By: Hugo Rivera
When it comes to gaining muscle, most people think that supplements are the most important part of the equation. However, this could not be any further from the truth.

Supplements are just additions to an already good nutrition and training program. Nutrition and training are the most important components of a bodybuilding program, with rest and recovery next to them. Once all of those aspects of your program are maximized, then you can start thinking of adding supplements to your program.

Please understand that supplements do not make up for improper training, or lack thereof, or a low quality diet. Supplements only work when your diet and your training program are optimal.

Why Use Supplements?
Nutritional supplements are good because they prevent us from getting any nutritional deficiencies. The increased activity levels from your new exercise program will make your body have greater demands for vitamins and minerals, which will increase the probability of you suffering a deficiency without supplementation. Even a slight nutrient deficiency can sabotage muscle growth.

Can’t we get all the nutrients we need from food alone? We cannot rely solely on food nowadays to provide us with all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs because the processing of foods before they get to the supermarket, cooking, air, and even light have already robbed your foods of most of the vitamins that they have to offer. If you are deficient in one or more nutrients your body may not be able to build muscle and burn fat properly.

Not all supplements are created equal though. Some your body always needs, others are more dependent upon what your goals are and what your budget looks like. Below you will learn what the different categories of supplements are and which ones you need to use at all times:

Basic Supplements

These are the supplements that you always need year round in order to gain muscle. If you have a limited budget, these are the only ones that you need to concern yourself with.

1 – Multiple Vitamin And Mineral Formula
Essential to insure that your body will operate at maximum efficiency. Why? Because on a very simplistic level, without vitamins and minerals it is impossible to covert the food that we eat into hormones, tissues and energy.

Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds (produced by both animals and vegetables) whose function is to enhance the actions of proteins that cause chemical reactions such as muscle building, fat burning and energy production. There are two types of vitamins:

1. Fat soluble vitamins – they get stored in fat and therefore if taken in excessive amounts will become toxic such as A, D, E, and K.

2. Water soluble vitamins – they are not stored in the body such as the B-Complex and Vitamin C.

Minerals
Minerals are inorganic compounds (not produced by either animals or vegetables). Their main function is to assure that your brain receives the correct signals from the body, balance of fluids, muscular contractions and energy production as well as for the building of muscle and bones. There are two types of minerals:
3. Bulk minerals – Which are called this way as the body needs them in great quantities in the order of grams such as Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus.
4. Trace minerals – Which are needed by the body in minute amounts, usually in the order of micrograms such as chromium, copper, cobalt, silicon, selenium, iron and zinc.

Where Can You Get Vitamins and Minerals From?

I like simplicity and because of that I tend to get most of my vitamins and minerals from multiple vitamin/mineral packs.
The ones I personally use are the Prolab’s Training Paks, which are loaded with potent levels of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds.

You have to be very careful with what type of vitamin and mineral formulas you choose as some don’t always contain what the labels claim (thanks to unscrupulous manufacturers) and some come from such poor sources that they are not absorbed very well by the body.
Other Reputable Companies On The Market That I Have Used Include:

• Twinlabs
• EAS
• Weider
• Labrada
• Shiff
• Optimum Nutrition
• Advanced Nutrition
• Higher Power Nutrition
• Champion Nutrition

2 – Protein Supplements
Because of hectic schedules it is impossible to eat the six perfectly balanced meals that are required to get in shape a day. Therefore, these supplements can be used as “fast food”. They are easy to prepare (if it is a protein bar then no preparation is required) and most of the formulas that are available on the market today pay close attention to taste.

Having said that, there are many categories of protein supplements, so we will cover each category and discuss the correct way to use them. However, before we cover the different categories of protein supplements, let’s talk about the different sources of protein found in these supplements.

Protein Sources

There are many sources of protein from which protein powders or bars are made of. Protein quality is measured by Biological Value (BV). BV is a value that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein. The higher the Biological Value of the protein you use, the more nitrogen your body can absorb, use, and retain.

As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the most lean muscle gains. Whey protein has the highest BV value, rating at 104. Egg protein is only second to whey rating as a 100 with milk proteins being a close third rating as 91. Beef rates as an 80 with soy proteins a distant 74. Bean proteins, due to the fact that are plant-based proteins, only rate a 49.

Now that we have discussed BV values, let’s discuss each protein source in more detail.

Whey Proteins (Whey Concentrate/Whey Isolate)

I feel that whey protein is a great protein source for the following reasons shown in a growing number of studies:

• It improves sports performance because it reduces stress and lowers cortisol levels (hormone that destroys muscle).
• Improved immunity by increasing glutathione (GSH), which is a water soluble antioxidant found in the body.
• Improved liver function in some forms of hepatitis.
• Reduces blood pressure.
• Can help fight HIV.
• Helps reduce overtraining (which is linked also to low levels of GSH).

In addition to the above, we need to mention that whey proteins are highly digestible and have a better amino acid profile even than egg whites. So in other words, whey protein has the highest biological value (value that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein) of any protein.

Having said this, whey is not the steroid-like substance that many advertisers would like you to believe, but based on the research I’ve looked at and on my own use of the product; I feel it is a valuable addition to one’s diet for the reasons outlined above.

Also, you need to understand that all whey is not created equal. The whey that will give you the benefits described above has to be micro-filtered.

Otherwise, it is just the garbage left after pasteurizing milk. Micro-filtration than has to be done at very low temperatures in order to allow for the production of high protein contents with no undenatured protein, minimum fat, minimum cholesterol and minimum lactose.

Isolates & Concentrates
In addition, there are whey isolates and whey concentrates. Whey isolates are sub-fractions of whey that are absorbed much more rapidly into the system. This is a good thing for post workout nutrition as at this time the body is in dire need of amino acids.

However, whey isolate makes a poor choice for during the day supplementation as if the body does not have a need for all of the amino acids that are released into the bloodstream, then it will use them for energy production as opposed to muscle building.

Also, it is important to mention that whey isolate does not have many of the health enhancing properties that are described above, as the expensive process required to produce whey isolate destroys many of the health/immune system enhancing sub-fractions such as the lactoferrins, beta-lactoglobulins, and immuno-globulins.

Therefore, for during the day use, a product consisting mainly of whey concentrate is your best bet while for after the workout, a whey isolate product would be a better choice.

Egg Protein

Egg protein is a super bio-available protein second only to whey, as previously discussed. It is a slower released protein than whey, which makes it perfect for throughout the day use.

One thing that I like to do is mix some egg and whey protein for the most bio-available protein shake in the planet!
Milk Proteins (Calcium Casseinate/Miscellar Casein)
Milk proteins, just like egg proteins, are a highly bio-available protein source (slightly less BV than egg) that is slowly released into the blood stream.

Calcium Casseinate & Miscellar Casein

Calcium Casseinate is the regular protein that is found in regular milk and other dairy products.
Miscellar casein is the natural, undenatured form of casein found in milk. It is separated from milk by means of ultrafiltration, without the use of chemicals, which increases the amount of bioactive milk peptides that support immune function as well as enhance muscle growth.

A property of micellar casein is that it may have the ability to provide a steady release of amino acids into the blood stream, which makes it an excellent choice for a long lasting anti-catabolic (muscle protecting) protein.

