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Supplements...
- Thread starter stevo01
- Start date
cWood30
PLC Sr's Candidate
Anything specific you recommend? I've been running to the gym early in the mornings, then weight lifting monday through friday. Some days the recovery is harder than others, and a supplement would certainly help that, I'm sure. I have to take my final PFT for the board in a month and I've been making some good progress to where I need to be so far, and it would be nice to have a little extra boost. Thanks for the advice!
I suspect you might do a bit better by using some BCAAs and perhaps some light protein supplementation. Here is a link to some info...beware, they are trying to sell you something so their view may be somewhat slanted. But, the way they explain BCAAs is good.
Regarding protein use, I believe that unless you are not meeting your daily requirements (easily obtained in a normal diet and in about a 1/3 pound burger) you would be wasting money for a couple of reasons. Most folks don't exercise at a level which dictates the extra protein.....this situation normally requires you work out hard about 5 days a week or so and do so for 2-3 hours each day. Otherwise you can get your extra protein by eating a can of tuna, an extra burger patty, etc. Additionally, extra protein can provide for better muscular growth but has been shown to minimally increase endurance. Oh, and that extra protein that your body doesn't use will either be flushed down the toilet or possible stored as adipose tissue.
http://www.snsonline.com/articles/glycogen.shtml
BTW, here are some guidelines for supplementation for aircrew. There are a lot of things on this list which I do not agree with...IOW, there are things here which should be allowed; creatine is a prime example. But, be aware that there are very few things which are allowed.....
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/Dietary Supplements Policy.pdf
Regarding protein use, I believe that unless you are not meeting your daily requirements (easily obtained in a normal diet and in about a 1/3 pound burger) you would be wasting money for a couple of reasons. Most folks don't exercise at a level which dictates the extra protein.....this situation normally requires you work out hard about 5 days a week or so and do so for 2-3 hours each day. Otherwise you can get your extra protein by eating a can of tuna, an extra burger patty, etc. Additionally, extra protein can provide for better muscular growth but has been shown to minimally increase endurance. Oh, and that extra protein that your body doesn't use will either be flushed down the toilet or possible stored as adipose tissue.
http://www.snsonline.com/articles/glycogen.shtml
BTW, here are some guidelines for supplementation for aircrew. There are a lot of things on this list which I do not agree with...IOW, there are things here which should be allowed; creatine is a prime example. But, be aware that there are very few things which are allowed.....
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/NAMI/WaiverGuideTopics/Dietary Supplements Policy.pdf
livefast
Registered User
cWood30: first, you're overtraining. You should not be lifting Monday through Friday--your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover after lifting weights. Second, feddoc's advice about staying away from protein is not really well founded. Most trainers recommend getting 1 gram of protein for every pound that you weigh (If you weigh 160lbs, get 160 grams). Any kind of exersize that breaks down your muscle fibers (weight lifting, squats, etc) is enough to dictate protein supplements. Weight lifting causes microscopic tears in the muscle fibers; protein aids in their re-growth. When the muscle fibers re-grow, they re-grow stronger than they were before. Without adequate protein, you're sabotaging your results. I recommend drinking a 50 Gram Slam from GNC immediately after your workout, and then eating foods like turkey, chicken breast, and other foods loaded with protein throughout the day. You should also be taking a decent multi-vitamin every day, and making sure you get enough calcium and enough sleep.
I'll tell you what I do. I eat lots of protein and I drink plenty of fluids. Also, make sure you eat a your fruit and vegetables and starch, not that processed crap. This will all help you recover faster and you will also see bigger gains. If you need more protein, try drinking protein shakes suck as Myoplex. It's good stuff and it works.
Also, Livefast is right about your muscles needing rest. Whiel you can work-out five days a week, you shouldn't work the same muscles two days in a row. It will take your muscles between 48-72 hours to recover depending on how hard you worked and how well you eat. So if you work your upper body on Monday, then work you lower body on Tuesday.
Also, Livefast is right about your muscles needing rest. Whiel you can work-out five days a week, you shouldn't work the same muscles two days in a row. It will take your muscles between 48-72 hours to recover depending on how hard you worked and how well you eat. So if you work your upper body on Monday, then work you lower body on Tuesday.
actually, you can lift every day as long as you don't lift the SAME groups every day.
look into glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, and electrolyte replacements. also, if your 'endurance' workout is more than 90 minutes, you definitely will need to carb load.
if you have any more questions, let me know.
feddoc... adipose tissue... haha. nice.
look into glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, and electrolyte replacements. also, if your 'endurance' workout is more than 90 minutes, you definitely will need to carb load.
if you have any more questions, let me know.
feddoc... adipose tissue... haha. nice.
livefast said:
How about you and I compare degrees, background and experience and then tell me precisely where I am incorrect.
