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We’ve all been there: You’re in your workout gear and ready to roll, except a voice inside of you says, “ Let’s skip the gym, eat a boatload of comfort food, and we’ll workout twice as hard tomorrow.”

But that’s not the way it works. Avoid temptation! Doing so will only put yourself in a position to play makeup against opponents who are treating their training prep more seriously than you are. So while you’re making up the ground you gave up, they’re making gains that could potentially beat you on the court, field, ice, or track. This is true from beginners participating in rec sports to professional athletes in the MLB, NHL, NFL, or NBA.

While your diet and training regimen are essential pieces to finding success as an athlete, your supplement routine deserves special treatment as well — especially during the wintertime if you’re prone to slacking. Since you’re training harder and more often than the typical gymgoer, you’re going to need more vitamins and nutrients to replace what’s lost during vigorous exercise. These supplements can help your body get the nutrients it requires all winter long …

Protein

Whey is a quick-digesting milk protein that can help rebuild muscle; casein is a slower-digesting form of protein. Both are useful for athletes. A meta-analysis presented in the Journal of American College of Nutrition also showed that consuming whey regularly helped both men and women decrease body fat and increase lean body mass. The researchers analyzed 626 adults and found that subjects who took whey decreased body weight a little more than nine pounds compared to those who didn’t take any whey; the lean body mass gains were nearly five pounds.

Casein is a solid protein to drink at night to feed your muscles throughout your sleep cycle.

BCAAs

Branched-chain amino acids can support protein synthesis and help initiate your body’s recovery. You can find BCAAs in whey protein, as well as in P4’s Recovery Push Formula. Paired with a carb loader and a deluge of vitamins, the BCAAs found in caffeine-free Recovery Push can support your efforts to finish your game or workout strong while simultaneously providing you with what’s necessary to recovery properly.

Creatine

It’s one of the most studied supplements in the supplements catalog and has been shown to increase muscle mass by about 10 pounds for some lifters. In addition, regular use of creatine can help produce up to 10 percent more strength. It works by providing energy to muscles, in essence allowing you to potentially knock out a few more reps, and thus, gain strength and size. Creatine is one of the ingredients in Pre Game Formula, which is a fantastic way to produce pre-workout or pre-game energy as well as aid the body to train or play longer and with more stamina.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s, found in seeds, nuts, fish, or fish oil supplements, can double team fat loss by helping the body reduce fat storage and lower inflammation, which can keep cortisol levels stabilized. Additionally, omega-3s have been thought to help lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease while supporting cholesterol levels.