Supplements that work II

[Redstenox]

Staples: Multi vitamin\min., B+C because they are water soluable & key to a healthy life style & Fish oil the king of the oils.

Bodybuilding supplements:
1)Creatine
2)AAKG
3)Citrulline Mallate


Link talks about creatine ethyle ester:
http://www.criticalbench.com/Creatine-Ethyl-Ester-Review.htm

I know we can get some one who has used both Monohydrate & Ethly Ester Creatine to comment? Cost should not be mentioned. This thread is ment to be about what works best not cost. No one cares if you used one & it worked either. If you have used both then I care & I am sure others do as well. Help your fellow brothers plunk money down on the better working products. We all know creatine works, but few still know the better of the two mentioned.

AAKG - in my opinion far better than Glutamine period. In my opinion high dose glutamine just builds up ammonia in your system. AAKG builds both glutamine pools and scavanges ammonia in my opinion far better & is a NOX builder.

Citrulline Mallate - I never tried it myself as a stand alone, but the science looks good so please if you have used it report objective results.

Look this forum is only as good as people who rspond & share. Please share with us if you have information that can help.

NOTE: I left protien off the list because it's a "known" with the only issue being cost. I would like to have an oral steroid on the list too, but this is about supplements other than steroids. Thanks for anyone who is willing to share!

 

[agpando]

I've used both monohydrate and CEE. I would have to say the monohydrate is a joke, if you read about CEE the extra ester put onto CEE makes it possible for the creatine to get through the fatty acids and to the muscle as opposed to monohydrate. Monohydrate really doesn't do too much for your body, so it is basically just flushed out of your system. I'm not too sure if you want to know which supplement out there is the best as far as creatine is concerned, but, I'd have to say that it'd have to be CellMass. I always felt that I gained a few pounds off of it, when monohydrate didn't do anything for me.

 

[Redstenox]

Agpando,

Nice to get a reply that I feel is worth listening too! You have used both Monohydrate & Ethyle Ester Creatine & you agree with the studies CREE is better than Monohydrate. (plus one for Ethyle Ester) I will say your very negative view on Monohydrate suprises me though as I myself respond well to Monohydrate. I have an order in for the Creatine Ethyl Ester & will report the results when I can do it with an objective mind. Since Monohydrate works for me well I am very interested in what might work better.

Please anyone else who has used both Monohydrate & Ethyl Ester Creatine or any of the other supplements listed in this thread add to the conversation so we all learn from each other.

Thanks to all who give of themselves in this way!

Redstenox

Score = Ethyle Ester one star\Monohydrate none

Other supplements listed no contributions as of yet.

 

[agpando]

Well teh biggest difference between monohydrate and CEE is the fact that monohydrate is going to promote more water retention instead of actual muscle growth. And CEE stimulates muscle growth and less water retention.

 

[Beefy]

I can only add that I have never seen noticeable results with glutamine supplementation. Can't say that it doesn't work, just that I've used it to no avail.

 

[Redstenox]

Beefy,

Have you used AAKG? I am using Vaso XP and think it is helping. I know I am getting some benefits from the Arginine raising elements. It is my first NOX supplement. Glutamine does help add volume in your muscles in my opinion, but regular glutamine supplementation I agree never worked for me even at that. In fact glutamine gets used by the gut so fast it would be hard to make it into your blood stream. Also glutamine does not do well with no ammonia scavenger & SERVES ONLY TO MAKE PEOPLE SICK FROM INCREASED AMMONIA. AAKG solves all these issues. Back to my original question about AAKG is it better as a stand alone or in some kind of NOX potion like VASO XP with AAKG still being the main component?

Beefy my main question for you is did you use AAKG or a NOX product & if so any opinion?

Redstenox

 

[Redstenox]

Found this supplement of interest also: Beta-Alanine. I have never used it, but found it on some one elses top 5 list & since I agreed with his other 4 I had to look into this supplement & am now interested. I would like feedback on anyone who has used it. The link below explains the hype:

http://insidebodybuilding.blogspot.com/2007/05/supplement-of-week-beta-alanine.html


Now lets see if we can find out if the hype is worth our moneY? Anyone used this please let us know!

 

[Redstenox]

This guy slams Beta-Alanine & provides some thing to think about before shelling out the $$$

http://evidencebasedfitness.blogspot.com/2007/04/another-beta-alanine-study-dont-buy.html

 

[Beefy]

I've used NOXplode by BSN. It's got some arginine in various forms and it has a couple different types of creatine. I thought it was a good product, but when I drank it on an empty stomach (as the directions stated) I got very nauseated. I think that was from the creatine. It also had speed in it, which can sometimes cause me to get sick at my stomach if I don't eat enough.

I think NOXplode has beta-alanine in it as well.