BTW, just in case you don't like what I have to say, try here for starters..
https://www.nsca-lift.org/secure/NMStore/NMDetail.asp?BookQuery_Action=Find('ISBN','ESS%2D100')&BookQuery_Position=FIL%3ACategory+%3D+%271%27ORD%3AABS%3A2KEY%3AESS%2D100PAR%3A
FWIW, PhD in Exercise Physiology, certified by NSCA, ASCM, NPA, and NATA. Been doing it since 1981.
gentlemen, you're both right. however, for different athletic goals, nutritional needs differ.
weightlifting isn't the only thing that causes microscopic tears in your muscles.
in an endurance athlete, you NEED to glyco/carb load. if you don't, your body burns all the glycogen in your system (what is it, feddoc? after 30-90 minutes?), and after that, you start burning muscle. for super-long endurance events, you typically need to replace your electrolytes every 30 minutes. in endurance athletes, protein replacement, while still very important, is not as important as carb loading.
for proper muscle function, you also need calcium, potassium, and sodium.
livefast-- if you have any questions re: that degree program you're on, you let me know.
weightlifting isn't the only thing that causes microscopic tears in your muscles.
in an endurance athlete, you NEED to glyco/carb load. if you don't, your body burns all the glycogen in your system (what is it, feddoc? after 30-90 minutes?), and after that, you start burning muscle. for super-long endurance events, you typically need to replace your electrolytes every 30 minutes. in endurance athletes, protein replacement, while still very important, is not as important as carb loading.
for proper muscle function, you also need calcium, potassium, and sodium.
livefast-- if you have any questions re: that degree program you're on, you let me know.
cWood30
PLC Sr's Candidate
Thanks to all! I wasn't the original poster of this thread but I sure am gaining from it. I do indeed work alternating sets of muscles. MWF are upper body and core. As well as a 3 mile run and 100 military crunches, which I do M-F. TR are lower body and again some core. I have been wondering about nutrition though, now that my workout/lifting program has stabilized. I'm definitely improving my reps/weight that I'm lifting, but I'm not seeing huge results as far as my body goes. Do some people just show mass better than others? Could this be due to my poor nutrition habits up till now? BTW, most of my lifting consists of 3-4 reps of 10, as I was instructed that that type of lifting will give me the lean, endurance muscle mass that will be most beneficial to my goals. I've also only been lifting like this for a little over a month, so I'm sure that it will take time to see real results, but just figured I'd ask as long as I've got such great resources here. Again, thanks guys, huge help!
Oh, one more thing, does anyone have any advice for this type of nutrition on a budget? I am still a college kid working/paying my way through school and I'd like to keep costs as low as I can without causing negative results to myself/body/routine.
I've got my initial PFT Wednesday, I'll let you know how it goes. Anything over 225 I'll be happy, as I've only been working out for about 1-2 months, and lifting for only 1 month. Other than that, I was a certified couch potatoe! My strength is the run (18:30-21:00 depending on the day/energy), and I need to work most on crunches (~75) and pullups (14-15 this week, improves by 2 or so every week so far).
Oh, one more thing, does anyone have any advice for this type of nutrition on a budget? I am still a college kid working/paying my way through school and I'd like to keep costs as low as I can without causing negative results to myself/body/routine.
I've got my initial PFT Wednesday, I'll let you know how it goes. Anything over 225 I'll be happy, as I've only been working out for about 1-2 months, and lifting for only 1 month. Other than that, I was a certified couch potatoe! My strength is the run (18:30-21:00 depending on the day/energy), and I need to work most on crunches (~75) and pullups (14-15 this week, improves by 2 or so every week so far).
cWood30 said:
Do some people just show mass better than others?
Yes, sort of...gaining mass is mostly a product of lifting with a specific set/rep/intensity pattern, combined with proper nutrition. Genetics may also play a role. 3-4 sets, at 6-9 reps at about 70% of your 1RM should do it for you. However, you should begin your lifting program (in order to train your muscles to lift *aka adapt neurologically to lifting movements* ) with 3 sets of 10 reps for each of the core lifts. Then go to the 6-9 rep thing.
I was instructed that that type of lifting will give me the lean, endurance muscle mass that will be most beneficial to my goals.
While lean/endurance and muscle mass are not mutually exclusive, you cannot expect to gain both by lifting in the manner you described. Nor can you expect to gain both by lifting in one particular set/rep/intensity pattern.
To gain mass, you need to train your muscle fibers a certain way. To gain endurance, you need to train your muscle fibers in a different way.
