Since we're all trying to get healthier (supplements thread)

[Azure]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is all of this stuff really necessary? I think this kind of stuff is what discourages me the most from working out. Can't I just go to the gym, hit the bike, do some weights and area-specific workouts, and eat a healthy diet? Will my body not respond to this, whither and perish if I'm not drinking 3 protein shakes and taking 80 different vitamin supplements?

I happen to agree with you. Eating a healthy diet should be enough.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is all of this stuff really necessary? I think this kind of stuff is what discourages me the most from working out. Can't I just go to the gym, hit the bike, do some weights and area-specific workouts, and eat a healthy diet? Will my body not respond to this, whither and perish if I'm not drinking 3 protein shakes and taking 80 different vitamin supplements?

Originally Posted by Azure

I happen to agree with you. Eating a healthy diet should be enough.

And you are right. However with the way foods are processed now you can not get all your nutrients. This is why they are called supplements, you are supplementing for the things you might not be able to get with your diet.

If you feel going to the gym and eating healthy works for you, well stick with it. If you have reached a plateau in your results then you may need to supplement to get the results you are looking for. More protein = more muscle, throw in some glutamine = faster recovery, etc.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by HOOT

And you are right. However with the way foods are processed now you can not get all your nutrients. This is why they are called supplements, you are supplementing for the things you might not be able to get with your diet.

If you feel going to the gym and eating healthy works for you, well stick with it. If you have reached a plateau in your results then you may need to supplement to get the results you are looking for. More protein = more muscle, throw in some glutamine = faster recovery, etc.

Okay, I think I get it now. If you're just trying to get a good physique, lose weight, etc then eating right and getting good excercise is probably enough. If you're trying to train or gain more muscle then you should invest in supplements. Am I on the right track here?

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Okay, I think I get it now. If you're just trying to get a good physique, lose weight, etc then eating right and getting good excercise is probably enough. If you're trying to train or gain more muscle then you should invest in supplements. Am I on the right track here?

Yes and No. I would recommend Multi-Vitamins and Fish Oil as a minimum but do what fits your lifestyle and budget.

IMO if I had to budget my supplements I would put them in the order of:

1. Multi Vit.
2. Fish Oil
3. Protein
4. Glutamine
5. Creatine

Things like Fiber, Arginine, Gluclosamine, Greens+, BCAA's, etc are all just a bonus that you body wants (not needs) to get even more healthy.

The only thing in nutritional stores that are a waste of money are those Thermogenics that promise you will lose weight. Sometimes they work but as soon as you go off the product you put that weight back on, if not more!

The thing with this topic is everyone has their own "success receipe" and you gotta find what works for YOU. Everyone's body is different so you will get different results.

[Azure]

I also recommend Fish Oil.....unless your diet is heavy on the fish side, which it probably isn't considering where we live.

[rubecube]

Meh, I lost like 40 pounds by simply cutting red meats and most dairy out of my diet, and going to the gym a few times a week. I also upped the amount of veggies I ate. I just can't really afford to go crazy on the suppliments and what I've done in the past seems to work for me.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Meh, I lost like 40 pounds by simply cutting red meats and most dairy out of my diet, and going to the gym a few times a week. I also upped the amount of veggies I ate. I just can't really afford to go crazy on the suppliments and what I've done in the past seems to work for me.

Great work! Stick with it then.

If you find you plateau maybe throw in some protein shakes to gain muscle, the more muscle you have, the more fat you will shred.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Meh, I lost like 40 pounds by simply cutting red meats and most dairy out of my diet, and going to the gym a few times a week. I also upped the amount of veggies I ate. I just can't really afford to go crazy on the suppliments and what I've done in the past seems to work for me.

Like Hoot said that is fine, if it works for you. As you get older your metabolism will slow down. You will have to work harder and watch what you eat even more to keep the same physic you do now.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Like Hoot said that is fine, if it works for you. As you get older your metabolism will slow down. You will have to work harder and watch what you eat even more to keep the same physic you do now.

LOL, well it's not like my physique is the pinnacle of modern man or anything. I still could stand to lose about 15-20 pounds but I figure I'll just try and convert it into muscle as opposed to shedding it. So maybe I'll look into some supplements that will help with that.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Yes and No. I would recommend Multi-Vitamins and Fish Oil as a minimum but do what fits your lifestyle and budget.

IMO if I had to budget my supplements I would put them in the order of:

1. Multi Vit.
2. Fish Oil
3. Protein
4. Glutamine
5. Creatine

Things like Fiber, Arginine, Gluclosamine, Greens+, BCAA's, etc are all just a bonus that you body wants (not needs) to get even more healthy.

The only thing in nutritional stores that are a waste of money are those Thermogenics that promise you will lose weight. Sometimes they work but as soon as you go off the product you put that weight back on, if not more!

The thing with this topic is everyone has their own "success receipe" and you gotta find what works for YOU. Everyone's body is different so you will get different results.

Well, if you take protein (I suppose you mean protein powder - shake) it means you take BCAAs too.

BCAAs are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine and are found in every protein shake. If yours doesnt have them, throw it away. They are best taken in the 2:1:1 ratio, and you need lot of them, so best to take them on top of your protein shake.

Arginine is one of several amino acids protein powders are made from, but you want higher doses (it increases muscle mass, among other things) so again, best to take Arginine on top of your shake as well, eventhough it is in it already.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Well, if you také protein (I suppose you mean protein powder - shake) it means you take BCAAs too.

