Online Supplement Store: Various Supplements Explained
Online supplement stores are vastly beneficial when it comes to finding affordable supplements. However, whether you’re new or whether you’ve been on your fitness journey for a while, there’s a good chance that you may be perplexed and overwhelmed by the endless array of different products in any given supplement store.
There are, quite literally, thousands of fitness products available out there and it can be difficult to distinguish what is meant for you specifically and what isn’t. In this article, we run the circuit between all the different supplement types and categories so that you can get back to focusing on the important things – your health and fitness journey as a whole.
Prime Growth Supplement Store: Different Supplements For Different Purposes
It’s important to know that different supplements are designed for different purposes, and what you buy will ultimately depend on what your fitness goals are and how quickly you would like to achieve them. It’s also worth stating that not everyone would need all kinds of supplements, all of the time. This may be the case for professional bodybuilding athletes, but not so much for the average person aiming for a healthier lifestyle.
Nevertheless, supplements still have their place in the everyday gym-goer’s diet. A supplement store may seem like a complicated and intimidating place, but we’re here to assure you that it isn’t. In fact, it’s a wildly fascinating facet of working out, once you understand that every different supplement has its place, and even more so when you understand where that place is. So, let’s get right into it by looking at the different categories of supplement products that you would normally find in a supplement store, and then break them down one by one.
- Pre-workout products
- Post-workout products
- Protein powders and shakes
- Weight management products
- Prepackaged sports foods
- Vitamins and minerals
Pre-Workout Products
You may have heard the term “pre-workout” before, thanks to an increase in popularity of the products in recent years. But what exactly is a pre-workout supplement, how do you use it, and how does it fit into a supplement store?
Much like the name suggests, pre-workout supplements are meant to be taken before your workout to energise, strengthen, and motivate you before you start with your exercises. It can be taken before any workout but has proven to be especially practical on days when you feel fatigued and lethargic. A pre-workout supplement will boost your energy and help to keep you going for longer and at a higher intensity, with an increased focus.
Pre-workouts can be divided into two types: those that contain stimulants and those that do not. The stimulants referred to above are usually caffeine, yohimbine, theacrine, and guarana, which may, in combination or isolation, lead to jitters, increased heart rate, and/or anxiety. It’s for this reason that stimulant-free editions are available for those who might be sensitive to the stimulants, simply do not want to use them, or have their workouts close to bedtime.
These types of supplements come in a variety of easily-digestible forms such as pills, powders, and ready-to-drink cans. The capsules and the powders remain the most popular methods of taking the supplement. All pre-workouts are generally advised to be taken between 30 minutes and an hour before the start of your workout.
It’s also important to note that the main purpose of pre-workouts is not to build muscle or improve your physique, in and of itself, but rather to give you the energy, endurance, and focus to perform the exercises proficiently so that these goals can be achieved over time.
Post-Workout Products
Recovery is arguably just as important as the workouts themselves and this is why you will find post-workout products in abundance in a supplement store – it’s essential to any training routine. And just like there are numerous different forms of recoveries, there are several different types of products to complement the type of recovery.
Some supplements work by supporting or enhancing muscle protein synthesis. Other supplements aid in muscle recovery to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, while some supplements aim to aid recovery holistically. The type of post-workout supplement that will be most beneficial to you will ultimately come down to the type of exercise or training you do, as well as where you are in your fitness journey.
For instance, carbohydrates are great after a workout to replenish glycogen levels that get depleted during training and leave you feeling fatigued. Protein products help repair muscles faster and aid in protein synthesis, while amino acids can aid in muscle recovery, muscle growth, and muscle fatigue – should you need to train the same muscles in succession. Consider the type of workout you’ll be doing and which of our post-workout products will work best for it.
Protein Powder And Shakes
Protein powder and shakes usually make up the biggest part of a supplement store. Protein is an essential macronutrient that is needed for our daily survival but it is also an extremely beneficial aid in lean muscle growth and development. While numerous types of foods can, and do, provide us with the proteins we need for functioning and training, protein shakes have been designed to do so extremely conveniently and efficiently. Instead of trying to get all of your necessary protein from different meats or plants, protein shakes and powder provide the same amount of protein in one, easy drink.
