Sports nutrition for gaining muscle mass
Gainer
Beginning athletes often think that they need to overload their body with protein in order to push muscle growth. This approach is not entirely correct. Before the proteins come into play, you need to energize your body for a long workout. The carbohydrates contained in gainers are excellent for this purpose. Thanks to their balanced composition, they supply ready-made nutrition to the muscles, which is quickly absorbed and gives the athlete additional strength. An almost indispensable supplement for thin people (ectomorphs), as well as in situations where there is no time or opportunity for a full meal.
Protein
Even people far from sports have heard about cocktails containing this substance. Protein is protein in its pure form; it supplies cells with “building material” and makes them grow faster. It is recommended to consume protein-containing preparations both before and after training. This provides the athlete with nutrients at the proper level and allows him to create the body of his dreams much faster. Don't forget that proteins help you lose weight and burn fat deposits.
Amino acids (BCAA)
Many bodybuilders are familiar with the essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are part of BCAA and perform an important function in the body - they participate in muscle recovery. It is especially important to take such drugs for people who are actively involved in the gym. BCAA will not only help you build muscle faster, but also reduce pain and discomfort after training. The substances also increase the body’s endurance and will appeal to hikers, mountain sports enthusiasts and other people who perform heavy physical activity.
Creatine
This drug is one of the most popular among professionals and amateurs of a wide variety of sports. It has been proven to be effective in increasing energy levels and extending workout time. Thanks to this, not only the physical characteristics of the body improve, but also the increase in muscle mass is activated. Moreover, the more regularly a person trains, the faster he will achieve visible results. The big advantage of creatine monohydrate is its almost complete safety for the athlete’s health. However, the dosage should be strictly observed.
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The most effective drugs for women and men
Since some sports supplements are hormonal, taking them by both sexes can be dangerous in some cases. For example, many substances significantly increase the level of testosterone in the blood, which affects the appearance and well-being of the fair half of humanity. However, today companies producing dietary supplements and other drugs to increase muscle mass produce universal products that have no contraindications based on gender.
Diabetes
Initially, the drug was created for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes . However, in bodybuilding it is actively used by those who want to quickly gain weight. The medicine controls the production of insulin and, accordingly, affects the level of glucose in the blood. Since the amount of sugar decreases sharply, a person feels constant hunger, which he replenishes with high-calorie foods. In combination with regular exercise, such nutrition gives an effect quite quickly: a person’s weight increases, while muscle mass also grows. It is worth remembering: taking Diabeton is only allowed for adult athletes. In no case should you exceed the recommended dosage, otherwise you can cause serious harm to the endocrine system and the body as a whole.
Potassium orotate
It is a combination of mineral salts based on potassium. The drug has a good tonic effect on all systems . It helps remove excess fluid, enhances muscle contractions, improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Thanks to this, a person experiences a surge of strength and can do strength exercises for much longer than usual. It is worth considering that body weight and muscle mass by themselves do not increase from taking potassium orotate. The effect appears only after regular training.
Oxandrolone
This drug belongs to the category of steroids. However, despite the hormonal basis, it is suitable for both men and women. The composition is selected in such a way that the level of estrogen and testosterone remains at normal levels . In this regard, there is no risk of exceeding the level of sex hormones in the body. At the same time, Oxandrolone is recognized as one of the best means for preventing the destruction of muscle tissue. It allows you to consolidate the results of intense training and make them more effective.
Dexamethasone
The drug, created on the basis of adrenal hormones, is widely used in medicine due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The drug is also able to reduce the level of catabolism in the body, which makes it effective for gaining muscle mass. It is worth considering that Dexamethasone is quite toxic, so it is not recommended to use it without first consulting a doctor. Long-term courses of taking the drug are also prohibited.
Peritol
This expensive drug was originally used to treat allergies . However, due to its ability to increase appetite, it has also become used to increase the weight of anorexics . Bodybuilders also drink Peritol to gain weight. The course of the drug must be combined with a high-calorie diet. Only in this case can a positive effect be achieved. If the athlete does not eat intensively, there will be no result from taking the medicine.
Brewer's yeast
This is a natural remedy, the main advantage of which is that it is environmentally friendly and almost completely safe for the athlete’s body. Yeast has a number of beneficial properties. They accelerate metabolic processes, have a significant calorie content and contain more than 50% easily digestible protein. Another advantage of the drug is its low cost. It is recommended to use dry brewer's yeast, since it has less impact on the gastrointestinal tract.