Beef Proteins
Beef proteins are slow released proteins that rate an 80 on the BV scale. While I don’t know of any protein supplement in powder on the market that is made from beef proteins, there are beef liver tablets out there that do provide the benefits from beef proteins.

Beef proteins are abundant in blood building iron and also on B-vitamins, all factors that contribute to better nutrient utilization and energy production.

Soy Proteins

Soy has been shown to exhibit positive health benefits for both men and women. Studies have shown they may reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate, etc), and other cancers as well. Soy’s primary health benefits include reducing high cholesterol and easing the symptoms of menopause (due to the fact that it contains estrogen like substances called phyto-estrogens).

Soy has also been shown to help with osteoporosis by building up bone mass. Because of this, I like to recommend 1 serving of soy protein per day for women but only for its health benefits.
However, in the muscle building department, I don’t feel that soy is very useful, especially for men. First of all, its BV value is a distant 49, and second of all, since it has estrogen like substances, it could potentially reduce the utilization of testosterone through the binding of phyto-estrogens to the testosterone receptors.

Protein Supplements

Now that we have covered the main proteins present in protein supplements, lets discuss the different types of protein supplements on the market.

Weight Gainers

Weight gainers are protein shakes whose protein source consists mainly of whey proteins (mostly concentrate with some isolate as well). Some also include other proteins such as milk proteins and/or egg. These products are characterized by their extremely high carbohydrate content; typically in the form of maltodextrin (a high glycemic complex carb) and fructose (simple sugar originating from fruits).

Weight gainers were very popular back in the 90s but their popularity has died mainly because most people do not have the fast metabolism of a hardgainer; so as a result, a high carbohydrate diet applied on a person with over 10% body fat typically leads mostly to fat gains instead of muscle mass gains. For hardgainers however, and bodybuilders who are below 10% body fat, these products be very useful for getting in the amount of quality calories required to gain quality muscle.

They are best when used for the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and post workout meals as the carbohydrate content is of a fast released nature. They can be mixed with fruit juice or skim milk, and in order to increase the calorie content the use of flaxseed oil and fruits is invaluable.

My favorite weight gainers on the market are:
• Prolab’s N-Large II (the most popular one on the market)
• Beverly International’s Mass Maker
• Twinlab’s Gainers Fuel 2500
• Champion Nutrition’s Heavyweight Gainer 900
• Weider’s Mega Mass 4000
• Clark Bartram’s X-Treme Size
• EAS Mass Factor
This is not a comprehensive list by any means, but rather a list of the products that I know are good. The fact that a product is not on this list does not mean that it is not a good one.

Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs)

These powders are lower in calories due to the fact that they have way less carbohydrates than weight gainers. They were created after the realization that most of the population does not have a weight gain problem and therefore the weight gainers on the market were of little use to them.
Protein-wise, most are composed of whey proteins but there are many new formulas now on the market that consist of a protein blend of whey and milk proteins. Typically, the carbohydrate component used to be maltodextrin, yielding around 25-27 grams of carbohydrate per serving, but the newer generation formulas consist of slower released carbohydrates like brown rice and oats in order to make the product lower glycemic in nature.

Also, essential fatty acids have been added as well as a vitamin and mineral profile. While these products are too low in calories for most Hardgainers, they can use these as long as they add other ingredients such as fruit, skim milk and essential fats in order to increase the caloric base.
My favorite MRP on the market, by far, is Prolab’s Lean Mass Complex, as it is instantized (you can mix with liquid and a spoon), and has a unique cinnamon oatmeal flavor.
In addition it contains essential fats, a slow released carbohydrate matrix and a protein blend of
whey proteins and miscellar casein.

Other good products I like are are:
• Beverly International’s Ultra Size
• Champion Nutrition’s Ultramet (the vanilla flavor is excellent)
• EAS’ Myoplex (though it is very hard to mix)
• Labrada’s Lean Body
Any of these products can be used throughout the day in between meals or after the workout.

Protein Powders
Protein powders are just powders that consist mainly of protein (typically whey protein is what is sold these days but you can also find blends). Typically, they contain no more than 5 grams of carbohydrates per scoop and 20-25 grams of protein (per scoop). Calorie wise they consist of anywhere from 100-125 calories.

Good sources of these powders are:
• Prolab’s Pure Whey (available now also in Cinnamon Oatmeal flavor)
• EAS MyoPro (chocolate being my favorite flavor)
• Next Nutrition Designer Protein
• IronTek’s Essential Protein

The powders just mentioned are mainly whey protein concentrate. The best isolates in the market are:
• Natures Best Zero Carb Isopure
• Prolab’s Isolate

My favorite blends in the market of whey proteins with slower released proteins are:
• Beverly International’s Muscle Provider (whey and egg blend)
• Prolab’s Protein Component (also available in my favorite Cinnamon Oatmeal flavor)

I love protein supplements because of the many uses that they have. For instance in the morning I like to have oatmeal with Cinnamon flavored protein powder. One can also use them to add more protein to either a meal replacement powder or a weight gainer. Alternatively, one can also use them for creating a home-made weight gain formula.

So now, which protein product should you choose? If trying to gain weight then a weight gainer for sure. If you are looking to have a full meal consisting of carbs, proteins and some fats then an MRP is your best bet. If on a budget then the best way to go is to buy a 5-lb tub of protein powder.

Protein Bars
These are bars made out of any of the protein sources listed above. The carbohydrate mix is usually a combination of glycerin (which is not really a carbohydrate but a sugar alcohol) and sugars.

They are low in calories compared to a weight gain shake and typically contain less than desirable fats. If trying to lose fat, then limit their use to once per day at the most.
If doing a competition then I would not touch them. The ones I like most in the market today are:

• Premiere 1 Odyssey Bars
• Labrada’s Lean Body Bars
• Met Rx Protein Plus Food Bars
• Worldwide Pure Protein Bars
• EAS’ Myoplex Deluxe Bars

Beef Liver Tablets
These tablets are a great source of beef liver and bodybuilders have been using them for decades in order to obtain the values offered by beef proteins. The key thing for liver tablets to be useful is that they need to be manufactured with the highest grade of beef liver and they also need to be purified from the fat, cholesterol and other impurities that are contained in the liver.
When it comes to beef liver tablets the best ones in the market, in my opinion, are Beverly International’s Ultra 40 because they contain the highest grade of beef liver and have been purified and processed to contain forty-five times the nutritional amount of whole beef liver.
The way to use them is to add 3-4 tablets per meal. Each tablet adds an additional 2 grams of protein from beef liver to your meals.

3- Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, Alpha Linoleic Acid (Omega-3s) and Linoleic Acid (Omega-6s), are fats that need to be consumed through one’s diet as the body cannot manufacture them. They are most important as they are involved in several key body functions such as energy production, fat burning, brain and nerve tissue development, mood regulation, insulin metabolism, hemoglobin production, etc.

In addition, these fats have some interesting properties such as anti-inflammatory properties, anti-lipolitic properties (prevention of extra calories being stored as fat), reduction in allergies, and immune system strengthening.

Where Can You Get EFA’s From?

