PACE — Summertime’s coming, and many residents are considering getting into shape, if they have not begun doing so already.
Robert Hazewinkel, of Max Fit Sports Nutrition in Pace, said he has a way to speed up the process: start with protein.
After muscles have been broken down following a workout, protein can build them back up, he said. “The one thing that is going to help the overall body and muscles is protein,” he said. “You want a good lean, blended protein.”
A powdered form can be mixed with milk or water, he said, recommending at least two daily servings, typically between 20 to 30 grams each. “There is a sweetness to it, so it will help with that sweet-tooth appetite and it will also help with the body’s metabolism while it is sleeping,” he said.
Protein can be especially beneficial to women, Hazewinkel said. “Women like it because protein is very good for hair, skin and nails,” he said.
Other protein forms are available around the house. Just try egg beaters, peanut butter, fish or Greek yogurt, according to Tanya Zuckerbrot, a registered dietitian writing for FoxNews.com.
Taking pre-workout supplements also help. “With summer coming up, guys and girls like pre-workouts,” Hazewinkel said. “You take it about 30 minutes before you work out; it gives you an energy boost, it gives you a good pump because it expands the blood vessels, allowing more oxygen to get to the muscles.”
Those looking to build muscles at the gym may also want to consider branched chain amino acid, or BCAA, supplements. “Your body does not produce it, so you need an outside source,” Hazewinkel said. “BCAAs are going to allow your muscles to grow back quicker, stronger, faster and better.”
Of nine amino acids, a “key trio” — leucine, isoleucine and valine — helps people maintain muscle, according to an April 15 Men’s Health magazine article.
In addition, glutamine supplements are “very good for intestinal health, very good for stomach health and very good for the immune system,” Hazewinkel said. “It is also going to help the muscles as they repair and recover. It helps reduce lactic acid, which causes soreness.”
But none of these products will provide results unless you’re committed to making changes to lose weight. “As much as we sell here, 90 percent of what you are going to do is going to be based on your diet,” he said.
Max Fit Sports Nutrition in Pace is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 995-6291 for more information.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Beach body time–Dietary changes aid exercising efforts, experts say