Nitric oxide is a free form of gas that your body produces. It’s used by your body to communicate between cells. It’s produced by enzymes in your body breaking down the amino acid Arginine. It can also be inserted into your body through nitric oxide supplements.

Nitric oxide does two major things. For starters, it increases the blood flow that your body delivers and allows more nutrients to reach the muscle cells. This allows them grow during and after workouts (recovery phase).

The next major thing is Nitrix Oxide’s ability to help reduce the inflammation that sore muscles may have. The soreness can derive from normal everyday activities, or strenuous exercises. Regardless, it cuts down on recovery time and allows you to get back in the gym faster, without feeling the effects as much after each workout.

I just came across another positive review of optimum nutrition whey protein. I have been using ON whey for years now and it’s good to see some other people have found it and are liking the results. I tried at least 10 different protein powders until I settled for this one. Not one of them ticked every box. They either didn’t taste good, were full of ingredients I didn’t want (ie fat or sugar), too expensive etc.

If you’re looking for a top protein powder at the right price I suggest you check it out. Optimum Nutrition make loads of other solid products too. I have tried their ZMA (not currently taking it, but have cycled it for 2 years), creatine (both monohydrate and ethyl ester) and their amino pills. It’s good to see a company taking the lead in quality and not slapping us with prices 50% higher than they should be.

Nice one.

Carbohydrates come in two forms, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates (or carbs) come from natural and processed sugars, quickly absorbed into the body as energy. Unfortunately, this energy doesn’t last very long and is quickly followed by a feeling of decreased energy levels, leaving the person tired and sluggish. These kind of carbs are not recommended for athletes or bodybuilders.

Complex carbs on the other hand are beneficial for those undergoing exercise and fitness programs. Complex carbohydrates represent the majority of the body’s energy source. You can find these kind of carbs in oatmeal, bread, brown rice, potatoes, and wheat. Regular servings of complex carbohydrates is recommended, as they give your body long-lasting energy and enable you to work harder and feel better throughout the day.

Creatine is a dietary supplement that athletes and most professional bodybuilders use to increase the intensity of their workouts, exercise performance, strength, and more full looking muscles. Additionally, creatine increases body masses and provides bodybuilders with a quicker workout muscle recovery.

Creatine does this by increasing the amounts of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in your body. ATP is the primary source of energy for your muscle contractions.

By you supplementing creatine, you’re generating additional ATP into your body and allowing your body to work harder, as well as longer, maximizing your workout.

Wanna gain weight?

If you want to gain weight you might have considered weight gain supplements. Weight gainers are awesome for raw weight gain, especially for skinny guys…known as “hard gainers”. Most weight gain shakes have a massive amount of calories coming from protein and complex carbs. Ideal for weight gain.

But I think there’s a better way to use supplements to gain weight. Instead of buying a weight gain supplement, you buy the ingredients individually and build your own shakes! Here’s why I think it’s a better way of doing things…

1. Saves you cash.
   Weight gain supplements may be cheap as an overall product, but buying whey protein, complex carbs and simple carbs is less expensive than you think. Whey protein is the main expense, but carb supplements are actually really cheap!
2. You choose the dosage.
   When you just take a weight gain supplement you’re stuck with the same ratio of protein/carbs every time. When you buy separate products, you can adjust the dosage to suit your needs.

So what should you buy instead of a weight gain shake? Essentially you’ll get whey protein and complex carbs (maltodextrin). But you can add other products like creatine and glutamine etc. So my advice, build your own, and build more muscle!

One of the most common questions I see getting asked on forums around the web is “what does glutamine do?”. Bodybuilders have used glutamine for years, and now athletes from all sporting disciplines are starting to use glutamine. Not only that, doctors now realize the positive effects glutamine has on the immune system and are prescribing it to elderly patients. Let’s have a look at what it is and what it does…

What is Glutamine?

Glutamine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks to protein. Glutamine is not just any amino acid, it is the most abundant amino acid in our body - and highly concentrated in our muscles. Glutamine has recently been re-classified as a conditionally essential amino acid. This means that while the body can make glutamine, there are times when the body’s need for glutamine is greater than its ability to produce glutamine.

What does Glutamine do?

Studies have shown that glutamine supplementation can do the following:

• Increase Protein synthesis (which leads to increased muscle mass)
• Increase nitrogen retention
• Decrease muscle breakdown
• Decrease recovery time needed after a workout
• Enhance immune functions

So whether you want to build muscle or just stay healthy, glutamine can help you.

Welcome to the new Supplements Explained website & blog.

Supplements Explained was created to try and take some of the confusion out of bodybuilding and fitness supplements. Our aim is to post quality information, news and product reviews to educate our readers. Educated people make the right choices and reach their goals.

Stay tuned for coming updates!