Although dozens and hundreds of different articles have been written on the topic of supplement dosage.of articles, each one will tell you something slightly different. This is because this topic is really complex and most authors are based on different findings and have different goals.
But in our article today , we will try to focus on supplement dosing as comprehensively as possible and recommendsupplements that are worth taking and we will also tell you when and under what conditions it is worth taking them.
Protein, or the absolute basis of supplementation
Protein is a supplement that you can take at any time and in any case you can't go wrong with it. Let's introduce its use chronologically throughout the day:
- In the morning at midday , protein is a highly usable protein that does not weigh you down.It is also able to kick-start proteosynthesis due to its specific amino acid content. Definitely a better option than BCAAs or some hard to digest diet.
- It can also come in handyin the morning with breakfast , as it will supplement, for example, a carbohydrate breakfast with the protein neededIt will fill you up well, but at the same time does not contain unnecessary extra calories.
- For a school/work snack , you will appreciate the easy preparation and the fact that the protein is not difficult to carry. Just pour a scoop into a shaker in the morning and top up with water at school or work. You'll create a protein-rich snack that's good for your digestion in seconds.
- Protein is especially appreciatedbefore training by athletes trying to maximize muscle mass gain. In fact, thanks to the effect of whey protein on insulin levels, you'll really boost muscle growth.
- After training , the use of protein is probably greatest because it helps the proper recovery of tired muscles. In this case, it is necessary to get protein into the muscle quickly, so you need to drink protein with water.
- Before going to bed , protein is a light dinner, which will again replenish the protein and fill you up for the whole night. Since milk prolongs the digestibility of protein, which is desirable before bedtime, you can use it instead of water. Personally, though, I would prefer low-fat milk, which will ideally be lactose-free.
Of course, this is not to say that you should actually take protein at all of these times of the day, but I'm just listing different options. I myself am of the opinion that one to two scoops of protein per day is plenty for recreational athletes. One serving should be post-workout, the other is based on when it's most convenient for you and which meal you have the least protein in. I currently use a protein from Scitec Nutrition, which we recently reviewed and which has great value for money.
Multivitamins are still a big unknown
Multivitamin supplements are the imaginary top of the supplementation pyramid, but things aren't quite so clear-cut when it comes to taking them. The basic problem is that lipophilic vitamins (i.e. vitaminsA, D, E and K) must be taken with a fat-containing meal or they will not be absorbed.
A certain counterpart to these vitamins are minerals (e.g.the well-known duo of magnesium and zinc), which should be taken fasting for maximum effect. However, from my experience so far, I definitely recommend using a multivitamin supplements along with meals and risk slightly lower mineral utilization, which will not be drastic.
If taken once a day, I would definitely choose to take them with breakfast. If multiple tablets are to be taken, I would split the daily dose and take with each large meal, for exampleone capsule, as is done with NexGen Pro, for example, which is the rightful winner of our comparison of the best multivitamins.
Magnesium and zinc are essential micronutrients for every athlete
As we mentioned in our separate article dedicated to these two micronutrients, magnesium and zinc should form the basis of supplementation for absolutely every athlete. Since these are minerals that act in opposition to other substances, it is appropriate that they are already should be taken completely separately from all other supplements and should be taken fasting. There are therefore two basic ways of dosing them:
- In the morning before breakfast is only worthwhile if you have at least half an hour between supplementation and breakfast. If you can't make it in the morning, don't take magnesium or zinc and leave it for the evening. As a general rule, you should prefer energising forms of these minerals in the morning, such as citrate, taurate or malate.
- In the evening before going to bed , magnesium bisglycinate and zinc bisglycinate are absolutely idealas the amino acid glycine helps to promote proper falling asleep and sleep quality. In addition, it is much easier to keep food spacing in the evening, as few people are likely to eat immediately before bedtime.
