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I get asked all the time about supplements and nutrition for the wildly popular P90X workout program.  This is an intense workout routine, so nutritional supplementation can definitely benefit people on the P90X program; however, recommending one supplement is hard.  First, the end goal of the person training has to be considered.  Are you trying to lose weight, shred up your muscles, or just last the entire duration of the workout with fatiguing?  An additional consideration is your current diet: how clean is your diet, what quantities are you consuming, how many meals and snacks are you consuming?  Some essential vitamins and minerals might already be in your current diet.  Consuming more than your body can metabolize is not going to benefit you.

Okay, we’ve all been in a vitamin store and the selection at some of these stores can be mind numbing.  I, personally, gravitate to the sports performance section where the more manly products are found.  These products have muscled up gorillas on them and half of them contain huge doses of stimulants, which can greatly impact your energy level but they speed up your heart and can cause energy crashes.  P90X is a program designed for lean muscle; thus, the typical body building vitamins aren’t necessarily designed for this type of training.  Picture a body builders program; low sets, breaks in between, lots of weight. These guys transform their bodies, but most of the guys on the label and ads are on heavy doses of steroids.  Supplement companies marking to this demographic usually take ‘more is better’ approach and load these supplements up with excess ingredients to bulk of their labels – not the person using their product. Again, your body will pass anything that it can’t metabolize.

I have noticed great success from men using MMA specific supplement brands, which are designed for Mixed Martial Arts fighters.  Reason being, most fighters do similar training programs to P90X that involve cardio, resistance, and plyometric training in one continuous session.  These supplements can help increase muscle mass and endurance while helping maintain strength and flexibility.

Next is the vitamin area, which has a lot of good offerings to choose from.  I would go with a good multi-vitamin, an omega-3 product, and a joint complex to round out the stack.  The joint complex should contain ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin, which help protect joints from wear and tear. The omega-3 capsules are known as the “good fat”. Omega-3s greatly benefit fat loss, skins, and hair health.  The male or female multi-vitamin should have a good dose of all the daily minimums for the basic vitamins.

Links to my favorite supplements online:

Vitamins

MMA Supplements

The proper supplementation program can help you reduce recovery time, balance glycemic levels, volumize blood flow, aid in fat loss, and help build lean muscle.  Sticking with the basics, most of which can be found at the local drug store, will greatly impact your results with P90X.  Don’t forget to eat healthy foods and keep a daily journal to help track your diet and progress. Best of luck with P90X!

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