Supplements

[Plan9Senior]

Curious as to which (if you are taking any) supplement is the most beneficial to you and your fitness goals.

[Plan9Senior]

I take a multivitamin, whey, and glutamine but if I was to choose the one that I like the most I think I would have to go with Glutamine. I am not sure if it is in my head, but I swear up and down that when I am taking it I notice an extreme reduction in recovery time which enables me to push myself THAT much harder each day because of the lack of soreness.

The protein and multivitamin are just my security blanket so that I maintain enough protein and essential vitamins daily (although my diet is so well balanced, I could get away with not taking these supps).

[Sparhawk]

whey protein over here. I've never tried glutamine, but granted I've only been doing weights for about 2.5 months now.

[RHix613]

I've used everyone at some point in my training, either together or separate. I like Protein best, gives me constant "food" for my muscles to recover and grow. I did like creatine and glutamine, but I cycled them and protein I can take all the time.

[Jadey]

I'm not sure which would be the most beneficial, but I take a Men's multivitamin, and after my workout (lunch) protein with glutamine. Combined, I think I get more benefit than I would just taking any one of them.

[Sleepyjack]

I don't really think i take any?
I just try to get all/most of my stuff from what may occur naturally in food. THe only supplement i can think of is vitamin c, but i only take that if i have a cold, which isn't too often or for long anyway.

A question though, where do they tend to get or derive these supplements from?
any idea? can they manufacture any of these, or are they broken down from natural products?
If they're manufactured, is there a big difference between the quality of vitmain in one supplment as opposed to one gained from a natural source (like fruit/veg/animal product?)

I used to drink protein drinks that had all these other vitamins and minerals added as well, but nowadays i just tend to make my own stuff, which is very amatuer .
It works out a lot cheaper and it's not like i am trying to be superman, such that i need a lot of exotic products in order to get to the ultimate peak of anything.

Anyway, always interested to know stuff about nutrition/health etc it's a little interest/hobby i have

sorry for the thread-jack, but any info anyone can shed would be appreciated

[almostaugust]

Yeah, interesting stuff. I have sustagen sport (which is a protein drink) and just a healthy diet. Maybe i should pop a multi vitamin now and then....

[JohnnyRock]

I am a big believer in the need for more protein thatn the ADA recommends. Whey proteing is great, especially since it ups both protein and glutamine in the diet...can't beat that!

[Sparhawk]

Ok, just picked up some glutamine powder, friggin 48 bucks for 133 servings. Anybody mix it with their protein shakes? It won't make it less effective, will it?

[Plan9Senior]

Originally posted by Sparhawk
Ok, just picked up some glutamine powder, friggin 48 bucks for 133 servings. Anybody mix it with their protein shakes? It won't make it less effective, will it?

Whoa! Where did you buy it?? That is way too high to be paying. I get mine for 30 dollars (500grams).

I mix it with mine into my protein shake pre and post workout (2.5 grams each time). I also take the glutamine with water before I go to sleep (5 grams). I take 10 grams of it per day.

[Plan9Senior]

Here is a link for you to check out some price ranges on glutamine so you don't get ripped off.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/glutamine.html

[txd]

I take multivitamins daily, just to makesure I get a balanced intake of vitamins and probiotics

http://www.multibionta.co.uk/

[Sparhawk]

Wow was I ripped off. I got the 'optimum glutamine powder 600grams', bought it at GNC (where I pick up my protein mix). It's selling on that site you linked for 20 bucks less... Grrrr....

[JohnnyRock]

Originally posted by Sparhawk
Wow was I ripped off. I got the 'optimum glutamine powder 600grams', bought it at GNC (where I pick up my protein mix). It's selling on that site you linked for 20 bucks less... Grrrr....

There are plenty of cheaper places on the internet to buy supplements than GNC. I gave up on them a long time ago. I use DPSnutrition.com a lotbut I bounce around looking for the best deals. look in the back on Muscle & Fitness or Flex, etc., and you'll find plenty of cheap places

[a1t3r3g0]

That's what you get for going to GNC

As for supplements.. my roommate says I'm going to wake up glowing one day! I take whey (Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey - good shit!), creatine, multivitamins, Joint Boost, and Ripped Fuel.

I think the creatine is really helping because a few days into maintanance I noticed that I was lifting a whole lot more!

Plan9: which Glutamine supplement do you use?

[RemyLebeau97]

I have took every thing from creatine, to whey protein, to weight gainers, to glutamine, I even tried that NO2 crap at one time. Think Ima just stick with my whey, creatine and multi vitamin every day.

[Plan9Senior]

Originally posted by a1t3r3g0

Plan9: which Glutamine supplement do you use?

Right now I am using Prolab. I just buy what I can get the best deal on . I also do the same with my whey...supplements can get expensive

[a1t3r3g0]

Which kinda whey protein do you use? I really like Optimum Nutritions'. I was using their Pro Complex but when I ran low and was looking for a replacement I decided to try their 100% Whey, and I really think this stuff works better than the other.

[Plan9Senior]

I try new protein everytime my 5 lb jug runs out. Right now I am taking Bioplex 100% whey (has no aspartame or Acesulfame-K).

[Sparhawk]

Alright, I'm reviving this thread because I'm starting to run out of the supplements I'm currently taking, and I'm going to order off of that bodybuilder.com site Plan9 linked. Now, I used to do a weight gainer shake in the morning, and a protein shake w/ glutamine post-workout. If I add in creatine as was suggested, do I still need the weight gainer shake in the morning? If so, what brand/product should I try (couldn't find it on the site...)

