Bodybuilding Online Supplement Stores (III)

In this post, I share some more experiences with online stores where you can buy supplements:

• iHerb.com
  
  Impressive US store with a huge product offer. Nearly every vitamin and mineral product can be found here. The offer for specific bodybuilding supplements is not so big, but still good. Surprisingly, international shipping is quite cheap. Spanish customers can choose Global Priority Mail by DHL (without tracking support) for only 4$ or International Airmail (with tracking) for 8$ - 12$ depending on the weight. The weight limitation is unfortunately very low: 4 and 6 pounds respectively. Being a US store, Spanish customers must be aware of customs restrictions. However, packages shipped using Global Priority Mail are supposed to go via Germany, which would avoid them to be seized by customs, but it is up to you to take the risk. You can use this coupon code CDW006 and get a 10$ discount on your first order.

I use this opportunity to add two Spanish online stores to the review:

• MasMusculo
  
  This store has a good stock of products, and the prices are good in general, specially when you find special offers. It ships within Europe, and shipping to Spain is free for orders over 60 euros.

• Boteprote
  
  Another good store, with good prices, but with some stock problems for certain products. It ships within Europe, and shipping to Spain is free for orders over 60 euros.

New experiences to come!

Bodybuilding Online Supplement Stores (II)

In my previous post “Bodybuilding Online Supplement Stores”, I shared my personal experience with some online stores where you can buy bodybuilding supplements. In this post, I’ll add other sites to my review. Notice that I have concentrated on European stores in order to avoid problems with customs that can occur when one buys outside Europe.

• Only Fitness Nutrition
  
  Very good store that sells products from reputable brands such as Optimum Nutrition, BSN, and Gaspari Nutrition at competitive prices. It only ships to Spain, but shipping is free for orders over 50 euros. In addition, it offers a very interesting feature, which they call “Massive Buy”, which establishes special prices for many products when the order is over 250 euros.
  
  
• Maxi Muscle
  
  Another good store with highly competitive prices, especially for Dymatize products. It only ships to Spain, but shipping is free for orders over 50 euros.
  
  
• PonteMASfuerte
  
  This store has periodic offers that make it a good option for purchasing individual products. Otherwise, the prices are not as competitive as the previous ones. It only ships to Spain, but shipping is free for orders over 60 euros.
  
  
• Prozis
  
  This is an international store with delegations around the world. It pretends to offer a great variety of products, although in practice some of them are not in stock. Prices are expensive, unless you find one of its periodic offers. It rewards customers with points according to the amount of products they purchase. These points can be used to reduce shipping costs, which in practice become almost negligible.
  
  
• HSNStore
  
  This store is an alternative when looking for micronutrients (i.e. vitamins and minerals). The rest of products are not very cheap unless you find an offer. It only ships to Spain, but shipping is free for orders over 65 euros.
  
  
• IAFStore
  
  This Italian store sells sport products in general. The prices of nutritional supplements are quite good for some products, but it generally suffers from stock problems. It ships around Europe, although it is quite expensive, but it could be free for orders over 250 euros.

Stay connected to hear from my new experiences.

Bodybuilding Online Supplement Stores

As you know, the supplements industry moves millions of dollars every year. There are countless brands and distributors. According to this, one of the trickiest things for the bodybuilder is finding reliable stores that offer quality brands at competitive prices. In this post, I’ll share with you my personal experience with online supplement stores. Hope this helps.

• Bodybuilding.com
  
  This is probably the most popular store, and this fame is well founded. It offers a lot of variety at very competitive prices (from the perspective of a European citizen). The worst is probably the international shipping, which is only available via International Postal Service (at least to Spain). This results in expensive and slow shipping, and without tracking support.
  
  A word of caution for Spanish customers (in fact, I think that this applies to all the EU customers) that want to shop in this store. Keep in mind that your supplements could be seized by customs. This occurs because it classifies certain food supplements as medicine, especially vitamins and other products with physiological effects. Food supplements classified as medicine cannot be imported without an import license. Only authorized importers are allowed to import medicine. The importer has to provide an import permit issued by the Ministry of Health. The medicine must be registered in Spain, otherwise the importation will not be allowed. Private individuals cannot import medicine unless they can provide a medical prescription from a doctor and a special authorization from the Ministry of Health issued for the respective shipment. If the importer cannot provide an import license (or the private consignee cannot provide a prescription), the goods will be returned to the shipper or destroyed.

