A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet.
Bodybuilding supplements are dietary supplements commonly used by those involved in bodybuilding and athletics. They include protein, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), glutamine, essential fatty acids, meal replacement products, prohormones, creatine, thermogenic products and testosterone boosters
Vitamins
Vitamin A, also known as Retinol, affects and improves eyesight. It is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is absolutely necessary for both low-light (scotopic vision) and color vision. It also functions in a very different role, as an irreversibly oxidized form of retinol known as retinoic acid, which is an important hormone-like growth factor for epithelial and other cells. A deficiency of vitamin A can lead to blindness, increased risk of mortality from infectious disease, abnormal function of many epithelial cells, and possible abnormal bone growth.
Vitamin B is a grouping of multiple vitamins (specifically B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12). In general, the Vitamin B group aids in generating energy that the body uses to carry out its daily activities. These vitamins also have an active role in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen to different parts of the body. When all of these B Vitamins are together, they are known as the Vitamin B Complex.
- Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, has a major role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, which produces energy for the body. A deficiency of vitamin B1 can have detrimental neurological effects, such as muscle weakness, depression, memory problems, and numbness in the body, because the heart, brain and nervous system all require high amounts of energy to function properly.
- Vitamin B2, also known as Riboflavin and Vitamin G, is primarily needed by the body to effectively use the other B Vitamins. It is also used to help the body make new cells, as well as extract and use the energy that is obtained from carbohydrates. A deficiency of vitamin B2 most often leads to a deficiency of other vitamins, such as the other B Vitamins.
- Vitamin B3, also known as Niacin, is used by the body to grow and repair skin and nerve cells. It also helps the body maintain normal cholesterol levels. A deficiency of vitamin B3 has been shown to slow metabolism, which leads to a decreased tolerance to cold temperatures.
- Vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid, plays a major role in the secretion of hormones. These hormones assist the metabolism, help to fight allergies and are beneficial in the maintenance of healthy skin, muscles, and nerves. A deficiency of vitamin B5 can lead to fatigue, headaches, nausea, numbness in the hands, depression, personality changes, and cardiac instability.
- Vitamin B6, also known as Pyridoxine, helps the body break down protein, balance sodium and potassium levels, and promotes red blood cell production. It also helps the nervous system communicate with the brain. A deficiency of vitamin B6 can lead to skin disorders, dizziness, nausea, anemia, convulsions, and kidney stones.
- Vitamin B7, also known as Biotin and Vitamin H, helps convert food to energy, assists in cell growth, and helps maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails. A deficiency of vitamin B7, although rare and mild, can lead to hair loss, Conjunctivitis, Dermatitis, and Neurological symptoms such as depression, lethargy, hallucination, and numbness in the body.
- Vitamin B9, also known as Folic Acid, helps with rapid cell division and growth, such as in infancy and pregnancy. It also is needed to synthesize, repair, and methylate DNA. A deficiency of vitamin B9 limits cell function, such as cell division and protein synthesis, and affects the normal growth and repair of all cells and tissues in the body.
- Vitamin B12, also known as Cobalamin, plays a major role in breaking down food for energy, making blood, and ensuring correct brain and spinal cord function. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can often lead to macrocytic anemia, a condition characterized by the production of fewer, but larger red blood cells and a decreased ability to carry oxygen. Anemia often causes patients to be weak, light-headed, and short of breath.
Vitamin C is required for the production of the protein collagen, which is found in the tendons, skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments, and blood vessels. The combination of collagen and vitamin C are necessary to support the body tissues, heal wounds, and help maintain blood vessel structure. Vitamin C also functions as an antioxidant, which prevents the degradation of substances in the body, as well as a detox, which reduces the toxicity of medications and chemicals. A deficiency of vitamin C impairs collagen formation and slows the process of bone fracture recovery. The most notable symptoms include gums that bleed easily around the teeth and capillaries under the skin, which can break spontaneously, causing pinpoint hemorrhages.
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble vitamins, which work towards strengthening your bones and teeth. It also aids in absorbing the calcium required by the body as well as keep the immune system functioning normally.
- Vitamin D1 is a fat soluble vitamin that is synthesized in the skin from exposure to ultraviolet light (sun light). It is vital for development and growth of cells, bones and teeth. It is also needed for the absorption of calcium, hormone regulation, and for healthy nervous and immune systems.
- Vitamin D2, also known as Ergocalcciferol, is created from viosterol, which is created when ultraviolet light (sun light) activates ergosterol in the skin.
- Vitamin D3, also known as Cholecalciferol, is a pre-hormone that has long been known for its important role in regulating body levels of calcium and phosphorus, and in mineralization of bone.
- Vitamin D4, also known as Dihydrotachysterol,
- Vitamin D5
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that takes care of the lungs and aids in the formation of red blood cells. It's also a powerful antioxidant that many people believe help in the prevention of degenerative diseases.
Vitamin K helps in maintaining normal blood clotting protein levels, by making proteins that regulate the flow of calcium in and out of tissues.
- Vitamin K1, also known as Phytonadione or Phylloquinone, is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stable in air and moisture but decomposes in sunlight. Phytonadione is considered synthetic vitamin K1, whereas Phylloquinone is found naturally in a wide variety of green plants. Vitamin K1 is mainly used to prevent bleeding in people who suffer from blood clotting problems.
- Vitamin K2, also known as Menaquinone, is found in animals similarly how Phylloquinone is found in plants. It is the most biologically active form of vitamin K.
- Vitamin K3, also known as Menadione, is one of the three synthetic types of vitamin K.
- Vitamin K4, also known as Menadiol diacetate,
- Vitamin K5
Protein
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in the human body and helps to supply energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle, by increasing the formation of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Extensive research over the last decade has shown that oral creatine supplementation at a rate of 5 to 20 grams per day appears to be very safe and largely devoid of adverse side-effects, while at the same time effectively improving the physiological response to resistance exercise, increasing the maximal force production of muscles in both men and women.
Calcium
Zinc
Iron