So having said that, where can one find EFA’s? Salmon and flax seeds are high on the Omega-3s. If you do not consume any of these items, then either flax seed oil, flax seed oil capsules or fish oil capsules would be a good idea to add to your supplements program. Omega-6 fats typically do not need to be supplemented as they are easily found in poultry, eggs and whole-grain breads. Typically, one’s diet is abundant on the Omega-6 but lacking on the Omega-3′s.

My favorite EFA product is manufactured by a company called Pride Nutrition which has a blend called Premium EFA. In addition to Essential Fats, this blend also has CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and GLA (gamma linolenic acid). These two fatty acids are showing very promising studies for weight loss and joint lubrication.

What I like the most about this product is the fact that they added the Lipase enzyme, which helps with the absorption and digestion of the fats. This product is the only one I have ever tried where you do not end up burping the oil a few minutes after you take the capsules.

Other products I like are Serrano Labs Alpha Omega-3s, which is also an excellent product. For CLA only capsules I like Prolab’s Enhanced CLA which also has some flaxseed oil in order to provide some Omega 3′s.

4- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that improves your immune system and helps you recover faster from your workouts by suppressing the amount of cortisol (hormone that kills muscle and aids in the accumulation of fat) that is released by your body during a workout.

This is the only Vitamin that I recommend to be taken in mega doses quantities. Remember that since it is a water-soluble vitamin, it will not get stored by the body. Research shows that if taken an hour before a workout (1000mg dose) it significantly reduces muscle soreness and speeds recovery after a workout.

I recommend a total of 3000 mg per day of Vitamin C. If your multiple vitamin pack already has 1000 mg, and you take this in the morning, then all you need is an extra 1000 mg at lunch and 1000 mg at dinner.

A good Vitamin C that comes in 1000 mg capsules at a super awesome price (250 caps at $10.49) are produced by Higher Power Nutrition.
5- Chromium Picolinate

Chromium Picolinate is a mineral that may enhance the effects of insulin, the hormone that pushes amino acids (protein) and carbohydrates into the muscle cell. As we have previously discussed, insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones in the body; it determines if the food that you eat is going to be used for muscle production, energy production or fat production. When insulin is secreted in moderate levels, it aids in muscle and energy production.
In excessive levels it only promotes fat storage. Chromium Picolinate may upgrade insulin’s capability to produce muscle and energy by making the cells in the body more prone towards accepting this hormone (in other words, enhancing insulin sensitivity). In doing so, it may help you to gain muscle and lose fat faster as insulin will now be able to deliver the desired nutrients to the muscle cell.

Chromium may also keep blood sugar levels stable, thereby preventing insulin levels from going high enough to begin promoting fat storage. Again, chromium only works if we follow a proper diet. Also, while it is not the magic bullet that it was claimed to be for building muscle back in the early 90′s I still feel that it is useful for ensuring that our insulin sensitivity is at its peak.
Sources
Again, I like Higher Power’s Chromium Picolinate due to the quality and awesome price.
Quantity:
200 mcg with the post workout meal and with breakfast on days off.

Supplement Recommendations Summary

Essential To Take
• MultiVitamin/Mineral Complex taken with breakfast.
• Essential Oils, at least 14 grams per every 100lbs of bodyweight.
• 1 gram Vitamin C taken with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Weight Gain, Whey Protein Powder or Meal Replacement Powder for mixing with skim milk or water in order to make protein shakes. (Needs vary depending on diet).
Until next time, take care and train hard!

About The Author
Hugo Rivera is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Sports Nutrition Specialist and Computer Engineer graduate from the University of South Florida. Hugo is owner of www.hrfit.net, an informational, free fitness and nutrition website.
Hugo is author of a self published bodybuilding e-book called Body Re-Engineering geared towards the natural bodybuilder and co-author of one of the most popular Men’s Health book in the country (according to Barnes and Noble) called The BodySculpting Bible for Men and the very popular BodySculpting Bible for Women.
Hugo also just released his new book called The Hardgainer’s Handbook of Bodybuilding in March 2005 and also serves as a nutrition consultant to several professional football players and other elite athletes. Hugo serves as business consultant to many personal training studios as well and offers personalized diet and training programs through his website.
Hugo continues to publish several articles on the subject of health and nutrition in several magazines and websites and has been with Prolab Nutrition for over three years. Hugo competes as drug free NPC athlete at the National Level and his core supplementation has always consisted of Prolab products.

All rights reserved. Learn more at Bodybuilding.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

It’s understandable. But if you’re one of the millions responsible for keeping fast food chains and bakeries in business, listen up. Because unless your long-term goal involves nothing more than maintaining motionless life on a sofa, you need to keep nourished, regardless of how poor your diet is. Here are 7 supplements you should definitely become familiar with.

1. High Potency Multiple Complex:
If you take no other supplement, ever, make it a priority to start taking a high-potency multiple formula. They might not work miracles, but they will fill in the most basic nutritional gaps from your diet.

When the time comes to choose one, don’t settle for the cheapest one on the shelf at your local mega-conglomerate discount mart. Visit a dedicated health food store. Ask questions, compare formulas and read labels like a hawk. The best formulas offer a generous mix of vitamins, minerals, herbs and digestive enzymes.

2. Alpha Lipoic Acid:
Unless you reside in a sealed bubble, there’s just no way to avoid exposure from the toxins, pollutants, germs and other airborne environmental cell wreckers. As they collect in your system, they assume the role of free radicals, and go medieval on healthy cells – a process more commonly known as oxidation.

Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful free-radical fighting antioxidant that’s both fat and water soluble and unique in that it can travel to any cell in the body to fight these dangerous free radicals. Excess oxidation robs the body of energy, wanes the immune system’s ability to fight infection and ultimately leaves you feeling worn down.

3. Omega-3:
When the FDA allows supplement manufactures to make qualified health claims, there’s a good chance that they’re on to something very special. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are imperative to a long list of biological functions, but cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore must be obtained from the diet.

Clinical studies have shown that these “healthy” unsaturated fats can be very helpful in supporting cardiovascular health, neurological function, combating depression, promoting healthy skin, cancer treatment and a long list of others. Fish oil and flax are excellent sources. Look for a formula high in EPA and DHA.

4. Vitamin C:
As the first orally administered dietary supplement ever introduced, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) remains one of the most frequently used supplements worldwide, even among the casually health-conscious.
A powerful antioxidant, C supports the immune system by quenching oxidation, wiping out free radicals, and protecting cells. One of its most unique attributes is that it helps the body recycle other antioxidants, and has a strong synergism with vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid and beta carotene.

The FDA is currently considering raising the 60mg RDA, initially issued to prevent young men from acquiring scurvy in the 1930′s. The “father of vitamin C” Linus Pauling, a Noble Prize winning chemist openly admitted to taking 10-18 thousand mg per day. He was reportedly “very active” until his death at age 93.

5. L-Carnitine:
Users often refer to this amino-like substance as a powerful fat burning, muscle sparing, energy producing, lactic acid fighting miracle supplement. In fact, L-carnitine is actually one of the most researched dietary supplements on the market today.
Biologically, it works by assisting the body in shuttling fat into the cell’s mitochondria where it can be immediately used for energy production. Some research suggests that it helps the body recover faster after workouts. Supplementation is especially important for vegetarians, and L-carnitine is typically obtained from meat and certain dairy products.

