| A general health or dietary supplement is a | | | | Bodybuilders often consume a powdered protein |
| preparation, usually in the form of a tablet, | | | | supplement, the essential tools for building muscle. |
| powder or "shake", developed in order to provide | | | | Protein powder, generally speaking, is usually |
| nutrition specific to that which your body is | | | | taken immediately before and after a workout, or |
| lacking, whether due to insufficient dietary | | | | instead of a meal. The theory behind taking this |
| nourishment, or a natural deficiency. Supplements | | | | type of supplement is that having a regular intake |
| can provide nutrients like minerals, vitamins, fatty | | | | of protein allows for optimum growth and repair |
| acids or amino acids. | | | | of muscle tissue. |
| There is international disagreement as to whether | | | | Whey protein (as mentioned above) is most |
| these supplements fall under the category of | | | | common type of protein. It is very quickly |
| food, or drugs. Supplements providing dietary | | | | absorbed into the body and contains high levels of |
| minerals or vitamins are recognized by the UN's | | | | all essential amino acids. It is a mixture of globular |
| highest authority of food standards (the Codex | | | | proteins (soluble globe-like proteins) that have |
| Alimentarius Commission) as a food item. | | | | been extracted from whey, which itself is a liquid |
| Probably the most common type of supplement | | | | by-product of cheese production. |
| is protein, but there are many, what you might | | | | Another kind of protein is Casein protein (milk |
| call "sub-categories" within "protein". For example, | | | | protein) and has particularly high levels of |
| whey isolates, which usually contain amino | | | | Glutamine (an amino acid that aids recovery). It |
| peptides for muscle growth & recovery, | | | | also contains casomorphin, which helps the body |
| Taurine for improved energy output and | | | | absorb the amino acids over a longer time period. |
| L-Glutamine for recovery. | | | | |