Muscle Building Supplements: Do You Really Need Them?

Another title for this article could just as easily have been: The Supplement Industry: Is It A Huge Marketing Scam? You would probably find a large number of people, hardcore lifters and fitness enthusiasts alike, that would answer that question with an emphatic yes.

Just Ask a Professional

I went to a seminar quite a few years back where the guest speaker was a certain bodybuilding icon of the early eighties (think huge legs and jaws), and someone asked him about the benefits of amino acids supplements. This particular bodybuilder smiled, blushing a little, and then talked about the role of amino acids (not the supplements) in building muscle, while completely dancing around the question. He finished by pointing out that he was contractually obligated to promote a number of muscle building supplements, amino acids being one of them. Needless to say, I did not buy another bottle of amino acids after that. Not to mention all the other all natural horse pills I was taking at the time.

The fact is, the muscle building supplements companies, like those producing dietary supplements and nutritional supplements, are making money hand over fist. And like those other companies, it markets, and sells, a lot of products that do virtually nothing for you, though they promise amazing results, often in a short amount of time. But does that necessarily mean that all supplements are a waste of money, designed to drain you of your hard-earned cash? While it may seem that way, the truth is there are a number of muscle building supplements that are a very important part of the muscle building process.

Yeah, But I Eat Really Well

On the other hand, in order to gain muscle size and strength, supplements are not really all that vital. As a matter of fact, all the nutrients you need for muscle gains are present in the everyday foods you find in your local supermarket. And If you feed your body with enough of these muscle building nutrients you can expect to achieve significant gains in size and strength.

So it is settled then, right? The time has come for you to swear off muscle building supplements forever, saving yourself the hassle of taking them, not to mention buying them. Not so fast...

So Do I Need Them Or Not?

As I said before, some muscle building supplements do provide substantial results, making them worth the cost. They give you that edge you have been looking for, through faster recovery and increased workout performance, pushing your body to an even higher limit.

Also, muscle building supplements make it easier to get the "stuff" your muscles need. Supplements take things like whey protein, creatine, glutamine, vitamins and minerals, and put them in one place for easier consumption. Creatine, for example, is found naturally in fish and red meat, though you would have to eat about five steaks everyday in order to consume a beneficial amount of creatine, instead of just mixing a teaspoon of the supplement into a glass of juice or water. Now I love steak as much as the next guy, but you know what they say about too much of a good thing.

Anyway, the choice is yours. Use muscle building supplements to get the best gains you possibly can, or save your money and do things the old-fashioned way. Either way is fine.

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