Supplements- What's needed and what's a waste of money?

[Mai72]

My guess is a good multivitamin, creatine and protein are worth it. Maybe even green powder so you can easily get the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Plus, it easily mixes well in a nutribullet.

But, what about supplements like fish oil and beta alanine? What about BCAAs? Some of these supplements are expensive and if you're consuming them for 30 plus years they can cost a small fortune.

 

[RibeyeAndScotch]

As someone who wasted hundreds on all kinds of supplements for years and years



Just get a tub of ON Gold Whey
BCAA's if your an athlete
and PWO of your choice (if you like getting all amped up before the gym)

EVERYTHING else is just a waste.

Stay away from anything that says "Proprietary blend" which, chances are, 99% sugar and 1% of whatever ingredients are listed.

 

[Mai72]

As someone who wasted hundreds on all kinds of supplements for years and years



Just get a tub of ON Gold Whey
BCAA's if your an athlete
and PWO of your choice (if you like getting all amped up before the gym)

EVERYTHING else is just a waste.

Stay away from anything that says "Proprietary blend" which, chances are, 99% sugar and 1% of whatever ingredients are listed.

I used ON for a few years. Last year I found Bulk Supplements, They have protein powder for cheap. No fillers, nothing. Just pure protein.

http://www.bulksupplements.com/

I'm on the fence when it comes to fish oil though. I've seen videos from the Hodgetwins who have said that it's a waste of money. But, I've also read articles that fish oil is important. Especially if you life weights.

Even preworkout drinks can be switched with a cup of 8oz black coffee. Though I doubt you'd get the same buzz.

 

[pauldun170]

My guess is a good multivitamin, creatine and protein are worth it. Maybe even green powder so you can easily get the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Plus, it easily mixes well in a nutribullet.

But, what about supplements like fish oil and beta alanine? What about BCAAs? Some of these supplements are expensive and if you're consuming them for 30 plus years they can cost a small fortune.

Multivitamin - Skip
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-s...xperts-dont-waste-your-money-on-multivitamins
See a nutritionist and eat a balanced diet.

Creatine - Limit your usage and read up on the right amount to take and when to take it. Don't blindly use this.

Proteins powders? Should be treated as a backup to normal food for when you are in a rush. A majority of stuff on the shelves and popular with the kids is garbage. Unregulated chemical loaded garbage backed by BS claims pushed by magazines selling ad space. Stick to the simple stuff. Better yet, just eat an extra piece of chicken or make a shake with some almond\peanut butter in it.

 

[highland145]

I take a lot of fish oil for inflammation. A side benefit is my HDL is up significantly too.

Edit:

I'm on the fence when it comes to fish oil though. I've seen videos from the Hodgetwins who have said that it's a waste of money. But, I've also read articles that fish oil is important. Especially if you life weights.

My knees and HDL say different.

 

[Mai72]

I take a lot of fish oil for inflammation. A side benefit is my HDL is up significantly too.

Edit:My knees and HDL say different.

That's great to hear. My father sells ice cream on the beach and his knees have been bothering him. He puts in about 7-8 hours a day on the beach, so my guess is it's all that walking. I will let him know that you're benefiting from fish oil.

 

[Mai72]

Multivitamin - Skip
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-s...xperts-dont-waste-your-money-on-multivitamins
See a nutritionist and eat a balanced diet.

Creatine - Limit your usage and read up on the right amount to take and when to take it. Don't blindly use this.

Proteins powders? Should be treated as a backup to normal food for when you are in a rush. A majority of stuff on the shelves and popular with the kids is garbage. Unregulated chemical loaded garbage backed by BS claims pushed by magazines selling ad space. Stick to the simple stuff. Better yet, just eat an extra piece of chicken or make a shake with some almond\peanut butter in it.

I guess we should really be getting what we need from food as much as possible. I like your idea on protein. The only thing is you're going to have to eat an awful lot of eggs and steak to get the daily dosage. I've always wondered if Arnold took protein shakes in the 70s, or did he get most of the protein from food.

I do agree that the majority of the shit they sell in those bodybuilding magazines are junk. I can't believe that I actually bought into a lot of that stuff when I was just starting out.

 

[highland145]

That's great to hear. My father sells ice cream on the beach and his knees have been bothering him. He puts in about 7-8 hours a day on the beach, so my guess is it's all that walking. I will let him know that you're benefiting from fish oil.

He needs to take enough to notice.

Many studies documenting the benefits of omega-3s have been conducted with supplemental daily dosages between 2 and 5 grams of EPA and DHA

I'm at 6G. I might could drop a bit but 2G didn't help with the knees.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-omega-3s-and-fish?page=2

 

[Mai72]

He needs to take enough to notice.
I'm at 6G. I might could drop a bit but 2G didn't help with the knees.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-omega-3s-and-fish?page=2

Damn, 6G? That's a lot of fish oil. I was taking Nordic liquid and two teaspoons was giving me 3.2G. I don't think I could take 6.

Have you noticed any bad side effects from taking 6G?

 

[blackdogdeek]

The only thing is you're going to have to eat an awful lot of eggs and steak to get the daily dosage.

How much protein are you expecting to need? I take in 166g everyday without supplements.

 

[highland145]

Damn, 6G? That's a lot of fish oil. I was taking Nordic liquid and two teaspoons was giving me 3.2G. I don't think I could take 6.

