Supplementation is crucial when it comes to optimising the performance of athletes or helping gym goers to achieve their fitness goals. Some supplements improve recovery, aid muscle hypertrophy, and correlate with increases in muscle strength. Others are able to heighten energy levels during your session for you to maximise your workout. In this blog, we are going to provide a guide for' Cheap and Effective Weight Lifting Supplements' using published scientific literature and knowledge from qualified sports scientists. 

Why Supplements Matters For Weight Lifters

When used with a nutritious diet and training schedule, weight-lifting supplements can be an effective tool. Certain supplements offer an array of benefits at a physiological level that will help you achieve your fitness goals. Such benefits include:

• Supported muscle growth
• Boosted energy and performance 
• Enhances recovery and limits fatigue

The aforementioned benefits are pretty integral for weightlifting performance. Muscle growth is closely correlated with increases in muscular strength. Typically, when a person starts resistance training, they will have neuromuscular adaptations (often referred to as "beginner gains") first. Once neuromuscular adaptions begin to plateau, muscle growth then becomes the main driver of adaptation. Additionally, by supplementation being able to aid recovery, you can train more often and at a higher intensity, meaning more gains to muscle hypertrophy and strength. Lastly, by providing boosted energy, it will heighten your motivation to train and help limit fatigue during exercise, allowing you to exercise at a higher intensity for a longer portion of time.

So, what are the supplements that provide such benefits according to research?

The Best & Most Effective Supplements According To Research

The best cheap and effective weight lifting supplements (in no particular order) are:

• Whey Protein
• Creatine
• Caffeine

 

Whey Protein

Whey protein is often a person's first supplement when they start weightlifting. Protein is a substance that we can consume naturally through a balanced diet. The British Nutrition Foundation suggests that you should consume 0.75 grams (g) per kilogram (Kg) of body mass. Meaning, if you weigh 75 Kg, you will require 56g of protein. However, this does not account for the amount of exercise a person may be completing. With that in mind, the International Society of Sports Nutrition Journal recommends doubling the standard recommendations (1.4 - 2g per Kg) meaning that as a 75 kg person, you should now intake 105-150g of protein per day. This can therefore make it more difficult to gain this additional protein requirement through natural food without excessive eating or calorie intake. Therefore, whey protein supplement offers a solution. By achieving the recommended protein intake it will aid the growth and repair of the muscle tissue, thus correlating to an increase in strength performance. 

You can consume whey protein in various forms, the most popular being protein shakes, smoothies and, bars. It can also be added to oatmeal and yoghurts, which make the perfect bodybuilder’s breakfast.

Creatine Monohydrate

This supplement is the most researched supplement on the market. It improves training performance with "enhanced muscle sizes and strength responses to resistance training" (Source). The substance is found naturally in the cells of the muscle and it helps muscles produce energy during heavy lifting periods or those of high-intensity exercise. 

During consumption, you increase the amount of phosphocreatine, which is a form of stored energy in the cells that helps your body produce more of a high-energy molecule called ATP (the bodies energy currency). When you have higher ATP levels, your body can perform better during high-intensity exercise. Creatine also alters several cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength and recovery. Consuming ~3-5g of creatine monohydrate is found to be sufficient to aid these benefits.

Caffeine 

Last of all is caffeine. This powerful supplement is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream with blood levels peaking after 90-100 minutes. Caffeine levels remain high for 3–4 hours. Unlike most weight lifting supplements, caffeine can affect cells throughout the body, including muscle cells and brain function. Additionally, caffeine increases calcium ion release, which is essential during muscle contractions, thus caffeine can improve muscular performance (Source).

Various literature reports caffeine consumption enhances endurance performance, high intensity exercise, and even strength performance. The recommended amount is ~3-6 mg/kg body weight of caffeine, taken 60-minutes prior to training (Source).

How to Maximise Your Supplements Budget

Social media can be a great benefit to improving knowledge, however, it can also provide an abundance of over-hype and sales techniques. Therefore, the main thing to maximise your budget is to avoid the over-hype of supplements. This blog provides a scientific breakdown of some 3 of the most researched and recommended supplements on the market, so don't fall for social media fads and shams. 

Additionally, by buying in bulk you will save money in the long run. Another approach, albeit not favored, is to look into buying flavorless substances. Getting a fudge chocolate protein shake may seem like a dessert, which is a very delicious benefit, but if your goal is to save money a flavour-free substance will help you do this and provide the same benefits... just without the taste.

Summary

Above we have discussed the best weight lifting supplements that are also cheap and effective. It is important to remember that supplements should only complement food and should not be used to replace meals. For best results, make sure to eat a nutritious diet alongside supplements. If you are a bodybuilder looking for more information about all things gym-related, we can help. Simply get in touch with our expert team and we’ll be happy to advise however we can. Alternatively, if you are looking for home gym equipment, you can browse our complete range here.