7 Best Supplements for Cutting and Shredding Fat in 2021
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Every spring, people come to the gym to gain muscle mass. However, they do not at all understand that then it will have to be dried, and they will receive their peak form only by next winter. At the same time, experienced crossfitters and bodybuilders know that all the fat gained during the winter needs to be burned off. Moreover, this should be done in such a way as not only to make the muscle mass more expressive and beautiful, but also to maintain functional strength. This is especially true for CrossFit athletes. But all this will require the best cutting supplements that will reduce the harmful catabolic effect in the muscles by localizing it in the adipose tissue.
Cutting vs Weight Loss: What is The Difference?
Before considering supplements for shredding fat, you should remember how cutting differs from weight loss. Why is it practically impossible without the use of special stimulants? So, weight loss is a decrease in total body weight by triggering general catabolic processes. You can lose weight:
- by getting rid of water;
- by getting rid of body fat;
- by depletion of muscles;
- by burning of fat and muscles;
- by optimizing all the systems of the body.
Very often, when weight loss is meant, then it is not at all about maintaining shape, but exclusively about the indicator on the scales. As a rule, it is painful and means are used that trigger all catabolic reactions. In particular, you can lose weight exclusively with muscles while retaining the entire body fat. This happens very rarely, but it does happen.
What is cutting? Many will say that this is a type of weight loss. But no! Cutting is getting rid of water with fat burning. The most important thing with a cutting cycle is maximizing muscle retention. We are not talking about gaining new mass, since this is impossible without macro-periodization or the use of anabolic steroids. Note that many athletes first gain mass in the offseason, and only before the competition period begin to shredding fat. At the same time, up to 90% of the gained muscles are preserved (in successful cases).
The following factors are required for cutting:
- Loss of Sodium and Water. This provides a thickening of the blood, but reduces the layer of skin in front of the muscles, which makes them visually more prominent.
- Preservation of Muscle Mass. For this, supplements are used that, when catabolic reactions are triggered, interfere with the optimization processes, thereby restoring any microdamage. This happens without the principle of super recovery, but the loss of muscle tissue is significantly reduced.
- Strong Fat Burning. This is achieved by very specific methods. For example, micro-periodization of nutrition with increasing loads with a general acceleration of metabolism.
As you can see, despite the external similarity, the approaches to achieving results are fundamentally different. There is another question: is it possible not to use special supplements when cutting? Yes, but the muscle loss will be much greater. Any mistake in diet and workout will result in large loss of muscle tissue, making your shredding cycle unprofitable.
Even cutting supplements are not always helpful. So, for example, for some soma types, additional drug stimulation is required. It’s all about the individual characteristics of the organism.
Let’s take a look at how shredding supplements help with the cutting cycle. What should be used and in what order to achieve optimal results in such a balancing process.
What Are The Best Cutting Supplements?
There are a huge number of different supplements for cutting. But are they all so necessary? Not! It all depends on the characteristics of your diet and athletic performance. So, for example, if you consume a sufficient amount of fiber and pamper your body with various types of vitamin juices, then most likely you can avoid buying multivitamin complexes.
At the same time, if you use a complex protein in your diet, then you will not need whey protein except to close the protein window. But let’s take a closer look at how shredding supplements help preserve muscle tissue in the body.
| Supplements | Effects |
| Multivitamin
Whey Protein L-Glutamine BCAA |
The effect of compensating for the general deficit. It helps to reduce catabolic responses to major muscle groups while maintaining the rate of fat burning and removing excess water. This supplement allows you to preserve most of the muscle mass. |
| L-Carnitine | Redistribution of energy reserves, which allows to significantly accelerate the breakdown of lipids while generally preserving the glycogen depot. This supplement has a thermogenic effect as well as a basal metabolic boost while strengthening the heart muscle. |
| Omega-3 Fish Oil | Regulation of cholesterol levels to create a positive anabolism with increased testosterone synthesis. Due to its structure, this supplement further increases performance during workouts, which in turn increases calorie expenditure by helping break down triglycerides. |
| AAKG | Acceleration of recovery with general cupping of blood vessels with additional nitrogen. Due to its structure, this supplement further increases performance during workouts, which in turn increases calorie expenditure by helping break down triglycerides. |
Now you know the general principles of how cutting supplements for men and women help maintain muscle mass. Let’s try to take a closer look at how this or that component affects the muscle structure in the process of its use in a calorie deficit.
