Need pills to build muscle? Think again!
It goes without saying that doping is a no-go. But do supplements help with weight training? Who needs protein shakes, creatine powder and L-caritine and when they can be dangerous.
Sport and strength training are healthy, and having a toned body is currently all the rage. Initial success at the gym and compliments – on social media, for example – encourage people to stick with body building. But could you get results faster and with less effort? Advertising and social media give the impression that supplements in the form of bars, shakes, pills or even injections are the perfect solution for building muscles. Do dietary supplements work, or do they just put a strain on your wallet – and your health?
Protein products
Creatine
Carnitine
Anabolic steroids
Strength training for young people: better without pills
There is no evidence to support the myth that weight training is harmful for bone growth in children and young people. In fact, scientific sources today show that the opposite is in fact true. And that’s good, because going to the gym is very popular with young people today. Many fitness models and social media stars earn money from advertising powders, shakes and pills for weight loss or muscle gain. They claim that these products are needed to boost performance.
However, the gateway theory put forward by sports scientists indicates that this could start a fatal spiral. It’s easy to slip from harmless protein bars to illegal doping, with inhibitions dropping the further you go. The side effects of illegal doping, in some cases even of supposedly harmless substances such as creatine, are particularly dramatic for young people, because their bodies are still growing.
It can’t be said often enough – a balanced diet provides everything that muscles need, particularly high-quality protein from natural sources. In this case, it’s not only the muscles that grow, but also the pride that they’ve done it without dietary supplements.