Whilst most individuals who diet in the world do so to lose weight, there are also those who diet to gain weight. There are far fewer who would like to put on weight, it is a fact, but the number is still significant.
Who would like to put on weight? The vast majority of those who want to gain weight have been sick and perhaps for a long time.
However another group of people who want to gain weight are those concerned with power sports. They would like to ‘bulk up’ their muscles in order to be able to lift heavier weights. There are a great deal of products on the market to assist athletes bulk up, but most of them contain protein and/or creatine and a host of vitamins and nutrients.
The fact is that you can make extra muscle without supplements but you will still have to eat more and train more. Dietary supplements of extra protein, nutrients and vitamins just serve to speed up the process.
Protein is the preferred supplement to put on weight among body-builders, field athletes and weight lifters. Protein can be got from numerous sources, but body builders prefer their main sources to be whey, soy and eggs.
This is because these sources contain very little or no fat and especially cholesterol. Most people in training seem to prefer about two grammes of protein per pound of body weight. Protein can be bought as a food additive, tablets, milkshake powder or in the form of a nutrition bar.
Creatine is also a very well-liked source of bulking up muscles but it is more complicated to use. You must be willing to read and obey the instructions on the box if you would like to try using creatine.
The fundamental method of using creatine is to ‘load’ your body with the supplement with a precise event in mind and then to use it for that event. Some people take this to mean two events a week!
Vitamins and so-called micro-vitamins are also vital supplements if you would like to gain weight in a decent, healthy fashion. Each cubic centimetre of your body requires its quota of vitamins, so if you would like to put on weight it only makes sense that you will require more vitamins and nutrients too.
If you bulk up by eating healthy food the extra vitamins are not a difficulty, but if you try to take a short-cut by using bulking agents as described above, you will have to check that you really are eating everything that you require to bulk up those muscles.
Muscle-building supplements do help, but they have to be used sensibly. It is not always crucial to go to a physician first, but you should talk to someone who has some knowledge on the issue. Not another body-builder, but someone like the coach or trainer at your local fitness centre.
If you are way out of shape or have other problems, the trainer may suggest that you go see a physician first, in which case you would be unwise not to heed his or her advice before attempting to use supplements to build muscle.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, and is now concerned with omega 6 and omega 3. If you want to know more, please go to our site at Omega 6 9