 

[migity]

would aakg and glutamine supplementation be even more beneficial then? aakg to take care of the ammonia?

 

[Redstenox]

I would not take plain glutamine since you will get glutamine from just AAKG. AAKG can be bought in a powder. The AKG part from the AAKG is what gets the glutamine past the gut.

Remember this too all suplemenst should be cycled even creatine & protien. Example: If you have high protien all the time in your diet your body won't learn to or need to work hard to use the protien it has efficiently. If you take creatine all the time your body may down regulate transport mechanisms to your muscles etc. If you have ever takem steroids you would know your body adapts to them and they are proven altered drugs. If your body can adapt to them it sure can adapt to food & supplements are just food.

A good cycle of supplements might be like this: NOX supplement & Creatine supplement for a month then get off & take a good whey protien after each work out for the next month. Then get off all supplements for two weeks & then do it again. The work outs ar more important & an over all healthy diet. Half a multi\min, B+C vitamin & fish oil is all I take at all times.

Let us not forget a high protien diet all the time also may lead to calcium being leached from your bones.

 

[migity]

I am not sure that is necessarily true. I dont think your body downregulates to food. I prefer to stay very strict with my diet and that includes protein supplementation. I still cycle off creatine everyonce in a while but even then I dont think cyciling it is that important. I have not found much difference in performance if i do 8 weeks on 8 weeks off or 20 weeks on. I just dont beleive you have to trick your body into using supplements amd food efficiently. THe most efficient it can be is when it is getting a regualr steady flow of nutrients, IMO.

 

[agpando]

I am not sure that is necessarily true. I dont think your body downregulates to food. I prefer to stay very strict with my diet and that includes protein supplementation. I still cycle off creatine everyonce in a while but even then I dont think cyciling it is that important. I have not found much difference in performance if i do 8 weeks on 8 weeks off or 20 weeks on. I just dont beleive you have to trick your body into using supplements amd food efficiently. THe most efficient it can be is when it is getting a regualr steady flow of nutrients, IMO.

I have to agree with you. I know that your not supposed to stay on creatine for long periods of time but as far as the protein is concerned, I do not believe that you have to cycle it. Restenox if you feel that your body isnt getting everything from it because you are taking it for long periods of time there are other supplements that will help make sure you get all the nutrients out of the food that you take in. An example of a good one is Digestive Enzymes. This will help boost the bacteria in the intestines that break down and process food(at least this is what I read). Like I said it may be true to cycle creatine because most of it is synthetic, but protein is a natural product. There is no need to cycle it because your body will always use everything from it. Maybe you just aren't taking the protein at ther gith times during the day. Take it for breakfast, right before a workout, and obviously right after a workout.

 

[1badhabit]

I can only add that I have never seen noticeable results with glutamine supplementation. Can't say that it doesn't work, just that I've used it to no avail.

I'd have to agree with you, I was taking glutamine just to see what the hype was all about, and never saw any noticeable results from it in the period I was using it.

 

[Redstenox]

mighty & agpando,

Your body does not down regulate to food that even sounds ridiculous & is not the point of my prior post .

Creatine:
In the case of taking high creatine monohydrate for long periods of time your body will try to regulate creatine homeostasis. The down-regulation of creatine transporters is one method your body will use. To be fair moderate-term creatine supplementation does not down regulate creatine transport: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/mcbi/2003/00000244/F0020001/05102421

Protein:
Dietary supplementation of protein beyond that necessary to maintain nitrogen balance does not provide additional ergogenic benefit. High protein diets also place added stress on your kidneys as well as increasing urine calcium excreation such that for each 50 gram increment of protein consumed, an extra 60 mg of urinary calcium is excreated. It follows that the higher the protein intake, the more urine calcium is lost & the more negative calcium balance becomes. Since 99% of the body's calcium is found in bone, one would hypothesize that high protein induced hypercalciuria would result in high bone resorption & increased prevalance of osteopnia or osteoporotic-related fractures. However, the epidemiological & clinical data addressing this hypothesis are controversial. In fact, some epidermiological studies found positive protien intake & bone mineral density.

The point being a well balanced diet is good. as well as moderation. I use protien & creatine\AAKG however I make great gains just using AAKG & Creatine. Since I believe in moderate & not long term inbalances in your bodies homeostasis, I switch to protien when I am not on those supplements. agpando, thanks for your concern, but I make great gains in the gym & I am 43 years old. Just told I looked 20 years old ! I agree with you though certain times are best for taking your protien & anyone can look back at your post to see those times.

 

[migity]

I see what your saying. I knew downregulating to food sounded rediculous thats was kind of the point. But you were trying topoint out the possible side effects of keeping protein consumption so high, not that your body would stop utilzing it proerly. Well you have convinced me to switch from glutamine to aakg and see what i notice.

cheers,
migity