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One of the most important things to do in addition to eating healthy, staying hydrated and working out is making sure that you preserve your gains with supplements! I use a variety of products as I am both a distance runner and garage crossfitter, so here’s my top five favorite supplements.
** This post is based on my personal experience with the following products. I am not a doctor, dietician or personal trainer. Always check with your doctor before adding supplements to your daily regimen **
Post Workout
While working out, your body is breaking down muscle – whether you’re lifting weights, running, swimming, etc. Your body is always going to naturally recover, but you should help it recover quicker if you’re able. Here’s where whey isolate protein and glycogen come in. They work together to aid in quicker recovery time by repairing the muscles broken down while training.
I always, always ALWAYS go with 1st Phorm’s Phormula-1 + Ignition. They offer the best flavors, they’re local to me and they employ many of my friends. I can’t recommend the brand enough.
Phormula-1 is a hydrolyzed whey protein isolate – translation: it’s a rapid assimilation protein that floods your muscles with all kinds of good amino acids for recovery. My favorite Phormula-1 flavors are Loop D Fruit, Juicy Watermelon and Magical Charms. Ignition is Phormula’s partner in crime as it runs in and replenishes the glycogen stores after you killed your workout. It’s ideal to get them both in together within 30 minutes of your training session. I love, love, love this combo because they help with muscle soreness, which I get a lot of! Of course, still don’t forget to stretch or roll your muscles out!
Meal Replacement Protein
I always keep a tub of 1st Phorm’s Level-1 protein in my kitchen for mornings when I’m unable to make actual breakfast or a smoothie. Level-1 is a sustained assimilation protein – which is meal replacement protein! It mimics whole food and is digested slowly. Because it is digesting slowly, your body keeps burning fat and allows you to feel full for longer. Whole food is always king when you need to hit your meals but quality meal replacement protein is an excellent (and convenient) option in a pinch! My favorite Level-1 flavors are Caramel Latte (prime for mixing with coffee in the morning!) and Strawberry Milkshake.
Greens + Reds
Greens and Reds are my absolute, hands down, must have supplement. I’ve been taking these daily since 2018 and I can tell a difference in my body if I miss a few days. I strongly, strongly believe these aid in keeping me from getting sick and when I do get sick, I definitely recover much quicker!
Again, I use 1st Phorm’s Opti-Greens 50 and Opti-Reds 50. Both are packed with over 50 ingredients, such as colorful and green fruits, veggies and herbs that help with immune health, as well as gut and heart health. They help with bloating, natural energy, better digestion, better mental clarity, all kinds good stuff that make you feel just GOOD. There’s nothing that means more to me than feeling good because when you feel good, everything else around you feels good too.
Collagen
I’m pretty new to the collagen game, but so far, I’m a fan. I started taking it a few months back after reading about how collagen is found in the connective tissue throughout your body – and how important it is for keeping those tissues healthy, especially as someone who’s rough on their joints with running. It also greatly benefits your hair, nails and elasticity of your skin. I use 1st Phorm’s Collagen (shocker), which is flavorless, and just mix it in with either my coffee, smoothie or Greens + Reds. They did just come out with two new flavors but I haven’t had a chance to try them yet. After a few months of consistently taking it, I think Collagen is here to stay in my supplement arsenal.
Endurance
Since I am often training for some long distance running goal, I’m always in need of something I can easily carry with me while I run that will keep me hydrated and my muscles from cramping. My absolute favorite running endurance supplement is definitely Nuun Endurance (aff link). I used to use 1st Phorm’s Intra-Formance, which I still use when I’m out of Nuun, but man, the Nuun stuff is GOOD. It’s a mix of electrolytes and carbs, mixed into 16oz of water. It keeps me hydrated, my electrolytes up and keeps my legs from cramping up. It’s seriously a wonderful product if you’re a runner. My favorite flavor is Strawberry Lemonade. I also love Nuun’s various hydration tablets. I use the Nuun Rest (aff link) tablets sheerly for the magnesium when I have headaches. 12/10.
I highly suggest trying out different brands and different products to cater to your needs but these are my top five favorite supplements. Our local supplement stores around here are always happy to let you try samples, so pop in to one near you to get some products to try!
