CrossFit and Supplements

The CrossFit community has always prided itself on being “Pure” when it comes to training and as a result, supplements have a difficult time breaking into the community. There’s a good reason for that. Our community values overall health, and…

These supplements usually give you a burst of energy, provide some amino acids, which help to reduce breakdown and are generally filled with caffeine. Caffeine is one of the greatest pre-workout supplements you can take. It heightened awareness, and gives you better performance results. I’m not saying you should get jacked up on coffee everyday, but if your training volume increases, it doesn’t hurt to take a preworkout. My favourite is C4 by Cellucor. I also like Intensity by CrossFuel and if you go online and use code CFN601 you’ll get 20%off all CrossFuel supplements.

Beta-Alanine is also a great independent pre-workout supplement as it reduces muscle burn, and allows you to go harder for longer. This is considered a pre-workout but really, as long as you have it in your system daily, you’re good to go. Some will argue that you have to ingest it 30min prior to exercise but that’s debatable. Also, you may experience what’s known as itchy face. This also goes away after consistent use and it really isn’t anything to worry about.

These are general hydrators with amino acids, and electrolytes that help you stay hydrated and breakdown less during intense training. Also, during the hot months, these are key supplements as they aid in reducing the risk of heat stroke. I like Amino Reps by CrossFuel.

These are your recovery products that are usually a fast absorbing protein. Whey Isolates are a great recovery tool, as it’s fast absorbing and crucial to recovering damaged muscle. Research shows that we have about a 30 minute window where we need to refuel our damaged muscles and a quality post workout like RECOVERY by CrossFuel will certainly help.

Creatine Monohydrate has more research than any other supplement and taking this supplement daily will allow you to recover faster, move faster, lift more weight, run longer and maintain quality muscle than any other supplement. The best part, it’s so damn cheap. You can get a general brand like All Max or MuscleTech for $30, and it will last you a year. You’ll hear myths about Creatine bloating you, making you get big, etc… it’s a bunch of crap. If you’re eating well, this supplement will do it’s job and help you perform substantially better.

Fish Oil is also a great daily supplement that will help reduce joint inflammation and allow you to continue training and feeling good. A brand I like is Nutrasea and make sure that you take the liquid form. I TBS of this will turn you into an instant badass.

ZMA or Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate and Vitamin B6, will help you recover and feel well rested. Studies show that this badass supplement taken in the evening allows you to reach deeper levels of REM sleep. You’ll wake up feeling better rested and rejuvenated. Getting into deeper levels of REM sleep allows our body to release Growth Hormone that repairs broken down muscles. This is by far my favourite supplement and it’s extremely affordable. I take the All Max brand and love it.

This is an overlooked supplement as many think they can get enough protein from their post-workout shake. A general Whey Protein is a great addition to a healthy diet. We generally have a difficult time getting enough protein in our diet as athletes generally need about 1 gram of protein per 1 lb of body weight. Although this is sometimes debated it’s a great general rule. There are however different types of proteins, like the isolates, nighttime proteins like Casein and general Whey or plant based proteins. We’ve covered isolates, and general whey or plant based proteins that can be used to supplement a good diet. Casein however is a slow release protein that is great during the day but generally know for a night time snack as you release and feed the beast during sleep.

So there you have it. There are plenty of other supplements out there that can help and plenty more that you’ll read about in magazines. The above however are supplements that I believe are specific to intense training and will help with both performance and recovery. BUT if you’re eating like a jerk and expect “supplements” to fix your issues, they won’t. They are called supplements for a reason folks. Fuel your body correctly and then look into taking some quality supplements.   Lastly check out CrossFuel Performance Supplements and use code CFN601 for a 20% discount.