When bodybuilding the goal is to shred your muscles during the workout phase and as the muscles heal in between sessions, the nutrients being delivered to the tissues help to heal and add on more muscle where the tears have taken place. This is essentially how bulking up muscle mass occurs. While eating the right food every three hours is a necessary part of the process, there is a small period of time just after working out when the body’s shredded muscles are in a prime state to absorb the necessary nutrients to build more muscle. This short period of time is about forty five minutes after you have just stopped working out. If you have ever wondered why bodybuilders carry along a shake that they gulp down right after their workout then this is the reason. What they are ingesting is not just water but a shake mixed in with the nutrients they need to quickly deliver to their muscle tissues before they heal too much to allow for additional muscle formation.
During a workout the body is drained of glycogen which is essentially carbohydrates. Glycogen is important in keeping a bodybuilder energized and after a workout the levels are severely depleted. Because carbohydrates can be easily converted into body fat, which is not what a bodybuilder wants, this particular nutrient is not included in supplements post workout. Besides protein, creatine is another supplement that is taken t this point. As mentioned bodybuilding workouts usually end with muscle tissues having been shredded. Creatine is a great source of antioxidants that helps to soothe the inflammations caused and in replenishing energy levels given that glycogen has been depleted. With the right supplements, not only can a bodybuilder raise the stakes in terms of muscle growth, but also replenish lost electrolytes and energy to help him, or her, get on with their day.