WHY BOTHER TAKING SUPPLEMENTS?

If you eat a PERFECTLY balanced diet (which requires eating ONLY high protein,organically grown foods...NO processed foods, NO fast food) live a totally stress-free life and you exercise at least twice a week than you might be one of those EXTREMELY RARE individuals that do not need to supplement their diet.The cold, hard reality is: a vast majority of people, including most athletes, are malnourished and SEVERELY lacking adequate nutrition. Even if you are not an athlete, you need a significant quantity of protein alone in your diet. A non-athlete needs about 0.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight everyday. An athlete,especially a strength athlete,needs double the protein intake of a non-athlete.Therefore, a 185lb.non-athlete needs about 92 grams of protein a day and a 185lb.athlete needs about 185 grams of protein a day.You have to eat a lot of meat and/or fish every single day in order to meet this very basic protein requirement without using some kind of protein supplement; the negative side of trying to get all of your protein in whole foods alone, is that you increase the amount of fat,calories and cholesterol in your diet. Protein supplements provide the extra protein you need without the extra fat,calories and cholesterol.Since the body cannot store extra protein, it is best to divide your necessary protein intake throughout the day to meet your daily requirements; it is much easier to do this with supplements instead of completely relying on whole foods. 

SUPPLEMENTS ARE EXPENSIVE AND DOESN'T YOUR BODY JUST EXPEL MOST OF IT ANYWAY?

WRONG! Paying for medicine,paying for doctor visits,lacking energy,losing muscle tissue(catabolism)and losing time from your job due to periodic illnesses costs much more than the money invested into your health by buying supplements.Quality supplements work and your body obviously does not expel most of it when you are getting results.Numerous studies have been done to document that quality supplements work when combined with a proper nutrition plan and a proper exercise regimen.Experienced bodybuilders and powerlifters can testify powerfully that quality supplements are worth the money because they work! Many illnesses are linked to nutritional deficiencies! Research now shows that many forms of cancer are the result of negative life-style factors such as poor nutrition and excessive stress.What you eat on a daily basis is very important;good nutrition is no longer reserved exclusively for athletes.Eat better and live better.. or....eat badly and live badly....It is your choice.Choose wisely.

 THERE ARE MANY SUPPLEMENTS AND I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO START OR WHAT TO TAKE?

While there are many supplements to choose from, what to take depends on your goals.Find your level in the chart below.

Level 1 (you are just starting out on an exercise program or you do not exercise at all and/or have never supplemented before)

•   suggest taking a daily multi-vitamin and using a protein powder several times a week as needed.

 Level 2 (you exercise fairly regularly or you are a recreational athlete)

• suggest taking a daily multi-vitamin and using a protein powder on a daily basis.Also recommend using a glutamine supplement for recovery.

Level 3 (you are a competitive,hard-core athlete and/or you exercise very regularly with intensity)

•   you need the following:a potent multi-vitamin like an Animal Pak,a daily protein powder, glutamine supplement and a performance enhancer(a creatine product and/or a nitric oxide product)

  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS KINDS OF PROTEIN?

Whey - Whey protein is great for post-workout supplementation because that's the time when your body needs protein the most. Whey is digested very quickly (about 30 minutes).

Casein - Casein is digested very slowly (over 2 - 7 hours). This means it's great to use a protein supplement with casein before bed because the longest time your body goes without protein is during the night while you are sleeping.

Egg - Egg protein (albumen) digests at a medium pace (1.5-3 hours) so it's a good anytime protein to provide a good sustained release of aminos to the body.

Soy - Soy protein is one of the only complete protein sources derived from plants. Soy is a good overall protein, although not as effective in terms of absorption as whey or egg albumen. Soy also has many recognized health benefits for women.

Low Carb - the two other main categories are weight gainers and low carb protein shakes and bars. These two are opposites of each other. Low carb protein shakes are good for those dieting or trying to lose or maintain weight.

Weight Gainer - Weight gainers are high calorie protein products that are great for people trying to bulk up. If you have trouble gaining weight, taking in extra high quality calories will usually help.

WHAT IS CREATINE AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

Creatine works very well for increasing muscle mass and strength. This supplement has been around for more than a decade and has been extremely successful. It occurs naturally in the body. It's safe and has been very effective for most people, especially if you've never used it before. Creatine increases ATP (the main energy source muscles use for explosive power) availability so that you can perform more reps and sets and lift more weight, causing your muscle tissue to grow more. It can also improve your lifting leverage by hydrating (drawing water into) your muscle cells. Creatine should be cycled. Many have found great results taking it for 4-8 weeks, followed by one to two weeks off. There are different types of creatine. For example, there is pure creatine monohydrate, liquid creatine, micronized creatine, buffered creatine and many more.

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