Have you noticed any bad side effects from taking 6G?

Gel caps, ftw. Gave up the cod liver oil because I just couldn't get it down. Acts like a blood thinner so I do bruise easier but that's minor, imo.

 

[highland145]

Nutritionist said 6 was fine but I think I'll do some more research on it.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/taking-much-fish-oil-dangerous-8072.html

 

[Mai72]

How much protein are you expecting to need? I take in 166g everyday without supplements.

I weigh 195lbs, so I'm expecting to get at least 190g everyday. I take protein from Bulk Supplements, and I take less than the recommended dosage. 3 tbsp gives me nearly 17g of protein. I take it with 8-10 ounces of 2% milk. With both milk and powder I can get nearly 25g of protein.

Not bad for a quick drink. My powder will last me 45 days because I'm not doing the recommended 5 tbsp.

 

[lazybedone]

hey guys, I just eat a balance meal a day. Do not take multivitamin as I see it s not needed at this point for my health status. Fish oil and co are other supplements, so do take them once in a while. Not regularly.

 

[Zivic]

http://www.steroid.com/Testosterone-Enanthate.php

 

[It's Not Lupus]

Any more opinions on BCAAs?

 

[sanufdutta]

I used to take BCAA earlier, but these days just depending on natural foods and diet.
Moreover it will take some time to muscle to gain that much of intensity which body supplement provides, yet it's much safer way to survive more. Just my two cents...

 

[|JosephB17331|]

Glucosamine chondroitin when you get older

 

[vi edit]

Glucosamine chondroitin when you get older

I'm a convert to fish oil. I used to do G&C but after stopping that and starting fish oil every day...my joints don't crack near as much and hurt near as much since being on it as they did with G&C.

 

[Kaido]

Nothing for me, I just try to eat a healthy, balanced diet with veggies, fish, etc. in it. Although I do use protein powder sometimes to beef stuff up for fun, like smoothies:

http://catch42.pbworks.com/w/page/78032378/Protein Smoothies

And healthier versions of goodies:

http://proteinpow.com/

And Protein Fluff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR3Z028prSU

http://proteinpow.com/2015/08/apple-cinnamon-protein-fluff.html

If anything, I'd recommend Soylent if you want to make sure you're getting sufficient nutrition: (you can buy individual packets off ebay if you want to try it, they come sealed)

https://www.soylent.com/product/powder/

My views on food & supplements are always changing...I used to think sugar was the devil, but right now I'm a big fan of IIFYM. If you want to spend the rest of your life eating brown rice & stuff, more power to you, but you can get pretty good results eating donuts too:

https://nicolecapurso.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/how-donuts-gave-me-abs-an-80kg-snatch/

I think it pretty much boils down to this: you can either eat clean to get results, or count your macros/calories to get results. Or eat whatever you want & exercise a truckload. Unfortunately there's no magic supplement bullet, it's just about how you choose to eat consistently. imo, our bodies are designed to run best off 'nature food', so the more natural stuff you can get like meat, butter, veggies, fruits, greens, nuts, seeds, etc. instead of boxed, processed, artificial, margarine, etc. type of stuff, the better. But, you can also just do flexible dieting using IIFYM & control what goes into your body so you get results that way too, while also enjoying treats every day so that you don't feel deprived. So there's a lot of ways to do it, but it all seems to involve either eating better, or tracking what you eat, or exercising more.

 

[SlitheryDee]

From what I hear, fish oil is about the only thing you'll really see any benefit from. I'm not even sure what benefits it offers though. If you read about it, you'll see a lot of "It may do this", or "It might do that". I guess we're talking about real benefits, but not on a very large scale. Still, it isn't expensive and really does contain things your body needs, but can't make for itself.

I don't take any supplements at all. I get all my protein through what I eat (lots of lean meat, some dairy and vegetables), and I only eat 1-2 times daily. I've gone through stages where I did try to eat many small meals and take various supplements to augment my gains, but I don't seem to be making any less progress now than I was then. So now I'm thinking it doesn't really matter that much so long as you're getting enough protein and basic nutrition.

 

[utahraptor]

creatine and beta alanine

 

[JBT]

Creatine is legit, but you also don't need as much as a lot of folks say you do.

 

[HeXen]

As an older male, I'm getting good results stacking Tyrosine, Prime Male (testosterone booster), Secretagogue-Gold (hgh booster) Royal jelly/bee pollen, Chromium Picolinate and a B complex vitamin.

I definitely noticed a big difference, All my vitals and blood work from the doctor looks fantastic, blood pressure is normal ( I have high blood pressure and noticing other typical male aging effects) but mostly in regards to energy and sense of well being. I think my focus is improved but not entirely sure since I'm already pretty attentive. Although sometimes i get this weird body buzz and amphetamine like high that's not to pleasing to me...it scared me a few times but only happens if I don't eat a good size meal first. But if I just eat some cereal and take my stack it'll sometimes happen so I started taking it in the evening before I lift weights...ecept the Secretagogue which I take before bed.

*edit: I should note also, I think the tyrosine, royal jelly/pollen along with caffeine have some kind of weird synergistic effect but it might be the result of something else in conjunction too so I dunno but I try to avoid taking caffeine within a 4 hour time frame of these...at least with me anyway.