CrossFit Supplements: the Five Essentials
CrossFit has become one of the most popular exercise routines in the world. It offers a wide range of essential health benefits and represents a modern variant on traditional workouts. In order to get the most out of it, though, there are some CrossFit supplements you can take.
One of the main goals of this discipline is to break up the boredom of regular gym machine workouts. If you add the right CrossFit supplements to your practice, you’ll be on your way to meeting your fitness objectives.
A demanding discipline
CrossFit combines weightlifting exercises with functional movements that use your body weight. It also includes strategies for metabolic and gym training.
All of this is achieved in relatively short sessions (no more than 20 minutes). However, the intensity level is extremely high.
If you practice CrossFit, your body will demand much more nutrients than that of a sedentary person. Practitioners require a protein-rich diet that, in many cases, needs to by complemented with food supplements.
In any case, you should always bear in mind that these products are supplements and not substitutes. In other words, you need to maintain a balanced diet that also meets the specific needs of high-intensity exercise.
CrossFit supplements to consider
It’s always a good idea to listen to the recommendations of nutritionists and conditioning specialists when it comes to supplements. This is partly due to the fact that the range of options in terms of brands and active components is very broad.
The right selection of supplements will vary according to the physical condition of each individual. The same is true of the relevant fitness goals: improved strength, endurance, increased muscle mass, and accelerated recovery times.
You can also use supplement combinations that account for specific cases, be it a home CrossFit routine or a high-level competition.
Proteins
Proteins provide the greatest possible amount of essential and non-essential amino acids. They are indispensable if you practice CrossFit or any activity regardless of the metabolic demand. Their benefits include increased strength and accelerating the recovery process.
Caffeine
These supplements are recommended for those who need a shot of energy prior to working out. The stimulating properties of this alkaloid are widely-known, even if its generally consumed in traditional ways (coffee, tea or cocoa).
Caffeine contributes to increased alertness and also helps to burn fat. Products with caffeine can improve your concentration during exercise, which translates into optimal energy use, which delays the sensation of fatigue.
Creatine
Supplements featuring this organic acid are among the most popular over a wide spectrum of fitness practices. Its benefits include increasing one’s strength and endurance thresholds.
For CrossFit devotees, creatine supplements are highly recommended. Among their other benefits, they allow you to maintain your volume of muscle mass even if an injury forces you to take a break from exercising.
Whey protein
If any supplements can challenge creatine in terms of popularity, it’s those featuring whey protein. There are three varieties of whey protein supplement: concentrate (the most common), isolate and hydrolyzed (which offers faster absorption).
These supplements increase your capacity for muscle resynthesis, which offers benefits in terms of strength and the volume levels of tissues. Some studies also point to whey protein’s ability to reduce inflammation.
Fish oil
If you practice CrossFit, but don’t eat a lot of oily fish (such as tuna, salmon and anchovies), these supplements are for you. Fish oil provides a high concentration of Omega 3. These fatty acids are essential for the health and proper function of the human body.
The body is unable to produce this substance on its own. Its benefits include optimizing brain and retina function as well as strengthening the immune system. In addition, it also offers powerful anti-inflammatory properties.