Supplements are an important part of competition preparation.

Problems arise when people begin to believe that claims of supplement manufacturers of building excessive amounts of muscle in an unbelievably short period of time. Don’t fall for it.

It is much more important to maintain diet and training consistency over a long period of time to reach your goals. Supplements themselves will not make up for problems in your diet or inconsistencies in your training regimen. However, some basic supplements can help your performance.

A look at 5 key supplements and their benefit to you:

Yes, you could eat whole foods after a routine, but your body will process whey much faster and begin the repair process much quicker. And whey has a very positive protein to calorie ratio compared to whole foods.

Basically, the more creatine in your muscles, the more explosive you can be. Studies show that fast twitch muscle fibers contain the creatine – hence, it’s popularity with football players, track stars and similar athletes.

Your body will break down muscle in order to get the glutamate for immune cells and the digestive cells of the stomach and intestines. Also, your body will break down muscle tissue to produce more glutamine if enough isn’t found. Glutamine supplements help make sure there’s enough glutamine for these internal organs and muscles as well.

Whey

Whey is a complete protein that has become one of the staples of the body building world. It contains essential amino acids, is digested by your body rapidly, and is excellent in helping repair muscles after exercise.

Creatine

A close second to whey in popularity is creatine. This supplement has been around since 1993 and is widely used throughout the sport. When lifting weights, the body uses a form of energy called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). After ATP is used up, your body turns to glucose and glycogen.

Glutamine

Glutamine is important to your overall health, immunity system and muscle repair. Glutamine is the most productive amino acid in our muscles and makes up 60% of the amino acids in muscles.

Fish Oil

Fish oil comes from deep sea and cold water fish. It’s a great source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids which help keep your brain and heart healthy and improves joint flexibility.

Multi-Vitamin

When you are training with weights and doing cardio constantly, you run the risk of basic vitamin and mineral deficiency. A basic multi-vitamin will act as insurance to make sure you are covered.

While there are many supplements out there promising the moon, some basic supplements are a smart part of your long-term diet and training plan.