6. Milk Thistle:When it comes to abusing under-appreciated organs, no one has it as bad as the liver. This metabolic filter ultimately decides what should be done with everything we consume – a 24 hour a day job that most of us give little or no thought to. Not smart.
Because like any filter, the more junk you throw in, the more clogged it becomes. This can make it exhausting for the liver to eliminate toxins, utilize nutrients and metabolize food.
Milk thistle (silymarin) increases the production of bile, the digestive juice responsible for cleansing the liver, healing damaged cells and promoting overall digestive efficacy. It is inexpensive, side-effect free and vital to overall wellness.

7. CoQ10:
This vitamin-like compound is present in every cell in the human body, and especially abundant in high-energy cells similar to those in the heart. More importantly, without it, the body simply wouldn’t be able to produce enough energy to fuel the heart’s ability to beat 100,000 times per day.

Yes, it’s that important. As an antioxidant, CoQ10 works at the cellular level to eliminate harmful free radicals, lower bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and support normal mitochondrial activity. And while it seems to work very well for many people, it can be quite expensive.

A month’s supply (100-250 mg) can cost as much as $50. Start with a low dose and increase as needed. Studies have shown that CoQ10 is considered very safe at doses up to 400 mg/day. Your body will begin thanking you almost immediately.

All rights reserved. Learn more at Bodybuilding.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

What Is Creatine?
A French scientist discovered creatine in 1835. Creatine is a natural constituent of meat, mainly found in red meat. Creatine is manufactured naturally in the body from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. This process takes place in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Approximately 40% of the body’s creatine stores are free creatine (Cr), while the remaining 60% is stored in form of creatine phosphate (CP). The typical male adult processes 2 grams of creatine per day, and replaces that amount through dietary intake and fabrication within the body.

A breakdown of creatine.
Creatine is used for the resynthesis of ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the “power” that drives muscular energetics. When a muscle is required to contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP (adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by breaking this bond powers the contraction of the muscle. When ATP is depleted within the cell, the cell can no longer contract. There are several methods by which the body rebuilds ATP. The fastest method, without oxygen, is through CP. Creatine phosphate is “split” to yield the phosphate portion of the molecule. This phosphate portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP. Once CP stores within the cell are depleted, the body must use other methods to replenish ATP.

Supplementation with creatine increases Cr and CP within the muscle, allowing further capacity to regenerate ATP. In other words, the creatine enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise. The periods are brief because the ability of a cell to store CP is limited, therefore the body will quickly move to other methods of replenishing ATP.

The majority of studies regarding creatine supplementation have used creatine monohydrate, the form of creatine bound to a water molecule. Some studies suggest that the combination of creatine and carbohydrate will enhance absorption or “uptake” of creatine. Science shows that creatine is unstable in liquid form, meaning that serum or liquid delivery systems are currently not supported by scientific literature.

The creatine rapidly degrades to creatinine, which is not useable by the body. There is very little support for the notion that creatine in any type of mixture, including an effervescent mixture, is absorbed more efficiently by the body. A company known as Albion Laboratories, Inc. claims to have found an effective delivery mechanism by chelating creatine to magnesium (a chelate is an organic compound that is typically absorbed more readily by the body than individual elements).

What Is The Most Effective Creatine Dose?
Effective doses will be examined later in this article. Current studies tend to follow a very standard protocol:

20 g / d for 5 – 7 days (“loading phase”)
5 g / d for remainder of cycle (“maintenance phase”)

A more customized approach is to determine dose based on mass. A common formula is:

0.3 g / kg / d for 5 – 7 days
0.03 g / kg / d for remainder of cycle
Thus, an individual weighing two-hundred (200) pounds would require 200 lb * (1 lb / 2.2 kg) * 0.3 g = 27 grams per day for the loading phase, then 2.7 grams per day for the maintenance phase. Calculate this for yourself below. It is known that creatine supplementation increases intramuscular creatine stores. To base creatine dose on total weight, therefore, seems inaccurate. A 200 lb individual with 20% body fat would have less lean mass than a 200 lb individual with 8% body fat.

What Does Creatine Supplementation Do?
The common mechanism for creatine supplementation is known to be the increase of intramuscular creatine stores. It is known that CP is used to replenish ATP, and that the amount of CP naturally present is well below the maximum amount of CP that the body can store. Increasing dietary creatine allows the maximum amount of CP storage to be reached, which in turn provides more capacity to regenerate ATP. An interesting effect of creatine supplementation appears to be enhanced ability for the muscle to store glycogen.
Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate stored inside the muscle that is used to fuel anaerobic activity (i.e. activity that is too intense to allow the cardiopulmonary system to deliver adequate oxygen). The ATP-CP pathway is used during the initial few seconds that work is performed. The next dominant system uses glycolysis, which requires glycogen to fuel activity. After several seconds to a few minutes, the dominant system becomes the oxidative or cardiovascular system – in other words, aerobic exercise.

Many studies have shown that replenishing glycogen stores may aid recovery and hypertrophy (muscle growth). Bodybuilders use a protocol known as “carb-loading” to supersaturate their muscles with glycogen. Glycogen requires water to enter the muscle cell, therefore having higher glycogen levels means more fat-free mass and larger, fuller muscles.

If creatine does indeed increase the amount of glycogen storage achievable through super compensation or “loading”, it stands to reason that a well-timed creatine cycle in conjunction with carb-loading will not only create incredible muscle fullness, but also potentially create an environment suited to optimal muscle growth. It should be noted that the super compensation was most pronounced when performed following a period of creatine supplementation, not during the initial period of supplementation itself.

An interesting effect of creatine supplementation is possible interaction with satellite cells. There are several different fiber types used to classify muscle tissue. In general, muscle tissue can be considered “endurance” fiber – able to perform multiple repetitions and highly resistant to injury – or “explosive” fiber – able to perform maximal workload for a short duration of time and highly susceptible to injury. There is a special type of muscle fiber known as “transitional fiber”.

This fiber can be considered the “fight or flight” fiber – despite an individual’s lack of overall fitness, when faced with a potentially dangerous situation, these fibers can “activate” to provide enormous bouts of strength. These fibers are easily damaged, but it has been shown that if cortisol levels are blocked subsequent to this damage occurring, instead of being “swept” away by the body, these cells fuse with “satellite” cells.

Satellite cells are special structures that are not true muscle cells until they fuse with transitional cells. The resulting cell is much larger and stronger. If these transitional fibers are appropriately activated and subsequent cortisol levels appropriately managed, creatine supplementation may help induce a significant hypertrophy effect.

What Training Protocol Is Most Effective With Creatine?
Creatine has a very specific effect with very specific training protocols. Arbitrarily adding creatine supplementation without considering training is a huge mistake. Most studies show that a single bout of maximal or sub-maximal effort is not sufficient to elicit a response from creatine supplementation. Creatine has been shown to delay the onset of muscular fatigue during repeated bouts of work A single bout of work appears to have no improvement with creatine supplementation.