1. Multivitamin
In the process of cutting (especially in the last phases), there is an acute deficit of calories in the diet. Usually, the athlete limits himself to a number of foods at these stages. At the same time, vitamins begin to be massively washed out of the body. This is due to both general optimization processes and the removal of excess fluid.
Multivitamin supplements are needed to compensate for them. They make it possible to partially replenish the body’s need for the necessary vitamins with a general calorie deficit and a new water-salt balance. They should be used only according to the instructions. Do not exceed dosages.
2. Whey Protein
Whey Protein contained in protein shakes, although not able to completely stop the destruction of muscle tissue, but has the fastest absorption into the blood. Therefore, with its timely use, part of the amino acids due to the rate of absorption will still not turn into glucose, but will enter the muscle tissue.
The efficacy of whey protein is relatively low (relative to BCAA). That is why all diets and cutting programs are geared towards increased protein intake. The main benefit of a protein shake is that it enters the bloodstream practically without being digested and the optimization processes take place simultaneously. While one part of the protein is burned, the remaining part successfully synthesizes ATP, and therefore new muscle fibers.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to simultaneously build muscle and burn fat, since in conditions of hypo caloricity, the principles of super recovery will be leveled. However, preserving up to 90% of muscle tissue through increased protein intake is a very real goal.
3. L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine, like Whey Protein, is an anti-catabolic. The fact is that when glycogen depots are cupping, the fibers associated with them are damaged and glutamine is released from muscle mitochondria. It enters the general bloodstream. With total energy consumption, during workout aimed at preliminary depletion of glycogen stores, it is one of the first to dissolve and turn into glucose. Since it is a binding protein component, if you do not compensate for the loss of glutamine, then you can easily lose most of the size of the accumulated glycogen depot. This will reduce the endurance of the athlete for a long time.
Take L-Glutamine only after workout. Moreover, immediately after closing the metabolic window.
4. L-Carnitine
Carnitine is an essential amino acid found in red meat. But, since the consumption of red meat is impossible due to the high content of internal fat, L-Carnitine is actively used during cutting. Its main effects:
- Increased Heart Rate. This makes it easier to reach the heart rate zone of fat burning.
- Transfer to “Fat Rails”. This effect is similar to Salbutamol but without side effects.
- Transport Effect on the Cholesterol Depot. Useful only in the absence of bad cholesterol.
- Increased Energy. This is a consequence of the extraction of fatty calories into the bloodstream.
L-Carnitine is relatively safe. You can only take it before workout. The rest of the time, it is ineffective. Transport protein can be a major contributor to the onset of cholesterol plaque if you use L-Carnitine before meals.
5. BCAA
Muscle fibers are partially destroyed during workload. That being said, drinking a protein shake may not help make up for the loss. In the event of an acute caloric deficiency in the diet, protein is likely to be converted into glucose to replenish energy reserves. Branched-chain amino acids enter the bloodstream almost directly, bypassing digestive processes. They will have time to repair muscle fibers if you take BCAA before or during your workout.
6. Omega-3 Fish Oil
During catabolic processes in the body, macro- and microelements are washed out unevenly, which leads to the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acid. If the standard diet is replete with trans fats and a complete complex, then in the diet, many foods containing ω-3 become unavailable for the athlete. Therefore, when cutting, it is important to maintain a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6, which will promote the production of additional cholesterol. It will stimulate testosterone and thus shift the anabolic balance, preventing the negative effects of catabolic factors on muscle mitochondria. Omega-3 should be taken after morning and evening meals along with a multivitamin and multimineral.
7. AAKG
There is a lot of controversy about the need for AAKG for cutting. This supplement creates a good pump effect, which helps to reduce the intensity of high-volume workout. In turn, this quickly drives the pulse into the fat-burning zone and creates a greater release of energy with a smaller calorie deficit.
Most importantly, AAKG inhibits the breakdown and fusion of muscle fibers damaged during exercise. This allows amino acids to completely restore the entire structure until regeneration and optimization processes with a predominance of catabolism begin. They reduce the size of muscle tissue. AAKG should be taken according to the instructions.
Prevention and Other Supplements
There are additional supplements for shredding fat that both men and women use:
- Antiestrogens. They are sold at any pharmacy. Antiestrogens reduce the absorption of testosterone into estrogens, which reduces the amount of adipose tissue. They are considered doping in bodybuilding.
