A healthy appetite is the key to proper muscle mass gain.
Appetite is one of the main indicators of training intensity. If after training you have an irresistible desire to eat something, it means that the training was done correctly, and the natural process of restoring the body’s strength is underway. But, unfortunately, such a desire does not always arise. But without consuming the required amount of food, recovery processes occur more slowly. Accordingly, muscle growth slows down.
Bitters to increase appetite
Efficiency: moderate
Bitterness is actively involved in increasing appetite. These are a variety of bitter herbal extracts that have an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa, which allows them to reflexively increase appetite. Bitters sold in pharmacies have no contraindications or side effects, and are absolutely safe for health. In addition, you can buy bitters at the pharmacy, and you do not need a prescription.
Bitters (Tinctura amara) It is used to increase appetite orally, 10-20 drops per dose. Take half an hour before meals.
Appetizing collection (Species amarae) Take a tablespoon up to 4 times a day to increase appetite. Use 30 minutes before meals in the form of an infusion, which is obtained if you dilute a tablespoon of the mixture in a glass of boiling water.
Calamus rhizome (Rhizoma Calami) The infusion contains essential oils, tannins and the bitter substance acorin. To increase appetite, it should be taken as an infusion 3 times a day, 30 minutes before meals, ¼ cup.
Centaury Herb (HerbaCentaurii) The herb contains alkaloids (gentiamine, erythricin), bitter glycosides (such as eritaurin, gentiopicrin and erythrocentaurine), as well as the flavone glycoside centaurein. Take as an infusion 3-4 times a day, a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals. This bitterness is part of the drug depuraflux.
Homemade drops Montana (Montanahomedrops) Take the drops orally, 1-2 teaspoons after meals with a small amount of water. If your appetite is reduced, you should also consume them before meals, 20 minutes before. For constipation, Montana drops are diluted in warm water in the ratio: 2 teaspoons per glass of water, taken before breakfast on an empty stomach.
Dandelion root (Radix Taraxaci) Dandelion root contains resins, bitter glycoside (taraxacin), inulin (up to 40-45%) and other excipients. Take ¼ cup as an infusion 30 minutes before eating. The root should be infused at the rate of a teaspoon per glass of boiling water, taken at least 3 times a day. Dandelion root is included in the medicinal product homemade drops Montana, and therefore it is not advisable to combine them.
Wormwood herb (Herba Absinthii) The herb contains essential oils (no more than 2%), bitter substances (anabsintin and absinthine), flavonoid artemisetin, tannins, etc. Take 3 times a day half an hour before meals as an infusion.
Use bitterness one tablespoon at a time or as a tincture (no more than 20 drops). The herb of bitter wormwood can be found in such preparations as vitaon, aristochol, belladonna tincture, wormwood, valerian, peppermint, and in stomach tablets with belladonna extract.
Medication
It happens that the established diet does not help, then the doctor prescribes medication.
Periactin
Cyproheptadine hydrochloride. A medicine often prescribed by medical professionals. Normalizes the production of gastric juice during major weight loss. Helps with pathological conditions due to prolonged refusal of food.
Peritol
Tablets to increase appetite in adults, blocking the production of serotonin. Capable of increasing the need for food. The standard dosage of the medicine is 1 tablet every 6 hours, 3 per day. If necessary, the doctor increases or decreases the amount of the drug taken.
Apilak
The drug is able to relieve pain and helps in regeneration. Apilak is a general strengthening medicine. There are no contraindications for use. Prescribed for diseases associated with weight loss. Release form: powder, ointment, tablets.
Elkar
Compared to similar drugs, Elkar is significantly more expensive. Used to treat dysfunction of the digestive system, as well as pathologies associated with improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Release form: chewable tablets, solutions and tablets.
Drugs to increase appetite
Pernexin elixir
Efficiency: moderate
The elixir is a safe complex drug that helps increase appetite. The drug contains thiamine hydrochloride, liver extract, riboflavin, cyanocobalamin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, niacin, iron gluconate, sodium glycerophosphate, as well as many vitamins. All components of the drug are of natural origin.
Peritol
Efficiency: high
Synonyms: Supersan, Vinorex, Periactin, Adekin, Apetigen, Cypractin, Cyprodin, Istabin, Cyproheptadine, Vieldrin, Pariatin, Astonin.
Pharmacological action: It is an antagonist of histamine and serotonin. These components, accumulating in the center responsible for hunger, suppress the feeling of appetite. Peritol blocks the action of these mediators and thus increases appetite.
Instructions for use: To increase appetite, take 0.5-1 tablet 3-4 times a day or 1-2 teaspoons in the form of syrup 3-4 times a day.
Side effects: Rarely observed. Mild nausea, headache, anxiety, dizziness and cramping may occur.
Contraindications: The drug is contraindicated for people suffering from glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure), stomach ulcers, and attacks of bronchial asthma. Also, the drug is not prescribed to children under 2 years of age and the elderly.
