Supplements!

The information I put in here is coming from the 'Supplement Review' (put out by Bill Phillips of Muscle Media), many different magazines, web pages, research papers, textbooks, etc. The 'Supplement Review' is an excellent book, and if you can get it, do! It contains tons of information not only on supplements, but also training and nutrition.

I will list as many supplements as possible roughly in order of importance. As a general rule, there's no point taking a supplement lower on this list if your not taking all the supplements above it on the list (except within the last group). For example, if your not even taking a good vitamin/mineral supplement, then your biochemistry will not be able to do all it can with the protein you supply it.

All supplements are broken down into 3 groups (taken from the Supplement Review): Foundation supplements (all the bare essentials, these you have to take), health/performance enhancing supplements (these you really should take), and the rest including application specific supplements and supplements worth trying. The last group also contains many of the herbal supplements you may be hearing about.

I would like to point out that you don't need supplements to succeed! They might make it easier or quicker, but are not necessary. Also, I try to present all information as objectively as possible, and suggest you also take everything with a grain of salt. Not all supplements work the same for everybody, some may not work at all.

In doing my research for this page, I come across many conflicting studies, some even saying creatine doesn't work. Of all the supplements, creatine has the most research backing it up. I got a complaint that I was lying about one of the supplements on this page (pyruvate). I have nothing to gain by doing so, as I don't make one cent off this home page! I just gather as much information as possible, and pass on my interpretation of that data to you.

If you believe you have found information contradicting what I have written here, by all means, let me know, and I'll take it into consideration!

Fundamentals

 Everybody should be taking these, and you shouldn't even bother working out unless you are taking 'em. You need them to survive, and when putting the stress of working out onto your body, you need more than the average Joe!

Vitamins and Minerals

These are essential for all the biochemical reactions that are ongoing in the body. They aid in nutrient uptake, protein synthesis, metabolism, and so much more. A deficiency of any essential vitamin or mineral can bring your gains to a grinding halt as well as increase your chances of overtraining and injury. You need these!

Get a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, and take at least twice the daily recommended daily amount. Several minerals are more important to bodybuilders than others, so you might to consider additional supplementation. You will find most minerals and vitamins on my micro-nutrients page, so for details on these, go there.

Which Supplements for What?

Everybody
Essential fatty acids & multi-vitamin/mineral
Mass gain
creatine, protein, HMB, androstenedione, norandrostenedione, tribulus, meal replacement shakes, vanadium, glutamine, DHEA, saw palmetto
Increase intensity/focus
St. Johns Wort, choline(DMAE), tyrosine, ephedrine, caffeine
Fat loss
ephedrine + caffeine + aspirine (+yohimbe), hydroxycitric acid (HCA, Citrimax), creatine, pyruvate
You don't need supplements to succeed, but they may help in speeding up progress!

Essential Fatty Acids

These are especially important in the often extremely low fat diets that some bodybuilders follow. As the name implies, these are essential to life, and in fact aid in the metabolism of body fat. You may have heard of fish oils, or Omega-3 fatty acids, and that's what these are. More specifically we are talking about linoleic and linolenic fatty acids.

The best source is said to be flax seed oil. Other good sources include fish, safflower oil, olive oil, hemp oil, and peanuts. Most have far more linoleic than linolenic acid, that is why flax seed oil is the best. It has a perfect balance of both.

A word of caution though, these are delicate substances, and their structure is disrupted, and usefulness destroyed when treated or exposed to heat. And worse, trans-fatty acids form which are at least as bad as saturated fats. So look for cold pressed oils, and don't use them for cooking. Add them to salad dressings or protein shakes.

Convenient/Enhancing Supplements

Protein powders

This is actually almost a foundation supplement, but since you can do without, and get enough protein in your diet, it gets demoted. For details of all the in's and out's of protein needs and metabolism, visit my macro-nutrient page.

In an effort to build more muscle, the bodybuilder needs far more protein than a regular person. You're looking at about 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Trying to get this amount from whole food sources alone is very difficult and tedious. That's where protein powders, and meal replacement shakes come in handy. Not to mention that these powders usually are absorbed quicker and easier, and have better amino acid profiles than many foods.

Nowadays, whey protein is the protein of choice, mainly because of it's high biological value, meaning greater nitrogen retention (which is important in preventing muscle breakdown for energy). It also has about 25% branched chain amino acids which have long been known to have an anabolic effect. So if your serious about gaining muscle, be sure to have a good source of whey protein, either as a protein powder, or as part of your meal replacement shakes.

