Over the last few months, I’ve changed my mind about a few things. One of those things [article coming soon] was how little I used to focus on strength and conditioning. I’m not going to sit here and lie: this new-found motivation might be coming from seeing the Instagram stories of some folks in my division putting up some impressive squats and deadlifts. I’ve realized that I’ve always been ultra-focused on improving my technique and conditioning in jiu-jitsu, however, I never paid much attention to getting stronger.
I started a strength program and soon after, I consulted a nutritionist [another article coming soon]. In training, especially after incorporating a solid lifting regiment, I noticed I was often too sore and fatigued to train jiu-jitsu. We spoke about how I had been eating and she suggested that I have been starving myself. She recommended I start eating much more often and after a few adjustments, she suggested I start looking into electrolyte solutions.
One of the electrolyte solutions I found was from ATH Organics. As I was shopping specifically for Intra- and post-workout supplements, I bought BCAA (intra-) and Lytes (post-). I have been using these products for almost 3 weeks now and I’m hooked. Here are some notes below:
Lytes
A post-workout Carbohydrate/Electrolyte solution was recommended for a few reasons. The first was that after lifting weights, the muscles are craving glycogen. Electrolyte solutions will often have provide plenty of post-training carbohydrates in order to fuel glycogen-depleted muscles. Another reason is that after adjusting my macronutrient intake, I was having a hard time getting extra calories because I was ravenous and wanting to eat all the time but I didn’t necessarily have the time. Adding a post-workout supplement helped in that regard but also helped with my post-training hydration. Lastly, we move on to post-training hydration.
Unfortunately, hydration and rehydration is not just about how much water you’re drinking. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes. These electrolytes have many functions including but not limited to intracellular communication. A muscle cramp, for example, is there result of an electrolyte deficiency which can be quite painful and also hinder your training.
Taste
Lytes tastes great, (much better than others I’ve tried) and I always feel refreshed and replenished after training. Pro-Tip: I have been mixing it with coconut water. It tastes phenomenal.
BCAA
I bought BCAAs because in the past, I’ve had good training results taking BCAAs. Branched Chain Amino Acids are the building blocks to proteins. Research suggests taking BCAAs prior or during workouts can have the added benefits of increasing muscle growth and reparation as well as reducing fatigue from exercise. This reduction of fatigue is particularly important for me, the over-achiever who does not like being sluggish after training (unless it’s bed time). After lifting weights, my body can be a little too sore to train Jiu-jitsu as hard as I would like so I often have to tone it down. Dealing with muscle soreness is one of those things we deal with, but ATH Organics BCAA has helped reduce that soreness so I can keep training.
What I’ve noticed: I’ve had much more energy since taking BCAAs during training. My sessions lifting weights and on the mats training jiu-jitsu have been more spirited and I find myself moving more quickly and pushing the pace more than I normally do. Also, it tastes fantastic.
OVERALL:
I’ve had a lot of energy in training lately. This could be because of the supplements or it could be because I have also increased my macronutrient intake. What I can tell you is that since I have added Lytes and BCAAs, I feel replenished after training and I have a lot more energy in the gym lifting weights and on the mats. Perhaps it’s the Glutamine, but I feel energetic, like I could train twice as much as I normally do.
I will be taking Lytes and BCAAs religiously in the future as part of my daily intra- and post-training regimen.
Up next, I will be giving their Build Protein a shot!