Insulin
Efficiency: very high
Rapid-acting insulin 5-10 units before meals. A significant increase in appetite is observed within 20 minutes after administration. Insulin is popular in bodybuilding because it has a pronounced anabolic effect. Before use, you need to consult a doctor and become thoroughly familiar with the pharmacological effects of the drug.
Anabolic steroid
Efficiency: very high
Almost all groups of anabolic steroids increase appetite, but the best remedy for these purposes is the drug Primobolan. However, when taking anabolic steroids, side effects are observed that are common to all drugs.
Pills
Taking pills is not always effective and certainly not harmless. You cannot take pills and hormonal medications without a doctor’s prescription; the effect may be the opposite. In case of diseases of the thyroid gland or endocrine system, hormones can lead to failure or simply be ineffective.
To suppress hunger, pills can be:
- Adrenalitin-like: fepranon, trimex, dietrin, mazindol, desiopimine.
- Serotonin-like: fluoxetine, isolipan, minifage.
The drugs not only reduce appetite, but also perfectly stimulate the central nervous system. They have side effects, for example, phenamine is also a doping agent to mobilize all the body’s reserves.
Medications based on seratonin can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, and irritability. Some drugs reduce the level of absorption of consumed fat, but they must be taken in conjunction with a low-fat diet, otherwise they will simply be ineffective when taken alone.
Doctors recommend the use of sibutramine and anorectic, which reduces appetite, but it also has contraindications.
The chemical compounds in the tablets act on the brain, right at the center, suppressing appetite and signals to eat. The feeling of hunger disappears, you want to eat less, the extra pounds gradually begin to disappear. But the harm from pills is also enormous. In addition to loss of appetite, insomnia, kidney problems, blood pressure, nervousness, depression, nausea, and dry mouth may occur.
Price: packaging of CFB, turboslim costs 80-100 rubles. Capsules from the “Loss of Appetite” series – 450 rub. Reduxin capsules 60 pcs - 1500 rub. Garcinia forte tablets -500 rub.
Other drugs that can increase appetite
Vitamins
Efficacy: moderate
Doctors recommend taking vitamin complexes to increase appetite. Vitamin B12 and ascorbic acid are considered especially effective in this matter. Sometimes it is a deficiency of vitamins that leads to a decrease in appetite.
Preparations with iron
Efficiency: moderate
Statistics show that medications that contain iron significantly increase appetite. Examples include drugs such as Sorbifer, Ferrum lek, Fenyuls, etc. They are taken with meals, but some drugs rich in iron can cause intestinal disorders.
Vitamin complexes
Considering that modern food products presented on the shelves of modern stores do not have much value, it is imperative to include all kinds of vitamin complexes for adults and children in the diet. These are vitamins for appetite, for replenishing the body with components important for life.
The optimal solution is appetite vitamins for adults and children, prescribed by a doctor. An excess, as well as a deficiency, can negatively affect the functioning of the body. It is better to find out after preliminary diagnosis what exactly the body requires, what vitamins increase appetite in adults and children and fill them with missing components.
Pikovit
Vitamin and mineral complex to increase appetite for adults and children. It has a general strengthening effect, saturates the body with ascorbic and folic acids, calcium. Contains a large amount of vitamins A, B, E, which help increase appetite.
Available in the form of film-coated tablets. To increase appetite, take one tablet an hour after a meal. The course of rehabilitation therapy lasts at least a month.
Makrovit
A vitamin complex whose composition is similar to Pikovit, but has a weaker effect. Designed to increase appetite in adults and children. Contains a large set of vitamins - A, B, C, E, riboflavin and retinol. It has a strengthening effect and is recommended for people on a diet. Taken in combination with other medications. The course lasts one month, after which you can take a break.
Along with medications and dietary supplements, vitamin complexes are in demand. Doctors advise taking B vitamins and ascorbic acid to increase appetite.
Among the vitamin complexes offered by pharmacies, Dotex and Pikovit are distinguished. Among individual vitamins: B2, B5, B3, B12.
When choosing vitamins to stimulate your appetite, you need to know the rules for combining vitamins. By taking the wrong combination of vitamins, one achieves either a lack of effect from the medications taken or a negative treatment result.
How can you increase your appetite while doing bodybuilding?
If you are pursuing the goal of increasing your appetite, then you can follow the following algorithm, stopping at a certain level that fully corresponds to your desires:
- Follow the recommendations of nutritionists that are listed at the beginning of the article
- Try to consume a lot of calories through liquid foods: protein shakes, food shakes, etc.
- Try taking vitamins (complex, B12, ascorbic acid)
- Start taking bitters
- Take Peritol
- Take other medications
However, it is better to dwell on only one specific point: excessive effort will only do harm.
Causes of decreased appetite
Before resorting to taking medications that increase appetite, make sure that you do not suffer from diseases that cause decreased appetite. Such diseases may include:
- Gastritis, pulpitis and other intestinal diseases
- Liver diseases
- Depression, stress and other mental disorders
- Oncological diseases
- Infections of any nature
In addition to the above, certain groups of medications can also reduce appetite: such as NSAIDs, antibiotics, antihypertensive drugs, as well as smoking and alcohol abuse