Tip: Consume a protein shake first thing in the morning to stop the catabolic process which breaks down valuable muscle, as well as before/after workouts to provide muscle building materials your body needs. Consume some more slowly digested protein an hour before bed so the catabolic process doesn't start till as late as possible.

Antioxidants

These are certain vitamins and non-vitamin compounds that neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are harmful to the body, and are also attributed with causing cancer amongst several other ailments. Intense exercise increases the number of free radicals in the body, and thus makes supplementation with antioxidants that much more important.

Antioxidants also help control inflammation, muscle fiber damage, and fatigue. Consuming antioxidants will help you build muscle and much improve you immune system, so use 'em! Here's a quick list of some common antioxidants: Vitamins E and C, selenium, N-acetyl-cysteine, proanthocyanidins, and more.

Common recommendations are approx. 3 grams of vitamin C in divided doses over the day, 200-400 mg vitamin E, 200-400 mcg selenium, and lots of green vegetables and cirus fruits!

Creatine Monohydrate

This supplement is probably the biggest thing in a long time, and it works. When you first use it you can expect a significant increase in strength, and a gain of anywhere from 5-10 pounds of muscle (mostly due to greater nutrient/water storage).

It costs probably less than 20 dollars a month, which is cheap in supplement terms. Basically what it is, is the first energy source your body turns to during intense exercise, as well as a cell volumizer, allowing greater storage of water and nutrients, resulting in more strength, energy, and protein synthesis. Whew! And the increase cell hydration may benefit fatty acid oxidization as well.

For details of how creatine works, have a look at my metabolism page. Creatine also requires insulin to be passed into the muscle cells, so it is best taken with a high glycemic food, and after working out. Another great site with detailed information about creatine can be found here, courtesy of Mark D. Thanks Mark!

Use is simple, most people recommend a 5-7 day saturation period at first, in which you consume 4-5 servings a day of 5 grams each. After that you need only take 5-10 grams a day to maintain optimum levels. I would recommend one serving with breakfast, and one serving after working out with high a glycemic drink (Gatorade, Welches, Powerade...) about 15 minutes before your regular protein/carb shake.

I have read that you could also stretch out your saturation period to several weeks, and the end effect will be the same, but why waste time? A natural source of creatine monohydrate is red meat and cold water fish, which contain around 1-3 grams per pound.

Supplements worth trying, Application specific supplements

 These are supplements that work better for some people than others, or supplements that could be used from time to time to attain some short term goals like fat loss or super intense workouts. I'll also include some new supplements with details of how they work like HMB and Vanadyl. There are so many possible supplements out there, I will continue adding to this list for weeks to come.

Ephedrine

This is a very cheap energy booster a lot like caffeine. It lets you work out harder and longer. But your body will develop a tolerance to this drug just like it will for caffeine. The first time I tried it I was training shoulders. I would do a heavy set to total failure, and I felt like that was it, there was no way I could grunt out another set. But a minute or two later, I couldn't find the weight fast enough to push out another set.

Ephedrine is commonly used in conjunction with caffeine and aspirin as a fat burning stack, and is said to be quite effective. It increases your metabolism, and lets you suffer through an even longer aerobic training session. These are some potent chemicals, so I would recommend using these only for a few weeks of dieting, and preferably not every day.

I recently read an article that mentioned research that had been done saying that even though the anxiety/jitteryness effects of ephedrine diminish with continued use, the metabolism enhancing effect continues. So it could be used for longer periods of time, but who knows what withdrawal might be like!

I don't use this very much anymore because it tends to leave me really burnt out after a workout, because I have pushed my body a lot harder than I could have without it. There are also issues concerning neurotransmitters and the like. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals your body uses to send nerve impulses, for example to flex a muscle. When you work out this hard, these neurotransmitters get broken down, and a lack of them can lead to burn out.

So I advise using ephedrine only intermittently to give your body a chance to recover, and to avoid developing a tolerance. Even though the metabolism enhancing effects may stay, I think the performance boosting effects diminish along with the jitteryness.

Vanadyl

This supplement belongs to a group of insulin enhancers/mimickers. What it does is mimic insulin allowing for greater uptake of nutrients into your muscle cells. Hence the advertised greater pumps and fuller muscles. As you may have guessed, since creatine requires insulin to be transported into the cell, stacking these two supplements can have some great benefits!

This is basically a mineral supplement, and the recommended dose should not be exceeded otherwise imbalances may result. Cycling is also recommended on the label. Some say take one pill with a meal 4 times a day, others say to take one in the morning and the rest after working out. Some say take half before working out and the other half after. I'm sure all will have their benefits.

