Bodybuilders wishing to increase their muscle growth often turn to numerous types of supplements to achieve their goals. Because of the growing use of steroids in major league sports muscle building supplements are often a subject of controversy but the legal supplements available can be the perfect compliment to any workout. For increased muscle mass, a bodybuilder should consider safe and legal supplements such as protein and amino acids, vitamins and minerals, creatine, and nitric oxide. This article will discuss each type of supplement and describe what it can do for a bodybuilders success.

Because protein is the main building block for muscle tissue it is an important substance for everybody and most people can get all they need from the foods they eat. But if you are a bodybuilder then protein is even more necessary because you are constantly breaking down and rebuilding muscle and protein supplements aid in recovery from intense training and repairs and rebuilds broken down muscle fibers. Protein from natural sources is not as complete and as high quality as protein from muscle building supplements because protein supplements are engineered to help a bodybuilder achieve their goals. It is recommended that a bodybuilder takes one to two grams of protein per pound of their weight. Supplements are available in pill, bars, powders, and shakes and because liquids are digested faster, a protein/carbohydrate shake can be advantageous.

Amino acids are the essential building blocks of protein and serve various purposes. Branched chain amino acids protect muscles from the catabolic effects of dieting and intense training programs and a continual influx of amino acids also blunts appetite, making you feel fuller longer, which helps you control calorie consumption and, consequently, body fat. Both plant and animal sources of proteins contain an abundance of essential amino acids and most people get enough through diet but for the bodybuilder, the essential amino acids are ones the body cannot make on its own and an outside source is required. Consider that muscle isn't really built by protein ingestion, but rather the breakdown of that protein into individual amino acids, which then build the muscle.

Vitamins and minerals are the naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables, and meat and if one eats a well balanced diet, they should get all they need. Of course in todays fast paced life, many people dont get the well balanced diet they need and may choose to take multi-vitamins to compliment their diet. And lets face it, bodybuilders are not exactly normal people from a nutritional standpoint and therefore require the additional vitamins and minerals that they are using up as they workout. Vitamins are catalysts not fuel so some bodybuilders feel that, because they dont help feed muscle growth, they are not necessary. But a lack of the proper vitamins and minerals will quickly start to tear the body down and your workouts will be wasted.

Creatine Monohydrate is an essential supplement for those extremely serious about body building and is often considered to be the second most famous of all muscle building supplements. Creatine is a substance manufactured in the body from amino acids or obtained from animal proteins in the diet but if you are a bodybuilder then combining a creatine supplement with your workout can make a positive impact on muscle growth. For best results you should take 3-5 grams immediately before and after your workout.

Nitric Oxide, or NO2, was designed to increase strength and power while delaying the onset of muscle fatigue and in a double-blind clinical trial conducted at Baylor University, NO2 was shown to be both safe and effective. The first benefit of NO2 you'll experience is new pumping power and over the first several days after you may notice a slight decrease in body weight. One of the most positive benefits of NO2 is the increase in workout recover time where you will recover from your workout in minutes, not hours or days. To maximize results, you should drink at least 64 ounces of water daily while using NO2 and remember that taking caffeine, ephedrine, or ephedra based products may reduce the effectiveness of NO2. Because every person's reaction time to NO2 varies somewhat, it is impossible to say exactly when you will see results but this supplement has been proven to work for increased workout effectiveness and muscle growth.

As outlined by this article, there are safe and effective bodybuilding supplements that can be used as an alternative to the illegal and dangerous supplements. This article has touched on four of the most common available but research will show that there are even more safe alternatives available. Good luck with your bodybuilding endeavors.