This is more than likely due to the role that creatine plays with ATP resynthesis. A single bout of work will deplete ATP stores, yet it is the regeneration of ATP that creatine supplementation affects. Creatine also increases the amount of time that maximal output can be performed – for example, it may increase the duration of a heavy lift, which means more repetitions at the same weight. All of these factors tend to indicate that two major elements are required to benefit from creatine supplementation:

Intensity, in other words, maximal or sub-maximal output duration and repetition – in other words, multiple bouts of work more than likely, these factors are what provided the success of one study, which concluded that enhanced performance and increase of lean mass were due to

“higher quality training sessions .”

These sessions would include moderate to high intensity weights, and moderate to high volume with multiple sets.

Is Creatine Supplementation For Everyone?
Creatine supplementation may not be effective for everyone. There are possible safety concerns with creatine supplementation that will be discussed later. Due to the mechanisms by which creatine supplementation works, it may not be effective for endurance athletes to supplement with creatine. A significant percentage of the general population appears to have no response to creatine.
People on vegetarian diets seem to have a greater response to creatine, theoretically due to the lack of dietary creatine intake. From this, it can be inferred that individuals who consume large amounts of protein on a daily basis, especially red meat, will have a less significant response to creatine supplementation to the amount being ingested through typical dietary means. It is interesting to note that most creatine research uses the standard protocol of 5 g / d for “maintenance”.

Anecdotal evidence suggests a high rate of success with creatine supplementation. This same evidence indicates that doses in the field are much higher than the established research protocol or recommended label amounts.

This may account for a higher anecdotal rate of success and perceived effect in the field as opposed to what is suggested in the literature. Anecdotal evidence is not a substitute for scientific research, but should be taken into account. What happens in “the real world” is much more important than what occurs in isolated, scientific trials when trying to make a “real world” application of creatine supplementation.

Is Creatine Supplementation Safe?
The majority of studies indicate that supplementation with creatine for prolonged periods of time using large doses are safe. One study concluded that supplementation from nine (9) weeks up to five (5) years did not adversely affect renal function . Yet another study examined muscle damage, hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) function, and found no adverse effects from creatine supplementation.

There is potential cause for concern, however. The by-product of creatine use in the muscle is creatinine. Creatinine is typically harmless, and is flushed by the kidneys. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, however, any type of excess strain can cause problems. Creatinine levels are typically used to monitor kidney function, and creatine supplementation will raise these levels. A study done on animals with existing kidney problems showed that creatine supplementation aggravated and increased the acuteness of these conditions. Therefore, creatine supplementation may not be wise for individuals with renal disease or dysfunction.

The largest safety concern with creatine is most likely the quality of the product. Creatine is manufactured from sarcosine and cyanamide. During the production of creatine, contaminants such as dicyandiamide, dihydrotriazines, creatinine, and various ions are produced. Supplementation with large doses for prolonged periods of time with a product that has not been sufficiently screened for contaminants could be cause for concern. Finding a reputable company that provides quality creatine product is very important when considering creatine supplementation.

An Interesting Side Note: Creatine And Aerobic Capacity
Creatine is mainly discussed with reference to its effect on anaerobic output, specifically in the ATP-CP and glycolytic range of muscular energetics. It is important to note that a few studies do support ergogenic effects on oxidative (aerobic) systems as well.
One study showed that creatine supplementation reduced the “oxygen cost” of activity, meaning that less strain was placed on the cardiovascular system when performing aerobic work after creatine supplementation. Another study, performed on animals, concluded that creatine supplementation increases the oxidative potential of cardiac muscle. Both of these studies seem to indicate increased aerobic capacity.

For an individual concerned with fitness, this is very important information. If creatine increases aerobic capacity, creatine supplementation could potentially increase the amount of workload performed during cardiovascular sessions. This would mean more caloric output. Combined with resistance training and proper nutrition, the end result would be a net loss of body fat (combined with an increase in lean muscle mass as evidenced by the other effects of creatine supplementation). This is a powerful combination of effects!

So What Is The Ideal Creatine Cycle?
Based on the information provided here, I propose the following cycle. The length of an ideal cycle would be relatively short. Many studies suggest that the main response to creatine supplementation occurs during the first week, with subsequent weeks of supplementation rendering no significant increase of performance or mass.

Research is very limited with regard to extended cycles at high doses, however. The cessation of ergogenic effects seems to correlate to the end of the “loading” phase. It is therefore suggested that an extended loading phase may prolong the ergogenic effects. It is also important to cycle off of the product for a prolonged period of time, due to the high dose of the cycle and the potential for contaminants in the product.

Guidelines
An ideal cycle would contain the following:
• Duration of a few weeks
• An average dose more equivocal to a “loading” phase than a “maintenance phase”
• A larger dose for potential responders who lack natural, dietary creatine
• A smaller dose for potential non-responders with a significant amount of existing dietary creatine intake
• A training protocol that emphasizes all phases of muscular energetics to take advantage of the ATP-CP, glycolytic, and oxidative effects of creatine supplementation (HIIT is ideal for cardiovascular exercise when supplementing creatine, due to the repeated bouts of high intensity work)
• A training protocol that incorporates negatives in order to stimulate satellite cell fusion, as per Dr. Hatfield’s theory of holistic training
• A training protocol that emphasizes repeated bouts of work per the results of creatine studies
• A nutrition protocol tailored to reduce post-workout cortisol levels, which would involve a post-workout shake and possible glutamine supplementation
• A nutrition protocol that takes advantage of carb-load (super compensation) near the end of the cycle
From these guidelines, the following cycle can be extrapolated.
Supplement Cycle
First, the cycle will be short, only 4 weeks in duration. It will involve a rapid “ramp-up” with a corresponding “ramp-down” of creatine and incorporate glutamine supplementation. Nutrition will be manipulated to favor hypertrophy during the first 3 weeks, then take advantage of super compensation and unloading for the final week.
• First, determine a baseline creatine dose.
• For the average individual, this is proposed to be 0.3 g / kg lean mass.
• For vegetarians, consider 0.4 g / kg lean mass.
• For those with predominant protein (35% of total calories or higher) in the diet, and those who consume at least 1 portion of red meat daily, consider 0.2 g / kg lean mass.
• A discussion of glutamine is outside the scope of this article. The proposed dose is 0.3 g / kg lean mass.
An example individual weighs 180 pounds at 12% body fat. Lean mass is determined to be 158 pounds, or 72 kg. The individual has predominant protein in their diet and consumes red meat frequently. Therefore, the baseline creatine dose is computed to be 72 kg * 0.2 g / kg = 14 grams. Glutamine dose is set at 72 kg * 0.3 g / kg = 22 grams.
Glutamine will be divided into 3 doses: pre-workout, post-workout, and pre-bedtime. This equates to 7 grams pre-workout, 7 grams post-workout, and 8 grams pre-bedtime.