Taking into account these customs restrictions, Europeans are forced to search for alternatives within their frontiers. UK stores offer most of the US products, with quite competitive prices for the rest of Europe, especially considering the current euro-pound exchange rate.

• SS Health Foods
  
  Probably the best UK supplement store. Many products of reputable brands such as Optimum Nutrition or Dymatize are available in this store, and offering probably the most competitive prices in Europe. Shipping is fast, but not very cheap.

• MyProtein
  
  An online store from the UK that sells bulk supplements (i.e. generic brand). I typically use it to purchase bulk carbohydrates (i.e. dextrose, maltodextrin, oats …). You can find them in sizes that are hardly available in other stores. A final remark, if you use this MyProtein referral code (MP104567), you’ll get a 5% discount on your first order. Shipping is fast and with a reasonable price.

• Discount Supplements
  
  Another UK store with a good supplement offering. I especially appreciate its variety on multi-vitamins, minerals, and joint supplements. Prices are quite good, though they have stock problems with some products sometimes. Shipping rates are quite cheap (even free for orders over 200 pounds).

These are the online stores I have used so far. In the future, I’ll update this post with my new experiences.

Enhancing Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Amino Acids & BCAA

This post presents a new chapter in the series regarding the best enhancing supplements for the natural bodybuilder. In particular, this post is devoted to amino acid formulas, and in particular to Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA).

As we discussed in post “Important Amino Acids for Bodybuilders”, amino acids are involved in innumerable physiological processes in the body, in particular those related with muscle building, which makes them fundamental in a bodybuilder’s diet. BCAA are comprised of three different essential amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Being essential amino acids means that they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be completely taken in the diet. BCAA can be found in many high protein foods, especially in dairy products and red meat. These three amino acids present anabolic and anti-catabolic properties by themselves, but these effects are increased when they are synergistically combined.

Amino acids in general and BCAA in particular play an important role in protein synthesis, hence they stimulate muscle-tissue formation. In addition, BCAA also boost the immune system, play a role in the regulation of blood-sugar levels, and stimulate hormones production. It is also remarkable the BCAA action on preventing catabolic effects in the muscle that occur after intense workouts. BCAA suppress the use of muscle proteins for fuel, thereby sparing the breakdown of muscular protein. This also translates in faster recovery from exercise induced protein damage, which in turn means faster size and strength gains.

Although dietary protein contains a multitude of different amino acids, they do not always come in the ideal amounts or proportions. In addition, the metabolic effects from ingesting free-form amino acids are different from ingesting the same amino acids when they are in a whole protein, basically due to their faster absorption. For these reasons, supplementing with amino acid formulas composed of the essential amino acids and/or with BCAA can help the natural bodybuilder to fulfill his amino acids needs.

Both amino acid formulas and BCAA are best taken just after the workout (i.e. with your post-workout shake) to promote recovery and muscle-formation. Doses typically range between 4 and 10 grams. Depending on your budget, you can add an additional intake prior to the workout to increase performance and prepare recuperation. Powder forms are recommended over pills, though amino acid formulas come also in liquid form, which has a good absorption rate. When choosing a BCAA product, look for a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine, respectively, which has been demonstrated to be the most effective. Staying in the recommended amounts, no side effects have been reported due to amino acid supplementation.

More details on the benefits of BCAA supplementation can be found in the article “BCAA'S: The Building Blocks Of Muscle” by David Galanis, the article “BCAA Supplementation For Athletes” by Intensity Magazine, and the article “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking” by Big Cat.

Enhancing Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Glutamine

This post presents a new chapter in the series regarding the best enhancing supplements for the natural bodybuilder. In particular, this post is devoted to glutamine, which is a somehow controversial supplement, but which has demonstrated to be highly effective under stressful conditions (very intense and heavy training or dieting phases).