BCAAs are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine and are found in every protein shake. If yours doesnt have them, throw it away. They are best taken in the 2:1:1 ratio, and you need lot of them, so best to take them on top of your protein shake.

Arginine is one of several amino acids protein powders are made from, but you want higher doses (it increases muscle mass, among other things) so again, best to take Arginine on top of your shake as well, eventhough it is in it already.

I realize that BCAA's and Arginine are in Protein powder however taking more on top will not hurt anyone. That's why I threw it in with if you have extra money you can add these extras.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by HOOT

I realize that BCAA's and Arginine are in Protein powder however taking more on top will not hurt anyone. That's why I threw it in with if you have extra money you can add these extras.

OK we are on the same page then

I wanted to make sure it doesn't come across as "shake is for normal people, but if you want to go crazy, take BCAA's and Arginine too."

The real trick seems to be the timing of all supplements - morning, pre-workout (30 mins - 1 hour) , immediately pre-workout, immediately after workout, after workout (30 mins - 1 hour), before bed.

Sometimes even different producents of the same stuff differ in timing, not to mention dosages. You have to try what works best for you and your goals, but it can get expensive.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Meh, I lost like 40 pounds by simply cutting red meats and most dairy out of my diet, and going to the gym a few times a week. I also upped the amount of veggies I ate. I just can't really afford to go crazy on the suppliments and what I've done in the past seems to work for me.

Good advice, but I think that red meat gets an unwarrented bad rep. Lots of red meats are healthy, the problem is read meat is often in foods that are unhealthy like burgers, fatty cold cuts, etc. So you would be better off leaving read meat in your diet but cutting out the bad foods associated with them.

A lean meat is great for you. Especially if you are trying to put on muscle mass.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

OK we are on the same page then

I wanted to make sure it doesn't come across as "shake is for normal people, but if you want to go crazy, take BCAA's and Arginine too."

The real trick seems to be the timing of all supplements - morning, pre-workout (30 mins - 1 hour) , immediately pre-workout, immediately after workout, after workout (30 mins - 1 hour), before bed.

Sometimes even different producents of the same stuff differ in timing, not to mention dosages. You have to try what works best for you and your goals, but it can get expensive.

This is also the worst part!

For example if you take Glutamine and Creatine you should take them at least 2 hours apart else they are "fighting" for the same passage to help your muscles and you don't get the full effect.

Or things like not taking Creatine with OJ (or acidy drinks) because Creatine already peaks your PH levels in your stomach and by adding OJ to the mix brings your PH levels to an abnormal high.

It would defenitly be easier to get it all done with in the morning but the results aren't as good. HOWEVER taking them all at once in the morning is better than not taking them at all. IMO.

[HOOT]

Also regarding Creatine anyone that is taking it should look at a product called Kre-Alkalyn its a "buffered" Creatine that will not bing the PH levels so high in your stomach. I have been taking it for a few months now and have noticed bigger gains also.

There is also no waste with Kre-Alkalyn. When you take 5g your budy gets 5g, where with Creatine if you take 5g you body might take in 1-2g.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Also regarding Creatine anyone that is taking it should look at a product called Kre-Alkalyn its a "buffered" Creatine that will not bing the PH levels so high in your stomach. I have been taking it for a few months now and have noticed bigger gains also.

There is also no waste with Kre-Alkalyn. When you take 5g your budy gets 5g, where with Creatine if you take 5g you body might take in 1-2g.

Whenever someone brings up Creatine I think of a CP poster I had an argument with a few months ago.....he said Creatine is like taking steroids, and refused to acknowledge that your body naturally produces it in the first place.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Azure

Whenever someone brings up Creatine I think of a CP poster I had an argument with a few months ago.....he said Creatine is like taking steroids, and refused to acknowledge that your body naturally produces it in the first place.

Well that CPer is an idiot If it's like taking steroids that person should never eat red meat EVER!

I had the same argument with a buddy of mine. He was convinced I was doing something illegal. But this was the same guy telling me I would get bigger muscle gains if I benched 45lbs fifty times vs 300lbs ten times. It's all about TOTAL LOAD.

Some people don't understand or don't want to understand the science behind it. If you know how it works it will benefit you in so many ways. There is no way to know everything but to know the basics will save your time, money and most importantly your body.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Well that CPer is an idiot If it's like taking steroids that person should never eat red meat EVER!

I had the same argument with a buddy of mine. He was convinced I was doing something illegal. But this was the same guy telling me I would get bigger muscle gains if I benched 45lbs fifty times vs 300lbs ten times. It's all about TOTAL LOAD.

Some people don't understand or don't want to understand the science behind it. If you know how it works it will benefit you in so many ways. There is no way to know everything but to know the basics will save your time, money and most importantly your body.

Yep.

There are a lot of 'myths' out there, about losing weight, your diet, lifting....etc, etc.....so its actually not surprising what some people believe.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Azure

Whenever someone brings up Creatine I think of a CP poster I had an argument with a few months ago.....he said Creatine is like taking steroids, and refused to acknowledge that your body naturally produces it in the first place.

I remember that. He kept talking about he would listen to his prof vs somebody on the Internet. He also kept going on and on about consulting with a doctor. Even though you (or who ever) kept explaining that you had consulted your doctor.

[mykalberta]

Please note everyones body is different. I dont have a speedy metabolism like Rubecube but different things for different people. Best advice if you are starting out is workout with a partner. Preferably same sex else you wont get anything accomplished.