Creatine will be “ramped up”. The first week will be 50% of the baseline. Second week is 100% of the baseline, and third week is 150% of the baseline. The unloading week is 50% of the baseline. The creatine will be consumed post-workout (75%) and pre-bedtime (25%). To summarize dosing:

Week 1:
Creatine: 5g post-workout, 2g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 2:
Creatine: 11g post-workout, 3g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 3:
Creatine: 16g post-workout, 5g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 4:
Creatine: 5g post-workout, 2g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 5:

All supplementation ceases (cycle is complete).
Nutrition Cycle
As indicated earlier, a post-workout shake is important to replenish intramuscular glycogen and aid with recovery. It has been suggested by several studies that a post-workout shake may decrease cortisol levels. While it has also been noted that ingestion of food can lower growth hormone levels, this effect is minor compared to the potential benefits of a post-workout shake. I recommend 50% of lean weight (pounds) in grams carbohydrate, 1/3 of carbohydrate in grams of protein, and ? protein in grams of fat. For the test case, the post-workout shake would be:
Carbohydrate: 80 grams
Protein: 27 grams
Fat: 14 grams*

* Healthy, unsaturated fats, or medium chain triglycerides
This equates to 544 kcal of energy. Post-workout shakes should be consumed immediately subsequent to bouts of resistance training exercise.

The subject should be in a hypo caloric state throughout the cycle (taking in more calories than expended to induce muscle growth). This would preferably involve a zigzag of calories, with higher calorie days coinciding with resistance training. Protein intake should be considerable to accommodate increases in muscle mass. Nutrition requirements vary widely from individual to individual, so no example menu is provided.

One important factor for consideration is the super compensation phase. After the third (highest) week of the cycle, a period of low carbohydrate intake should ensue. This period should last approximately three (3) days. The purpose of this period is to deplete muscle glycogen stores. The third day will consist of an “unloading” workout; a full-body regimen designed to fully deplete intramuscular glycogen. Protein should be increased while carbohydrate is reduced to maintain consistent overall caloric intake. After the unloading workout, carbohydrate will be increased to 150% of the original levels and protein reduced slightly to allow super compensation. This period will last 2 days, and then the diet will resume to normal.

If a typical intake were 200 grams of protein and 200 grams of carbs, this would shift to 325 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbohydrate during the carb-depletion phase (as an example). During the super compensation phase, the subject would consume 100 grams of protein and 300 grams of carbohydrate.
Training Cycle

In order to take advantage of various systems of muscular energetics, a holistic approach is recommended. This approach would involve a series of “mega-sets” (Dr. Fred Hatfield’s “Holistic sets” or “ABC training”) designed to recruit a broad spectrum of muscle fiber types for each muscle group. An example mega-set for chest might be:

6 reps 90% intensity – explosive
10 reps 70% intensity – moderate
40 reps 55% intensity – slow

Intensity is expressed as a percentage of one rep max. If the subject can bench 200 pounds for a single rep, then the mega-set would be:

6 reps at 180 pounds – explosive tempo (accelerate as quickly as possible)
10 reps at 140 pounds - steady tempo (1 second down, 1 second up)
40 reps at 110 pounds – slow tempo (3 seconds down, 2 seconds up).
The mega-set is performed with minimal rest – only enough time to strip the weight between mini-sets. After a mega-set, rest no more than 1 minute and repeat the mega-set for a total of three (3) times. Note that these reps are general guidelines. A person with predominantly slow-twitch (endurance) fiber in their chest would have higher reps and may only perform 2 sets, as opposed to another individual with explosive fiber in their chest.

Holistic sets are very taxing on the central nervous system. For this reason, a moderate workout should be used to extend recovery while preventing atrophy. An example schedule for this program:
Week 1
Monday – Chest/Back (row) holistic
Tuesday – HIIT exercise
Wednesday – Legs moderate
Thursday – HIIT exercise
Friday – Shoulders/Back (pull-down) holistic
Saturday – Moderate cardio
Sunday – ** rest **
Week 2
Monday – Chest/Back moderate + triceps
Tuesday – HIIT exercise
Wednesday – Legs holistic
Thursday – HIIT exercise
Friday – Shoulders/Back moderate + biceps + traps
Saturday – Moderate cardio
Sunday – ** rest **
Week 3
Monday – Chest/Back (row) holistic
Tuesday – HIIT exercise
Wednesday – Legs moderate
Thursday – HIIT exercise
Friday – Shoulders/Back (pull-down) holistic
Saturday – Moderate cardio
Sunday – ** rest ** (begin low carb phase)
Week 4
Monday – HIIT exercise
Tuesday – Unload routine (full body workout)
Wednesday – Moderate cardio (begin high carb phase)
Thursday – Moderate cardio
Friday – ** rest ** (return to normal diet)
Saturday – ** rest **
Sunday – ** rest – end of cycle **
The “unload routine” should contain mostly multi-joint, compound movements, such as squats, dead-lifts, bench press, clean and press, wide-grip pull-ups, and bent-over rows. Multiple sets of higher reps (15 – 20) should be performed in superset fashion with minimal rest. The final rest period prior to the end of cycle will allow recovery while in a super compensated state. This could lead to significant hypertrophy.

All rights reserved. Learn more at Bodybuilding.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

People tend to think that a flatter stomach means better looks and most people want to look their best. In the world of bodybuilding a flat stomach abs does go beyond looks however; there are medical reasons why people should concentrate on exercises to flatten the stomach. Medical evidence suggests that people that carry extra weight around the stomach tend to be more likely to develop serious medical conditions, including diabetes. The stomach is also the core of the body, this means that the stronger and healthier the core is, the more likely the rest of the body will be as well. Consider a person with back problems, which is a common problem with many people. These people benefit greatly from doing exercises to flatten their stomachs. This will help improve posture and relieve tension in the back as access weight is removed from the center of the body. When a stomach is flat, it also helps the person to walk taller and straighter, giving the person more confidence and improves their overall looks compared to a person that walks hunched over.

Besides looks and health, another free tip for the reason why exercises and fitness to a better workout program is best for you is to flatten stomach abs muscles are which popular is because they are easy and fun to do. They can be done practically anywhere, in a gym, at home in front of the television or anywhere else. They also do not take equipment to do. While there are plenty of machines and smaller pieces of equipment all geared for flattening a stomach, they are not necessarily needed to get the same results.

Free Tips What a person needs to a flatter stomac abs:

Free Top Tip number 1: A good gym with a personal trainer like Ronnie Coleman training

Free Top Tip number 2: A good fitness and exercise routein for a top profesional workout program like Arnold or Ronnie Coleman competition for the 2008 which is talkes a lot in the anabolics forum.

Free Top Tip number 3: All the free advise you can get including from the guys in the gym and even from eBooks. Ebooks are a powerfull tool to learn what ti takes to get those powerfull strong and bulkey muscles nees to push some serious weight.

Free Top Tip number 4: Is a guid to supplement. Bodybuilding is incomplete with this beacuse even when working out your abs in a serious competition a mass gaining workout program diet is needed. See what all the big time professional bodybuliders say like Markus Ruhl, Jay Cutler, , and Ronnie Coleman on youtube, and Ronnie Coleman in the 2007 bodybuilding competition,

Free Top Tip number 5: Is visit the bodybuilding forms and see where they talk about Ronnie Colemans videos and eBooks and you see how stomach abs play a big roll in the bodybuilding industry. Two very popular topics in the forms are found in the main index of ironline weight training forum, and the muscle body building bobybuilding forum.

