The Vertical Jumper's Guide to Supplements

Using Supplements to Aide a Vertical Jumper's Workouts

If you have already bought a vertical jump program and are already working at increasing your vertical leap, you have already taken the biggest step towards success. In our last article we focused on what the elements of a successful vertical jumpers diet are. In this article we will thoroughly cover the elements of proper supplementing for vertical jump training. The analysis will be broken down into two sections, supplements that are an absolute MUST for any vertical jumper looking to see significant gains, and those that are optional that will greatly aide you as well.

We recommend using bodybuilding.com for all of you supplementation needs. They are the consensus leader in the industry and have by far the best prices and selection.

Before we begin, there is a
disclaimer. No supplement will EVER be a magic solution miraculously boost your jumping abilities. Supplements will only help your body make the most of the hard workouts you are performing, and maximize the results you will see. Consider them as the icing on the cake, not all that important, but it can add that extra little bit that will make your experience all the better.

The MUST Have Supplements:

A Good Multivitamin- One could make a strong argument that a multivitamin is the single most important nutritional supplement that an athlete can use to help maintain optimal performance. The simple fact is that athletes need far more vitamins and minerals than the percent daily value made famous by the nutrition labels on all food would suggest. Athletes who train hard on a regular basis need loads of vitamins and minerals, and as these can be hard to consume naturally in such large quantities, a good multivitamin goes a long ways in helping you reach the level you nutrition your body needs to perform and recover at an optimal rate.

We recommend checking out Optimum Opti-Men, a great multivitamin, 180 tablets for under $20.

Whey Protein- Whey protein is the second of two supplements that we have deemed to be absolutely vital to maximizing a vertical jumper's gains they see from their vertical jump training routine. Protein is the building blocks of muscle, and in order to give your muscles adequate protein to increase their size, strength and explosiveness, many experts suggest that an athlete consume atleast 0.75-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. This can be a lot to consume through natural foods as well, which is why a single 8 ounce protein shake containing anywhere from 18-25g of protein depending on the brand can be a great supplement to help maximize muscle growth and recovery.

The protein brand that most consider to be the best of the market is Optimum 100% Classic Whey. It comes in many flavors, tastes great, and is extremely affordable.

Other Supplements That Can Help You:

A Weight Gainer- An excess of calories is an absolute must in order for muscle to gain size, strength, and explosiveness. Without this excess, there is nothing there for your body to build off of. Don't think that this is just straight calories that aren't good for you though, this is nothing like eating a bunch of candy or junk food. A good performance weight gainer will contain complex carbohydrates, lots of protein, glutamine, and many other things that will greatly boost your performance and gains.

A great weight gainer that we have heard many good things about is CytoSport Cyto Gainer. It contains 54g of protein per serving, as well as glutamine and complex carbs. There are also a few hundred calories per serving to get you the necessary calories to pack on muscle and gains on your vertical leap.

Glutamine- Glutamine is an amino acid that is abundant in the human body. It is main purpose is to aide in the recovery of the body, which is a great function for vertical jumpers who are constantly putting their bodies under the stress of an intense vertical jump workout, and breaking down their muscles. Glutamine is often added to proteins or weight gainers, so make sure to read the labels, but if you do not want to take a weight gainer, and your protein does not contain any, picking up some glutamine for your post-workout supplementing can be great for your muscles recovery.

Casein Protein- This is one of our personal favorites and one an awesome secret that not many people use to their advantage. As opposed to whey protein which is to be used immeadiately after a workout and is used up quickly within the body, casein protein is a slow digesting protein that takes many hours to be broken down, digested, and used by the body. Make a shake of with casein right before you go to bed on the nights following your vertical jump workouts, and you will be amazed at the results. Consider that both your body and muscles do a majority of their growth while you are peacefully sleeping. It is greatly to your advantage to have a slow digesting protein in your body during that time (this was very, very close to making the must have supplements part of our list).

Check out Optimum Nutrition's 100% Casein Protein.

Creatine- Creatine has received a lot of negative publicity, but in reality it is not a bad thing, as long as you use it correctly. They single most important way to take creatine safely is to drink LOTS of water. It is suggested that you consume your bodyweight in ounces of water every day while on creatine. It is fully up to your discretion whether or not to use creatine, but it can be a great aide for any vertical jumper in the explosiveness and strength of their muscles.

Any vertical jumper, with the use of these supplements, or a combination of some of them, can greatly enhance the way their body reacts to and recovers after an intense workout, and see the effects show through in their vertical jump gains.

If you liked this article, make sure to check out our other articles, as well our ratings of the top vertical jump programs, including our Jump Manual Review, which currently holds the number one rating on our site!