Every day, more people are using CrossFit to condition their bodies. The popularity of this high-intensity form of exercise dubbed “the sport of fitness” is exploding around the world.
The centerpiece of CrossFit is the workout of the day (WOD). The constantly varying nature of the WOD increases your likelihood of experiencing muscle soreness (delayed-onset muscle soreness, better known as DOMS), fatigue, and other symptoms of impaired recovery. Below, we describe a combination of supplements that male and female CrossFit athletes of all ages and training levels are using to recover more quickly, break personal bests, and enhance their physique.
The Beverly CrossFit Stack
Essential: Supplements in this section are essential components of the Beverly CrossFit Stack. Consider them “must haves”.
Ultimate Muscle Protein (UMP) or Provosyn: Search the Internet and you’ll find CrossFit athletes rating Beverly as their top choice in protein supplements. You can’t go wrong with UMP or Provosyn. Both are loaded with high-quality proteins that will help your roughed-up muscles spring back from exhausting WODs while enhancing your physique from head to toe.
Provosyn, our newest protein supplement, consists of a precise ratio of proteins from 100% whole egg, whole milk, and 100% natural beef. Users rave about its rich, satisfying taste and texture. Provosyn is especially popular with athletes who have a hard time holding on to muscle, and those 40 years of age or older.
The egg protein in Provosyn comes from whole eggs that have been carefully spray-dried and pasteurized. The milk protein is low in lactose and obtained from fresh pasteurized milk using a low-heat system. This helps ensure that the proteins remain undenatured and retain their potency. The beef protein in Provosyn is 98% protein by weight and produced under USDA inspection. It contains no MSG, salt, carriers, or other added ingredients.
UMP is a longstanding favorite of Beverly customers. It consists chiefly of ultra-premium milk protein isolate. Milk protein isolate contains the same 80:20 ratio of casein to whey found naturally in milk.
Tip: Both Provosyn and UMP can be taken immediately post-WOD and used as a meal alternative in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
Glutamine Select: CrossFit athletes drink Glutamine Select before, after, and, depending on the WOD (see “Tip”, below), during training. Besides helping you stay hydrated, Glutamine Select helps combat muscle soreness and promote muscle size and strength with a clinically tested blend of glutamine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Many customers also use it to help regulate appetite.
Tip:When performing fast-paced WODs like Fran, athletes often drink Glutamine Select before and/or after. Whereas, during WODs with allotted rest periods, such as Fight Gone Bad (FGB) or Tabata, you can sip on it during your rest period. Bottom line: Listen to your body and use your best judgment.
Up-Lift: Other pre-workout products may over-stimulate you, raising your heart rate and leaving you out of breathe even before your WOD begins. Being 100% free of caffeine and other central nervous system stimulants, Up-Lift doesn’t cause these problems. Instead, it lifts your energy and focus naturally with tyrosine and other nutraceuticals. Tyrosine is a potent amino acid that your brain can use to replenish critical neurotransmitters involved in feelings of energy and alertness, two things you can always use more of during a WOD. The beta-alanine, histidine, and carnosine in Up-Lift help your muscles buffer acid, allowing you to achieve more reps in less time. Finally, a complex of nitric oxide precursors supports healthy blood flow.
Tip: Be sure to use 2 full scoops of Up-Lift.
Optional: Once you have the essentials in place, you can add supplements in this section if your budget permits.
Creatine Select:This unique formula has been a favorite with athletes of all kinds for many years. That’s because it works well time and time again. Creatine monohydrate is still the most scientifically proven form of creatine available. Combine it with phosphates, electrolytes, and beta-alanine, and you have Creatine Select. You can feel it working after the first serving. Expect your performance to improve with each serving thereafter.
Creatine phosphate is a critical source of energy inside muscle tissue during high-intensity exercise. To produce it, your muscle cells need creatine and phosphate. Interestingly, most creatine products lack phosphate.
Tip: Drink plenty of water when using this product.
Muscle Synergy®: This synergistic formula is especially popular with athletes 40 years of age and older. It contains a clinically tested dose of HMB, a naturally occurring amino acid metabolite that helps reduce DOMS and improve muscular performance. CrossFit can “rough up” your muscle cells. HMB helps protect them, and your performance.
A meta-analysis of resistance-exercise training studies provided evidence that strength gains are maximized with the use of HMB. The studies showed increases for trained and untrained, young and elderly, and men and women.
Tip: Take one of your daily servings of Muscle Synergy before your WOD.
Ultra 40: This beef liver tablet is especially popular with CrossFit athletes who practice Paleo. When taken in the recommended dosage, Ultra 40 produces rewarding increases in energy, strength, stamina and endurance, and quickens recovery time. It is derived from 100% Grade 1 Argentine beef liver. This is the highest grade of liver available, obtained from grass-fed, pesticide- and hormone-free cattle raised in Argentina. The cattle are raised in facilities inspected by SENASA, which is the equivalent of the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Ultra 40 is rich in heme iron, which is the most bioavailable form of iron in the human diet. Your red blood cells use heme iron to synthesize hemoglobin and muscle cells to synthesize myoglobin. Hemoglobin and myoglobin are proteins that help your blood and muscle cells “trap” oxygen for use in energy-producing pathways.
Quadracarn: When budget permits, Quadracarn is a superb addition to any stack where better overall physical and metabolic condition is desired. (For men 35 years of age and older, we consider Quadracarn essential.) Though fat loss is a commonly reported benefit, athletes use Quadracarn for more than this. Other reported benefits include improvements in recovery time, blood flow, energy, cognitive performance, muscle pumps, and testosterone and sexual health.
Tip: Like Ultra 40, it is important that you follow the Quadracarn directions for use closely for maximum benefit.
Mass Maker Ultra: If you prefer having combination of carbs and protein before you exercise, then enjoy a scoop or two of Mass Maker 60 minutes pre-WOD. Mass Maker supports muscle fuel levels with a multi-stage system of fast- and slow-release carbs, including whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, and more. On the protein front, it contains blend of milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate, egg albumen and caseinate.
Mass Maker’s multi-stage system of fast- and slow-release carbs includes whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, and more. They provide essential fuel (glucose) to drive your athletic performance and support recovery from long, tiring workouts.