Free Top Tip number 6: Is use a spotter when you have heavy weight. This will give you the abilty to push harder and harder geting the strength and size you need to perform the best getting the best results. What more can a bodybuilder need?

All a person needs is some room to lie down and the desire to improve their stomach abs. There are a wide variety of fitness exercises that target this area of the body, so a person can choose which moves will work best for him or her.

Because this type of exercise workout program is so popular, most workout programs, whether on a video watched at home, a health club or any other program a person follows, will include exercises to flatten stomach muscles, because it is so important to keep them strong and also because of the popularity of this type of exercise. Most people are not interested in simply working on their legs or arms or other parts of their bodies unless they are exercising their stomach as well.

Obviously there are many eBooks, supplements, fitness and exercise gyms, bodybuilders and reasons why people want to flatten their stomach abs and spend a lot of time in the gym and at home. When your are at home another free top tip is do stomach abs every day. You can either do them in the morning, afternoon or in the evening before you go to sleep. Doing these fitness exercises to flatten the stomach will work. Whether the reason is vanity or health, it is important to remember that like with all these things, it will take time to get the desired results and a person must stick to whatever program they are comfortable with until they have the stomach abs they want. The good news is that stomach muscles respond very well to even a little exercise, with some exercise and a good healthy bodybuilding supplement diet, most people can see results, provided there is no medical reason why they probably won’t succeed in your bodybuilding training. Try to avoid anabolic steroids as a muscle enhancer which lead to muscle atrophy, use building supplements naturally.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

As long as the diet contains at least 12 to 15% of calories as protein, or up to 0.75 grams per day per pound of body weight, protein supplements are neither necessary, nor likely to be of benefit. Concerns have been raised that the very high-protein diets sometimes used by bodybuilders could put stress on the kidneys, potentially increasing the risk of kidney disease later in life.

A preliminary study of male athletes consuming at least 2.77 grams per pound of body weight per day showed no evidence of kidney impairment; however, the study was limited to one month, and evidence of long-term kidney problems associated with chronic protein loading were not examined.

For a bodybuilding diet preliminary studies have suggested that increased protein intake may have biological effects that could improve mass muscle growth for size and strength resulting from strength training, especially if liquid supplements (typically containing at least 6 grams of protein or amino acids in addition to varying amounts of carbohydrate) are taken either immediately after exercise or just before exercise.

However on a bodybuilding diet, controlled studies have found no advantage of protein supplementation (up to about 100 grams per day or about 14 grams immediately following exercise) for improving strength or body composition as long as the bodybuilding diet already supplies typical amounts of protein and calories.

Fat
Some have speculated that on a bodybuilding diet consuming a high-fat diet for two or more weeks prior to endurance competition might cause the body to shift its fuel utilization toward more abundant fat stores (“fat adaptation”).

However, neither short-term nor long-term use of high-fat diets has been found to improve endurance performance compared with high-carbohydrate diets, and may even be detrimental due to depletion of glycogen stores.

In bodybuilding following a high-fat diet with at least 24 hours of high carbohydrate intake has been suggested as a way to achieve fat adaptation while restoring glycogen levels before endurance competition.

While this concept is supported by physiological studies on athletes, no actual performance enhancement in fitness and exercise was shown when athletes were tested in competitive situations after a five- to six-day high-fat diet followed by 24 hours of high carbohydrate intake.

However, one controlled study for a bodybuilding diet found a small, significant benefit of ten days of high fat intake followed by three days of high carbohydrate intake.

Water
Water is the most abundant substance in the human body and is essential for normal physiological function. Water loss due to sweating during exercise can result in decreased performance and other problems.

Fluids should be consumed prior to, during, and after exercise, especially when extreme conditions of climate, exercise intensity, and exercise duration exist. Approximately two glasses of fluid should be consumed two hours before exercise and at regular intervals during exercise; fluid should be cool, not cold (59 to 72° F, 15 to 22.2° C).

Flavored sports drinks containing electrolytes are not necessary for fluid replacement during brief periods of fitness and exercise workout programs, but they may be more effective in encouraging the athlete to drink frequently and in larger amounts.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Depending on training intensity and duration that bodybuilding diet requires try up to 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per day per pound of body weight or 60 to 70% of total dietary calories from carbohydrates, whichever is greater. Emphasizing grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and carbohydrate-replacement beverages, along with reducing intake of fatty foods, results in a relatively high-carbohydrate diet.

At the gym carbohydrate beverages should be consumed during endurance training fitness and exercise workout programs or competition (30 to 70 grams of carbohydrate per hour) to help prevent carbohydrate depletion that might otherwise occur near the end of the exercise period.

Standard sport drinks containing 6 to 8% carbohydrates can be used during exercise to support both carbohydrate and fluid needs, but these should not contain large amounts of fructose, which can cause gastrointestinal distress. At the end of endurance exercise, body carbohydrate stores must be replaced to prepare for the next session.

This replacement can be achieved most rapidly if 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrate are consumed right after exercise, repeating this intake every hour for at least five hours after the event. High-density carbohydrate beverages containing 20 to 25% carbohydrate are useful for immediate post-exercise repletion.

In bodybuilding it is a must to add protein supplements to carbohydrate supplements intake immediately after exercise which is helpful for improving recovery of glycogen (carbohydrate) stores after exercise.

It appears that adding protein during the post-exercise period is necessary when carbohydrate supplements intake is high enough (about 0.55 grams per pound of body weight) The protein will give your muscles the nutriments they need to grow size and mass.

Carbohydrate supplement loading, or “super-compensation,” is a pre-event strategy that improves performance for some endurance athletes. Carbohydrate-loading can be achieved by consuming a 70% carbohydrate diet (or 4.5 grams per pound of body weight) for three to five days before competition, while gradually reducing training time, and ending with a day of no training while continuing the diet until the event date or for strength and size.

Glycemic index:
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the ability of a food to raise blood sugar levels after it is eaten. Attention to the GI of carbohydrate sources may be helpful for increasing sports performance. Within one hour before exercise, consuming low GI carbohydrates (such as most fruits, pasta, legumes, or rice) provides carbohydrate without triggering a rapid rise in insulin that could result in hypoglycemia and prevent release of energy sources from fat cells.

Some controlled studies of cycling endurance have found that eating a pre-exercise meal of low-GI foods (lentils, rolled oats, or a combination of low GI foods) is more effective than consuming high-GI foods (potatoes, puffed rice, or a combination of high GI foods),23 24 25 but most studies have found no significant advantage of low GI foods or fructose (a low-GI sugar) compared with other carbohydrate sources in a pre-exercise meal.

After exercise, on the other hand, high-GI foods and beverages may be most helpful for quickly restoring depleted glycogen stores. In bodybuilding at the gym supplements are a good chose to get you the results of size and strength you are looking for.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Calorie requirements can be as much as 23 to 39 calories per pound of body weight per day for the training athlete who exercises vigorously for several hours per day. Many bodybuilders compete in sports having weight categories (such as wrestling and boxing), sports that favor small body size (such as gymnastics and horse racing), or sports that may require a specific socially accepted body shape (such as figure skating). These athletes may feel pressured to restrict calories to extreme degrees to gain a competitive edge.

