Workout supplements

Just thought I would ask those of you who work-out what supplements you are taking. Right now all I am taking is a daily vitamin and a B complex. Anything that works for you?

Also...anything that is loaded with sugar is a no go for me even if it is in conjunction with copious amounts of protein.

Thanks in advance...

I used to spend lots of money on supplements in highschool and college for mass building. I'm not sure most of it did any good.

I haven't read an independent study that indicates supplements are necessary for a general level of fitness.

The one supplement for muscle building that seems to have been recognized as having a postive (although I'm not sure that's the same as beneficial) is creatine monohydrate.

There are plenty of stimulants out there marketed for weight loss. Chromium picolinate is hyped as well. Maybe someone else has ID'd some solid research that suggests what really works.

BTW. Ellington Darden recommends drinking a gallon of cold water throughout the day in order to burn additional calories. It's kind of interesting. And it's FREE.

http://www.drdarden.com/readTopic.do?id=383704

I used to do A LOT of weigh training back in the day, so I used to read up some on nutrition as well. Ad to that a sister who is a dietition..

I think staying well hydrated is one of the best things you can do in any workout routine, especially if you want to shed some inches in the process. Most of what I read and experienced was many supplements are a waste as long as you eat well. What your body does not use (for supplements) will be lost to urination, especially if your consuming the right amount of water.

I would not alter what you're taking now.

Other than a good, high quality multivitamin/mineral, and a B complex, the things I might recommend would be a good Omega 3 (fish oil, flaxseed oil, etc) and some extra Vitamin C.

Don't waste a bunch of money on worthless supplements. I dropped a ton of money on protein powders when I was younger (and didn't know better). Your best bet is to eat the highest quality, freshest foods you can get your hands on, drink a ton of water, and think about the stuff I mentioned above.

Travis said:

Other than a good, high quality multivitamin/mineral, and a B complex, the things I might recommend would be a good Omega 3 (fish oil, flaxseed oil, etc) and some extra Vitamin C.

Don't waste a bunch of money on worthless supplements. I dropped a ton of money on protein powders when I was younger (and didn't know better). Your best bet is to eat the highest quality, freshest foods you can get your hands on, drink a ton of water, and think about the stuff I mentioned above.

Click to expand...

That sounds about right to me. I also spent a lot of time experimenting with supplements and I'm not sure they did me any good at all. Not taking any currently.

Good to know. Thanks guys...

FWIW I drink at least 1, mostly 2, 32oz glasses of water a day. Ice cold with a half of lime squeezed in.

edgar_allan_poe said:

Good to know. Thanks guys...

FWIW I drink at least 1, mostly 2, 32oz glasses of water a day. Ice cold with a half of lime squeezed in.

Click to expand...

The baseline suggestion for water intake is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces per day, as a minimum. For example: I weigh about 240. So I should drink 120 ounces of water every day, even if I just sit on my ass. Now, when you perform a lot of physical activity, you tend to sweat. So, you'll need to restore those fluids. I usually go through at least a 1/2 gallon of water during a workout, sometimes more. The more you sweat, the more water you need to drink. When I'm training regularly at a high intensity, I will drink at least 2 gallons of water a day. Sure, I pee a lot. But, I'm also flushing out a lot of the toxins as well. I don't drink sodas or caffeine and I haven't had alcohol in over a year.

If you drink much coffee or other caffeinated beverages, those are dieuretics and cause you to lose more water. So you'll need to drink more to offset that. If you drink much alcohol, you'll need to drink more water to offset that as well. There is water in milk, juice, decaf tea, etc. So you can count that in your water intake.

The easiest way to make sure you get the water you need is to carry a bottle with you at all times and periodically drink it throughout the day. If you wait until you're thirsty, it's too late. You're already dehydrated. It may sound extreme. But when you figure that the human body is anywhere from 60-80% water, it may be easier to see the need for a higher water intake.

Afterall, we really are just hairy bags of water...

As a side note many of the supplements out there are pretty pricey. Use your hard earned cash for something else.

Thanks for the reminder on the supplement idea. I grabbed a multi formula from Trader Joe's this morning - $7.99. Aside from general aging and some injuries I feel pretty good but I'll check back in if I notice a difference.

Well believe it or not, I have been a certified trainer for 10 years and I can honestly say I am good at it, unlike my guitar playing. My first suggestion to you is to make sure you are doing it right. Form is everything when it comes to weight training and if you want to see results and avoid injury, do it right. Throw in cardio and when using weights, switch off muscle groups. Chest and shoulders one day, bi's and tri's another and legs on another day. I do my cardio one day, weight train the next and repeat the process. Diet is huge, especially if you want to slim down your look. Diet is also the hardest part of the equation for most, and I include myself in that. As far as supplements go, I think it's important because it is almost impossible to take in enough foods to supply your body with the right nutrients without digesting 8,000 calories a day. A good daily vitamin with a long list of nutients is helpfull. A flax seed supplement is good too for the omega 3 fats and you don't get a strong after taste as you would if you used a fish oil sup. I suggest a calcium sup too, especially if you are over 40. Don't mega dose anything. Some vitimins are passed through sweating and urination, but others are absorbed into the fatty tissue and liver and over dosing can be serious. I do take a high protien drink after weight training because the absorbtion rate of a liquid is quicker than digesting solid foods and your muscles reap this benefit after a workout. There are a lot more supplements out there but they are pricy and the results are minimal unless you want to enter a competition. That is a real basic response to your question. The main thing is to keep moving, have fun, don't get hurt and eat smart. But somebody probably already told you that when you were about 5. We just need to be reminded once in a while. If you have anything more specific you want to ask, I can provide you with my email address. I will check back on this site in a few days.

My supplements are geared for my particular problem - slow recovery. It takes my body a long time to recover from a high intensity workout, and it takes my heart rate a long time to recover after being elevated.

I use both fish and flax seed oil supplements. I also take a soluble fiber supplement and a supplement called Cardio+ which helps out with my heart recovery rate.