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that is present in the body in large amounts. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid in the body, achieving the 60 percent of the total amino acid pool at some times. Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid because it can be synthesized from other amino acids, namely glutamic acid, isoleucine, and valine. In addition, it is found in many high protein foods such as dairy products, fish, beef and beans.

Glutamine plays a key role in synthesis of muscle-tissue (promoting anabolism) and is a contributor to muscle cell volume. In addition, it boosts the immune system, increases HGH secretion, and is a major building block for DNA. Glutamine also acts as a powerful ammonia scavenger, eliminating it from the body. Ammonia is a highly toxic substance to muscle cells, which occurs as a residue of nitrogen processing. More importantly, glutamine is released from the muscle during times of stress (such as intense workouts) and dieting in order to prevent muscle catabolism occurred due to cortisol action, enhance glycogen replenishment and maintain the acid/alkaline balance (thus reducing lactic acid). This makes glutamine a vital agent for faster recuperation from weight training workouts.

There is some controversy about the need of supplementing glutamine, especially in a bulking phase. In such a phase, you should cover the most part of your glutamine requirements through the diet, though additional supplementation can reap some benefits. While on a dieting phase, supplementing with glutamine is highly recommended, especially to prevent muscle catabolism. Recall that muscle protein can be used as an energy source for the body (via gluconeogenesis) when the supply of carbohydrates is low. In addition, the additional glutamine will allow your body not to break down other amino acids to make glutamine under stress conditions.

Glutamine supplementation is typically carried out using 1-3 doses of 5 grams per day. To exploit glutamine benefits, it is best taken after the workout, with your protein shake, but it can additionally be used first thing in the morning or right before sleep. To get the best absorption, L-glutamine in powder form is recommended. No side effects have been reported due to glutamine supplementation. However, some people experience slight stomach discomfort during the first days of use.

Additional information about the benefits of glutamine supplementation and how to perform it can be found in the article “Supplementation For Maximum Growth: Part 2” by Hugo Rivera, the article “The Benefits of Glutamine” by Nick Nilsson, and the article “Glutamine: The Pinnacle Of Supplements” by David Robson.

Enhancing Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Creatine

As discussed in post “Supplementation for Natural Bodybuilders”, enhancing supplements contribute to optimize your body functioning and in this way accelerate your gains. Creatine monohydrate is probably the most popular supplement in this category. This is a well-deserved popularity, backed up with empirical evidences. This post, which initiates a series covering the most popular enhancing supplements for the natural bodybuilder, describes the benefits of creatine and provides some guidelines for its supplementation.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is present in the body. Under the right circumstances, the body can manufacture it from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. In addition, small amounts are taken in through food, mainly from red meat and fish. Creatine contributes to regenerate ATP stores in the muscles. This ensures a short-term burst of energy that can increase anaerobic strength levels, enabling you to lift heavier and train harder. Creatine also increases retained water in the muscles. This exerts a temporary size increase but also draws more nutrients in the cell and stimulates protein synthesis, which can contribute to muscle growth.

There is some controversy on how and when to take creatine. One approach consists of cycling the intake. The cycle starts with a loading period (in order to saturate the area surrounding the cells) in which you consume 4 servings a day of 5 grams each during 4-5 days. A possible schedule could be having the creatine with breakfast, mid-afternoon before workout, immediately after the workout, and right before bed. After the loading period, a daily amount of 5 grams for a period of 6-8 weeks is recommended. During this period, bodybuilders can benefit from taking the creatine in a single dose after the workout, which contributes to recovery and stimulates muscle growth, or in two doses, one of them 15-30 minutes prior to the workout, which maximizes ATP stores and increases in this way workout performance, and the other just immediately. Finally, this steady period must be followed by a break for 2-4 weeks, giving the receptors a chance to upgrade again. At this point, another creatine cycle can be started. On the other side, some studies suggest that a low-dose continuous approach works too. In this case, having a daily single dose of 3-5 grams for the long term would be enough.

To get the best absorption, creatine in powder form is recommended. In addition, the presence of insulin in muscle cells is required. For this reason, creatine is best taken with high GI carbs. This is another reason for taking it with your post-workout shake (which includes protein and high GI carbs), or with breakfast on non-training days.

