We have analyzed many types of supplements in total bodybuilding, from the most effective to the least. But in case it has not been clear to you, today I bring you a compilation with the worst supplements and that you should avoid so as not to waste your money.
Let’s start with the worst supplements, yes, those that you should keep away from you.
And although, it may be that there are supplements more useless than these, these are the most common and the ones that are shared more information on the networks.
Therefore, they are the ones you should be careful not to lose your money (as long as you are not a professional bodybuilder who needs to compete at very high levels).
USELESS SUPPLEMENTS YOU SHOULD AVOID
1 – THE WORST SUPPLEMENTS: BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS (BCAAS)
BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, are probably the most overrated commercial supplement over the past decade among athletes of different disciplines, which is why it tops this list with the worst supplements.
And quite a few are sold eh! Obviously there has to be a reason why BCAAs are so popular, right? Of course, and it’s called marketing.
In reality, there is no scientific support that evidences the effectiveness of BCAAs at least in terms of gaining muscle and strength, even compared to other supplements whose most effectiveness is proven.
Branched-chain amino acids are three of the essential amino acids we need to live a healthy life and obviously grow your muscle mass, these are: leucine, isoleucine and valine.
Leucine is the fundamental amino acid that triggers the entire muscle development process, both at rest and after a workout.
Sounds great, right? It is, but the problem is that BCAAs alone do virtually nothing.
You need the other nine essential amino acids to support leucine initiation.
BCAAs stimulate muscle protein synthesis, but without the other essential amino acids, nothing special happens. You get the signals to start muscle protein synthesis, but that muscle protein is not synthesized because it does not have the rest of the building blocks.
The best thing you can do is save your money to buy a supplement that provides all the essential amino acids, such as a protein supplement.
2 – THE WORST SUPPLEMENTS: TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS
Most supplement ingredients sold as “testosterone boosters” aren’t backed by science, so we can’t leave them off the list of the worst supplements.
And the reality is that if it’s natural it’s not driving much of anything. No “natural” supplement is going to give you a boost in this regard. Even small fluctuations within hormonal intervals usually have little to no effect on your muscle mass.
However, there is a way to achieve a testosterone boost; And this consists of doing certain exercises with high loads where many muscles intervene at once, such as squats or deadlifts for example.
Now, if you have clinically low testosterone levels, your training will be affected.
And in this case, you’re better off seeking professional medical advice and possibly treatment with something that works rather than spending money on booster supplements that will only make you lose money.
3 – THE WORST SUPPLEMENTS: FAT BURNERS
Fat burners are supplements that, as their name says, are intended to help you “burn” the fat in your body. They are almost always useless or with very low effectiveness if you are not accompanying with any cardiovascular activity.
- To lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories than you expend.
And while some ingredients in supplements sold as fat burners can increase the number of calories you burn; this alone is usually negligible.
No natural substance will reduce your level of body fat directly, but they will favor the process, through other mechanisms related to the increase of your energy expenditure or by the decrease in appetite (basically you have to accompany with aerobic activities).
And those effects are small enough to be virtually useless, especially compared to how expensive such supplements can become.
Focus on improving your aerobic activity or controlling calorie consumption is all you need if you want to burn fat.
4 – THE WORST SUPPLEMENTS: GLUTAMINE
The promotion of glutamine was immense more than a decade ago, but over time it has already diminished somewhat. That’s a good thing, as it’s an unhelpful supplement compared to other options.
Full of the marketing virtues of the supplement industry, glutamine is marketed to athletes looking to build and maintain muscle and keep your immune system healthy.
Glutamine is an amino acid, the most abundant in your body. In addition, it is the amino acid that you get the most from the food you consume on a day-to-day basis. And if this is not enough, your body can also manufacture it on its own when needed, since it is not an essential amino acid (one that can only be incorporated through the diet).
All of this makes glutamine supplementation a waste of money.
Glutamine alone will not improve your body composition, increase your muscle mass, or increase your performance. You will need other sources of amino acids for this, such as those from protein supplements.
Even, as I said before, you get enough glutamine from any reasonably balanced, workout-oriented diet, don’t forget that your body can produce the glutamine it needs on its own.