5 Top Supplements for 'Cutting Weight Without Losing Strength!'

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5 Top Supplements for 'Cutting Weight Without Losing Strength!'

If you are going to cut weight this season you must be prepared. You should be eating frequently so that your calories are used by the body as opposed to starving and then binge eating when the calories are stored as fat. (This is how the body protects itself because it doesn't know when it's going to get calories again)... The other thing to consider are supplements. Most supplement are crap, but here are 5 proven to be effective supplements for wrestlers cutting weight:

1. Multi-Vitamin/Mineral - A good multivitamin/mineral formula is a mainstay, and should be in your nutritional plan. Even when you aren't cutting weight, the teenage or college diet is usually a disaster. You might be strong and energetic in spite of poor nutrition, but supplementing with a multi can give you the balance in your nutrition that will allow you to focus, keep energetic, reduce burnout, and stimulate growth. Use a good formula too. Don't look for the bargain crap. Invest in a good formula. They're reasonably priced even when you get the Cadillac versions.

2. Glutamine - Glutamine is an amino acid. It's the most abundant protein in your body, especially in your muscle cells. It is an excellent and cheap supplement for wrestlers because it helps you maintain your lean muscle mass while cutting weight. It is found in most good whey protein powders, but in small amounts. You might consider supplementing with it if cutting weight this season. 5-10 grams daily mixed into your shakes or simply in water will suffice. I like to add it to my recovery drinks immediately after practice or workouts because the simple carbohydrates within the juice or Gatorade recovery drink will help transport it into the muscles where it is needed.

3. Branched Chain Amino Acids - These are usually referred to as BCAA's. These are protein building blocks that are not made by your body. (Your body manufactures some of its own proteins). Therefore when you are cutting weight with calorie restriction, chances are likely that you are deficient in BCAA's... and they are essential for 'holding on' to muscle when you are cutting weight. You can take them in the morning and evening, or with lunch too. They will help keep the muscle and strength on your body.

4. Muscle Milk - You can find this interesting protein type mix in any health food and supplement store. Muscle Milk is a blend of protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. In fact, the fats are medium chain triglycerides, which are fats that are used as rapid sources of energy, even before carbohydrates. This is important because you need to keep the carbohydrates down a little bit when when cutting (don't ever cut them out completely or you will doom your wrestling performance), because each gram of carbohydrates hold on to 2-3 molecules of water. By cutting them back a little bit and adding unsaturated fats or better yet medium chained triglycerides, you can still keep energy while cutting weight. Muscle Milk keeps a friendly ratio of these macronutrients when you are cutting weight. Plus, it tastes really good!

5. Meal Replacement Drinks - If you've been a reader of my stuff for any length of time, you know that I love these. MRD's are basically a protein powder with a moderate serving of complex carbs and very little fat. I like to add a tbsp of flax seed oil, olive oil or MCT (medium chain triglycerides) to these for weight-cutting (or even when not cutting weight). MRD's are the original meal in a blender. Don't ever get confused or fooled into thinking that you can get the same benefit from Slim Fast. That crap is nothing but skim milk and sugar.