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  5 Reasons Why You Need to Use Protein Powder for Protein Drinks

  Sportsfuel, 27 April 2017

  Juice bars might be the latest big thing. All your friends are going. There's one right next to the gym. But you don't have to stand in line for twenty minutes to get the best protein drinks out there. In fact, those "super smoothies" or "super juices" may be preventing you from reaching your goals rather than helping. Juice bar smoothies and drinks are often high in sugar. I can hear you thinking, but it comes from fruit. Yes, but you wouldn't eat the amount of fruit needed to make your juice in one sitting. And some of the fruits listed in the ingredients come from sugar-packed concentrates. Put the drink down and step away now. Plus, to really fuel your body to grow and repair muscles, you need to use protein powder. More juice bars are using protein powder in their drinks these days, but you're still better off to keep it simple and stick to quality whey protein without the unknown extras.Here, we're laying down the law when it comes to why adding protein powder to your protein drinks ensures you get the real nutrition your body needs. 1. Whey Protein Is High-Quality It's a fact: not all protein supplements and forms are created equal. Luckily, whey protein is packed with amino acids and is easy for your body to digest.The three main types of whey protein powder are concentrate, hydrolysate, and isolate. The most common type you'll see on the shelf is whey protein concentrate.All three types of powders are equally high in nutritional value. 2. It Can Increase The Antioxidants In Your Body It's not just a glass of red wine that's a great source of antioxidants - and protein shakes won't leave you feeling a little off the next day.Making sure you get enough antioxidants means that your oxidative stress levels are lower, meaning your body can easily fight off disease.Glutathione is found in whey protein, and it's a huge source of antioxidants. An added bonus? Glutathione can also help you to lose weight faster!What's not to love about that? 3. It Reduces Inflammation We've all been there: experiencing soreness after a killer workout that just won't go away. Did you know that chronic inflammation can even lead to disease?To combat this, consume protein drinks rich in whey powder, which can lower your body's levels of C-reactive protein: the very thing that generates inflammation.Prevent soreness and inflammation before it starts by drinking a protein shake before your next workout. 4. It Can Help To Lower Your Blood Pressure If you've got hypertension, you're at a higher risk for heart disease. Good news? Whey protein powder can help to lower your blood pressure.Why?Because whey proteins contain lactokinins, which are bio-peptides that can help keep your blood pressure at a safe level. It's equally effective for men and women. 5. It Helps Your Muscles To Grow Faster We all know you want to be bikini-ready in as little time as possible. Protein drinks can help. It's also a great preventative strategy when it comes to protecting the muscles you've worked hard to build.Since whey protein contains a lot of leucine, the most growth-stimulating amino acid, your muscles will build faster. You're An Expert In Protein Drinks! Now you know why adding whey powder to your protein drinks really makes a difference in healing and strengthening your body.For more information on the benefits of protein powder, vegan protein powders and mass gainers, and to learn where you can pick some up, check out our website and blog.

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  5 Tips For A Healthy Christmas

  Gemma, 21 December 2016

  Christmas holidays can make it hard to stay on track with healthy eating and fitness. There’s always second helpings of food, afternoon naps, plenty of bubbly… So we’ve got 5 tips to help you enjoy a healthier Christmas that won’t sabotage your goals.

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  5 Tricks to Staying Motivated to Work Out