Supplementing with creatine has proven to be safe. However, some bodybuilders have reported dehydration, stomach upset and diarrhea, especially with higher dosages. In order to prevent dehydration, it is very important to drink a lot of water, especially during the loading phase. People experiencing stomach upset and diarrhea can give a try to the continuous approach (without loading period), or even better, use micronized creatine, in which size of creatine particles has been reduced. This allows creatine to be faster absorbed, while avoiding stomach upset. Finally, keep in mind that creatine, once in a solution, destabilizes in very short time, rendering it useless. This is why liquid creatine serums are not recommended. For the same reason, you should take the creatine as soon as you mix it.

More information about how creatine works and how to supplement it can be found in the article “All About Creatine” by Jeremy Likness, and in the following articles by Big Cat: “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking”, “Creatine, Ribose and Insulin Potentiators”, and “Creatine Updates!”.

Foundation Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Essential Fatty Acids

As discussed in my post entitled “Macronutrients Guide: Fat”, the 15-25% of your total amount of calories should come from fat, since it is essential for many body functions. It is an important building block for all cell membranes, it is needed for the absorption and transport of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), it is used for hormone production (e.g. testosterone), it may be of assistance in the metabolism of body fat, and it helps to the digestion and use of protein. In addition, fat can be also used as a long-term energy source (fat yields 9 calories per gram).

Fat includes Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s), which are polyunsaturated fats that cannot be synthesized by the body on its own, and thus they must be ingested in the diet. However, during fat loss periods (which are often driven by extremely low fat diets), getting the needed amount of EFA’s through diet can be hard. In these situations, supplementing with EFA’s can make sense. According to this, this post ends up the series related to the foundation supplements for the bodybuilder providing information about good sources of EFA’s and some useful pointers for their supplementation.

There are two types of EFA’s: Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3). The best sources for Linoleic Acid are safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, flax seeds and flax seed oil, canola oil, corn oil, hemp oil, olive oil, soybean and soybean oil, fresh deepwater fish (especially salmon, tuna, and trout) and fish oils, nuts (especially peanuts and walnuts), pumpkin seeds, and avocados. Most of them are also rich in monounsaturated fats. Some of them (i.e. fresh deepwater fish, flax seeds and flax seed oil, hemp oil, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds) are also sources of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, especially flax seeds and flax seed oil, which have a good balance of both EFA’s.

Adding some of these sources to your diet should be enough to get all the required EFA’s. As a rule of thumb, 5-6 grams of Linoleic Acid and 2-3 grams of Alpha-Linolenic Acid are recommended per day. As Linoleic Acid is more usual in food sources than Alpha-Linolenic Acid, additional supplements are typically not needed when following a proper nutrition. Supplementing Alpha-Linolenic Acid can be needed during fat loss periods. Using a fresh source of EFA’s is highly recommended. Go for capsules or pills only if you cannot tolerate the taste of liquid forms. An indicative measure is using two tablespoons three times a day with food. For instance, you can add them to salad dressings or protein shakes.

Finally, it is not recommended to use these oils for cooking, since EFA’s are delicate substances, and exposing them to heat disrupts their structure, thus eliminating their benefits, and even worse, generating trans-fatty acids. If one must be used, olive oil and sunflower seed oil are the best options.

More information about EFA’s and their supplementation can be found in the article “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking” by Big Cat, the article “The Lowdown On EFA's!” by Mike Hajoway, and in the “Supplements” section of Muscle 101 site.

Foundation Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Protein Powders

As described in my post entitled “Macronutrients Guide: Protein”, getting enough high quality protein is mandatory for bodybuilders, since its amino acids constitute the basic material for muscle building. According to this, bodybuilders need about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Nevertheless, getting this amount of protein through regular food alone is sometimes difficult and unpractical. Protein supplements (a.k.a. protein powders) come into play to alleviate this problem. This post follows up the series related to the foundation supplements that must be the basis of the natural bodybuilder’s supplementation regime by going further on these protein supplements.

When considering the presentation of the protein supplements, the most common form is a simple powder that you mix with water or milk in a shaker or blender. In addition to this, you can also find pre-made drinks and protein-rich bars.

