BEFORE BUYING SUPPLEMENTS:

Always keep in mind that no supplement can out-do diet and/or exercise so be suspicious of anything that sounds too good to be true. Before you go off and spend a dime on any “fat burning” supplements, remember that the key to fat loss is that caloric expenditure is greater than caloric intake. If not, fat loss can’t happen. Ways to make it easier for fat loss to occur is to focus on eating protein and fibre-rich foods at every meal to keep you satiated. Emphasize carbohydrates and protein at each meal to help build muscle and improve performance.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR FAT LOSS, MUSCLE GAIN & PERFORMANCE:

Caffeine:
3–6 mg of caffeine/kg body mass taken 60 minutes prior to exercise is effective in improving exercise performance. You can lose some of the benefits caffeine provides with chronic use, so it may need to be cycled in order to reduce tolerance.

Creatine Monohydrate:
Over 200 research studies have examined creatine’s safety and effectiveness for both short and/or long-term use in the trained and untrained populations. Supplementing creatine monohydrate increases the body’s creatine stores, which helps your muscles perform better under pressure (it helps you knock out those last few reps). The standard daily dose is 5 g/day, taken anytime, enough to improve power output.

Beta Alanine:
This supplement has been shown to increase anaerobic endurance (helps with intense exercise only), leading to improved training loads, delayed muscle fatigue and consequently development of lean mass. 4g taken daily, anytime. This can be split in smaller doses to reduce any tingling sensations (paresthesia) which is harmless, if unpleasant.