The industry of dietary supplements is incredibly expansive, providing a plethora of choices, whether you want to enhance your workout results or improve your diet. Forecasts suggest that this market is set to balloon to a staggering value of approximately $293 billion in the coming three years.
With so many supplements around, it can be confusing, and you might be wondering whether you even need to take any at all. They have many uses, from helping digestion, meeting nutritional deficits, and supporting diets.
It is estimated that almost half the population takes supplements every day, so if you are looking to improve your daily workout plan, here are five reasons why taking supplements might be beneficial for you:
Balancing a Deficiency in Your Diet
Despite the ready availability of so many different foods in the Western world, many people still suffer from deficiencies, including vitamins and minerals, which can have a big impact on overall health and energy levels.
If you think you are suffering from a deficiency there are tests that you can book to find out for certain, but some of the most common ones which are found include iron, vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin A.
Different deficiencies can be more common depending on your age group and sex, and it’s worth getting a nutritionist to test your levels so that you know exactly which supplements might help you.
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To Top Up Your Eating Habits
Many of us adopt specific eating habits, alongside our workout plans, in an attempt to be healthier and lose weight, but some diet types work better with supplements as they can result in deficiencies.
The most common is the vegan diet which can lead to a lack of iron and B12 because they are hard to find and absorb from a plant-only diet. If you are going vegan alongside your workout plan, then you might want to consider supplements for these.
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If you are trying the Keto diet then you might need to look at a few supplements including Vitamin C, Omega 3, and Magnesium.
For the Paleo diet then Vitamin D and magnesium can become an issue, and with Atkins, you’d want to look at topping up your selenium and chromium levels.
To Support Your Digestive System
Problems with the digestive system are quite common and another reason to take supplements to help improve your health in addition to your workout plan. Digestive issues can cause pain and discomfort and become embarrassing so supplements that support digestive health are extremely popular.
If your digestive system is not working properly, it can result in your body failing to absorb all the nutrients it needs, causing some of the nutritional deficiencies we looked at earlier, so if you suspect you have any problems in this area, you should speak to your doctor.
However, some supplements can help with the most common digestive issues, for example, ginger lowers feelings of nausea, fennel can help your stomach to break down your food better and probiotics can support your gut health.
To Improve Your Focus
It’s important to maintain focus and motivation during your workout plan, to help you keep going and help you get up and moving in the morning when you really don’t want to. There are several supplements that can help to improve this focus and concentration.
This type of supplement helps to support your brain’s normal function by ensuring it receives all the essential nutrients for optimal performance. They help your brain keep going at a peak level, for longer.
Supplements that help with focus and concentration include Alpha-GPC, L-Theanine, Caffeine, and Magnesium.
To Improve Your Athletic Performance
Probably the most common reason to take supplements as part of your workout plan is simply to enhance your supporting performance overall. There are many supplements designed to support strength, flexibility, and endurance.
So, what kind of supplements should you consider when looking for supplements which could help to improve your workout performance? Here are a few of the most common ones:
Magnesium to support the muscles with energy production; caffeine to boost energy; Boswellia as an anti-inflammatory to support joint health.
So, there you have your five key reasons to take supplements as part of your workout plan – they can top up any dietary or nutritional deficiencies to ensure your body is working at maximum capacity, as well as help to enhance your concentration and performance.
However, there is another area where supplements can help in terms of overall health and well-being and that is in terms of promoting relaxation and better quality of sleep. While you might not think this is connected to your workout plan, try working out after a bad sleepless night and you will soon see the link.
Having any kind of nutritional deficiency can affect our moods and ability to relax and sleep, so it’s important to keep an eye on how your moods fluctuate and how you are sleeping. It might be that you need a supplement to tip the balance back again.
Supplements that can help with low mood include magnesium, B-vitamins, Omega 3and others including L-Theanine. There are many supplements on the market which are specifically designed to help promote natural sleep.
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If you want your workout plan to be effective it’s important to get a full night’s sleep the night before, to make sure your body has all the energy it needs to successfully complete the workout. If it doesn’t, you could end up injuring yourself or giving up halfway through due to tiredness.
When planning a new workout, why not take some time first to get checked for any deficiencies, and monitor your mood and sleep, so that you can make sure you are taking the right supplements to support your body in all its functions? That way, you will be able to start on your new workout plan, confident that your body and mind are working at their peak performance, giving you maximum opportunity for success.