Cheers

[Plan9Senior]

Originally posted by Sparhawk
Alright, I'm reviving this thread because I'm starting to run out of the supplements I'm currently taking, and I'm going to order off of that bodybuilder.com site Plan9 linked. Now, I used to do a weight gainer shake in the morning, and a protein shake w/ glutamine post-workout. If I add in creatine as was suggested, do I still need the weight gainer shake in the morning? If so, what brand/product should I try (couldn't find it on the site...)

Cheers

Creatine isnt a weight gainer, so it has nothing to do with that. A lot of dieting athletes take creatine to maintain muscle while shedding the fat. Anyhow, just make sure to note that when taking glutamine and creatine: DONT TAKE THEM TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME!. You will have to take them at totally seperate times due to the fact that they compete for absorption (you wont get an effective effect from either). I would suggest taking the glutamine pre-workout and the creatine post workout. Before going to bed, take another 4 or 5 grams of glutamine.

As far as ordering off the site, do you not have any health stores near you? You will save a lot of money buying it without having to pay shipping costs etc.

*Another important fact to know when taking creatine is that you will have to stop drinking caffeine. Research has found that it drastically hinders the effect of the creatine and essentially you will just be pissing it down the toilet. Drink lots of water while on this supp for best results.

[Sleepyjack]

sorry to threadjack again, but to answer my own question:

A question though, where do they tend to get or derive these supplements from?
any idea? can they manufacture any of these, or are they broken down from natural products?
If they're manufactured, is there a big difference between the quality of vitmain in one supplment as opposed to one gained from a natural source (like fruit/veg/animal product?)

Natrual Vs Synthetic:

A vitamin is a complex mechanism - a working process - of biological "wheels within wheels," of functional, interrelated, interdependent components. A vitamin consists of not only the organic nutrient(s) identified as the vitamin, but also enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, and trace element activators.
Living things can be produced only from living things, never from non-living matter. Chemically-pure, refined, fractionated, and synthetic vitamins are dead, inert materials, non-perishable and devoid of enzymes. Natural foods contain live vitamins, organic minerals, enzymes, and other vital, functional, alive components, all organized (organic) by the sun, rain, water, soil's nutrients, and living bacteria.



Some Examples of Natural vs. Synthetic

1) Live, natural complexes are colloidal, protein in nature, and usually exist as enzymes or coenzymes. Heat, pasteurization, and steam sterilization destroy enzyme and enzyme activators, so supplements produced utilizing any of these procedures are not vitamin complexes.

2) The crystalline or chemically-pure vitamin, once separated from its protein (enzyme) component, has its biological activity – function - destroyed.

3) The natural complex contains trace mineral activators. Without these activators, the vitamin fails as a biochemical catalyst and function ceases.

4) Chemically-pure vitamins taken into the body must be "put in the proper combination" (recombined, if possible) with the other natural components of that vitamin complex - that is, those components missing from the chemically - pure vitamins - before they can function as a vitamin. This would "use up" from the body's reserves, those missing, natural factors, leading to, if taken for a long time or if a marginal deficiency already exists, a deficiency of those components. Therefore, since these synergistic factors are normally an integral part of the vitamin complex necessary to its form and function, a deficiency of that vitamin itself may develop. It is ironic that a deficit of the very vitamin taken occurs because of taking a chemically-pure form!

A vitamin supplement, then, cannot simply be an individual chemical or several chemicals. Supplements must be food concentrates, intact, integrated, with their vitamin complexes incorporated so as to retain their functional and nutritional integrity. Foods contain innumerable substances, many of which are - and will always be - unknown, that produce a combined effect to which a single ingredient cannot compare, leading to imbalanced effects. Therefore, a synthetic vitamin can only be used for a drug effect: it can mask or cover over symptoms, but does not alleviate the cause of the illness, disease, insult, or injury.

linkage: http://www.standardprocessofnyc.com/...synthetic.html

And although i imagine this guy has an agenda to sell his own product, here's more related stuff to unnatural supplements:
Why Your Vitamins Don't Work

This is generally related to the vitamin side of things? i am not sure about protein or glutamine as they come from meat products (normally?).

As for creatine, i don't really know what is? although i believe it's a synthetic compund anyway?

Anyway i would've thought it'd probably be cheaper to buy the natural supplements in natural form anyway? like a bag of oranges instead of a bottle of vitamin c or something else?

[tek55]

i take creatine and thermos

[Sparhawk]

The only health store around that I know of is GNC. As shown earlier in the thread, they charge some pretty exorbitant prices.

I'm just trying to get a good picture of when to drink which shakes.

Right now I guess I'm looking at either

weight gainer in the morning
creatine pre-workout
protein+glutamine post-workout

or

weight gainer+creatine in the morning
protein+glutamine post-workout

Which sounds good? or better yet, post your own...

[Plan9Senior]

weight gainer morning
glutamine pre-workout
protein + creatine post workout (take the creatine with a little grape juice for better absorption into body)
then glutamine once again before you go to sleep.

OR

Glutamine + weight gainer morning
Creatine preworkout
Creatine+ protein post workout (with grape juice)
glutamine before bed

[Sparhawk]

Thanks!!

[Plan9Senior]

just make sure to take the creatine immediately after working out, and/or 30 minutes before you work out. When I am cycling creatine, I take 4.5 grams before and 4.5 after working out.