When considering the composition of the protein supplements, three different forms can be usually found: mass gainers, pure protein powders and meal replacement powders. Mass gainers provide a considerable amount of carbohydrates along with the protein, typically in 1 to 1 up to 2 to 1 ratio, and some fat. Combining protein with carbohydrates has been shown to improve protein absorption. Mass gainers are very caloric and intended for ectomorphic people who have problems to gain weight, or for bulking phases (especially as a post-workout supplement). Meal replacement powders present a relatively balanced content of protein and carbohydrates, having a moderate amount of calories. As the name says, this product can be an option when you need to eat but don't have time to prepare a real meal. The trouble with these is they are pre-packaged, so they don't allow you to choose your doses and amounts. Pure protein powders are mainly composed of protein (typically up to 90%). They provide a relatively low amount of calories while getting a noticeable quantity of protein. For this reason, they are mainly intended for meso/endomorphic people, or for dieting phases.

Protein supplements are commonly based on whey and casein proteins (though egg and soy protein can play also a role). Both are high quality protein sources with high PDCAAS and BV scores but with different rate of digestion and absorption into the body. Casein takes longer to get to the blood stream than whey, but it also remains there longer. According to this, protein sources can be categorized into two groups: slow-digested (e.g. casein) and fast-digested proteins (e.g. whey).

Several timeframes are the most adequate for having a protein powder. Having a fast-digested protein powder with carbohydrates first thing in the morning can rapidly contribute to stop the catabolic process after 8 hours without nutrients. Having a slow-digested protein powder with some low GI carbohydrates one hour before training can provide your body with protein that will be readily available in the blood stream for initiating recovery just after training. Having a fast-digested protein powder mixed with high GI carbohydrates immediately after training can provide the basic materials needed to refill glycogen stores and stimulate muscle growing. Finally, having a slow-digested protein powder (preferably with none or few low GI carbohydrates) immediately before bed can contribute to delay the catabolic process as late as possible. In addition, protein powders can also be taken as part of a snack during the day when it is hard to prepare a meal (e.g. midmorning or mid-afternoon).

To conclude, just a final word about protein powders. It is true that they are absorbed quicker and easier, and have better amino acid profiles than many foods. Furthermore, they usually come with extra vitamins and minerals. Regardless of this, it is important not to get into the habit of skipping meals in favor of powders. The basis of your nutrition should always be good, healthy food. Supplements should be only a complement.

You can find further information about the usage of protein supplements in the article “The Protein Bible” by John Berardi, in the article “Beginner's Bodybuilding Program!” by Matt Danielsson, and in the “In the Kitchen” section of Muscle 101 site.

Foundation Supplements for the Natural Bodybuilder: Multivitamin/Mineral

As I have already stated in previous posts, supplements can be a great aid for making your progress easier and quicker, acting as a complement for ensuring that you get enough of all needed nutrients, and for optimizing physiological processes, such as muscle growth, fat loss and recovery. However, one must not forget that supplements can never fully compensate bad eating habits or inadequate training. The basic supplements for the bodybuilder (a.k.a. foundation supplements) are those that provide substances that are mandatory for proper body functioning such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and essential fatty acids (EFAs). If you could follow a perfect diet, you would obtain the needed amount these substances from food alone. However, in reality this is often difficult to accomplish. Foundation supplements come into play to alleviate this problem, and should always be the basis of your supplementation regime. This post initiates a series discussing the supplements falling in this category. This first post is dedicated to the multivitamin/mineral supplement.

This supplement is probably one of the most important ones. Many body functions require vitamins and minerals to be accomplished. In fact, levels of these substances must be kept above a certain level for optimal functioning of the body. These levels are higher for bodybuilders, since intense training increases the need of these substances. For this reason, bodybuilders are susceptible to have deficiency in vitamins and minerals if their diet is not totally balanced. Such a deficiency can impair optimum functioning of the body and consequently hinder your growth. Supplementing with a multivitamin/mineral can prevent this deficiency.

