Bodybuilding is a sport that helps shape your body and mind. It’s a great way to stay healthy because it can help relieve stress and anxiety. It has all the benefits of weight training and aerobics combined.
One of the best things about bodybuilding is that it helps reduce the risk of heart diseases. It also helps avoid other weight-related problems like obesity and diabetes.
You probably already know supplements and bodybuilding go hand in hand. They make it much easier to obtain the nutrients you need in order to build muscle and improve your training. They help you increase strength, improve performance, and lower your body fat percentage.
Whether you’re a longtime bodybuilder, or you’ve just recently taken an interest in the sport, you should know all the benefits of Niacin for bodybuilders.
In this article, I will help you understand what Niacin is. Hopefully, this will help you see how using it as a supplement will help increase athletic performance which in this case will help you lift more and train harder.
Table of Contents
What is Niacin?
Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin known as Vitamin B3 or niacinamide.
Niacin is found in many of the foods we eat. These foods include eggs, meat, green vegetables, etc.
Other Foods High in Niacin Include
- Chicken
- Tuna
- Turkey
- Green peas
- Mushrooms
- Beef (grass-fed)
- Peanuts,
- Broccoli
- Liver
- Avocado
Why Does the Average Person Take Niacin?
Niacin has many health benefits which is why many dietary supplements contain niacin. Niacin can help boost HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides which is important for cardiovascular health. In some cases, niacin is prescribed along with certain cholesterol medications to control high cholesterol.
Niacin comes in 3 different forms, Inositol, Niacinimide and Hexaniacinate.
While niacin has many health benefits it is also found in many bodybuilding supplements because of its ability to increase energy and performance. Some bodybuilders take high doses of Niacin (not recommended) claiming that it dries you out and improves vascularity.
There may be some truth to this because taking high doses of niacin (500mg) before a workout can help increase athletic performance and make you sweat a lot.
In most cases the toxicity of niacin is low, however high doses can have some unwanted side effects that may include:
- Skin rashes and itching
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Very high amounts of niacin may cause irregular heartbeat
- Niacin may increase blood sugar (not good for diabetics)
- Nausea or vomiting
If you visit many bodybuilding forums you will find some men will take niacin 30-40 minutes before training as a pre-workout. Many like what is called the (niacin flush) effect
The niacin flush happens when a high dose of niacin is taken at once. This causes the blood vessels in the skin to expand causing more blood to flow. Most will feel the flushing in the face but some may feel it in the neck and body.
The niacin flush can cause a sensation of itching or a slight burning in the skin but the sensations you feel are harmless.
Why Bodybuilders Use Niacin
Many pre-workout supplements contain niacinamide, this is a bit different than niacin. Pure niacin causes flushing while niacinamide has a much different effect.
Taking niacinamide offers some great benefits for bodybuilders.
Let me briefly explain…
When you train, your body requires something called ATP (Adenisone Triphosphate), this is a primary source of energy for all living creatures. When your cells require energy, in this case, your muscles, ATP is broken down and produces energy.
Without sufficient niacin, your body can't produce optimum levels of ATP which means your muscles will fatigue quickly.
Taking niacinamide can help increase more ATP helping you train harder and longer with less fatigue. This is important for bodybuilding because those last reps to failure are the most important ones for gaining new muscle mass.
Niacin Can help Improve Blood Circulation
Niacin causes the blood vessels to widen. Wider blood vessels allow more blood to circulate through your body. Blood carries oxygen as well as a number of other nutrients.
Cells that make up the muscles benefit from increased circulation. All of this is very important for bodybuilding because it makes your workout more effective. And that’s the point of working out, right?
A Vascular Physique with Flushing
As a bodybuilder, you’ve surely explored many different ways to become more vascular. One of the most common tricks used in the bodybuilding industry is “flushing.” What is “flushing”? Well, in order to appear even more vascular, bodybuilders will drink a high amount of water while training. Then, after a while, they will decrease their water intake, and increase their exercise intensity.
By dehydrating your body like that, your muscles and veins will become more visible. It goes without saying that flushing is extremely dangerous.
Instead of trying to achieve a vascular physique by dehydrating your body, try using Niacin. It’s a proven fact that it will improve vascularity, and it’s perfectly safe.
Stronger immune system
Our immune system needs all kinds of vitamins and minerals. Niacin is the most important. It helps boost your immune system. As a bodybuilder, your immune system should be in as good a shape as you are. That way, you can stay active longer, and achieve better results.
Hormones
You probably already know this, but hormones are extremely important in bodybuilding. Hormones help your muscles grow and recover quickly. So, here’s where Niacin comes in handy. If you have low testosterone levels, you should use Niacin supplements to improve them. You won’t be sorry.
Niacin has been clinically proven to increase HGH levels and boost testosterone. Getting plenty of niacin can put testosterone production into overdrive and make it easier for your body to pack on lean muscle mass.
The Benefits of Niacin for bodybuilders
Maybe you’re still not sure if you should use Niacin. Here’s some more information on the benefits of Niacin for bodybuilders:
- You can safely take it as a supplement without worrying about any side-effects.
- Niacin helps boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue.
- Niacin will help lower blood fat levels and increase your good cholesterol.
- Your immune system will be stronger than ever.
- Niacin helps increase blood circulation.
- Improves the quality of your workout.
- Niacin is a great way to boost your bodybuilding performance.
Hopefully, now that you see all the benefits of Niacin for bodybuilders, you’re less skeptical.
Recommended Dose of Niacin
The recommended dose of niacin for men is 16mg per day, women 14mg. The maximum dose for adults of all ages is 35 mg. These doses are for the average person. If you are a bodybuilder or athlete your requirements will be higher than average.
How you fullfill your daily niacin requirements is up to you
If you are a bodybuilder you are most likely not going to get your required daily amount of niacin just from food. Even on a bulking cycle, it would be hard to consume enough niacin-rich foods to satisfy your requirements which is why most bodybuilders will take some kind of supplement.
Niacin Supplements for Bodybuilders
While you may think that taking a pure niacin supplement is a good way to get plenty of niacin there are better ways to fulfill your requirements. Niacin works best when combined with other ingredients.
As a bodybuilder, your ultimate goal is to shape and transform your body and this includes packing on as much muscle as possible.
There are many supplements that are packed with essential ingredients you need that will boost strength and help you maximize your training sessions. Some men and women may be happy with a basic supplement they can find at their local GNC store but most will want something more.
Remeber niacin promotes blood flow, so combining niacin with other nutrients will help improve your overall training experience. Many supplements contain ingredients that help increase oxygen and boost nitrogen retention within the muscles.
Conclusion
If you are serious about training, Niacin is a must have for any bodybuilder. Both men and women can benefit from taking this essential vitamin. How you get it is up to you be it by food or supplementation.
Not all supplements have niacin but many do. For example, Max Gains Venabol has a product that contains niacin with other ingredients that can be used by both male and female bodybuilders and athletes.
If you are not comfortable with purchasing products online, a trip to your local supplement store might be in order.