Calcium glycerophosphate
Used to treat patients with dystrophy , the drug is an excellent accelerator of metabolic processes. It also increases the feeling of hunger and reduces fatigue. Taken together, these effects create a good basis for increasing muscle mass. However, calcium glycerophosphate is only an adjuvant and should be combined with a rich protein diet. Also, when taking the drug, you should pay attention to the level of hemoglobin, as the percentage of iron in the blood may decrease.
Asparkam
The medicine is well known to those who have experienced metabolic disorders. It increases the absorption of magnesium and potassium by the cells of the human body. Fatigue decreases, but energy increases significantly. The product works well in combination with a high-calorie diet and regular workouts in the gym.
Riboxin
The drug accelerates the processes of tissue formation. It has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart, for example, it has an antiarrhythmic effect . All this makes the product a good option for athletes who want to increase their strength load and quickly build muscle. However, doctors warn that the medicine has serious side effects. Also, the effect of Riboxin on bodybuilders is quite weak, so many athletes refuse this remedy.
Fish fat
Doctors spoke about the fact that it should be taken as a food supplement back in Soviet times. However, then it was mainly about children. Modern practice has proven that strength sports also cannot be done without fish oil. The drug is an extremely important source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which also affect the rate of muscle tissue formation.
Hematogen
Another food additive, known and popular in the USSR. Few people thought that the famous brown sweet bars, which were given to children instead of candy and to prevent iron deficiency anemia, could help adult bodybuilders. However, practice has proven the opposite. Hematogen is dried animal blood (this is what determines its effectiveness as a means of raising hemoglobin). Moreover, 1 kg of sweet bars is equal in protein content to 5 kg of meat! This forces athletes to pay considerable attention to this product. It is part of a healthy diet that leads to muscle gain.
All medications listed in this section should be used by athletes only after consulting a doctor. Athletes who have chronic diseases and other health problems should be especially careful. Even the most harmless additives (fish oil, brewer's yeast and others) should be used in strict accordance with the dosage, otherwise they can harm the human body.
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Iron Health
Currently, the use of pharmacological agents by amateurs and athletes who do not plan to compete has become fashionable. This trend is cultivated by numerous blogs and websites of professional athletes and steroid sellers. All this leads to the fact that beginners are driven into the head that they can only build up adequately with the help of pharmaceuticals, and natural bodybuilding is a myth that does not exist. Meanwhile, I have always maintained and will continue to maintain that taking steroids in sports is only justified if you plan to make sports your main activity in life and earn money from it. In other cases and training “for oneself”, the use of sports pharmacology is not justified, since it does not pay for the effort expended (spending money, undermining one’s health) for the results obtained.
In our article today, I want to talk about whether it is possible to gain muscle mass without anabolic steroids, what you need to do for this and what final result you can expect.
Gaining weight without and with steroids
Taking anabolic steroids can significantly speed up progress in the gym and at the same time makes mistakes in the regime and nutrition. What does it mean? It's simple. On a course of steroids, you always have the strength for a powerful workout in the gym, the reaction of the muscles and body to the load is increased, and there is no need to strictly follow a diet - taking exogenous hormones leads to the fact that fat mass can decrease even with a hypercalorie diet, and muscle mass mass grows at an increased rate. In fact, an ideal situation is emerging for a qualitative change in the body - a reduction in the fat layer while increasing muscle mass and size.
What happens when we train without farm support? Every little detail plays an important role here - sleep patterns, rest, nutrition, the nature of the load, the correctness of training, etc. There is no such drive during training and the opportunity to skimp on nutrition - everything excess is quickly deposited in subcutaneous fat, worsening muscle definition, and muscle mass either does not increase at all, or its speed is extremely low, since natural training is subject to increased demands in terms of drawing up a training plan. programs and diet/meal plan that almost no one follows. Hence the increased requirements for knowledge in the field of anatomy and physiology. Improper workouts, nutrition plans and routines will significantly slow down your progress in the gym. This is why 90% of all beginners stop training without training for even a year.
However, natural muscle gain also has its advantages. The main ones are the absence of harm to health (compared to the harm from taking anabolic steroids) and long-term results. In addition, you form the right habits in training and nutrition, and therefore, even if you stop playing sports, you will be able to maintain a good external and physical shape of your body for a very long time. When training with steroids, the effect is the opposite - the gained muscle mass will go away very quickly (due to hormonal decline, increased activity of catabolic processes, a significant drop in training intensity), and the amount of subcutaneous fat will increase (due to hormonal disorders, the habit of eating hypercaloric). By the way, this fact is very clearly visible among former athletes in the middle and heavy weight categories - almost all of them, after stopping training, are clearly overweight. How to gain weight without steroids?
