Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics

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Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics

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What Nutritional Supplements Should I Use? When it comes to

gaining lean muscle mass, most people think that bodybuilding

supplements are the most important part of the equation. However,

this could not be any further from the truth.

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Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics

Copyright © 2008 Hugo A

Body RE-Engineering

http://www.losefatandgainmuscle.com

What Nutritional Supplements Should I Use?

When it comes to gaining lean muscle mass, most people think that

bodybuilding supplements are the most important part of the

equation. However, this could not be any further from the truth.

Supplements are just additions to an already good nutrition and

training program. Nutrition and training are the most important

components of a bodybuilding program, with rest and recovery next

to them. Once all of those aspects of your program are maximized,

then you can start thinking of adding supplements to your

program.

Please understand that supplements do not make up for improper

training, or lack thereof, or a low quality diet. Supplements

only work when your diet and your training program are optimal.

Why Use Supplements?

Nutritional supplements are good because they prevent us from

getting any nutritional deficiencies. The increased activity

levels from your new exercise program will make your body have

greater demands for vitamins and minerals, which will increase

the probability of you suffering a deficiency without

supplementation. Even a slight nutrient deficiency can sabotage

muscle growth. Can't we get all the nutrients we need from food

alone? We cannot rely solely on food nowadays to provide us with

all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs because the

processing of foods before they get to the supermarket, cooking,

air, and even light have already robbed your foods of most of the

vitamins that they have to offer. If you are deficient in one or

more nutrients your body may not be able to build muscle and burn

fat properly.

Not all supplements are created equal though. Some your body

always needs, others are more dependent upon what your goals are

and what your budget looks like. Below you will learn what the

different categories of supplements are and which ones you need

to use at all times:

Basic Supplements

These are the supplements that you always need year round in

order to gain muscle. If you have a limited budget, these are the

only ones that you need to concern yourself with.

Multiple Vitamin And Mineral Formula

Essential to insure that your body will operate at maximum

efficiency. Why? Because on a very simplistic level, without

vitamins and minerals it is impossible to covert the food that we

eat into hormones, tissues and energy.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds (produced by both animals and

vegetables) whose function is to enhance the actions of proteins

that cause chemical reactions such as muscle building, fat

burning and energy production. There are two types of vitamins:

Fat soluble vitamins - they get stored in fat and therefore if

taken in excessive amounts will become toxic such as A, D, E, and

K. Water soluble vitamins - they are not stored in the body such

as the B-Complex and Vitamin C.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic compounds (not produced by either animals

or vegetables). Their main function is to assure that your brain

receives the correct signals from the body, balance of fluids,

muscular contractions and energy production as well as for the

building of muscle and bones. There are two types of minerals:

Bulk minerals - Which are called this way as the body needs them

in great quantities in the order of grams such as Calcium,

magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus.

Trace minerals -Which are needed by the body in minute amounts,

usually in the order of micrograms such as chromium, copper,

cobalt, silicon, selenium, iron and zinc.

Where Can You Get Vitamins and Minerals From?

I like simplicity and because of that I tend to get most of my

vitamins and minerals from multiple vitamin/mineral packs. The

ones I personally use are the Prolab's Training Paks, which are

loaded with potent levels of essential nutrients and bioactive

compounds.

You have to be very careful with what type of vitamin and mineral

formulas you choose as some don't always contain what the labels

claim (thanks to unscrupulous manufacturers) and some come from

such poor sources that they are not absorbed very well by the

body. Other Reputable Companies On The Market That I Have Used

Include: Twinlabs, EAS, Weider, Labrada, Shiff, Optimum

Nutrition, Advanced Nutrition, Higher Power Nutrition, and

Champion Nutrition

Protein Supplements

Because of hectic schedules it is impossible to eat the six

perfectly balanced meals that are required to get in shape a day.