Protein has a wide range of other benefits over and above just building muscle. It also aids tremendously in recovery through protein synthesis, boosts your metabolism and can lead to fat loss too. With all these benefits going for it, it’s easy to see why protein powder takes up so much of the supplement store. However, it must be stated that it’s not a magic step into bodybuilding superstardom. Protein powder works best in conjunction with a good training routine, a good recovery routine, and most importantly, a good dietary plan.
Weight Management Products
Arguably the biggest reason people join the gym or undertake a fitness and lifestyle change is to lose or manage their weight. And as such, there is a massive demand in the supplement store for products dedicated or designed for weight loss and weight management, or at the very least to make it easier to do so. These products come in a wide range of fat burners, meal replacements, and appetite suppressors.
Fat burners work by elevating your resting metabolic rates such as blood pressure and energy usage which can lead to weight loss over a period of time. They can be consumed in either capsule, tablet, liquid, or powder form. Research is still needed but is claimed to increase metabolism, reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs, and curb your appetite, thus making it an appetite suppressor too. As many fat burners and suppressors aren’t FDA-approved, we do recommend consulting a health professional before taking any fat-loss medications.
Meal replacements on the other hand are designed to, as the name states, replace a part of your daily meal intake. Unlike protein shakes, they are intended to provide all the nutrition of a conventional or normal meal in a convenient, yet healthy way. Meal replacements can come in powder to be mixed with milk or water and contain around 200 – 400 calories, depending on the size, of course. Once again, any type of weight loss product in isolation probably will not yield the results one would require, and therefore must be taken in conjunction with a proper diet and training plan.
Prepackaged Sports Foods
Healthy snacks and drinks have come a long way in recent years. We all get the cravings for the bad stuff from time to time and is a common reason for people to “fall off the wagon” when trying to stick to an eating plan. And up until quite recently, you would have been hard-pressed to find healthier alternatives from the usual ‘bad’ snacks– and you had to be prepared to fork out money when you did. However, all of that has changed quite dramatically.
Nowadays you can just pop into any supplement store and choose from a broad array of different healthy snacks and drinks to keep your cravings under control. They range from nutritional bars that include protein and collagen, chips and even cookies. In terms of drinks, there are sports drinks, milkshakes, and energy drinks that are all much healthier than the conventional offerings found in convenience stores or supermarkets. Just take a look at the snacks and healthy foods that we stock.
Vitamins And Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are often the most neglected products in the supplement industry, yet they’re some of the most essential for proper recovery. In all their eagerness to get going on building muscle, or losing weight, people tend to forget about their general health requirements. However, its importance can’t and shouldn’t be underestimated.
When we train or exercise, we deplete a large portion of our stored nutrients that need to be replenished in some way. A balanced diet is often sufficient, however, when you’re restricting severe calorie intake, practising extreme weight loss dieting or excluding some food groups entirely, it may be a good idea to look at supplementing your nutrients with the vitamins and minerals you most require. These are the most critical vitamins and minerals required for recovery, but do consult a health professional before usage:
- B vitamins
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
Prime Growth Nutrition: Supplement Store Products
Certain supplements are designed to achieve certain results when you combine them with a healthy lifestyle. Protein supplements are mainly designed to increase a muscle’s ability to form new fibres, recover, and rebuild to promote muscle growth. Weight management products are designed to increase fat loss, decrease your appetite, and increase your metabolism.
The supplements you’ll find in the supplement store, on their own, will not have your arms bulging with biceps or your abdomen with a six-pack overnight. Those types of results take commitment, hard work, and time to come to fruition. Supplements are intended as support in helping you achieve your goals in conjunction with numerous other factors. They’re not meant as a magical fix to help you to gain strength or lose weight, as the misconception often dictates.
With a combination of a balanced diet, regular workouts and exercise, an overall healthy lifestyle, enough sleep, and proper hydration (lots and lots of water), supplements will help you reach your goals quicker. It is, however, imperative that you ensure you take the correct type and right amount of supplements intended for your specific goals – no two people’s bodies are the same and therefore no one’s fitness needs are the same either.
At Prime Growth Nutrition we know how daunting the experience of purchasing the right supplements can be, especially for somebody who is starting a new fitness journey. Our passion for health, fitness, and well-being exudes into helping you BE THE BEST YOU™. We welcome everyone, so if you need someone to guide you on your personal fitness journey, reach out to us today.