- Thermogenics. They are actually considered pharmacology, which artificially accelerates the process of transplanting the body onto “fat rails”.
At the same time, there are a number of essential components that are also products of pharmacology:
- Complex Calcium + D3;
- Complex for joint support;
- Complex for ligament support.
The latest supplements are especially important in the final stages of cutting. In the absence of sodium and fat in the body, the ligaments dry out and become brittle. This can lead to their rupture during the exercise, even with a small weight.
What To Exclude When Cutting?
Cutting is a very specific process. A significant role in it is played not only by the loss of body fat, but also by the loss of fluid. Therefore, there are things that you need to exclude from your diet, at least for a certain time. First of all, we are talking about carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI). It is not for nothing that most diet plans for fat loss are designed for carbohydrate-free regimens or carbohydrate alternation regimes. Why is it so important? It’s all about insulin. Almost any carbohydrate, regardless of complexity, is converted into glucose sooner or later. It, in turn, causes the opening of cells with insulin and the filling of the glycogen depot. It would seem, what could be better? But! At the same time, glucagon ceases to be produced, and therefore catabolic processes in the release of energy slow down. The body is more likely to break down the energy from the opened mitochondria in the muscle tissue than start using the fat layer.
You should completely abandon the following carbohydrates:
- sugar;
- maltose;
- glucose;
- gainer carbohydrate;
- starch.
The second aspect is related precisely to the liquid. To be more precise, with salts.
The following section is replete with conflicting facts. Each of them has the right to exist. You should decide for yourself whether to follow certain recommendations to the detriment of health and whether to adapt the body to the needs of cutting.
Sodium (Natrium)
We will talk about sodium. It is contained in:
- table salt;
- any dairy products.
If you can still refuse salt, then with dairy products everything is more complicated. First, let’s figure out what’s the matter.
Sodium Chloride has the ability to bind water to form stable connections. In fact, most of the fluid in our body does not come out of it thanks to sodium alone. At the same time, modern dietetics notes that a person consumes many times more sodium chloride than recommended to maintain optimal processes. By refusing products containing this element, you begin to deplete it. And with it, excess water comes out. Of course, you need to know the measure in everything. In particular, if the sodium is completely depleted and too much fluid escapes, you could die of a heart attack. Such cases are extremely rare. There is only one such case known in bodybuilding. Andreas Münzer was dry all year round, which made the blood thick. The result is death.
However, do not relax, as such cases are much more frequent in professional fitness. Due to the fact that there is much less muscle mass in the body than necessary, many dry out their bodies up to fatal dehydration.
Dairy Products
After we scared you with excessive drying, you can move on to the second controversial point. Disclaimer from dairy products. Yes, milk contains both sugar and sodium in large quantities. These things are incompatible with the cutting cycle. Even if you saw village guys who train hard with iron and drink milk, then they cannot boast of a relief body. Often these are just very huge men.
At the same time, there are controversial points regarding the refusal of milk.
- First, milk contains zinc and magnesium. Both of these elements are involved in organizing the synthesis of new testosterone.
- Secondly, calcium. If in young years guys and girls can afford to give up calcium, which will be washed out during cutting by 40%, then for people over 35 years old in this regard it is already more difficult.
However, milk and salt will need to be eliminated at least 2 weeks before the end of the phase. During this time, the body will have time to remove excess water associated with sodium, and you will be 100% ready for the competition.
However, walking “dry” all year round is dangerous.
Conclusion
So, cutting, unlike the bulking cycle, is a much more subtle process that requires constant support for the body. It is important to understand that the processes of fat burning and depletion of water in the body should replace each other in stages. You cannot walk dry all year round.
The most important thing is to know when to stop. If you are not involved in professional sports and do not take part in serious competitions, then you absolutely do not need excessive shredding fat for a summer beach. Do not get carried away with diuretics and thermogenics unless absolutely necessary. After all, you can dry up to a certain limit without them. Remember that not only steroids can harm, but also drugs for cutting.
All the same, the ideal body looks as prominent as possible only in photographs. Usually, overdried people actually look more painful and have an unhealthy skin texture. At the same time, do not get fat. Maintain balance, build muscle, and perhaps in this case, you will not have to risk your health by the summer.