Taking vanadyl before and after a workout will give better pumps as you maximize your muscles ability to soak up glucose and creatine. Taking vanadyl with meals might prevent excess glucose from being stored as fat, since more of it fits into muscle. This is only a speculation of mine, though.

Pyruvate

This supplement has been getting a lot of coverage lately for fat loss, and there seems to be some valid research supporting its effectiveness. It works by accelerating cellular respiration, hence, increased fat loss.

Some studies have shown, that with exercise, pyruvate caused up to 48% more fat lass than without. It also showed decreased protein catabolism and increase endurance. It's supposed to be so potent, that it can cause fat loss even without exercise.

There are many skeptics when it come to pyruvate, and I wouldn't venture to say whether it works or not. There just isn't enough evidence yet. At first it was studied in quantities to large to be practical, causing stomach upset, etc. But some studies say a mere 6 grams does the trick. Is it a marketing ploy? I don't know. Is 6 grams enough? It's possible. For now, you're on your own whether or not you want totry it. If you do, and have some feedback, let me know!

Hydroxycitric Acid - Citrimax

Rather than burning more energy, this supplement works by preventing unused calories from being stored as fat, and through some feedback mechanism, surpresses appetite.

This has also been shown to be effective, though it doesn't receive as much hype as Pyruvate. Take one capsule before meals, especially if you know it's gonna be a feast!

Tyrosine, St. Johns Wort, choline(DMAE)

These are substances that support your body's neurological processes by making precursors to certain substances available, and extending the life of others. Some of these are even being used to treat mild depression which Bill Phillips, in my opinion, has correctly correlated with overtraining. What this means is that using these supplements may allow you to train harder while supplying your body with the tools it needs to recover faster from a neurological standpoint.

Tyrosine is a precursor to ( it's needed for the production of ) several neurotransmitters. Using it as a supplement lets you body produce more of the much needed neurotransmitters to ensure strong nerve signals to your muscles. Take about 2-3 grams, 90 minutes prior to working out. A nice and natural way to get more energy for working out by giving your body what it needs, but fairly expensive ~$1.50 per dose

St. Johns Wort is a herbal supplement which is said to increase the half life of neurotransmitters. What this means is that your neurotransmitters will not break down as fast, lasting longer, and perhaps letting you work out longer. Though hard to find(but getting easier), this is fairly inexpensive, about ~$0.10 per dose. Take about 500 mg 90 minutes prior to working out. I have also heard that the effect is cumulative, and reaches maximum effectiveness after a couple of weeks.

Lastly, choline, which you may recognizing for its similarity to acetylcholine, another neurotransmitter. Supplementing with this will provide your body with extra precursors to make that neurotransmitter. DMAE is a potent form of choline, but phosphatidyl choline is pretty decent and easier to find. Choline bitartrate is another form, but I'm not sure how it measures up. I have read that phosphatidyl is better.

Meal Replacement powders

Usually have a good balance of nutrients with about 30-60% protein, maybe a little bit of (essential)fat, and the rest carbs. Shakes of this sort make it a lot easier to consume 6 balanced meals a day, and are especially useful after working out because they are absorbed quickly.

They replenishes energy stores, and provides your body with nutrients necessary to repair muscle. I have often heard of the importance of ingesting drinks such as these right after a workout, and I agree that it helps, so try it!

HMB

HMB is said to reduce muscle breakdown, both in times of calorie restriction as well as intense training. To be effective, you have to actually reach one of these states, either by dieting or training to failure for a couple of sets.

For mass gain, an article in Muscle Media recommends doing a 2 way split (quads/hams/calves/bis/tris and chest/back/abs/shoulders) so that you work legs/arms Monday, Friday, Wednesday and chest/back/shoulders Wednesday, Monday, Friday. Then repeat the cycle. Basically do 6 heavy sets to failure for each muscle group, but try and be out of the gym in under one hour. Good luck. I find it necessary to further split these muscle groups and do half in the morning, the other half in the afternoon.

HMB is fairly expensive now, expect to pay around $75-100 per month supply. When the patent runs out (held by EAS I believe) the price may come down considerably. An alternative might be glutamine supplementation, which is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue. This may also prevent your body from going to muscle for protein as an energy source.

Dosage is 3 grams a day, taken split up over three meals. Take one dose before working out, preferably 2 hours before as it takes 2 hours to reach peak levels. You could also take a double dose prior to working out.

Glutamine

When the muscle gets broken down, a huge mayority of amino acids transported out of muscle cells are glutamine, needed to replenish intestinal cells which have a high rate of churn.

The theory is, consuming glutamine reduces the need to catabolize you muscle for this purpose. I have read that most of the orally ingested glutamine doesn't make into the blood stream. However, it still has an effect on growth hormone levels, and maybe a bit of muscle sparing.

