sports nutrition
One of the common mistakes when losing weight is going to extremes. You should not switch to eating only apples, kefir, buckwheat or rice. Perhaps you will quickly see the result, but it will be short-term, and metabolic processes in the body will have to be restored for quite a long time.
Even the ideal sports diet for men for weight loss will not give results if you have health problems. You need to start the fight against excess fat by visiting an endocrinologist. It is necessary to take tests for the functioning of the thyroid gland, testosterone and cortisol levels, determine blood sugar levels and glucose resistance.
If everything is in order, then you can move on to the next step. It is worth noting that rapid weight loss, even with the help of special sports nutrition preparations, is impossible. This is long-term work on yourself in terms of diet, training, and lifestyle.
Amino acids
Optimum Nutrition, Essential Amino Acid Energy, Citrus Flavor, 585 g
Buy at a discount
This amino acid complex contains a mixture of amino acids in free form, which are absorbed as quickly as possible, start the processes of protein synthesis and become building materials for building muscles. It is customary to drink amino acids throughout the workout.
Optimum Nutrition's amino acid complex is not quite ordinary. In addition to amino acids, it contains an energy mixture, which includes caffeine, green tea and green coffee extract.
This amino acid complex will provide nutrition to the muscles and a slight surge of strength, with a smooth release of energy. In terms of caffeine content, one serving of these amino acids is equivalent to one cup of strong coffee.
This amino acid complex can be additionally mixed with L-carnitine, creatine and any other amino acids, which I will write about below.
It is not advisable to mix these amino acids with various energy drinks and pre-workout complexes, which contain invigorating components.
Benefits and harms
The modern sports nutrition market is oversaturated with all kinds of products aimed at increasing endurance and accelerating metabolism. If you want to lose weight and improve muscle mass, using sports supplements is beneficial. The drugs described will not leave anyone losing weight who is engaged in intense physical activity without energy. The main advantage of gainers is their powerful support for the body during training. Some sports nutrition experts are against taking such supplements. Addiction to weight loss supplements threatens:
- hormonal imbalance;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- deterioration of kidney function;
- negative effect on the liver.
Contraindications and side effects
There are several contraindications when the drugs should not be taken. The creatine supplement included in sports products retains water in the body, so it is not suitable for people with hypertension. Other contraindications are: diabetes mellitus, bleeding disorders and a tendency to allergic reactions. If you notice any of the above, you should consult a doctor for advice. The doctor will suggest an alternative sports nutrition for weight loss. Side effects with minimal risk of occurrence:
- allergy;
- vomit;
- nausea;
- heartburn;
- bloating;
- diarrhea.
Casein
Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard 100% Casein, Chocolate & Peanut Butter, 2 lb (909 g)
Buy at a discount
Casein is a type of protein that, unlike whey protein, is absorbed much more slowly. This is its main value. Slow absorption ensures an even release of amino acids and saturates the body for at least 4 hours.
This casein is usually drunk before bed so that the body does not destroy its own muscles during a long absence of food.
I use casein to suppress the feeling of hunger that often haunts me during the day or before bed. When I’m hungry, I have a very hard time falling asleep, so casein is just my salvation. It envelops the walls of the stomach, begins to nourish the body, and after about fifteen minutes a very pleasant feeling of fullness appears.
I often replace casein with my evening meals and sometimes have a little drink before lunch. In this case, the total volume and caloric content of food eaten during the period decreases, the percentage of protein consumed increases, which promotes weight loss. At some point, I even noticed that casein freed me from this excessive food addiction. This casein is a godsend for those losing weight.
Choosing good casein is very important. Casein is an expensive type of protein, so some manufacturers may mix casein with other, cheaper types of protein. Optimum Nutrition casein is a classic, high-quality 100% micellar casein.