Therefore, these supplements can be used as " fast food " . They

are easy to prepare (if it is a protein bar then no preparation

is required) and most of the formulas that are available on the

market today pay close attention to taste. Having said that,

there are many categories of protein supplements. Before we cover

the different categories of protein supplements and how to use

them, let's talk about the different sources of protein found in

these supplements.

Types of Protein Sources

There are many sources of protein from which protein powders or

bars are made of. Protein quality is measured by Biological Value

(BV). BV is a value that measures how well the body can absorb

and utilize a protein. The higher the Biological Value of the

protein you use, the more nitrogen your body can absorb, use, and

retain. As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the

most lean muscle gains. Whey protein has the highest BV value,

rating at 104. Egg protein is only second to whey rating as a 100

with milk proteins being a close third rating as 91. Beef rates

as an 80 with soy proteins a distant 74. Bean proteins, due to

the fact that are plant-based proteins, only rate a 49.

Now that we have discussed BV values, let's discuss each protein

source in more detail.

Whey Proteins (Whey Concentrate/Whey Isolate) I feel that whey

protein is a great protein source for the following reasons shown

in a growing number of studies:

1) It improves sports performance because it reduces stress and

lowers cortisol levels (hormone that destroys muscle).

2) Improved immunity by increasing glutathione (GSH), which is a

water soluble antioxidant found in the body.

3) Improved liver function in some forms of hepatitis.

4) Reduces blood pressure.

5) Can help fight HIV.

6) Helps reduce overtraining (which is linked also to low levels

of GSH).

In addition to the above, whey proteins are highly digestible and

have a better amino acid profile even than egg whites. So in

other words, whey protein has the highest biological value (value

that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein)

of any protein.

Having said this, whey is not the steroid-like substance that

many advertisers would like you to believe, but based on current

research, it can be a valuable addition to one's diet for the

reasons outlined above.

Also, all whey is not created equal. The whey that will give you

the benefits described above has to be micro-filtered. Otherwise,

it is just the garbage left after pasteurizing milk.

Micro-filtration than has to be done at very low temperatures in

order to allow for the production of high protein contents with

no undenatured protein, minimum fat, minimum cholesterol and

minimum lactose.

ii) Isolates & Concentrates

In addition, there are whey isolates and whey concentrates. Whey

isolates are sub-fractions of whey that are absorbed much more

rapidly into the system. This is a good thing for post workout

nutrition as at this time the body is in dire need of amino

acids. However, whey isolate makes a poor choice for during the

day supplementation as if the body does not have a need for all

of the amino acids that are released into the bloodstream, then

it will use them for energy production as opposed to muscle

building.

Also, it is important to mention that whey isolate does not have

many of the health enhancing properties that are described above,

as the expensive process required to produce whey isolate

destroys many of the health/immune system enhancing sub-fractions

such as the lactoferrins, beta-lactoglobulins, and

immuno-globulins.

Therefore, for during the day use, a product consisting mainly of

whey concentrate is your best bet while for after the workout, a

whey isolate product would be a better choice.

iii) Egg Protein

Egg protein is a super bio-available protein second only to whey,

as previously discussed. It is a slower released protein than

whey, which makes it perfect for throughout the day use. One

thing that I like to do is mix some egg and whey protein for the

most bio-available protein shake in the planet!

iv) Milk Proteins (Calcium Casseinate/Miscellar Casein)

Milk proteins, just like egg proteins, are a highly bio-available

protein source (slightly less BV than egg) that is slowly

released into the blood stream.

Calcium Casseinate is the regular protein that is found in

regular milk and other dairy products. Miscellar casein is the

natural, undenatured form of casein found in milk. It is

separated from milk by means of ultrafiltration, without the use

of chemicals, which increases the amount of bioactive milk

peptides that support immune function as well as enhance muscle

growth.

