Anabolic Steroids, Ergogenic Drugs and Protein Shakes!

Fitness coaches clear the air about safe exercise and the lifestyle changes you need to make to stay fit and healthy

“It is not necessary to work out round-the-clock to achieve fitness goals as one needs to take baby steps and let one’s body rest as well,” says Shahrukh Aziz, a fitness coach as well as owner of a local fitness and exercise centre in Federal B Area in Karachi.

Overly optimistic goals can disappoint you sooner in your fitness journey as no one expects you to run ten miles on your first day of running. The best approach is to move slowly but steadily and get a grip first. Be smart with setting milestones and try to achieve them one by one within an extended time frame.

We often confuse fitness with losing weight, however, it’s all about choosing a healthy alternative for your body in terms of food and lifestyle. As things take place, we tend to set unrealistic fitness goals and regret them later. After exercise, your muscles require proper resting and healing time and pushing things too hard to achieve fitness isn’t advisable and can cause damage to your entire body. You may even develop more serious issues if you exercise too heavily from the word go.

Talking about safe exercise guidelines, fitness coach Shahrukh Aziz said, “When you hit the gym, make sure it’s not for a short-term goal because you might end up causing more harm to your body than good. Short-term goals make you over-exercise, which can be dangerous. Exercise is a crucial component if you want to live a healthy life, but if you don’t give rest to your muscles, you will end up feeling more tired instead of fit. So working four days a week for 40-50 minutes is ideal and will gradually make you fit.”

Moreover, lifestyle changes are a must if your goal is to stay fit for longer. Sleep on time and avoid junk food, and if you’re following a diet along with exercise, variation and portions are important. “Plan your meals before adding a fun element to your gym routine”, he added.

Protein is crucial for recharging your body before a workout. It’s equally vital for your post-workout recovery as well. Drinking a protein shake or having any protein supplements post-exercise can reduce the risks of muscle injuries. It also allows your body to fill in more protein by cutting down the fat mass. That’s how you lose weight, after the piled-up fat breaks away after your training and is replaced with healthy protein particles.

But what’s a suitable quantity for protein shakes? Shahrukh believes that the amount of protein shakes required vary according to weight and physical activity. He says, “If your activity is more than usual, you will need more protein. Alongside this, one needs a properly balanced diet to stay fit. The diet should consist of protein, carbs, good fats, and multivitamins to fulfil the body’s daily requirements.”

Additionally, he added that if the protein requirements are not fulfilled through your diet, only then should you get protein supplements. For example, if a person is 75 kg, his daily intake of protein must be about 60gm, otherwise he may include a protein supplement in his diet to fulfil the daily requirement.

If you consume protein supplements before exercise, you give a pump to your body. Shehzad Shafiq Memon, a physical trainer, also favours using protein powders. He believes they are miracle workers for your muscles. The more warmed up and energised your body feels, the better and more effective your workout. The extra protein consumption helps your body concentrate on tissue repair and boosts enzyme production, which, as a result, assists your muscle growth and your muscle-gaining cardio will show the desired results in no time.

“As an adult, you may suffer muscle loss due to ageing and protein deficiency. Protein powders can work wonders to restore muscles and improve overall health,” says Shehzad.

“Look, there’s some difference between a workout and over-exerting your muscles in the name of exercise. You can’t exercise 7 days a week. You can avoid overtraining by maintaining an exercise log. The log should include the days, duration and time of your workout and exercises you do each day. This way, you can reduce the risks of extra fatigue and post-workout strains”, according to him.

But, when talking about exercise and protein powders, we must address the use of anabolic steroids and ergogenic drugs as they must always be avoided and should not be consumed by the average gym-goer.

“When it comes to a robust, muscular physical shape, the bigger is not always better. I don’t believe in using steroids to achieve your fitness goals. The people who participate in bodybuilding competitions resort to such shortcuts which have an adverse impact, damaging your organs in the long run,” reveals Shahrukh.

Sticking to a fitness regime is tough and it may take you some time to see significant results. So you have to celebrate every milestone you reach, either small or big.

Find a gym partner if you think it’s hard to stick to your daily fitness routine. They can simultaneously be your motivator and competitor too. There may be times when you feel like skipping the workout, but you probably can’t bail on your friend waiting for you at the gym!