Supplements That You Should Be Cycling

A very common question that has probably crossed the mind of every health-conscious and fitness-oriented person (or a good percentage at least) who has used or thought of using supplements before; how should one be cycling supplements, and which ones should be cycled in the first place? While this is a topic that promises to elicit a lot of mixed reactions, this article aims to try and shed some light on some of the principles of cycling supplements so that guesswork can be taken out of the equation, and they can be effectively and safely be incorporated into your training regimen to meet your health and fitness goals.

While some supplements can be taken year-round without the need for cycling, it is essential that others be cycled, especially if they contain ingredients that tend to disrupt the body's natural functioning or processes, leading to discernible effects with long-term use. This basically means that users need to constantly alternate between periods when they are using (“on” period) and not using (“off” period) such supplements. We’ll try and make things a little simpler by discussing some of the major and most common supplement categories, while making some recommendations along the way.

PRE-WORKOUTS

As the term suggests, these supplements are designed to be taken prior to your workouts to give that much needed energy boost and enhance performance. This makes pre-workouts some of the most sought after supplements by gym goers. Pre-workouts will usually contain stimulants like caffeine, yohimbine, and green tea extract, which you are better off not overusing due to the body's rapid adaptation to prolonged use of stimulants.

If you choose a high stimulant pre-workout, using it a maximum of three times a week on an ongoing basis would suffice, with twice a week even better to maintain an optimum training effect. If you are using a stimulant-free pre-workout, you can use it on an ongoing basis without the need for cycling.

FAT BURNERS

Also known as thermogenic supplements, fat burners are in their own way quite similar to pre-workouts since they contain stimulants which “jump start” your metabolism and suppress your appetite, which sees them widely used by people looking to lose some weight.

Since most popular fat burners are founded upon stimulants, long-term use can cause an increase in the production of cortisol (which breaks down muscle tissue) as well as body-fat storage, which negates the fat-burning effects of the supplement over time. You can keep cortisol levels low by using fat burners for about 2-3 weeks then staying off them for an equivalent duration, or by rotating stimulant-based fat burners with stimulant-free fat burners.

NITRIC OXIDE

Designed to enhance blood flow to working muscles for benefits such as better pumps, vascularity and superior recovery through improved nutrient delivery post workout, nitric oxide supplements can be used long-term, but when they are also abundant in stimulants it’s best to cycle them in order to avoid your body becoming too dependent on them. To avoid this, using them only 2-3 times a week works well.

TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS

These are herbal supplements that increase your body’s natural increase of testosterone. It’s worth noting for competitive athletes that the use of non-herbal testosterone boosters (also referred to as prohormones) is banned by all sports organizations they will elicit positive doping test results.

Be very careful with supplements that can alter your body’s natural hormonal pattern because the side effects can be adverse and uncertain. Taking these supplements for too long might lead your body to become too dependent on them, and slow down the natural production of testosterone. If you choose to use testosterone boosters, a cycle of 8 weeks on it and 4 weeks off it is advised.

SLEEP AIDS

As the term suggests, sleep aids are designed to help induce a more restful sleep are quite popular among people who use large amounts of products with stimulants such as fat burners and pre-workout supplements.

Many sleep aids contain melatonin, a naturally produced hormone that helps establish the body’s circadian rhythms of several physiological processes, including sleep and blood-pressure regulation. While it can temporarily relieve from sleepless nights, it is not recommended to use supplemental melatonin on an ongoing basis or you risk disrupting your body’s natural secretion of the hormone. Use sleeps aids only for a maximum of 2 weeks at time.

YEAR-ROUND SUPPLEMENTS

As stated earlier, not every supplement needs to be cycled off. Some supplements can be taken year-round without the need to cycle, and it’s safe to say that the only reason one might cycle them is because of budgetary reasons. Supplements such as Creatine (often erroneously grouped among supplements that need to be cycled), Omega-3, BCAAs, Glutamine, Protein Powders, Weight Gainers, Meal Replacement Products, and Health Products such as Multivitamins, Antioxidants, and Minerals don’t need to be cycled, since none of these ingredients disrupt the body’s natural functioning or processes.

CONCLUSION

While this list of supplements that should be cycled is probably not exhaustive owing to the fact that the market is flooded with new products every so often, hopefully this article has helped clear up a thing or two about the concept of cycling supplements.

Remember that the first step to being safe when supplementation is in question is to check your product label. Always examine the ingredients contained in a product before you start using it.