A sculpted outside comes from a strong inside. We talk frequently about buffing up your inner armor, which is your body’s defense not just against pathogens and viruses that slash your hard-earned gains, but also includes joint strength and mobility, digestive health, hormone balance, and more

The fitness community has no shortage of voices telling people how to stay healthy, with anecdotes ranging from sound to surprisingly false, and can make you ask, “Is bodybuilding healthy at all.” (The answer’s yes, by the way.)

But ask the best in the biz and they’ll tell you it comes down to diet. Not everyone has the time or budget to hone a perfectly calculated, nutritionally advantageous diet with real foods alone. That’s why finding professionally formulated supplements for athletes is critical, and choosing the best ones is even more important. Here are a few things to look for:

•  Immune-boosting micronutrients
• Supporting cellular energy and function
• Enhanced oxygen levels and blood flow
• Beneficial digestive enzymes
•  Anti-inflammatory and joint protection
• Hormone balancers
• Ample and appropriate daily doses

But how important are vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients for bodybuilding, really? Ask professional bodybuilders themselves:

• “[As] athletes we require greater micronutrient intake to cover the increased needs for muscle building, repair, and maintenance.” - Renee Jewett
• “Train smart by emphasizing a lot of anti-inflammatory foods in your diet and limiting pro-inflammatory foods. Take a good joint support supplement like Animal Flex.” - Shawn Smith
• “[Whether] you’re restricting calories to drop body fat or eating in excess to gain size and strength, increasing micronutrient intake can pay big dividends.” - Evan Centopani

The fitness community has no shortage of voices telling people how to stay healthy, with anecdotes ranging from sound to surprisingly false, and can make you ask, “Is bodybuilding healthy at all.” (The answer’s yes, by the way.)

We typically refer to vitamins and minerals as micronutrients, or micros. Macronutrients (macros) are protein, fat, and carbohydrates, which do a lot of the heavy lifting when you’re heavy lifting. But micros are what pull the weight when it comes to regulating internal functions that let us perform our best when it’s time grit our teeth and push our limits. The problem is calculating micros takes a lot more effort, and their influence on our overall health can feel a lot less noticeable, compared to seeing significant muscle gains from macros. For one thing, there are a lot of micronutrients, and you can be deficient in one while having more than enough of another. 

Generally speaking though, there are certain micronutrients that are exceptionally beneficial to building a stronger and healthier body, inside and out.

Getting the right amount of healthy nutrients is something we all know is necessary to ensure our body’s are in peak performance. Vitamins and minerals aren’t optional nutrients, they’re completely requisite. But getting the right amount in the best ways is complicated and often inconvenient. That’s why most athletes you meet are advocates, if not dedicated users, of health and fitness supplements. 

Some of the most overlooked supplements for athletes are health supplements, like micronutrients, hormone balancers, and bone and joint fortifiers. But these are what your body calls on for immunity, strength, energy, and recovery when you’re depleted. 
Let’s demystify these key components of the health equation and explore why bodybuilders, athletes, and average gym-goers need to get obsessed with the small details of their diet and nutrition, and what supplements can help bring everything together so you can maximize your training and results over the long run.

How Important are Vitamins for Bodybuilding? 

When we think of health in the context of bodybuilding, do you think of a ridiculously strong physique or a ridiculously strong immune system? Chances are it’s not the latter.

But it’s no secret among the top bodybuilders out there that a sculpted outside comes from a strong inside. We talk frequently about buffing up your inner armor, which is your body’s defense not just against pathogens and viruses that slash your hard-earned gains. And it doesn’t stop there. A strong internal armor means you’ve also got excellent joint strength and mobility, digestive health, hormone balance, and more—absolutely crucial ingredients to truly maximizing your strength, endurance, and overall performance.

The fact of the matter is, the true measure of health—for everyone, not just weight lifters—has as much or more to do with what you’re doing for yourself on the inside as how ripped you look on the outside. Diversifying your nutrient intake, and ensuring you’re getting the right quantities, either from whole food sources or supplements, will help you achieve the gains you’re going after. 

• Zinc supports protein synthesis, immune function, and testosterone production, all crucial for muscle growth and recovery in bodybuilding.
• Selenium acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect muscles from oxidative stress and promoting overall muscle health in bodybuilding.
• Omega-3s aid in reducing inflammation, supporting joint health, and enhancing muscle protein synthesis, making them beneficial for bodybuilders' recovery and performance.
• Calcium is essential for muscle contraction, bone health, and nerve function, contributing to overall strength and performance in bodybuilding.
• Potassium helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals, playing a role in preventing muscle cramps and maintaining optimal performance during bodybuilding workouts.
• Biotin supports energy metabolism and the synthesis of amino acids, contributing indirectly to muscle growth and recovery in bodybuilding.
• Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including those related to energy production and muscle function, making it crucial for bodybuilders to maintain optimal performance and recovery.
• B vitamins play various roles in energy metabolism, red blood cell production, and nerve function, supporting overall health and performance in bodybuilding by aiding in energy production and nutrient utilization.

There are more, to be sure. But these are some of the very best vitamins for bodybuilding. Knowing the functions, importance, and sources of these powerful micros will serve you well. 

While micronutrients are plentiful in a balanced diet. it’s an all-too-real fact that few of us have the time or budget to hone a perfectly calculated, nutritionally advantageous diet with real whole foods for every single meal. The meal prep alone can feel like a part-time job, and you have serious work to do in the gym. 

Supplementation can fill in gaps in nutrition and be a game-changer if you’re not one for eating lots of veggies each day. This can be especially true for health supplements like multivitamin complexes and green drink powders. But they’re also incredibly convenient, allowing you to get potent doses of critical nutrients exactly when you need them. 

Finding professionally formulated supplements for athletes is your ticket to quality, and choosing the best ones is even more important. Beyond the fact that you want your supplements to be rich in advantageous and easily absorbable nutrients, you want to be confident that the ingredient quality and potency are accurate and approved. High-quality micronutrient supplements undergo intense purity testing, not to mention the scientific formulation to ensure every dose has the right amount of the right nutrients.

If you’re ready step up your micros game, here are some of the benefits you should be looking for:

• Immune-boosting micronutrients
• Supporting cellular energy and function
• Enhanced oxygen levels and blood flow
• Metabolism regulation
• Beneficial digestive enzymes
• Anti-inflammatory and joint protection
• Hormone balancers
• Ample and appropriate daily doses

What supplements should I take for working out?

This depends on your goals, diet, and regimen. Creatine and whey isolate are two of the most common workout supplements, used mostly to build mass and repair muscles faster. Other key health supplements to work into your routine are a comprehensive multivitamins like Animal Pak, a joint support supplement like Animal Flex to help bear the intense loads resistance training requires, and a testosterone booster or hormone balancer, depending on age and hormone levels.

When should I take health supplements?

This may depend on what you’re taking. Some multivitamins are better to take at certain times of the day with water and a meal, other supplements are more flexible with intake. Be sure to read the label on any supplement prior to adopting it into your nutrition plan.

How long until I see results from health supplements?

Depending on the supplement, it usually takes 4 - 8 weeks for results to be seen or felt. But remember, your body is a complex machine and correcting imbalances in vitamin, mineral, and hormone levels may take more or less time, depending on the supplement and how depleted you are of it. Be sure to stick to the recommended dose and schedule for optimum results.