Build Muscle With These Steroid Alternatives
Posted on: 31 July 2015
If you spend any time around bodybuilders, you might think that you need steroids to get big muscles. This is not true. Steroids certainly help, but many people are uncomfortable using them because they can cause health problems and are often illegal.
Below is a list of legal alternatives to steroids. You can find most of them online or in a local health food store.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the bodybuilding and sports world. It is produced in your body (your liver and kidneys) from several amino acids, namely arginine and methionine. Once created, the creatine molecule combines with a phosphate and becomes creatine phosphate. Your muscles then use it as energy during workouts.
Creatine has two major benefits. The first benefit is that it increases muscle strength. Major league athletes, as well as collegiate athletes use creatine because it makes them stronger, not because it makes their muscles larger. The second benefit is that it increases muscle growth. This is why it is so popular in the bodybuilding community.
You add creatine to a liquid and drink it like a shake. There are some potential side effects, including high blood pressure.
Protein: Soy and Whey
While creatine is helpful, protein is essential. If you don't have enough protein in your body, your muscles cannot recover and get larger. The most popular method of getting more protein into your body is via protein powders. Here are the two types you can get.
Soy Protein
This protein is derived from soybeans. The soybeans are processed to remove the husks and any fat. They are then processed into a powder that can be mixed with liquid.
Soy is not as digestible as the other forms of protein. It is best suited for Vegan bodybuilders who do not want to use dairy protein.
Whey Protein
Whey protein is a dairy based protein. Whey is the byproduct of cheese manufacturing. Have you ever heard of the phrase curds and whey? Well, when cheese is being made, milk is separated via heat into curds (solids) and whey (liquid). The curds are then pressed into molds and turn into cheese. The whey is then taken and processed to remove the liquid. What remains can be sold as whey concentrate, or it can be further processed to remove any fat and sold as whey isolate.
Many people prefer whey protein because it is much easier to absorb into the body than soy. This makes it excellent for people who train at the gym for several hours. They can bring a protein shake to the gym, drink it in the middle of their workout, and have the protein absorbed into their bloodstream almost immediately.
What To Consider When Choosing A Protein Powder
Unless you are a vegan, it is best to avoid soy protein. Soy has been linked to thyroid problems, as well as estrogen increase in men. Therefore, it is much better to choose a whey protein.
When you are choosing a whey protein, don't forget to consider the source of the whey. You want to choose whey that was made from quality milk. That means that the cows should not have been pumped full of bovine growth hormone. Ideally, you will want whey from cows that were grass fed. For more information, contact a business such as Do Vitamins.
Share