Bodybuilding Articles: Supplements

Supplements

The bodybuilding industry is notorious for promoting supplements that do nothing more than lighten your wallet. Some supplements are good, but some are just expensive dextrose or protein concentrate in a fancy can. Read the label and see what you are getting for your money.

Supplements are just that: a supplement to proper food. Remenber: the cornerstone to nutrition is food. Most supplements are nothing more than powdered food and can offer nothing more than that which is naturally occurring. All the ‘old school’ bodybuilders somehow built their physiques without today’s supplements, usually relying heavily on their local butcher for their daily protein requirements!

The big advantages supplements and MRPs bring is in convenience and when trying to gain weight. Sometimes skinny guys simply cannot stomach the amount of food necessary to gain the mass they want. MRPs are a calorie dense alternative that makes mass gaining much easier.

The supplements that I have found most useful have been whey protein concentrate and creatine.

Since I was on a mass gain program, I was unconcerned about the extra fat of the protein concentrate, plus it was much cheaper (I bought it in 20 Kg bags) and I could mix it in with everything: breakfast, meal 2 , post workout, and bedtime shakes.

Creatine is a metabolite that is naturally found in red meat, but at a concentration that makes it difficult to consume in useful quantities. Typical dosages are 25g per day for the loading phase, and 5 g per day maintenance. When loading, I found a noticeable increase in muscle strength and endurance; I was able to squeeze out another 2 or 3 reps of whatever exercise I was doing.  It is crucial to drink more water than normal when taking creatine and you will often find yourself becoming more thirsty anyway. A concerted effort is needed to drink more water than usual. The result will be an increased ‘pump’ in the muscle during a workout, and ultimately, increased muscle mass. When taking creatine, changing my diet, and training as I was previously, I went from 75Kg(165 lb) and 8% BF to 92 Kg(202 lb) and 9% BF in the space of 9 months: a net gain of over 30lb of muscle !

Combining these two supplements gives me my favourite post workout meal: 40 grams of protein with 5 grams of creatine, mixed with cordial to give me an insulin boost. The insulin helps to transport the creatine and protein into the muscle where it is needed. More on this in a later article !

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