It has been recommended to me as a cheaper alternative to HMB, though I haven't read about this anywhere. The effects are the same: muscle sparing resulting in more growth.

Glutamine is also readily used in the brain, as it passes most easily over blood brain barrier, and is metabolized into an important precursor of GABA, an excitatory neurotransmitter. So maybe even take it with tyrosine, St. Johns Wort and choline as a brain booster.

Take 2-3 times a day, 2.5 gram doses. Preferably before and after exercise.

Steroid Alternatives

This is actually a relatively new field of supplementation, and consist of substances that boost natural levels of testosterone. Rather than just pump testosterone right into your system, you supply your body with the building blocks it needs to build more of its own testosterone. And perhaps ingest some kind of substance that stimulates the body to create more of its own testosterone.

DHEA

This adrenal hormone is produced naturally in the body in large quantities until about the mid twenties where production falls off sharply. Studies of DHEA supplementation in middle aged men have shown increased energy and reduced bodyfat. It is a precursor to testosterone and so results in greater testosterone production, which is of course good. I have read that females should be careful because they may develop secondary male characteristics at higher doses.

Dosage is typically 25-100 mg a day, and it is fairly cheap. Dosage should take into account natural levels of DHEA, which basically means, the younger you are, the less you take. You may even want to check with a doctor to see what your natural levels are. I have heard that people under the age of 25 should probably not take DHEA supplementation, as it may interfere with natural hormone production.

Androstenedione

Androstenedione is a metabolite of DHEA that is a direct precursor to testosterone. In other words this substance has only one metabolic step to go through to be turned into testosterone. Studies have shown testosterone increases of up to 3.5 times! The increase takes effect about 15 minutes after consumption, and lasts about 3 hours, with testosterone levels peaking around 1-1.5 hours.

Dosage is around 100 mg and should be taken before the workout. Since the effects only last for about 3 hours, doses can be taken throughout the day, though this sustained elevation may effect natural production of testosterone, and is not recommended. Expect increased gains in energy, strength, and lean muscle mass.

Norandrostenedione

Norandrostenedione is very similar to androstenedione, in that it differs by only one carbon atom. The effects are very much the same as well, supposedly with improved fat mobilization, and fewer potential side effects. Also, instead of being a testosterone precursor, norandrostenedione is converted to nandrolone which also binds to steroid receptor sites. Nandrolone is one of the hormones tested for in athletic drug testing. It is also a gray market substance (as is androstenedione in some countries) and so may not be easily obtainable.

Doses are usually between 100-300mg, and costs about twice as much as androstenedione.

Tribulus

This is an herbal supplement that functions more in regulating testosterone production. That is, it increases production of luteinizing hormone, which in turn stimulates production of testosterone. Recommended dosage is about 1000-1500 mg/day. Testosterone increases can be up to 40%. Best taken ~1 hour before working out and before bed.

Saw Palmetto

This herbal supplement is commonly used in treating prostate enlargement, which is caused by excess dehydrotestosterone (DHT) causing prostate cells to multiply. DHT is made from testosterone, which means your precious testosterone is reduced, which is bad. Saw palmetto functions in blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT, leaving more testosterone in your blood. Stack this with Tribulus, and take at same times.

Stacks

For fat burning

The most common stack for burning fat right now is easily caffeine(100mg), ephedrine(25mg), and aspirin(300mg). This causes your metabolism to really shoot up. You'll notice increased perspiration and alertness. Some side effects are anxiety and jitters. Best taken first thing in the morning before aerobic exercise(this being the best time for fat burning since your glycogen stores are depleted). Be aware that the body builds tolerance against caffeine and ephedrine, so don't use for extended periods of time, and don't increase the dose. If you feel like you have to increase the dose, lay off for a week.

Anabolic stack

There are many combinations of stacking for the various testosterone boosting substances: DHEA, Androstenedione, Norandrostenedione and Tribulus. For some excellent example stacks with details of doses etc., visit Mass Quantities . They have lots of information on how to use a wide variety of supplements, and have a variety of stacks for different goals.

Links to more supplement information

 There are actually quite a few supplement suppliers on the web that also provide a lot of information in terms of proper use and effectiveness. Here are a few:
Netrition I know I didn't want to put up links that want to sell you something, But this site has a lot of information on supplements, and rates each on individually. Good site to visit if you want some info to help you decide which supplements/brands to buy.
Mass Quantities Another place to buy supplements, with a lot of info on the various supplements, run by a kindred spirit. Check it out!
NutriZone.com Another cool site you can order supplements from.