1. Creatine Cost $40-70
is perhaps the most efficient supplement if you're doing a high-intensity activity, but if your primary exercise consists of aerobics and you're aiming for an increase in work capacity, creatine would be a complete waste of money.
Few supplements have the solid scientific foundation that creatine has. Studies show that it's effective for 80 percent of those who use it. Since creatine is found naturally in meat, the more meat you eat, the less likely you'll need creatine supplementation. Vegetarians or those who rarely eat meat, however, can get huge boosts from most creatine supplements.
Creatine's primary use is as a backup phosphate donor for the replenishment of ATP, the most elemental form of energy and the source of energy for all muscular contractions. In other words, creatine acts like a second battery in your car. It's also a buffer, helping neutralize the acidity that blunts energy production in trained muscle.
Milk protein consists of 80 percent casein and 20 percent whey, and that's the best combination for promoting a positive nitrogen balance in bodybuilders. That's because casein is a slow-acting protein that delivers its amino acids over a period of seven hours, and whey is a fast-acting protein, peaking in 90 minutes.
The faster a protein is absorbed, the faster the liver oxidizes its amino acids. That sounds bad, but whey's rapid delivery of amino acids also favors increased protein synthesis. A longer-acting protein, such as casein, prevents the excess breakdown of protein, an anticatabolic effect, which ultimately promotes an anabolic effect - growth.
Besides the high-quality protein content of casein/whey, the newer formulations have little or no lactose (i.e., milk sugar), which some people have negative reactions to. The native milk proteins also provide a host of smaller proteins called peptides, many of which, such as lactoferrin, have vital health benefits. The rich cysteine content of whey acts as a precursor ofglutathione, a primary endogenous antioxidant and liver detoxifier in the body.
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Cost $ 5-10
If you don't eat fatty fish at least three times a week, you'll be deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Studies suggest that's the case with about 80 percent of people. Since the brain is composed of 40 percent DHA, one of the omega-3s, a long-term lack may cause aberrations in brain neurotransmitter function, resulting in depression and aggression.
Omega-3s provide numerous health benefits. Recent studies show that middle-aged people who eat diets rich in omega-3 fats have a 75 percent decreased incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Omega-3s help prevent several types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancers.
They improve insulin sensitivity and make cellular membranes more pliable so that hormones can more efficiently interact with cellular receptors. Some studies suggest that a generous intake of omega-3, at least five grams daily, blunts body fat synthesis and reduces inflammation, which can help relieve sore joints and muscles.
You should know that there's an initial inflammatory feature of muscular hypertrophy, or growth that can be blunted by omega-3 fats and other drugs. The solution is simply not to take omega-3s before training.
The liquid form of omega-3 supplements is preferred because of less "backup" after swallowing and because it takes so many capsules to give you the five-gram dosage. Capsules will do if you can stand to swallow them.
4. Antioxidants
The term 'antioxidant' is an umbrella word encompassing thousands of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids. Many are found infruits and vegetables, which are often not included in sufficient quantity in typical bodybuilding diets, especially fat-loss diets.
Exercise produces oxidative reactions that would normally be toxic to your body. The body's antioxidant systems that work against oxidation are often overwhelmed by exercise. Supplemental antioxidants help them deal with numerous toxic oxidants, such as the free radicals produced when exercise pumps up your oxygen metabolism.
Don't fall prey to alarmist studies that not only decry the health value of dietary antioxidants, such as vitamin E, but even allege that they're harmful. The truth is that all antioxidants work as a team. When neutralizing an oxidant, an antioxidant is often temporarily converted into an oxidant itself.
Other antioxidants, however, donate an electron that converts the former antioxidant back to its "good guy" status. The studies that find fault with antioxidants always talk about just one antioxidant, which wrongly ignores antioxidant teamwork. Typical dietary antioxidants include vitamins E, C and B-complex, as well as:
- selenium
- zinc
- manganese
- green tea extract
- grapeseed extract
5. Post-Workout Recovery Drinks Cost $ 25-35
Although similar to protein drinks, PWO's also contain simple carbs and other nutrients that good research shows help promote increased muscular recovery and growth. The best protein found in such formulas is whey, which is rapidly absorbed. Simple carbs are added because they promote glycogen replenishment and insulin release.
6.Multivitamins Cost $20-35
It may seem odd to put such a common supplement as minerals on this list, but few people are aware that minerals are enzyme activators. Many vitamins, on the other hand, are coenzymes, which means that without minerals they're useless. Many minerals, such as zinc and chromium, also interact with various anabolic hormones, such as testosterone, growth hormone and insulin.
Since most vitamin-and-mineral combinations have sufficient vitamin content but skimp on minerals, it's prudent to take a high-potency multimineral containing all the ones you need. That's particularly important if you're on a diet that restricts food groups, such as
dairy products, which are the best source of calcium.
Peanut Butter Is A
Quick & Easy Way To Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease. 
Just slap together a peanut butter (and
honey or jelly) sandwich on multi-grain bread, and you have the makings of a
heart-healthy meal, if not a childhood memory.
A quick and easy peanut butter sandwich is healthier, by far, than a fast
food burger or fried chicken dinner and far better than, let's say, an equally
easy "meal" of chips or ice cream. That's because peanut butter offers
health-protective mono- and polyunsaturated oil.
Trading burgers (saturated fat) for peanut butter sandwiches reduces your
risk of developing heart disease. In fact, the more often you eat peanut butter
(and nuts), the lower your risk of heart disease. (Hu, J Am College Nutr
20(1):5, 2001)
Start spreading peanut butter (instead of butter) on toast. Enjoy PB &
banana for a "decadent" snack in place of ice cream.
There is a nice variety of notable vitamins and minerals in peanut butter. For example,
peanut butter contains folate, vitamin E, magnesium and
resveratrol, all nutrients associated with reduced risk of heart disease.
Magnesium is also associated with reduced risk of adult-onset diabetes.
Peanut butter offers a small amount of zinc, a mineral important
for healing and strengthening the immune system. As an athlete, you need all
these nutrients to keep you off the bench and on the playing field. 
is perhaps the most efficient supplement if you're doing a high-intensity activity, but if your primary exercise consists of aerobics and you're aiming for an increase in work capacity, creatine would be a complete waste of money.
Few supplements have the solid scientific foundation that creatine has. Studies show that it's effective for 80 percent of those who use it. Since creatine is found naturally in meat, the more meat you eat, the less likely you'll need creatine supplementation. Vegetarians or those who rarely eat meat, however, can get huge boosts from most creatine supplements.
