There are many food products on the market that come with promises of maximising muscle growth, fuelling workouts and improving recovery. At CHALKBOX we advocate a balanced diet made up of a majority of whole, unprocessed foods, but, we thought it would be worth looking at a couple of these products to give you an idea on whether they are something you might want to try and to give your our recommendations.

Let's start with pre workout / energy aka functional drinks - if they're super high in sugar, calories and you can't pronounce most of the ingredients list - I'm going to say you should probably avoid them, but, the ones boasting BCAA's might be worth a look.

What are BCAA's? Well this stands for branched chain amino acids. Think back to your school days and you may remember that amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When we're training frequently we are constantly breaking down and repairing our muscles and many of us want to build additional muscle. So BCAA's definitely play an important role here. We want to make sure we are getting enough of them for that reason for sure - but interestingly they also play an important role in keeping blood sugar levels constant. Typically when looking at adding BCAAs, you'll want to have them pre-workout.

At CHALKBOX we have chosen Nocco's as a good pre-workout option as they contain BCAA's, green tea, caffeine (or opt for caffeine free one), six different vitamins and are sugar free (they're sweetened with sucralose).

Onto protein supplements / bars! As gym goers, we know the importance of getting enough protein for muscle growth and repair and many of us make sure that we always get some protein in after our workouts. If you're not in the habit and want to change that, a quick and easy way to do this is to go for a good quality protein shake or bar.

The important thing to note about protein is that (unlike carbs and fats), it can't be stored in the body, so we need a fairly steady supply throughout the day. Ideally we would have protein in every meal and snack..... the snack part is where it can get a bit tricky! Sometimes you just want something sweet, or a little treat when you're feeling peckish. Well, if that's you here's where the protein bar may just be the answer! It'll feel like a naughty treat, but really isn't that bad and, major bunus, they've got added protein.

Or maybe you're just not a fan of high protein foods like meat and fish, wouldn't typically have these at every meal and struggle to get enough protein in the day. Adding a protein bar that's easy to eat might be a solution worth considering.

A good quality protein bar will contain protein, won't be packed full of sugar and will be tasty! My personal favourite that ticks all of these boxes are the Barebells - and yes.... these are available to buy in the gym alongside the Nocco's!

In summary ….

As mentioned at the start, we do encourage you to get the majority of your protein, carbs and fats from whole, unprocessed food sources - but majority doesn't have to mean all.

It's ok to go for good quality products and supplements to help hit your macro's, give you a boost before your workout or as a treat. The Nocco and Barebell products are good quality and they really are rather tasty!