We are going to cover a few of the most common, and give you an idea of what you should be looking for based on your current level of fitness.

Protein

Protein is without a doubt, the most important supplement you can take. Protein is the basic component in building muscle, and if you don’t get enough in your diet then your body will actually breakdown muscle to get what it needs (a process called Catabolism). There are two main types of Protein; Whey, and Soy. Whey is much better by far, however Soy is also a good lower cost alternative is budget is an issue.

Creatine

Creatine is probably the most popular of all Sport Supplement. Most commonly seen and sold as Creatine Monohydrate, it is a naturally occurring substance in red meat, and is also produced by our bodies.It’s primary function is to provide our muscles with energy, however it’s the additional gains in muscle mass that have made it so popular.

Nitric Oxide: Nitric Oxide is another naturally occurring compound that can be great as a sport supplement. It’s a vasodilator that increases blood flow and vascularity, giving your muscles that “pumped” feeling longer and helping with recovery.

Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that is used to help with the immune system and muscle maintenance. It is (like most of the others on this list) naturally occurring in the body and available from your diet. However, many people supplement with Glutamine (sold mostly as L-Glutamine) when taking part in any exercise program due to the increased depletion in our bodies.

These are the core Sport nutrition supplements that I would recommend for “beginners”. There are thousands more products on the market, and it’s easy to spend a small fortune on supplements and see little to no result. I won’t recommend any specific place to buy nutrition supplements, I will say that aside from your traditional stores (GNC, Vitamin World, etc), most Wal-Mart Supercenters carry all of the above mentioned supplements. Make sure that you compare labels (a little online research wouldn’t hurt either) when shopping to ensure you’re actually getting what you pay for.