Three Sport Supplements Every Bodybuilder Should Take!

Three sport supplements every bodybuilder should take – and not just bodybuilders! If you are an athlete or fitness enthusiast, you need to try these supplements! While there are quite a few you can benefit from, these are three that can make the biggest difference in your results. Let’s dive right in and find out more!

Sport Supplement # 1 – Creatine – A Must-Have!

What Is Creatine 

Creatine occurs naturally in meats and fish. It’s manufactured from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, and it is synthesized by the liver, kidney, and pancreas. As a supplement, creatine monohydrate was brought to market in 1993 by EAS. It literally changed the industry and has become the most tested and proven effective of any supplement. (1, 2)

The Benefits Of Creatine

Creatine has a primary role in ATP production. Of course, ATP is the muscular energy needed for activities that involve short bursts of high intensity, as in working out. In the body, creatine binds with phosphate to produce creatine phosphate. It is used by the phosphagen system to increase available ATP.. The phosphagen system is one of three energy systems that the body uses to generate energy for activity and is the first to be used during athletic activities. (3)

What Else Does Creatine Do?

While more ATP is huge, creatine has other very impressive benefits. Most important is its role as the original cell volumizer. By this I mean it pulls water into the muscle cells, creating water-based pumps. That’s a big thing today, by back in 93 it was unheard of. Finally, in recent years creatine has been shown to have other benefits, such as supporting cognitive function, in-the-gym performance, and recovery. (4, 5)

The International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand

Here is The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on the use of creatine as a supplement, reading in part: “ Creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training”. There’s 8 more points, and you can read them here

Sport Supplement # 3 – Glycerol – Get Ready For Massive Pumps!

Glycerol – What It Is & What It Does 

For me, glycerol is one of the most exciting newer supplements. Let’s find out why! First of all, let’s look at what glycerol is. It is a sugar alcohol that is known as the backbone of triglycerides. In addition, and more to the point of this article, glycerol is an osmolyte that builds up in all body fluids, except the eyes and brain. This in turn increases the body’s  total water volume. Also, your body can use it as an energy substrate and it promotes training endurance when consumed in large amounts. (6, 7)

 

As a supplement, glycerol is rapidly absorbed by the body and distributed among the body’s fluid compartments. Then it’s metabolized by the kidneys and liver. If glycerol is consumed along with a large amount of water, your body retains that fluid. This, of course, leads to greater cell volume or water-based pumps. Plus, this creates a state of “hyperhydration” which benefits hard-training bodybuilders and athletes, especially endurance athletes. (8)

The Benefits Of Glycerol

 

While glycerol has been a popular ingredient in pre-workout and pump supplements, large doses have recently become more popular. I’m talking about 10-23 gram doses. At that level, I have seen stunning results, and that seems to be par for the course. I’m not saying it will be the same for everyone, but it’s worth trying. 

Here are the benefits:

 

  • Glycerol Increases Cell Volume (Creating Water-Based Pumps)
  • It Enhances Hydration
  • Glycerol Lowers Thermal Effects Of Exercise In Hot Temperatures
  • It Can Dramatically Extend Endurance
  • Glycerol Improves Performance
  • It Can Lowers Urine Output 

 

As you can see, the benefits of glycerol go far beyond increasing cell volume. (8)

What Is The Accepted Dose Of Glycerol?

The standard dosing ranges between 2-3 grams in most pre-workout and pump supplements. As noted, many companies sell glycerol in doses from 6 grams up to 23 grams, with new products appearing all the time.

Sport Supplement #3 – Protein Powder – Meet Your Protein Needs With Ease!

It used to be that it was primarily bodybuilders that used protein powder, but not anymore. Many people have begun to realize that consistently eating a well-balanced diet that ensures we get enough protein and overall nutrition is not easy. Protein powders are an easy and convenient way to ensure we meet our daily protein requirements.

The Benefits Of Protein

Protein provides several benefits. (9, 10)

These include:

  • Supports Muscle Growth
  • Keeps The Body In An Anabolic State – This Supports Protein Synthesis
  • Enhances Post-Workout Recovery
  • Prevents A Catabolic Environment 
  • Preserves Muscle During Periods Of Fat Loss
  • Supports Healthy Hair, Skin & Nails
  • Promotes Immune System Health

What You Should Look For In A Protein Powder 

Here’s what to look for when considering a protein powder: 

High-Quality Ingredients

Look for high-quality protein such as whey isolate, whey isolate and micellar casein, or pea combined with brown rice.

Avoid Artificial Ingredients

Try to avoid protein powders loaded with artificial flavors and sweeteners. Also try to avoid powders with dyes. 

Good Macronutrient Profile

Bouncing off the last one, make sure carbohydrates, sugar, fat, and sodium are low. The more of these things in your protein powder, the less actual protein you’ll end up with. 

What’s The Protein Content? 

Here’s a trick to find out what the protein content of the powder actually is. Using your label, divide the grams of protein per serving by the scoop size. For example, by now regular readers know how much I like Hi-Tech Precision Protein. One 32 gram scoop gives you 25 grams of hydrolyzed whey protein per serving. So, divide protein grams by scoop size: 25/32 = 78. Therefore, this protein powder is 78% protein, the rest is the other macronutrients and fillers. 

Flexibility

Look for a protein powder that can be used in more ways than merely mixing it as a shake. Look for one that can be mixed in yogurt and/or oatmeal, and can be used in baking recipes. 

How Much Protein?

Ah, the age-old question. Bodybuilders and other athletes/fitness enthusiasts are highly active and engage in multiple training sessions per week, sometimes per day. Therefore, they break down muscle at a much higher rate than a sedentary person. For that reason, they need to consume more protein in order to maintain and to build new muscle. Currently (2025) it’s generally accepted that if you are a bodybuilder looking to build or maintain muscle, you should consume a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. 

 

Let’s say your body weight is 200 lbs. Therefore, you would need to eat 200 grams of protein per day. To consume that much from just food sources, you would need to eat 3 – 4 oz. chicken breast, 2 – 4 oz. steaks, 1 – 6 oz. can of tuna, and 15 hard-boiled eggs every single day. That’s a lot of food! Just by including 2 – 25 gram protein shakes a day, you’ve brought your protein needs down to a more manageable 150 grams. 

Summary

If you aren’t using these three supplements, you should be. They can make a significant difference in your training. There’s no reason to wait, so stop by illpumpyouup.com and stock up today!

References:

  1. https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/creatine
  2. Ed Byrd – The Man Who Put Creatine On The Map | Cory Holly Institute
  3. Hunter A. The physiology of creatine and creatinine. Physiological Reviews 2:580-626, 1922
  4. Chanutin A. The fate of creatine when administered to man. Journal of Biological Chemistry 67:29-41, 1926
  5. Harris RC, Soderland K & Hultman E. Elevation of creatine in resting and elevated muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clinical Science 83:367-374,1992
  6. National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 753, Glycerol. Retrieved February 13, 2023 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Glycerol.
  7. Results for ‘glycerol’ – Examine
  8. Patlar, S., Yalçin, H., & Boyali, E. (2012). The effect of glycerol supplements on aerobic and anaerobic performance of athletes and sedentary subjects. Journal of human kinetics, 34, 69–79. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10078-012-0065-x
  9. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/howgeneswork/protein
  10. Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDougall, J. D., & Atkinson, S. A. (1988, January). Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3356636

 

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