A property of micellar casein is that it may have the ability to

provide a steady release of amino acids into the blood stream,

which makes it an excellent choice for a long lasting

anti-catabolic (muscle protecting) protein.

v) Beef Proteins

Beef proteins are slow released proteins that rate an 80 on the

BV scale.

While I don't know of any protein supplement in powder on the

market that is made from beef proteins, there are beef liver

tablets out there that do provide the benefits from beef

proteins. Beef proteins are abundant in blood building iron and

also on B-vitamins, all factors that contribute to better

nutrient utilization and energy production.

vi) Soy Proteins

Soy has been shown to exhibit positive health benefits for both

men and women. Studies have shown they may reduce the risk of

hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate, etc), and other

cancers as well. Soy's primary health benefits include reducing

high cholesterol and easing the symptoms of menopause (due to the

fact that it contains estrogen like substances called

phyto-estrogens). Soy has also been shown to help with

osteoporosis by building up bone mass. Because of this, I like to

recommend 1 serving of soy protein per day for women but only for

its health benefits.

However, in the muscle building department, I don't feel that

soy is very useful, especially for men. First of all, its BV

value is a distant 49, and second of all, since it has estrogen

like substances, it could potentially reduce the utilization of

testosterone through the binding of phyto-estrogens to the

testosterone receptors.

II) Types Of Protein Supplements

Now that we have covered the main proteins present in protein

supplements, lets discuss the different types of protein

supplements on the market.

i) Weight Gainers

Weight gainers are protein shakes whose protein source consists

mainly of whey proteins (mostly concentrate with some isolate as

well). Some also include other proteins such as milk proteins

and/or egg. These products are characterized by their extremely

high carbohydrate content; typically in the form of maltodextrin

(a high glycemic complex carb) and fructose (simple sugar

originating from fruits).

Weight gainers were very popular back in the 90s but their

popularity has died mainly because most people do not have the

fast metabolism of a hardgainer; so as a result, a high

carbohydrate diet applied on a person with over 10% body fat

typically leads mostly to fat gains instead of muscle mass gains.

For hardgainers however, and bodybuilders who are below 10% body

fat, these products be very useful for getting in the amount of

quality calories required to gain quality muscle.

They are best when used for the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and

post workout meals as the carbohydrate content is of a fast

released nature. They can be mixed with fruit juice or skim milk,

and in order to increase the calorie content the use of flaxseed

oil and fruits is invaluable.

My favorite weight gainers on the market are:

* Prolab's N-Large II (the most popular one on the market)

* Beverly International's Mass Maker

* Twinlab's Gainers Fuel 2500

* Champion Nutrition's Heavyweight Gainer 900

* Weider's Mega Mass 4000

* Bartram's X-Treme Size

* EAS Mass Factor

This is not a comprehensive list by any means, but rather a list

of the products that I know are good. The fact that a product is

not on this list does not mean that it is not a good one.

ii) Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs)

These powders are lower in calories due to the fact that they

have way less carbohydrates than weight gainers. They were

created after the realization that most of the population does

not have a weight gain problem and therefore the weight gainers

on the market were of little use to them.

Protein-wise, most are composed of whey proteins but there are

many new formulas now on the market that consist of a protein

blend of whey and milk proteins. Typically, the carbohydrate

component used to be maltodextrin, yielding around 25-27 grams of

carbohydrate per serving, but the newer generation formulas

consist of slower released carbohydrates like brown rice and oats

in order to make the product lower glycemic in nature.

While these products are too low in calories for most

Hardgainers, they can use these as long as they add other

ingredients such as fruit, skim milk and essential fats in order

to increase the caloric base.

My favorite MRP on the market, by far, is Prolab's Lean Mass

Complex, as it is instantized (you can mix with liquid and a

spoon), and has a unique cinnamon oatmeal flavor. In addition it

contains essential fats, a slow released carbohydrate matrix and

a protein blend of whey proteins and miscellar casein. Other good

products I like are are:

* Beverly International's Ultra Size

* Champion Nutrition's Ultramet (the vanilla flavor is

excellent)

* EAS' Myoplex (though it is very hard to mix)

* Labrada's Lean Body

Any of these products can be used throughout the day in between

meals or after the workout.

iii) Protein Powders

Protein powders are just powders that consist mainly of protein

(typically whey protein is what is sold these days but you can

also find blends). Typically, they contain no more than 5 grams

of carbohydrates per scoop and 20-25 grams of protein (per

scoop). Calorie wise they consist of anywhere from 100-125

calories.

Good sources of these powders are:

* Prolab's Pure Whey (available now also in Cinnamon Oatmeal

flavor)

* EAS MyoPro (chocolate being my favorite flavor)

* Next Nutrition Designer Protein

* IronTek's Essential Protein

The powders just mentioned are mainly whey protein concentrate.

The best isolates in the market are:

* Natures Best Zero Carb Isopure

* Prolab's Isolate

My favorite blends in the market of whey proteins with slower

released proteins are:

* Beverly International's Muscle Provider (whey and egg blend)

* Prolab's Protein Component (also available in my favorite

Cinnamon Oatmeal flavor)

I love protein supplements because of the many uses that they

have. For instance in the morning I like to have oatmeal with

Cinnamon flavored protein powder. One can also use them to add

more protein to either a meal replacement powder or a weight

gainer. Alternatively, one can also use them for creating a

home-made weight gain formula.

So now, which protein product should you choose? If trying to

gain weight then a weight gainer for sure. If you are looking to

have a full meal consisting of carbs, proteins and some fats then

an MRP is your best bet. If on a budget then the best way to go

is to buy a 5-lb tub of protein powder.

iv) Protein Bars

These are bars made out of any of the protein sources listed

above. The carbohydrate mix is usually a combination of glycerin

(which is not really a carbohydrate but a sugar alcohol) and

sugars. They are low in calories compared to a weight gain shake

and typically contain less than desirable fats. If trying to lose

fat, then limit their use to once per day at the most.

If doing a competition then I would not touch them. The ones I

like most in the market today are:

* Premiere 1 Odyssey Bars

* Labrada's Lean Body Bars

* Met Rx Protein Plus Food Bars

* Worldwide Pure Protein Bars

* EAS' Myoplex Deluxe Bars

v) Beef Liver Tablets

These tablets are a great source of beef liver and bodybuilders

have been using them for decades in order to obtain the values

offered by beef proteins. The key thing for liver tablets to be

useful is that they need to be manufactured with the highest

grade of beef liver and they also need to be purified from the

fat, cholesterol and other impurities that are contained in the

liver.

When it comes to beef liver tablets the best ones in the market,

in my opinion, are Beverly International's Ultra 40 because they

contain the highest grade of beef liver and have been purified

and processed to contain forty-five times the nutritional amount

of whole beef liver.

The way to use them is to add 3-4 tablets per meal. Each tablet

adds an additional 2 grams of protein from beef liver to your

meals.

C) Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids, Alpha Linoleic Acid (Omega-3s) and

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6s), are fats that need to be consumed

through one's diet as the body cannot manufacture them. They are

most important as they are involved in several key body functions

such as energy production, fat burning, brain and nerve tissue

development, mood regulation, insulin metabolism, hemoglobin

production, etc. In addition, these fats have some interesting

properties such as anti-inflammatory properties, anti-lipolitic

properties (prevention of extra calories being stored as fat),

reduction in allergies, and immune system strengthening.

Where Can You Get EFA's From?

Having said that, where can one find EFA's? Salmon and flax

seeds are high on the Omega-3s.

If you do not consume any of these items, then either flax seed

oil, flax seed oil capsules or fish oil capsules would be a good

idea to add to your supplements program. Omega-6 fats typically

do not need to be supplemented as they are easily found in

poultry, eggs and whole-grain breads. Typically, one's diet is

abundant on the Omega-6 but lacking on the Omega-3's.

