| OK, first let's get something straight here... | | | | of saturated fat |
| If you think that buying a shake or taking a few | | | | Eggs -- 50 large whole eggs, equals 3,750 calories |
| pills will all of a sudden make you huge, then you | | | | and 250g of saturated fat |
| are mistaken. | | | | Egg whites -- 100 egg whites, equals 1,600 |
| No supplement will help you if you are not training | | | | calories and almost no fat |
| and dieting correctly -- they will just give you | | | | Pure whey protein -- 15 scoops of EAS Precision |
| very expensive urine. All aspects of your program | | | | Protein, equals 1,500 calories 7.5g of saturated fat |
| have to be in order for you to get the maximum | | | | It is very possible to get this amount from eating |
| benefit from sports nutrition supplements. From | | | | whole foods only -- But it will take work. Also, as |
| my experience, supplements enhance your | | | | you can see from the above numbers, getting all |
| program by: | | | | of your protein from regular food will also bring a |
| 1. Adding an element of convenience: Using food | | | | lot of unnecessary elements like extra saturated |
| supplements like Meal Replacement Powders and | | | | fat. Yes, our goal to gain mass is to eat a lot of |
| whey protein help to eliminate the common | | | | calories (including fat), but your main fat intake |
| problem of 'not enough time', by providing you | | | | should consist of unsaturated fats that are liquid |
| with an quick efficient way to get your required | | | | at room temperature like olive oil, flaxseed oil, |
| nutrients each day. | | | | sunflower oil and safflower oil. Whey protein |
| 2. Increasing strength and decreasing recovery | | | | supplements will help to give you the extra |
| time: Using vitamin and amino acid supplements | | | | protein without the fat. |
| help to minimize the negative side effects of | | | | Increased Strength and Decreased Recovery |
| weight training and speed your recovery. | | | | In addition to a whey protein supplement, I |
| The Benefit of Convenience | | | | recommend that everyone should be taking a |
| There are many 'old school' trainers and | | | | multi-vitamin, plenty of vitamin C, and glutamine. |
| bodybuilders who profess the uselessness of | | | | Creatine can also be added if you are over 18. |
| supplements. They are constantly preaching that | | | | Multi-Vitamin |
| they don't work, and that you don't need them. | | | | Weight training increases the body's need for |
| Well, to tell you the truth they are correct, | | | | many minerals like magnesium and selenium. The |
| somewhat. Remember that not too long ago | | | | multi-vitamin ensures that I am not deficient in |
| there were no supplements. Bodybuilders built | | | | any major essential vitamin or mineral. Deficiency |
| huge physiques without meal replacement | | | | symptoms include muscle weakness and |
| powders, creatine or prohormones. | | | | suppression of the immune system, muscle |
| There was no such thing as exercise 'machines'. | | | | cramping and fatigue. |
| They used multi-jointed, compound free weight | | | | I always take a multi-vitamin without iron, |
| exercises that not only increased their muscular | | | | because grown men do not need additional iron. |
| size, but also make them incredibly strong. So, if | | | | We get enough from our food. Men and |
| you look at that way it can be done and you | | | | postmenopausal women should never take iron |
| don't need any supplements. However, the | | | | supplements unless they have iron-deficiency |
| decision whether or not to use supplements | | | | anemia, which is only diagnosed by blood tests. |
| should involve the consideration of other factors | | | | The body has no way to eliminate excess iron |
| that may come into play when speaking of dieting | | | | except through blood loss. Women who |
| today. The first of which is time. | | | | menstruate are protected from iron overload, |
| Many people today just do not have the time to | | | | obviously. Iron is also an oxidizing agent that can |
| live, eat and breathe food. Very few people like | | | | cause damage to the heart and arteries, and is a |
| to cook, and even fewer cook on a regular basis. | | | | major risk factor in arteriosclerosis. |
| When was the last time that you actually had six | | | | Vitamin C |
| meals that you actually cooked yourself? Many of | | | | Vitamin C essential to prevent free radical |
| those who are against dietary supplements | | | | damage, which is accelerated after the heavy |
| continue to preach that you should get all the | | | | trauma of weight training. It is also essential is |
| nutrients that you need from your diet. 'Eat a | | | | helping to repair connective tissue which helps |