Gaining muscle mass requires fulfilling a number of conditions not only in training, but also in nutrition and rest. You can read more about this in the article – Step-by-step methods for gaining muscle mass.
What results can you expect?
It is clear that without pharmaceutical support it is stupid to count on volumes and weight at the level of professional bodybuilders. At the same time, from their own 10-year training experience, they can say that very, very many people can gain 90 kg of lean muscle. The main thing is that you don’t need to get hung up on the numbers on the scale, since weight itself doesn’t mean anything. You can eat 15 kg of mass in a couple of months, weigh 100 kg and look big, but at the same time have terrible muscle quality and a lot of fat, or you can weigh 85 kg and have excellent relief. Both can be achieved without any problems without pharmaceutical drugs. The main thing is to think with your head, develop and constantly study the issue of muscle growth, physiology and anatomy. Contrary to the misconceptions of many, sports science has long had answers to most bodybuilding questions. The only problem is that for most athletes, the dubious experience of senior comrades is more valuable than the results of numerous studies. This is why there are so many myths, misconceptions and pharmacology in our sport (even outside of competitive bodybuilding). Why study boring scientific articles when there are so many ready-made steroid courses online?
To section : Training goal: Muscle mass
Weight gain pills for men
It was already mentioned above that many drugs aimed at increasing muscle mass affect the level of testosterone in the body. This forced pharmacists to develop tablet drugs specifically for men, because disturbances in the production of this hormone are especially dangerous for the stronger sex.
Andriol
The drug contains a chemically synthesized analogue of testosterone, which has one advantageous quality for athletes: it is not absorbed as quickly as natural one, and immediately enters the lymphatic system. At the same time, it does not suppress the production of its own hormone and helps to prevent the process of feminization in male athletes (for example, the accumulation of adipose tissue in the chest area, caused by many similar drugs). It has been proven that the process of muscle development depends 70% on testosterone in the blood. Thus, taking Andriol with an appropriate level of physical activity gives significant results in a short time.
Methyltestosterone
The drug was one of the first sources of artificial testosterone that athletes began to use. It is especially popular in the USA, among football players. In other countries, the drug is treated more warily, since it has quite serious side effects on the body. Methyltestosterone makes athletes' training more effective because it reduces regeneration time and promotes a surge of energy and strength. Under no circumstances should it be taken by women. Side effects include gynecomastia (enlarged mammary glands in men) and a high level of aggressiveness. At the same time, it is imperative to take medications to relieve side effects. The course of taking the hormone should not exceed 6-8 weeks.
Dianabol
A relatively safe steroid that helps gain lean muscle mass. Its main advantage is its tablet form. In the future, the result is usually consolidated by conducting a course of appropriate injections. The principle of action is the same as that of other testosterone-containing substances. It provides a boost of energy and makes it possible to train longer. The steroid also affects the muscles themselves, accelerating their growth and shortening the recovery period.
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Medicines for women
Just a few decades ago, female athletes actively used testosterone to achieve better results in bodybuilding and strength sports. However, this had an adverse effect on their health and affected their appearance. Modern medications allow girls to effectively build muscle mass and at the same time remain healthy and feminine.
Duphaston
This drug is almost universal. In medicine, it is used to solve a wide range of gynecological problems and is included in the therapy of pregnant women . This medicine helps girls gain weight. Like other hormonal drugs, Duphaston retains fluid in the body and ultimately leads to weight gain. An additional advantage is the normalization of the menstrual cycle, which allows you to better plan your workouts and make them more effective. It is worth remembering: the medicine should be taken only if you have proper nutrition. Otherwise, excess fat is formed in the body. It is also worth considering that Duphaston is an aggressive hormonal drug, so you should not use it without special reasons. In this case, you must definitely visit a gynecologist and take blood tests.
Chloe
Another hormonal drug that has a contraceptive effect . Contraceptives often cause weight gain in women because they affect the functioning of the ovaries. The drug also allows you to make your periods regular and not suffer from pain, for example, during important competitions or exhibition performances. Chloe should be taken under strict medical supervision. You should not abuse the medicine, otherwise a serious hormonal imbalance may occur in the body. The athlete also needs to eat right and continue training, otherwise there will be no special effect from taking the drug.
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The natural limit of a straight man's mass: how to break through the ceiling
Training stress is the basis for the natural progression of strength and muscle performance. In this case, anabolic hormones are produced by the body itself. Another option is chemicals with a quick effect on weight gain. When the natural level of progress has reached the ceiling, the athlete is faced with a choice: continue to work in the same mode or add fire in the form of steroids.
