Best Post Workout Supplement | 2012 Edition

Post workout supplements are crucially important to aid in muscle growth, recovery, and provide the body with vital nutrients. There are hundreds of Post workout supplements currently on the market that vary in their aim and purpose which can make choosing the right one a confusing and daunting task. Bodybuilders, athletes, and weekend warriors all follow different workout routines and supplement regimens so what supplement works for one may not be the best choice for the other. After reviewing dozens of different post workout supplements I started to realize that there were certain characteristics that make up the best.

The 5 major ranking categories of essential post workout recovery are:

MUSCLE BUILDING COMPLEX – The most important aspect of post workout supplements are how much did your muscles recuperate and grow.  What you’ll find in this category is Protein, Creatine, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline, and L-Arginine – all of which are paramount to building valuable muscle.


ANTI CATABOLIC COMPLEX – After a tough workout your muscle are depleted of nutrients which causes your body to begin to feed on your muscle tissue for food and energy.  We don’t want or need that side-effect. The anti-catabolic complex stops this from happening and puts your body back into the muscle building anabolic state. Here you’ll find carbohydrates, L-Glutamine, Alpha Ketoglutarate, Thiamine, and Riboflavin amongst others.


BCAA COMPLEX– Branched Chain Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein synthesis and refers to the essential amino acids Leucine, Isolucine, and Valine .  They aid your body in faster muscle recovery, muscle growth, and can also aid in weight loss as well as increase endurance.


ELECTROLYTE COMPLEX  – Electrolytes are ionized minerals that help the human body and vital organs carry out normal functions through chemical electric signals. Electrolytes are essential for maintaining normal bodily functions and they are easily depleted after a tough workout.  Potassium, Sodium, and Calcium are typically found here.


OTHER NUTRIENTS  – This category is reserved for any additional nutrients that have been included into these supplements that also have positive effects on health and recovery.  Anti-Oxidants, additional vitamins and minerals and various herbs are what make up this category.