| balanced diet and you will get all the nutrition you | | | | decrease the amount of time you are sore. I train |
| need'. Well, 100 years ago that may have been | | | | very heavy and extremely hard. When I train my |
| true, but today this type of advice is questionable. | | | | legs, I am usually sore for about 5-6 days |
| The fact is, most people's idea of a good meal is | | | | afterwards. |
| restaurant or (even worse) fast food. To ask | | | | If I do not supplement my diet with vitamin C, I |
| someone to eat specific amounts of protein, fat | | | | would normally be sore for almost 10 days! So, it |
| and carbs seems like an impossible request | | | | really helps me to recover and get back to |
| considering that most people can't even get their | | | | training. I typically take around 3,000mg in divided |
| minimum requirements of good fat or fiber. | | | | doses. That would equal quite a few oranges! |
| Experts will continue to spout 'eat a balanced diet,' | | | | Glutamine |
| while Americans feast on nutritionless fast food | | | | Glutamine is an amino acid that is produced by our |
| and sugar. Not only do our bodies have to deal | | | | bodies, but most of the time our bodies demand |
| with the ever-increasing external stresses of | | | | so much, that it can't create enough. I supplement |
| everyday life, they also have to combat | | | | my diet with glutamine to increase my levels of |
| nutrient-depleting, tissue damaging exercise. | | | | glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant, |
| If I did not have the option to supplement my | | | | which helps to combat the stresses of exercise |
| diet with whey protein, I probably would not have | | | | trauma, and prevent muscle protein breakdown. |
| gained as much weight as I have. Now, I'm not | | | | I especially believe that it helps prevent my body |
| saying that the whey protein is why I gained | | | | from breaking down my new muscle while I am |
| weight, but it did help me a great deal. | | | | asleep, so I never go to bed without taking it. I |
| I am usually very busy and I just don't have the | | | | take about 15g per day (in divided doses), which |
| time, nor the desire to eat six, planned whole | | | | would be impossible to get naturally. |
| food meals per day. Supplements like meal | | | | Creatine Monohydrate |
| replacement powders and whey protein fill in this | | | | Creatine's purpose is to supply our muscle with |
| gap for me. | | | | energy. It is also found in red meat, but you |
| I typically have three real food meals and three | | | | would have to eat an enormous amount of meat |
| protein supplement meals -- that makes up my | | | | to get the same benefits as taking pure creatine |
| required six meals each day. When I'm away | | | | powder. Everyone knows about creatine so I will |
| from home, or not able to get an adequate meal, | | | | not go into it here, but I do want to say that the |
| my MRP is always right there when I need it. It | | | | major benefit from taking creatine is that it will |
| gives me a quantifiable amount of protein so that | | | | increase your strength. |
| I can keep track of my nutrient intake. In my | | | | This will enable you to lift heavier weights, which |
| opinion, this is much better than just grabbing | | | | will stimulate more muscle growth. Many people |
| something and then trying to guess at how much | | | | make a big fuss over the muscle volumizing |
| protein, fat or carbs you just ate. Getting in all of | | | | effects of creatine, because if you stop taking it, |
| your required meals and nutrient amounts is | | | | you lose that extra fluid that creatine brings into |
| crucial to your success. | | | | your cells. So what! You certainly DO NOT lose |
| My mass diet requires a very high daily protein | | | | the extra muscle creatine helped you to gain. |
| intake -- Over 300g per day. Just to give you | | | | I can honestly say that I could not have built the |
| example of how much that is, here are some | | | | body I have today without the convenience and |
| examples of what 300g of protein is equal to: | | | | enhancements supplements provide. I simply don't |
| Tuna -- 50 oz of canned tuna (the average can is | | | | have the time or desire to do it any other way. |
| 6-8oz.), which is 1,750 calories and 25g of fat | | | | This is a choice that you must decide for yourself. |
| Chicken -- 38 oz of chx breast (equals about | | | | You will be spending your money on these |
| seven 6oz breasts), which is 1,313 calories and | | | | products, so make sure that you know their place |
| 38g of saturated fat | | | | in your program. |
| Beef -- 43 oz of lean ground beef (about 2.7 | | | | Don't get caught up in product hype. Supplements |
| pounds of meat), which is 3,214 calories and 215g | | | | will help, but they will NOT do the work for you. |