Why you won’t be able to get pumped up quickly without chemicals.
The body is not a bottomless reserve of substances that can be pumped out on demand. The natural production of anabolic hormone, as a reaction to stress, is limited to a certain volume. This manifests itself when the limit of physiological capabilities, growth of mass and strength, is reached. But when taking anabolic substances, the growth process goes faster. Additional chemical stimulation goes through the roof. It is possible to pump up without steroids, but not in a short time.
How to break through stagnation in the masses.
There are two ways to solve the problem.
The first method is periodization.
It has many varieties. However, the essence is the same: an athlete whose physiological limit has been reached stops or takes a step back in the training process. Thus, the muscles become weaker. With the resumption of the load, a hormonal response will occur in the body, which will break through the stagnation in the mass.
The second method is complex.
The following changes need to be made to the work:
»
duration of training – optimal time from 40 to 60 minutes; » exercises – the basis of the complex should be heavy basic exercises; » recovery – minimize other types of training (running, swimming) and establish a rest regime.
Basic exercises.
A natural person has less energy than a chemist. Hence the conclusion: it is important for an athlete to correctly distribute energy costs. Basic exercises with heavy weights for each muscle group are ideal. These include the usual “base” – squats, deadlifts and bench presses. So are a number of other exercises:
Dips with weights; wide-grip pull-ups; various rows (barbell rows to the chin, barbell rows to the waist); standing barbell press and other exercises.
Application of injections
Injectable medications are known to work faster, but can have serious side effects. However, if you follow the instructions and there are no contraindications, such products are very effective and relatively safe for athletes. In addition, they are necessary in order to consolidate the effect of the tablet substances.
Alvezin
The drug is used in the treatment of protein metabolism disorders. It helps athletes better absorb protein and ensures not only an increase in muscle mass, but also accelerated recovery after intense training. This makes Alvezin an indispensable tool when preparing for important competitions. After taking it, the athlete quickly gets into shape and can continue to work with increased load. However, the course of injections should not last more than 20 days.
Boldenone
Originally created as a veterinary drug, Boldenone has found wide use in bodybuilding. It increases appetite, improves blood circulation, increases strength and accelerates the process of protein absorption. Also, the medicine has low hormonal activity and can be used by both sexes. The duration of the course is determined by the doctor depending on the specific case.
Omnadren
A relatively accessible and cheap drug. The medicine contains several types of synthetic testosterone, which helps to quickly increase weight and improve strength. The athlete feels constant hunger, the protein he consumes is quickly absorbed, and muscle tissue actively regenerates. Moreover, the drug has side effects characteristic of all steroid hormones: gynecomastia, acne, swelling and some others.
Nebido
Another testosterone-containing drug that has relatively low effectiveness. With its help, you can gain extra pounds and make your workouts more effective. However, Nebido injections cannot be given for a long time: the testosterone it contains quickly aromatizes and leads to the formation of excess female sex hormones, which is dangerous to health.
Elkar
These are broad-spectrum injections that are used to compensate for weight loss. It is even used in pediatrics , which indicates the safety of the drug.
"Elkar" is quite effective and works by accelerating protein metabolism. It gives results more slowly than similar drugs, but is more gentle. Great option for beginners. The active use of medications in bodybuilding and powerlifting has led to the emergence of many drugs that accelerate the growth of muscle fibers. When choosing them, be careful and think about your health. You need to visit your doctor regularly, and before you start taking it, find out the mechanisms of action, dosage and side effects.
After all, the most important thing is health. Success.
Let's go over the basics
Anabolic steroids are pharmaceutical drugs that are used to increase body weight and strength and are sold strictly by prescription in pharmacy chains. Due to their chemical structure, they are derivatives of testosterone, the male sex hormone. The main effect of steroids is that they help accelerate the process of protein production in cells, and also give the body an artificial portion of testosterone, due to which muscle mass grows.
However, anabolic steroids change hormonal levels, which can cause harm and side effects to the body if used incorrectly. In addition to the anabolic effect, steroids have an androgenic effect, which I will talk about now.
During a course of steroids, muscle mass increases, this occurs due to additional artificial testosterone that enters the body. But many AS have androgenic activity, which produce the production of female sex hormones, which forms gynecomastia, which manifests itself in the form of swollen nipples, and excessive flooding with water is also often observed. But all this can be avoided with the correct use of steroids, timely PCT, and tests.
