Photo by Niragire Tresor
Deadlifters are often athletic performers looking to up the ante – or, in other words, gain more strength. It can usually entail examining your nutrition, as it varies from most people who don’t do these workouts or work out regularly.
It’s hard to get enough of the proper nutrients from food alone – so often deadlifts look toward supplements. But which ones are backed by science or have genuine natural ingredients?
When you deadlift and power lift weights for strength training, you may go through periods of gaining muscle (bulking) or losing fat (cutting). But you still need to ensure you’re getting essential nutrition for your optimal performance.
All of those warmups and more extended rest periods require proper and adequate vitamins. Lifting heavy weights puts the body under stress and strains, tearing muscles for repair. If you’re not careful, it can lead to injury.
You need to consider the muscle breakdown for training, so you’re aware of what to eat and drink that helps with that. So here are some of the best natural supplements that are key to working for you as a deadlifter.
Whey Protein
Taking protein after a workout is an excellent natural supplement for helping with muscle repair and recovery. It supplies your body with essential amino acids to optimize your cells in creating protein.
Whey protein, in particular, is helpful because it helps increase muscle mass, reduce fat, and boost your strength (in comparison with soy protein or casein). It’s hard in many cases to get enough protein for your muscles to repair when you’re a deadlifter, and whey protein is helpful and safe for your health.
Nitric Oxide
The supplement nitric oxide is helpful for deadlifts because it helps enhance your performance during a workout. It’s a vital component within your body that provides heart health, reduces high blood pressure, and improves your immune system response.
Your respiratory system is aided with nitric oxide so that you can increase your working capacity. Deadlifters can benefit from a better workout with the help of this supplement.
Carbohydrate Powder
Carbohydrate powders are supplements that give your body an easier time digesting, faster than carbohydrates from food alone. The fast-digesting carbs contain dextrose, maltodextrin, sucrose, and fructose.
They are beneficial for deadlifts to keep your performance at its max with more energy; they help jumpstart muscle recovery and replenish glycogen storage. Pre-mixed sports drinks like Gatorade ® or Powerade ® can do this, but investing in a powder is far cheaper.
Glucose is the body’s primary fueling source during high-intensity workouts like deadlifts. So, consuming carbohydrates provides the body with that glucose.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are known for heart health but are also advantageous for deadlifts because of squatting and lifting. It helps relieve any stiffness in the joints (particularly those knees) and muscle soreness.
You can find Omega-3 fatty acids in foods like oily fish. It is highest in salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and mackerel. It’s also found in some other superfoods like flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and canola or soybean oils.
Supplements for Omega-3 fatty acids contribute highly to muscle growth because they increase your body’s response to insulin and amino acids, which are boosted during exercise. It’s an excellent supplement to combat any decline in your flexibility and strength.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Deadlifters can help their muscle strength with BCAA supplements or Branched-Chain Amino Acids. These are essential nutrients and proteins your body burns for energy, providing a healthy boost to keep going. The more specific amino acids are known as leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
These help support your metabolism and recovery after a workout. BCAAs can also work to prevent muscle breakdown during your deadlifting, allowing you to push a little harder during your lifts. You’ll also feel less tired during and after the workout, leaving you ready to take on the rest of your day.
Caffeine
The last natural supplement for deadlifts is caffeine, and while this may sound counterintuitive, it is found in many pre-workout supplements. Why? Because it boosts your energy levels and mood and makes you more alert.
In case you didn’t realize, caffeine is a primary ingredient in multiple over-the-counter pain relievers. So, caffeine can also help alleviate your post-workout pains and muscle soreness. It stimulates your nervous system, heart, and muscles so you feel ready and energized for deadlifting.
Natural Supplements For Your Deadlifting
Deadlift workouts often leave athletes, competitors, and others depleted of energy and dehydrated. So, having a well-thought-out recovery phase incorporating nutrition is crucial, and it can be helpful to include many, if not all, of the natural supplements listed above.
As always, you can speak to your primary care health professional or a specialist to get recommendations on what supplements may work best. A licensed dietitian or nutritionist can also provide some helpful tips, foods, and vitamins for your overall health as a deadlifter.
Intense workouts require proper nutrition to keep energy levels up and ease the strain on your muscles. These natural supplements all go a long way to ensure successful rehabilitation, so you’re ready for your next deadlift session!