One more thing...consider buying a book entitled: "Power, A Scientific Approach" by Fred Hatfield. That ought to keep the poly sci majors at bay:icon_smil
One last thing. The best source for a good library of things related to fitness can be found here:
http://humankinetics.com/
(aw similie policy in effect)
cWood30
PLC Sr's Candidate
Thanks for the advice guys, it's amazing how much easier/efficient working out has become over just the past few days on the right nutrition! It's a great feeling knowing my body is getting the exact type of fuel it requires and wants at my physical level. My run time even decreased a little bit.
I took my initial PFT today, received a 231 on it. Although he said that if it was my final PFT he would have added some to it, because my crunches were situps and I was working much harder than I needed to to accomplish each crunch. I got an 18:30 run, 10 pullups, and 80 crunches. The pullups I need to work most on, as those are an easy 5 points each. I can see myself getting a really good PFT within the next few months with sticking to my workout and proper nutrition.
I still need to find a good, non-expensive but quality multi-vitamin. Any recommendations there? Or is a healthy diet just fine as it is? I typically don't get cramps, joint pain, or muscle soreness as it is.
I took my initial PFT today, received a 231 on it. Although he said that if it was my final PFT he would have added some to it, because my crunches were situps and I was working much harder than I needed to to accomplish each crunch. I got an 18:30 run, 10 pullups, and 80 crunches. The pullups I need to work most on, as those are an easy 5 points each. I can see myself getting a really good PFT within the next few months with sticking to my workout and proper nutrition.
I still need to find a good, non-expensive but quality multi-vitamin. Any recommendations there? Or is a healthy diet just fine as it is? I typically don't get cramps, joint pain, or muscle soreness as it is.
nutrition on a budget:
plain jane centrum is a good multi-vitamin if you're not going to go to gnc and splurge there. you can even take one in the am and one in the early afternoon. don't take them too late-- you could have trouble sleeping. vitamins won't necessarily decrease cramps, joint pain, or muscle soreness, but they'll help you get the nutrients that you're probably not getting from your diet. rare is the person who actually gets everything they need, in the proper amounts, from their diet alone.
fresh fruits and veggies.... and i know this can be expensive, so you have to look at where you shop. whole foods is not the place for you, and organic produce will definitely run up your bill. if you have 'lower budget/dollar' grocery stores in your area, that might be a good place to shop. i did that in college, and i swear to you (!) that place had better, cheaper produce than my local chain grocery stores. no, it wasn't a wal-mart. it was a grocery store, just cheaper. of course, it didn't offer everything, so some things i got from other places. sam's and cosco are also good places-- i always got things like chicken breast there. buy it in bulk if you know you'll be eating it.
cWood30, i'm not sure what your nutritional/workout goals are, but generally speaking, a diet high in fruits, veggies, whole grains, with adequate protein and carbs should do the trick. white bread, white rice, and potatoes, aren't the 'fat makers' that atkins has made them out to be. think about it-- the french eat white bread with almost every meal. the italians eat pasta, but in different portions than we do. and then you have all of the countries where rice is a staple-- asia AND latin america. twinkies and hohos, demons that they are, are even okay in moderation. balance is key.
glad to hear that your workout is improving. definitely keep posting your results and questions.
plain jane centrum is a good multi-vitamin if you're not going to go to gnc and splurge there. you can even take one in the am and one in the early afternoon. don't take them too late-- you could have trouble sleeping. vitamins won't necessarily decrease cramps, joint pain, or muscle soreness, but they'll help you get the nutrients that you're probably not getting from your diet. rare is the person who actually gets everything they need, in the proper amounts, from their diet alone.
fresh fruits and veggies.... and i know this can be expensive, so you have to look at where you shop. whole foods is not the place for you, and organic produce will definitely run up your bill. if you have 'lower budget/dollar' grocery stores in your area, that might be a good place to shop. i did that in college, and i swear to you (!) that place had better, cheaper produce than my local chain grocery stores. no, it wasn't a wal-mart. it was a grocery store, just cheaper. of course, it didn't offer everything, so some things i got from other places. sam's and cosco are also good places-- i always got things like chicken breast there. buy it in bulk if you know you'll be eating it.
cWood30, i'm not sure what your nutritional/workout goals are, but generally speaking, a diet high in fruits, veggies, whole grains, with adequate protein and carbs should do the trick. white bread, white rice, and potatoes, aren't the 'fat makers' that atkins has made them out to be. think about it-- the french eat white bread with almost every meal. the italians eat pasta, but in different portions than we do. and then you have all of the countries where rice is a staple-- asia AND latin america. twinkies and hohos, demons that they are, are even okay in moderation. balance is key.
glad to hear that your workout is improving. definitely keep posting your results and questions.
ItsTurboTime
Registered User
I still stick with whole grain rice/bread/pasta whenever I can
btw, 18:30 - dayum.
btw, 18:30 - dayum.