If money wasn’t a factor, let’s face it, most of us would have free reign to buy things we want with little thought as to how much we’re spending. This is especially true of health and fitness items, which often get left to the wayside when money is a factor in our lives (which is most of the time for many of us). If only it were so straightforward, so cut and dry, that we could pick and choose the health products of our choice without batting an eye at the price tag, so it can be a challenge finding supplements to match our individual budgets. Now, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford more supplements or those which already come chock full with all the necessary components needed to make fueling your body as quick and convenient as can be, then I say take advantage of that, most definitely.
While there are some staple health and fitness supplements that don’t have to break the bank, anything more than a modest budget means we needn’t feel constrained by finances that allows for the basics only. And while that in and of itself is certainly not a bad thing, being able to opt for different quality supplements makes life a little easier. For women with a high budget let’s just get to it and give your body the best you can afford. If that means it’ll make use of the essentials to ensure you get everything you can out of your healthiest life yet and build on exponentially from that, then why not?
So, how do we decide what the essentials are first and foremost? Well, if we opt for those products and supplements that are backed by strong scientific research and data, those are always going to be the best option as their track record of results will speak volumes in any research. With a higher price tag, supplements in this budget range tend to pack more power so you might not have to buy a whole laundry list of products, rather, you’d be able to choose the right ones that come ready with the necessary components listed below.
Where to start?
Let’s start with the basics of what’s needed, that way you know what to ask your health/vitamin store clerk and what to look for on the ingredient list on products.
Creatine – This is a compound which produced in small amounts naturally within the body. It is also found in meat and fish products. When partaking in high intensity activity, creatine is thought to play a major role in releasing energy to enhance muscle performance. This means we’re able to go longer and harder, all whilst creatine helps provide ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to our cells so that our muscles maintain energy levels for a more sustained period of time. Also helping to reduce fatigue and increase endurance, this is one supplement that shouldn’t be missed off the list of bare necessities if we want to see gains that don’t hit the wallet hard.
Whey Protein – This supplement is the backbone of a basic workout regimen. It is one of two proteins comprising milk and more importantly, it digests quickly releasing the branched chain amino acids contained within it, and these guys are crucial to muscle growth. Whether for the sake of growing your muscles or maintaining them, whey is a great supplement if only just for it’s ability to help you recover, post workout.
Vitamin D3 – This fat-soluble vitamin is synthesized when we’re in the presence of sunshine. With increasing amounts of time being spent indoors rather than out, it can be easy to become deficient in this vitamin, so providing the body with an outside source of vitamin D will help keep you healthy. Additionally, it aids in keeping your immune system functioning on top form as well as helping with calcium absorption for the purpose of maintaining strong and healthy bones (which themselves can be put under stress during strenuous or weight bearing exercises), so this is definitely a must in a basic supplement list.
Beta Alanine – This amino acid helps to top up our stores of carnosine, which in turn helps to reduce fatigue and increase endurance, performance and muscle growth. So, if increased muscle mass is what you’re aiming for, this supplement can definitely help, after all, more muscle means more calories burned.
Multivitamin – Now whether or not your diet is well-rounded, a multivitamin can help boost and/or maintain your health. If you consume the same foods pretty much daily, how are you to know whether or not you’re getting every nutrient your body needs, in the quantity it requires? Taking a multivitamin ensures that if you come up short in your diet, the supplement will help fill in the gap. As intense exercise increases micronutrient needs, it is of prime importance that we get the goods into our body.
Caffeine – This natural molecule can be found in both coffee and tea and it’s purpose seems to be to stimulate alertness and hinder fatigue. Given that this is the case, it’s a rather popular component in many pre-workout supplements. It is shown to improve and increase power output, enhance endurance during long-lasting exercise as well as those exercises which are intermittent. Each person responds differently to caffeine and while a good alertness enhancer, it can cause restlessness and short-term increases in blood pressure so consulting with your primary car physician before taking caffeine as a pre-workout supplement is a prudent thing to do.
BCAA – Your good old branched chain amino acids! Comprised of 3 important amino acids – leucine, isoleucine and valine – these guys promote muscle building capabilities as well as increasing a person’s ability to perform for longer (which is great for runners wanting to improve their time, for example). In addition, it is believed that BCAA’s might help to reduce mental and physical fatigue and let’s face it, when you go long and hard, your body and mind can take a bit of strain so these are a great inclusion in your supplement cupboard for sure.
Taurine – Now this is an excellent post-workout supplement and most certainly, pre-workouts are important, but so too, is the way in which we replenish our muscles after strenuous exercise. Found in high levels in the central nervous system as well as in white blood cells and skeletal muscle, this amino acid seems to work wonders for cognitive response and post-workout performance. While not often found used on it’s own (it’s normally found in BCAA supplements and protein powder mixes) it’s a good one to look out for in an ingredient list on products. It’s known as a cell volumizer which means that it draws water and nutrients into the cells to aid in growth and recovery. In fact, so crucial to our bodies is taurine, that studies have shown an observed acceleration of aging and an increase in the occurrence of muscular disorders in taurine-depleted skeletal muscle. I’d say this is one amino acid not to skimp on if at all possible.
Whether for muscle gains or just to maintain, supplements will help you reach your goals. If finances allow for a supplement base that’s varied and provides all the essentials and then some, take advantage of that and put the supplements to good use in reaching your health and fitness goals.