Excessive calorie restriction can result in chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, reduced performance, impaired ability for intensive training, and increased vulnerability to injury.

Therefore in the world of bodybuilding one should consider supplements to give you the continues energy boast they need. Also consider eating foods rich if slow bearing cargs, or “slow burning energy”. This will keep you injured free and from burnout. And at the end of your workout and you back at home resting you wont feel as exhausted and you will feel like you actually had a good workout.

Remember your body is as a machine which not only needs good maintenance but it need fuel to run. And when you are pumping iron at the gym with extreme intensity you need all the steam you can get.

You will enjoy bodybuilding because it makes you feel good, and it a challenge. To make mild or drastic changes in you diet and exercise will also tip the scale so to say on your bodybuilding physique.

Throughout your life from high school or maybe while in college you had considered entering bodybuilding contests, but chose to pursue fitness modeling instead. At the gym you definitely will feel that hard work and dedication to one’s fitness goals transfers over to other aspects of life.

To get into my best shape ever! You have to ask yourself these questions. So why do you love it? it is because it’s a challenge, and you love the results. And how do you stay motivated? It is by knowing that if you put in the work… results will follow. “Keep pumping iron because you love it.” Goldstar Bodybuilding

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

* Eat more carbs
* Supply the body with efficient energy fuel found in grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and carbohydrate-replacement drinks

* Get enough water and electrolytes
* Water is crucial for all sports activities—electrolytes are only important for extreme endurance exercise

* Check out creatine monohydrate
* Take 15 to 20 grams a day of this supplement for five or six days to improve performance of high-intensity, short-duration exercise (like sprinting) or sports with alternating low- and high-intensity efforts

* Take a multivitamin
* When your diet isn’t enough, extra vitamins and minerals will help your body get the nutrition it needs for exercise

* Try vitamin C
* Take 400 mg a day for several days before and after intense exercise to reduce pain and speed muscle strength recovery

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full athletic performance article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful.

About a Bodybuilders performance

Aside from training, nutrition may be the most important influence in gym performance. First However, in seeking a competitive edge, athletes are often susceptible to fad diets or supplements that have not been scientifically validated. Nevertheless, there is much useful research to guide the exerciser toward optimum health and performance.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

As a bodybuilder you have to consider nutrition and supplication for your recovery to maximize your mass gaining status. It is also important to have a healthy body and not just a healthy looking body. You may have a slim body but it’s no use if you have a bad heart. This is why exercising is considered to be very important, especially in today’s way of life where people are living comfortably and are becoming more and more lazy to go exercise.

In bodybuilding without the proper nutrition in healthy eating you will not get the best results you desire. Also you may develop extra flab and loose strength. Today, thanks to health and fitness research, there are body building supplements available that can give you faster results as well as a healthier body.These body building supplements are great when your aim is to have a size and strength that will look like Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s or WWE’s superstar John Cena. If you saw them performing on TV before, you can have an idea of the benefits that body building supplements and exercise can give you.

However, you have to remember that bodybuilding supplements only reaches its full potential if you strictly follow a workout procedure and a strict diet. Body building supplements can give you that extra energy you need in order to do your workout. It does not necessarily mean that by just ingesting body supplements, you will be able to get the body you have always wanted without even breaking a sweat.

The ingredients in bodybuilding supplements are designed to nourish your muscles so that it can reach its full potential or perhaps even more. This means that your muscles can repair itself faster after every workout, it can enable you to lift more weight, and it can give you that extra endurance you need.

If you are living in North America, you can consider purchasing bodybuilding supplements in Canada. This country manufactures one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements in the world.

One kind of bodybuilding supplement is called creatine. Creatine is a natural bodybuilding supplement. In fact, it is already found in your body. It is naturally produced by your pancreas, your liver and your kidneys. However, it is only produced in small amounts. This particular product gives your muscles extra strength, it helps the muscles to repair itself faster, and it also helps in increasing muscle mass.

Protein supplements are also produced in Canada. This particular bodybuilding supplement is usually in whey protein. This is because it is easy to ingest and it is easier for the body and muscles to absorb. You have to consider that protein is the building block of the muscle tissues. It can normally be ingested by eating meat. Although protein found in meat is plentiful, it isn’t fully absorbed by the body. So, through whey protein, you can be sure that you muscles are nourished by protein in high amounts.

Other body building supplements that can be purchased includes pro-hormones or natural testosterones, nitric oxide, and growth hormones. As you can see, there are different kinds of bodybuilding supplements that you can use in Canada. However, if you are planning to get it in the United States or in any other countries, make sure that it is legal to do so in order to avoid getting in to trouble with the local law.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

If you want a body that a bodybuilder has and something you can proudly show off when you go to the beach consider a very powerful and explosive mass gaining workout program diet with lots of enthusiasm and motivation!

First of all, you have to consider that bodybuilding will take some time in order to have positive and visible results the a workout program can give. Bodybuilding tips and even more free tips can send you in the rite direction. You also need to work hard and be disciplined in your diet, and your workout programs. Not going to the gym just because you don’t feel like it or you’re feeling lazy will get you nowhere. THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE…If you have this kind of attitude, then bodybuilding is not for you or you should change your attitude and follow everything that your professional fitness trainer says about bodybuilding, diet, fitness and exercise and workout program.

If you want a body like John Cena or a body like Vin Diesel, you have to work hard for it as well as nourish your muscles with the different bodybuilding supplements available. There are different kinds of bodbuilding supplements available in the market today. These supplements aids your muscles in gaining mass, aids in faster metabolism, more muscle endurance, and it also aids in repairing muscle tissues that have been damaged because of intensive exercises and workouts. This is the way to a perfect mass gaining workout program diet

It is important that you should remember that taking bodybuilding supplements alone are not enough to get the body you want. If you take body building supplements and wait for your muscles to grow, absolutely nothing will happen. Intensive training and bodybuilding exercises are still required to get the body you need and in order to develop your muscles. Always remember that body building supplements are merely aids in getting that body you want. It will make your muscles stronger and withstand more intensive training by enhancing its recuperating process, as well as enhancing its endurance.

You should also remember that there are different kinds of bodybuilding supplements and some of them are illegal, such as anabolic steroids. You should never take anabolic steroids as a muscle enhancer and as a bodybuilding supplement because it can have severe negative side effects, such as increasing the risks of heart diseases and overdose can lead to muscle atrophy, and in some cases, it can lead to death.

You should always keep in mind that you should only use body building supplements that are natural and that is naturally found in the body. One such body building supplements that you can use and one that is perfectly legal is called creatine. Creatine is normally produced by the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. However, only a small amount reaches the muscle tissues. Creatine supplements can maximize the supply of creatines in your muscles.

Another kind of bodybuilding and exercise supplements is called whey proteins. This kind of bodybuilding supplements is essentially needed by the muscles to improve the recuperating process of the muscles after it goes through an intensive workout.

With bodybuilding and exercise fitness programs supplements can benefit you with the best results. EBooks and a personal trainer is another way to go so you can get that body you have always wanted at the quickest time possible for sun tanning on the beach. In Bodybuilding always remember that with workout discipline and hard work, you can achieve a great looking body that you can be proud of.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites