A few Supplementation Questions

IRL.icecoolmadness

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
185
Good people of SD, have a few questions for you here....

Basically I'm thinking of supplementing my workouts with a few things like creatine(monohydrate) and proteins (NOTE: I do not use steroids whatsoever due to my age).

A little background: i workout around 4 times a week in my local gym doing roughly 15 mins cardio (5mins rover + 10 min skirun) and 45 mins doing 2 sets of each weight machine followed by roughly 30 mins of weighlifting (5 sets, each one being biceps, pushups, abs, back, shoulders)

I would appreciate if you could give me a few pointers/answer Q's below as regards to what I'm planning to do:


1 ) Preload with creatine to saturate my muscles with it.... But what dose should i go for and for how long to make preloading as efficient as possible (Do i need to preload at all? I keep on hearing conflicting opinions all the time about it)

2 )Take creatine monohydrate pre or post workout? What dosage?

3 )Take whey protein post workout i'd imagine?

4 )How much more water should i be drinnking due to extra creatine intake? I hear it should be around an extra litre a day?

5 )Should i cycle creatine (time on/off)...? Again, a lot of conflicting reports on this topic...

6 )Some people suggest splashing out on "slow release protein" to take before bedtime... Is this beneficial/worth it? If so, what type of protein should i go for?

7 )I heard it mentioned that for maximum creatine absorption you have to take it with simple sugars/carbohydrates... A lot mention powerade in particular as it contains such... Was wondering if that is the case?

8 )Should I still take creatine if i miss say a day or two of working out?

9 )Any other supplements/vitamins that i should be taking? (My diet is fairly rich&diverse btw)


All answers GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. I know this thread is not about steroids per se, but i was hoping you could share some of your knowledge still. Mods, i hope you don't mind :)
 
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just stick to 5-10g of creatine per day....don't stress out so much about supplements as they don't do that much if anything. Creatine is worth taking however.
 
What are your goals? How much do you weigh?

1 ) I'd recommend taking 15g/day for a week, then 5-10 a day after that.
2 )I'd recommend splitting it into two doses, one pre and one post workout.
3 )Definitely take it post workout, but taking some pre workout and at other times of the day is nice too.
4 ) I'd try to shoot for a gallon a day.
5 )Do what seems right for you. I cycle it, others don't. I don't think people have died from taking it for a year or so straight, but I personally don't think its healthy. It's your kidneys, make your own decision.
6 )Casein protein is nice before bed. It coagulates in your stomach and takes a lot longer than whey protein to be absorbed. I would recommend it.
7 )I've never heard this. However, if this is the case, you don't want to take it with powerade, as powerade contains high fructose corn syrup, which is actually low on the glycemic index.
8 )Yes, take it everyday.
9 )Whey and creatine are a good combo imo. See how it works for a couple of months and add more then if you feel like it.

Good luck.
 
^very much appreciated, exactly what i wanted to know. Thanks very much beamers and especially LawnChairSkank :)
 
What a fantastically worded question.... :)

1) I wouldn't bother preloading- 5gs per day is fine
2) Yeah split it
3) Pre and Post workout and whenever your not eating- best to get as much protein as you can handle!
4) Drink lots of water. Your pee should be clear 24/7 and you should have to get up at least once during the night to go
5) I wouldn't bother cycling it. I usually run it for about 10 months a year- I just stop over summer to drop the water weight. Aye, personal decision.
6) Casein is what they are talking about. If you struggle to get a meal in before bed then that might be an alright idea. I just have a big protein based meal before bed and it does me fine.
7) Yup taking it with sugar increases creatine absorbtion. Dextrose works well, as does maltodextrin or even sucrose (table sugar) will work. if you want to buy powerade then go ahead but basic sugars are prolly cheaper.
8) Yup don't miss it out if your not in the gym.
9) As well as creatine and whey I take a multi-vit (even though I eat a varied diet with lots of fruits and veggies), Fish oil (good for adding some extra cals as well as being fantastic for you), caffine before the gym (just to give me a boost), ALA (which helps blood sugar regulation- not necessary but I like it), ALCAR (helps fat burning- maybe. Again take it or leave it its pretty cheap), green-tea extract (again just great for you as well as helping burn fat). Don't go overboard with supps (like I maybe have!) and don't belive marketing hype around branded products. Find out what INGREDIENTS work and buy them seperatly and in bulk.
 
if you're trying to get bigger it's really better to work one or two muscle groups per workout as opposed to working all the muscle groups a little every workout.


next week try doing 5 to 6 different lifts for the same muscle group each time you work out and switch what muscles you're working each day. A month of this would show you much more results than the way you're doing it. Just give it a try, circuits are good once in a while but it's best to concentrate a workout on just one muscle group.


also get yourself some NO-Xplode and take some before you work out, see if that doesn't make your workout a little more intense.
 
also get yourself some NO-Xplode and take some before you work out, see if that doesn't make your workout a little more intense.

I would have to dissagree. When I used no xplode, I found myself using 3+ scoops for it to work. A tub of that stuff wont last you long at all. Yeah, it tastes great compared to other no boosters, but other ones such as white flood or no shotgun work much better imo.
 
just try l-arginine if you want a stronger pump.

testosterone gets you pumped out like nothing else though my god it feels so good your muscles swell hard against your skin you're so pumped
 
I would have to dissagree. When I used no xplode, I found myself using 3+ scoops for it to work. A tub of that stuff wont last you long at all. Yeah, it tastes great compared to other no boosters, but other ones such as white flood or no shotgun work much better imo.

I'll have to try that, cause NoXplode has worked for me, but I don't always just take one scoop...
 
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