Anavol?

[BlueCorsair]

Hello all,

The GNC here in Canada is flogging "Anavol" - some sort of creatine suplement with D-Pinitol, and glutamine. And in case you're wondering why I would ever shop at GNC... well... there really isn't anywhere else around here, despite the fact that Vancouver is a huge Canadian city. Ah well.

So - bottom line - has anyone heard of this? Used it? Seen a decent review? The person I deal with at GNC I trust - I've known her by name for years, she is a competing bodybuilder (lovely pictures of her in the store...mmm) and she hasn't steered me wrong before - but she is a salesperson, so I'm not always going to take her word for it.

I should note I'm a borderline creatine non-responder. "regular" powdered creatine does bugger all for me. I've had to take a nasty-tasting, insulin-spiking, occassional diarrhea-inducing creatine supp for years, but it's getting to the point where the gas/runs/etc. with that one just isn't worth it.

At any rate, I'm your typical broke university student, so before investing in this, I'd like to know if it's a good idea.

Here's the only link I found worth noting:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nx/ana.html

Thanks!

 

[madden player]

...The GNC here in Canada is flogging "Anavol" - some sort of creatine suplement with D-Pinitol, and glutamine. And in case you're wondering why I would ever shop at GNC... well... there really isn't anywhere else around here, despite the fact that Vancouver is a huge Canadian city. Ah well...http://

I am sure Anavol is an over priced/over hyped creatine supplement. For the greatest bang for your buck make your own similar drink. I add 10g creatine, 5g L-glutimine, 50g of whey protein isolate and 50g of a high glycemic carb in a 20 oz shaker cup with some water. Shake vigorously and drink it down immediately post workout.

P.S. Stop paying retail for your supplements, you can find much better deals online.

 

[brodus]

It's a good product, but expensive for what you get. One bottle will only last 15 days or so...but the ingredients are all quality.

One thing you didn't mention was the Citrulline Mallate...I've used this stuff and I think it's incredible. The shortened recovery time and increased aerobic capacity was very impressive.

 

[BlueCorsair]

Thanks for the reply guys... helps me out

Making my own stuff... well... how do I put this... I'm too lazy, and assembling the cost of ingredients is almost as expensive (if not more so) than buying a product tailored to what I need. And as to online shopping - no credit card, and anything that comes from the 'States into Canada gets charged a ludicrous customs fee - so that's not an option.

At least this stuff isn't garbage apparently.

Thanks to both of you

 

[Pirate!]

Don't bother mixing L-glutamine with whey. L-glutamine has a very low atomic weight and doesn't get absorbed in the presence of heavier ammino acids (whey). Glutamine peptides are different, though. L-glutamine should be taken about 30 min. before a protein shake. There must be places in Canada with good deals on the raw ingredients. If you are broke, buy plain creatine in bulk and add sugar or mix with fruit juice. Fruit does grow up there, ay?

 

[BlueCorsair]

Aye, fruit grows here. It's about 90 fahrenheit here too, which means we don't live in igloos either

I suppose I may just have to mix my own crud. Running a sports car is more important than creatine

Out of curiosity, how much sugar would you mix in with a creatine shake? Fruit juice is obviously more expensive, and I don't particularly care for it

 

[Pirate!]

Aye, fruit grows here. It's about 90 fahrenheit here too, which means we don't live in igloos either

I suppose I may just have to mix my own crud. Running a sports car is more important than creatine

Out of curiosity, how much sugar would you mix in with a creatine shake? Fruit juice is obviously more expensive, and I don't particularly care for it

Yeah, fruit juice is a tad expensive. Powdered starches are considered to be better for creatine absorbsion. The most popular ones are maltodextrin and dextrose. They have a high glycemic index, so your insulin levels rise rapidly. Regular sugar (sucrose) isn't as good as these powdered starches that can be found for very cheep prices, but have little flavor. Generally, people say that 15 g. is enough carbs to get the job done. I use 75 g. of Maltodextrin with 10 g. of creatine and it works awesome. If you are going to shop at GNC, get your friend to cut you a deal on Pro Performance Creatine Burst. It is GNC's brand. Works great, but cost more than making your own would. Only comes in fruit punch, too. If you are bulking, the more carbs, the better your muscles will absorb the creatine. If you are watching your weight, you could stick with lower carbs. Your muscles will eat it all up if you take your creatine (and carbs) as a recovery shake immediately after working out. None of the carbs will get stored as fat at this time, so don't be afraid to load your body with sugar. So, look for places in your town that sell powdered starches like dextrose or maltodextrin. You could also use corn syrup or honey. I just bought a 5 lb (don't know the conversions) jar of honey for cheap. Works great to get the insulin going!

 

[BlueCorsair]

Thanks for the tips mate, I might try and put something of my own together.

Vancouver's a big city, so finding the right stuff is simply a question of time