  Sportsfuel, 6 April 2016

  What does it take to achieve one's fitness goals? Of course, it takes the right fitness regimen and the correct blend of nutrients to support muscle growth and keep the metabolism functioning optimally. But is that really all? Of course not! If all that was needed was a workout plan and the right diet, everyone would be walking around looking fit and trim, but that's simply not how it is. There is a third component to success at the gym - personal motivation. What separates a person who is successful at the gym from someone who is not, usually comes down to motivation. If you want to see results, you have to be motivated to fight for them. That doesn't just mean being motivated to go to the gym and to follow your diet. It also means working out as hard as possible, not just phoning it in or dialling back when it gets difficult. Unfortunately, our brains often become fatigued long before our bodies. Motivation is almost always responsible when we fail to follow through with our fitness goals. The good news is that there are ways to stay motivated and on track. Here are five secrets shared by highly successful fitness enthusiasts that anyone can use to get on the path to workout success: Set Realistic, Tangible Goals. The best way to stay motivated is to constantly be working toward something tangible. Just saying, "I want to get stronger" isn't a clear enough picture of what you want to achieve for you to be able to celebrate success and stay driven along the way. Instead, set a long-term goal for yourself and then break it into smaller goals. For example, instead of just "get stronger," you can say "I want to ultimately be able to bench press 315 pounds." Then, you can set a short term goal like, "I want to be able to bench press 280 pounds within the next 6 weeks." Once you reach that goal, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Then, you're ready to set a new one and keep progressing forward. If you're completely new to exercise, consult a trainer for assistance with goal setting to ensure that you're placing realistic expectations on yourself. Revisit Your Goals Regularly Make time at least once per week to think about how you're progressing to your goals. In the above example, if you're 2 weeks in and haven't been able to increase the amount of your bench presses at all, you may need to reevaluate what you're doing. Do you need to work out more? Change your diet? What can you do to put yourself on the path for success? Also spend time thinking about why you want to accomplish your goal. What will improve when you're able to lift more or when you lose weight? How will it change your life? Staying focused on the benefits of achieving will help keep you engaged and motivated. Recognize When It's Time for a Change If you're revisiting your goals regularly, you'll be able to see when you've reached a point where you're just not progressing, or where you're struggling to stay motivated. In those situations, take the time to carefully evaluate what's wrong. Are you forcing yourself to do workouts that you're always going to hate or are you continuing to go to a gym where you don't feel welcome and relaxed? When the problem is what you're doing or where you're doing it, don't be afraid to change things up. Find a new gym. Experiment with a new workout. Discover what works for you. You'll be better motivated when you're working out in a way that you enjoy in a place that you look forward to going to. Look at the Big Picture Let's face it - it can be hard to do things for ourselves. It's much easier to fall into the trap of thinking that you could be doing more work at the office or getting more done around the house and start seeing time at the gym as "wasted." Don't fall into that mental trap, though! Reset your perspective by focusing on the big picture and how working out has a positive impact on your life. For example, regular exercise can improve your mental focus, so you're able to work harder and be more creative when you're at the office. It can also give you more energy so that you're better able to go home and cross the items off of your to-do list productively. When you focus on the overall benefits of exercise, you'll find that your level of motivation soars. Take Full Ownership This is the hardest and most important one! If you want to be motivated to achieve your workout goals, you have to understand that ultimately it's up to you whether or not you succeed. When you're fatigued, bored or stressed, your mind will begin to play games with you. You'll tell yourself a million excuses for why you can or should skip a workout or why it's okay if you don't finish your full workout. These excuses will often place blame elsewhere. Your boss stressed you out, so you deserve a break. With all those activities your kids have, you're just too tired to go to the gym. Be ready for these tricks that your mind plays--and put a stop to them fast. Don't shift the blame for skipping your workout on anything or anyone else. You're the one who decides what you do or don't do on any given day. That's not meant to make you feel guilty; it's meant to empower you. Whether or not you succeed is entirely in your hands. You just have to put your mind to it and follow through. Now that you know the secrets to stay motivated for success, you're ready to get on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.

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  5 Secrets for Bulking Up: Top Tips for Hard Gainers

  Sportsfuel, 21 July 2015

  You've grown up with people admiring your ability to eat what you want when you want without gaining a pound, but that fast metabolism of yours isn't doing you much good now that you've set your sights on bulking up. If it seems like no matter how hard you train or what changes you try to make to your diet, you just can't pack on the pounds of muscle mass that you desire--you're a hard gainer. Following these five nutrition tips can help you complement your fitness routine and make it easier for you to bulk up: 1. Eat a Little Dirty. Nowadays, everyone is concerned with sticking to a clean eating routine with healthy foods like egg whites, lean protein and sweet potatoes. While you don't want to begin eating nothing but junk food, letting yourself indulge in a dirty little treat or two can help you see better results when you step on the scale. Complement your healthy whole food diet with the occasional extra dose of fat or simple carbohydrates. Don't be afraid to have a few cookies, a piece of cake or two or some ice cream from time to time. 2. Don't Forgo Fats. Many hard gainers find it hard to physically eat enough to pack on the pounds as it's just not comfortable to gorge yourself and walk around with a bloated stomach. Adding extra fats to your foods can give you an extra dose of calories without requiring you to eat a high volume of food. Choose unsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil or foods that are lower in saturated fat like peanut butter to enhance meals.  3. Keep Eating Carbs. Cutting out carbohydrates is a killer for hard gainers like you. Your body is going to need them to supply you with energy and keep your muscles maintained between workouts. As a hard gainer, carbs are an important friend to keep in your diet. In addition to whole grains and healthy carbs, you're one of the few rare people who can actually eat things like pizza, plates full of pasta and sugary foods. They'll give you a massive dose of calories to support your weight gain efforts. Be mindful of eating too many high fiber foods, too. They're incredibly filling and can make it hard for you to keep up with frequent eating. 4. Munch Around the Clock. Eating more frequently will help further your mission to sneak in extra calories. Try eating every 2 to 3 hours per day and make sure you're eating protein every single time you stop for a meal or a snack. If you don't have time to fix something or cook, just reach for a mass gainer supplement shake that you can quickly sip to fill up on calories and keep your body working to build muscle.  5. Write It Down. You may not be eating as much as you think. Download an app that allows you to record what you're eating with just a tap or two on the screen and log everything. This way, you'll be able to see precisely how many calories you're consuming and find places where you can make changes to start increasing muscle mass.In addition to fine tuning your diet by following the tips outlined above, you can increase your chances of gaining bulk by adding the right weight gainer supplements to your sports nutrition plan.Sportsfuel has a huge selection of weight gainer formulas from which to choose, and we'll be glad to help you select the right one to complement your workout goals. Contact us for assistance or check out our selection of weight gain supplements now.

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