My favorite EFA product is manufactured by a company called Pride

Nutrition which has a blend called Premium EFA. In addition to

Essential Fats, this blend also has CLA (conjugated linoleic

acid) and GLA (gamma linolenic acid). These two fatty acids are

showing very promising studies for weight loss and joint

lubrication.

What's great about this product is the fact that they added the

Lipase enzyme, which helps with the absorption and digestion of

the fats. This product is the only one I have ever tried where

you do not end up burping the oil a few minutes after you take

the capsules.

Other good products are Serrano Labs Alpha Omega-3s, which is

also an excellent product. For CLA only capsules I like Prolab's

Enhanced CLA which also has some flaxseed oil in order to provide

some Omega 3's.

D) Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that improves your immune

system and helps you recover faster from your workouts by

suppressing the amount of cortisol (hormone that kills muscle and

aids in the accumulation of fat) that is released by your body

during a workout.

Vitamin C is the only Vitamin that I recommend to be taken in

mega doses quantities. Remember that since it is a water-soluble

vitamin, it will not get stored by the body. Research shows that

if taken an hour before a workout (1000mg dose) it significantly

reduces muscle soreness and speeds recovery after a workout.

I recommend a total of 3000 mg per day of Vitamin C. If your

multiple vitamin pack already has 1000 mg, and you take this in

the morning, then all you need is an extra 1000 mg at lunch and

1000 mg at dinner.

A good Vitamin C that comes in 1000 mg capsules at a super

awesome price (250 caps at $10.49) are produced by Higher Power

Nutrition.

E) Chromium Picolinate

Chromium Picolinate is a mineral that may enhance the effects of

insulin, the hormone that pushes amino acids (protein) and

carbohydrates into the muscle cell. As we have previously

discussed, insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones in the

body; it determines if the food that you eat is going to be used

for muscle production, energy production or fat production. When

insulin is secreted in moderate levels, it aids in muscle and

energy production. In excessive levels it only promotes fat

storage. Chromium Picolinate may upgrade insulin's capability to

produce muscle and energy by making the cells in the body more

prone towards accepting this hormone (in other words, enhancing

insulin sensitivity). In doing so, it may help you to gain muscle

and lose fat faster as insulin will now be able to deliver the

desired nutrients to the muscle cell.

Chromium may also keep blood sugar levels stable, thereby

preventing insulin levels from going high enough to begin

promoting fat storage. Again, chromium only works if we follow a

proper diet. Also, while it is not the magic bullet that it was

claimed to be for building muscle back in the early 90's I still

feel that it is useful for ensuring that our insulin sensitivity

is at its peak.

Sources

Again, I like Higher Power's Chromium Picolinate due to the

quality and awesome price. Quantity: 200 mcg with the post

workout meal and with breakfast on days off.

Supplement Recommendations Summary

Essential To Take

* MultiVitamin/Mineral Complex taken with breakfast.

* Chromium Picolinate: 200 mcg at breakfast or post workout.

* Essential Oils, at least 14 grams per every 100lbs of

bodyweight.

* 1 gram Vitamin C taken with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* Weight Gain, Whey Protein Powder or Meal Replacement Powder

for mixing with skim milk, or water, in order to make protein

shakes. (Needs vary depending on diet).

If your interested in more information about my complete Body

Body Building & Fat Loss Program check out

www.losefatandgainmuscle.com

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Hugo CFT, ISSN, SPN, BSCE. is a lifetime natural

bodybuilder, a multi certified personal trainer, and a

best selling author with a successful franchise of books

called " The Body Sculpting Bibles " which collectively have

sold over a million copies worldwide. Hugo is also the author

of the " Body Re-Engineering " system which teaches you how to

gain lean muscle mass and get lean without drugs, or expensive

supplements. For more information visit http://www.losefatandgainmuscle.com

or his personal website at http://www.hugorivera.net