Staying Safe While Building Muscle

You see body builders online or on TV and you wonder how they got to be so big. The truth is, many of them are probably juicing and are risking their safety in order to look bigger. On the other hand, you see numerous multivitamins and other diet pills that claim to have safe results but don’t actually work to increase muscle size.

There are supplements you should look for and some you should avoid. We are going to break down the types of muscle building supplements and tell you which ones are effective and safe and which ones you should avoid like the plague.

What you need to know.

Supplements that utilize natural ingredients are typically safe and are more effective than most people give them credit for. Here are some muscle building supplements that can help you get bigger naturally:

Testosterone Boosters
Test boosters use a variety of natural ingredients, like tribulus terrestris and eurycoma longifolia, that are designed to naturally stimulate the pituitary gland to produce testosterone. Men benefit from testosterone more than women because they function more on testosterone than women. Testosterone production decreases with age making test boosters more beneficial the older you get.

HGH Releasers
HGH is similar to testosterone because it also decreases with age and is produced in the pituitary gland. Amino acids are typically what stimulate HGH production. HGH supplements are beneficial for both men and women and can help build muscle, boost energy, and improve overall health.

Protein Shakes
Protein shakes are some of the leading muscle building products out there because they work directly at the source. Protein shakes supply large amounts of protein to the muscle helping it to grow and repair quicker. When you hit the gym, a protein shake is always good to have.

What you should know not to do.

If a product contains manmade ingredients, it’s best to stay away from it. Also, anything that has to pass through the liver before being absorbed can pose some serious health issues. Natural supplementation may not appear to be as fast or effective as injecting a synthetic blend into your body and in most cases it’s probably not, but why risk the possibility of having to endure serious and life threatening side effects? Some muscle building supplements to avoid include:

Prohormones
A prohormone is different than a testosterone booster or steroid because it is a precursor to testosterone, not a stimulator or mimicker. Prohormones have to pass through the liver before metabolizing into testosterone. Once it converts to testosterone, it essentially acts like a testosterone booster, but the transportation through the liver is what makes prohormones dangerous. Many users report liver and kidney problems after taking prohormones.

Steroids
Steroids act to mimic and strengthen the effects of testosterone. Though steroids produce powerful anabolic results, they are manmade and have been shown to cause harmful effects like high blood pressure, liver damage, and heart problems. Many steroids are illegal and almost all steroid products have been banned by numerous sporting agencies.

HGH Injections
Like steroids, HGH injections are manmade and are designed to synthetically increase HGH levels in the body. Not to be confused with natural HGH releasers, injections do NOT work naturally with the pituitary gland in the brain to secrete HGH. Instead, it injects a chemical in the body that mimics the effects of HGH. One injection of HGH can cost up to $3000, not to mention the risk of liver damage and even carpal tunnel syndrome.

Ultimately, it’s your decision. You can choose to risk your health and safety by taking synthetic products, or you can take the safe route and go natural. If you choose natural supplementation, make sure you do your homework and find ingredients that are proven and included in the proven dosage.

Combining supplements can be beneficial. In fact, HGH releasers have been shown to work better when used in combination with whey protein. However, a word of caution: always contact your healthcare provider before taking and combining any supplements.