So you're considering nutritional supplements? You don’t have to be an inspiring body builder to consider using them. I’m far from being a body builder and I take them every day. Why? Because there are a handful of them that go a long way in helping build lean muscle mass and aiding in shedding excess body fat. There are so many kinds of nutritional supplements out there and so many brands of each type. How is a guy supposed to know which ones he should be using and which ones really work?

Men's Total Fitness will clear the confusion and save you considerable money in the process. Using nutritional supplements can be expensive if you don't know what you're doing. Trust me, I've been there before. Before you spend a dime on nutritional supplements there are a couple key points to remember.

Proper nutrition and a solid training program are the only components required to improve strength and performance, build more muscle and lose weight. Let me repeat that – proper nutrition and a solid training program are the only components required to improve strength and performance, build more muscle and lose weight. Are you starting to get my point?

Nutritional supplements simply enhance your performance or add to the gains you've made through nutrition and strength training. If your diet is a mess or your training is lacking, start there first. Nothing improves performance and builds muscle better than proper nutrition and strength training.

Nutritional supplements can be very effective, however, if combined with proper nutrition and strength training. The obvious question is, which ones should a guy use? Following is a list of the best supplements whether your goal is to become the next championship bodybuilder or if your goal is to simply build a little more muscle and shed some excess body fat. Regardless of your fitness goals, these are the "best of the best" nutritional supplements for optimal health and fitness.

Protein Supplements
Protein nutritional supplements provide the building blocks for muscle growth. Protein contains amino acids your body needs to build muscle (remember if you build muscle you’ll burn more fat). It is the most important nutrient for the creation of new muscle tissue. Click here to continue reading.

Carbohydrates
When you think carbohydrate nutritional supplements, think energy. Carbohydrates provide energy in the form of glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles. When you workout, especially for long periods of time (60 minutes or longer), you deplete your glycogen stores (your energy stores). Click here to continue reading.

Essential Fatty Acids
So what are essential fatty acids? These are the "good fats" that cannot be produced by the body so they must be supplied by the diet. Essential fatty acids are essential because your body needs them for hundreds of bodily processes. They support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. They also help burn more body fat. That's right - these fats can actually help you burn more fat! Ironic, isn't it? Click here to continue reading.

 

Vitamin Supplements
Vitamins and vitamin supplements are important for all people, but they are especially important if you're trying to lose weight and get fit. In order to achieve your fitness goals, it's imperative that each of your bodily processes are functioning at their best. An easy way to ensure that is to supplement your diet with vitamin supplements. The question always asked is, which vitamins should I take and how much of each should I take?  Click here to continue reading.

Mineral Supplements
Along with vitamins, minerals and mineral supplements are important micronutrients essential to a healthy body and a healthy life as they serve as building blocks for other cells and enzymes. They also aid in a variety of bodily processes. Like vitamins, you should strive to get as many minerals from your diet as possible, but the reality is, the typical diet lacks the proper amounts of minerals for your body to function at its best. This is where mineral supplements can help. Which minerals should you supplement and how much of each should you take?  Click here to continue reading.

Creatine Supplements
Creatine supplements were first introduced in the early 1990's and have become one of the most popular supplements on the market today. It seems just about everyone has heard of creatine. Even so, there is so much confusion and misinformation being thrown around. First, creatine supplements are NOT steroids, as you will discover.  They are safe, effective and have numerous benefits.  Click here to continue reading.

 

Glutamine
L glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in human muscle and plasma. Over 60% of the free-floating amino acid pool in skeletal muscle cells is made up of L glutamine. It is also a primary nitrogen donor, meaning that it moves the nitrogen around in the body to where it is needed. Maintaining a positive nitrogen balance is absolutely necessary for muscle building. Click here to continue reading.

Diet Supplements
You've tried everything - diet, exercise, vitamins, minerals, etc. etc. and you still can't seem to reach your weight loss goals. Sometimes a little extra help is all that it takes to get you to the finish line. I'm not a huge fan of diet supplements because most of them are more hype than reality, but there are a few worth considering. Click here to continue reading.