There are great amounts of brands that offer multivitamin/mineral. Typically, they differ somewhat in their composition and provide the vitamins/minerals using different shapes, such as pills, tablets, powder-filled capsules or even in liquid form. The important thing to look for is that you get at least 100 percent of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) (formerly Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)) for all or most of the vital minerals and minerals. The DRI provides the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group. When choosing your multivitamin/mineral, it is also important to assure that the pill/tablet/capsule can fully dissolve in your stomach. A dose (containing the aforementioned DRI of each of the vital vitamins and minerals) of the multivitamin/mineral supplement should be taken daily, preferably in the morning with your breakfast.

In addition, there are some substances, known as antioxidants, which help to neutralize harmful toxins and free radicals. Antioxidants also help control inflammation, muscle fiber damage, and fatigue. They also help to build muscle and improve the immune system. Intense exercise increases the number of free radicals in the body, making even more necessary to maintain a good level of antioxidants. Supplementation can help to accomplish this. Some vitamins and minerals are also antioxidants, for instance vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. According to this, it is typical to supplement extra vitamin C in divided doses over the day. Vitamin C is water-soluble and passes through your system quickly. For this reason, several smaller doses are better than one big dose.

Further details about multivitamin/mineral supplementation can be found in the article “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking” by Big Cat and in the article “Beginner's Bodybuilding Program!” by Matt Danielsson. In addition, deeper information about vitamins and minerals can be found in the article “Water-Soluble Vitamins For Bodybuilders” and in the article “Fat-Soluble Vitamins, Minerals and Trace Elements”, both by Big Cat.

Supplementation for Natural Bodybuilders

Supplements are present throughout in bodybuilding. For instance, one can find many people that trust in supplements as a magic pill to transform their body from day to day, even when their training and nutrition are not precisely an example to follow. On the other side, one can also find many bodybuilders that adequately use natural supplements as a complement to their nutrition. The industry contributes to this situation by offering a huge amount of supplements, all of them with the most fantastic claims. However, some of these supplements are not natural, or not effective (or at least not for everyone), or even dangerous. This post intends to guide trainees in this crowded space by discussing how supplementation fits in a natural bodybuilding program.

Proper use of supplements requires a clear understanding of what are they intended to, since this a common point of confusion. In this sense, people tend to forget that if training and nutrition are not adequate, supplements are virtually worthless. In fact, it has been established that training hard, eating clean and resting enough determine the 90% of your success. Supplements are a good complement, but they can never fully compensate bad eating habits or inadequate training (although they probably can slightly reduce the negative effect of these bad practices). For this reason, it is important to focus on getting the basics in shape before bothering with the details.

Having said this, what is then the role of supplementation in natural bodybuilding? Well, although supplements are not needed to succeed, they can be a great aid for making this process easier and quicker, acting as a complement for ensuring that you get enough of all needed nutrients, and also for optimizing physiological processes, such as muscle growth, fat loss and recovery. Supplements can be broken down into 3 groups, namely foundation supplements, enhancing supplements, and application specific supplements. I deliberately omit in this list unnatural solutions, such as steroids, that can have catastrophic secondary effects on your health.

Foundation supplements provide substances which are mandatory for proper body functioning such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and essential fatty acids (EFAs). In fact, if you could follow a perfect diet, you would obtain the needed amount these substances from food alone. However, in reality this is often difficult to accomplish. Foundation supplements come into play to alleviate this problem, and should always be the basis of your supplementation regime. Use a multivitamin/mineral stack daily (some vitamins are also antioxidants), add some protein supplement to your diet (e.g. protein powders) and consider supplementing EFAs during fat loss periods.

Enhancing supplements contribute to optimize your body functioning and in this way accelerate your gains. Supplements in this category, such as creatine, glutamine, BCAAs, arginine, and HMB, are mainly focused to build muscle. As you gain experience in the gym and muscle gains slow down, you can give a try to this kind of supplements. Finally, application specific supplements are intended for advanced bodybuilders allowing them to increase their control on certain physiological processes such as fat mobilization (e.g. L-carnitine), metabolism acceleration (e.g. ephedrine, caffeine), natural testosterone boost (e.g ZMA), and joint injury prevention/healing (e.g. glucosamine).

Further reading about basic supplementation and its role in natural bodybuilding can be found in the article “Broke Buying Supplements?”, and the article “Food vs. Supplements”, both by Matt Danielsson.