I currently use the duo of magnesium bisglycinate and zinc bisglycinate from Prom-In, and I absolutely love them for bedtime use alone. You can look at both of these products in our catalog and find the best price for them from their respective e-stores:
Omega 3s are essential for overall health
It's no secret that the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids is alarming in today's Central European diet. Just like vitamin supplements, you should ideally take omega 3 with food, if only because it preventsvitamin E, which we mentioned above as being lipophilic, is used to prevent antioxidant effects .
From my own experience, I can definitely recommend taking it with as much food as possiblebecause there is then only a very minimal aftertaste in the mouth, which many fatty acid users complain about. The ideal use is therefore, in my opinion, for example, with lunch, which has been particularly successful for me and is a time when I don't evenI take a multivitamin, because theoretically there could be a negative interaction between the vitamin A from the multivitamin and the vitamin E from the omega 3.
Omega 3s all come out more or less the same because most companies use the same supplier. I prefer the liquid Opti Omega 3s, which contain no extra unnecessary substances. You can take a look at them again in our catalogue.
Other supplements that we recommend taking
Protein, a quality multivitamin, omega fatty acids and magnesium with zinc form the absolute basis of every athlete' s supplementation. However, there are certainly other supplements you may be interested in taking. So let's also take a look at joint nutrition, creatine, glutamine, pre-workout and overnight protein:
1. Joint nutrition
What joint nutrition has in common with protein is that the timing doesn't really matter. In terms of usability, it doesn't matter if you take it with a meal or on an empty stomach, in the morning or at night. So I definitely recommend using this supplement as it fits into your supplementation plan.
The only thing to watch out for is consistency of use. If you use joint nutrition once or twice a week, you won't see any positive effect. In my experience, I can recommend Joint Care Drink, which you can find again in our catalogue or reada separate review.
2. Creatine
In connection with creatine, most of you will surely think of the saturation phase, which has been advertised for many years. Personally, I think that the saturation phase has no justification and is a marketing ploy for money.
If you want to save money and extend the time that your creatine lasts, definitely go for a solid high5g of creatine before training is enough for solid results, which I recommend adding to a pre-workout supplement. If you choose 100% creatine monohydrate, you will get the same product in all cases, so the choice is entirely yours.
3. Pre-workout
The pre-workout is, as the name suggests, suitable for pre-workout. If you want to use this supplement for the first time, be sure to follow the dosage recommended bythe manufacturer's recommended dosage, and increase the dose if necessary after you have established your tolerance.
The ideal timing is about half an hour before training. You are unlikely to use this supplement at any other time of the day. If you are exercising later in the evening, I definitely recommend choosing this supplement rather than extremely strong pre-workouts some suitable stimulant-free pre-workouts.
4. Glutamine
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that our body can create on its own. Nevertheless, its supplementation is definitely worthwhile because, as we explained in a separate article, it has a huge number of benefits. It is possible to take up to 20g, which can be divided into four fivetigram doses and take them after waking up, before and after training and before going to bed.
But if you want to save on glutamine, I would include at least a dose in the morning and after training. This will not only support muscle growth, but also gut microbiota health and the entire immune system.
5. Nighttime protein
As with the pre-workout, it's probably pretty clear when nighttime protein is most warranted. You should take your nighttime protein (ideally micellar casein) about half an hour after sleep. It will fill you up well, but at the same time you will fall asleep without any problems, so it really is the ideal choice.
However, it is important to choose a quality product, not some calcium caseinate that is just a money grab. If you are wondering which supplements are the best on the market, we definitely recommend you to study ourcomparison of the best overnight protein.
Well, that's it for this article. We hope that we have explained at least a little bit how to use each supplement. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments, we'll be happy to answer them.
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Hey! Hey! I'm Mirek and I've been working at World Fitness almost since the beginning, except for a small break. But before that I lived only in the gym for a few years, doing deadlifts and power triathlon, going to competitions and winning a few medals.
Probably the one I value the most is the national record in the WUAP federation. But besides working out, I was also interested in food and supplements, I liked to enjoy my free timeI used to read different researches and professional books in my free time to know as much as possible.