Are supplements necessary?

[mac sloan]

This is a question that is asked too often.
It will also be the basis for my next article.

What are your thoughts?
Do you really need them,do you need to take them in the reccomended dosages,is more better?

Is stacking them effective?

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train smart not hard

 

[Large And In Charge]

In my opinion, supplements are not necessary if a person has a good solid diet. Depending on a person's goals, the only thing that they might want to take is some extra protein. Allot of supplements on the market cost big bucks and to me it's not worth it for the little if any results they might give.

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If you build it they will come

 

[Arnold]

Certain supplements are necessary due to the low quality food that is grown in today's world. The necessary vitamins and minerals are deficient in many foods because of poor soil quality, growth accelerators and pesticides.

I also think that protein supplementation is necessary. It's very difficult to consume enough food to get the amount of protein to stimulate growth.

Here is my list of supps worth taking:

Whey protein
Multiple vitamin
B Complex
Vitamin C
L Glutamine
Creatine
ZMA

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train hard!

[This message has been edited by Prince (edited 02-20-2001).]

 

[Pianomahnn]

In my opinion, I don't need them. I'm also only 140 lbs, and not trying to gain any weight.

The supps do different things. If you can eat your necessary fruits/veggies/meats&proteins/carbs then why waste money on supps?

The one things I would take is a multiviatmin type product. Sometimes they just add stuff you need to function.

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Pianomahnn.com

Life is fun!!

 

[mac sloan]

As recreational BB's do we need to take more or is less better?

Take creatine for example,as there are numerous studies proclaiming the virtues of certain dosages and types of loading.

Do you find yourselfs falling into the supplement Hype?
What I mean is the ads on TV, in magizines, do they catch your attention and do you pay them a second glance?

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train smart not hard

 

[EarWax]

From my experience: I never considered supps until my brother bought me some creatine this past Christmas. Now that I have tried it, I also bought ZMA and Designer Protein, and some Pure Protein bars. Am I falling into the supp hype? You tell me. After that, I got a muscle & fitness mag subscription and constantly read online forums. That is how I found out about all this other stuff. I never heard of ZMA until I hit the forums. I'm skeptical of course, but I'm trying them out as a first timer with supps. I am taking the recommended dosage except for the protein shakes which I sometimes take more than required.

 

[Steveo]

I know what you mean Earwax I even fell for the Muscletech hype a while back and bought myself a tub of Nitrotech. I thought wow every other page of muscle and fitness could not possibly be wrong lol

 

[Pump_Daddy]

multis and protein are going to be your best buy for this. creatine works for some people and it most cases it does work but it not somethin you need if your serious about what your doin and have a great diet already. as for androp you dont really need that at all until your about 30 and i personally think thats a waster all together.

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Got Muscle?
Train hard, play fast, go strong.

 

[Oldman]

For ordinary humans who just want to look and feel better and healthier the only two supps needed are a good multi-vitamin and bottled/filtered water.

We screwed up the air/water/dirt enough to require a good multi-vitamin. And I'm not so sure what the health concerns are associated with drinkig a gallon of chlorinated tap water a day for decades...

For more serious weight training and bodybuilding I think protein supps are necessary for the convenience if nothing else. And, of course, an increased protein intake requires an increase in water intake (see above), and an increase water intake requires a multi-vitamin.

Its been documented that we all need extra zinc and magnesium.

And then there are special circumstances.

NO, I'm 47 and I don't fall for the hype, and I do my own research.

 

[Scotty the Body]

Do we need sups to make gains? No, but some do help. Also with age our bodies don't have the test levels or recovery rate we had a 17.
I had fallen into the supp. hype for some time, I've tried prohormones, and many other sups that were "testosterone booster" (not AS though) but never found the MAGIC PILL, i've cut back to multi vit., protien, creatine and glutimine. There the only ones I've seen any results from so thats all I'll spend my money on. I follow the recomended dosages.

 

[crowman]

I think that pretty much all the effects we experience from supplements are psychosomatic, so whenever you ask:

The ______ that you are taking, yes, it works great.

The only supplements that I feel are really necessary are multi-vitamins and whey protein, simply because I could not possibly have time to eat enough food to get the nutrients and protein I need.



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-Crowman
MASS ABOVE ALL

 

[Arnold]

The problem is that people buy into the hype and they expect to see "results" from the supplements!

I listed the supps I take, and I feel that they are necessary for optimum training and recovery. I don't expect to see immediate results from them. I just believe that in the long term they get me one step ahead.

If I didn't take them, it might increase my recovery times, and ultimately take longer to make gains. I also think they keep me in optimum health, thus avoiding many of the colds and flus that go around.

Can I prove any of this? Nope! But, I guess they are my insurance policy, for lack of better words!

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train hard!

 

[crowman]

Yep, I totally agree with you Prince. Supplements work, but they are by no means steroids. Many people expect to have steroid like results when they start taking supplements. I also seem to avoid most of the cold and flus that go around (supplements and diet).

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-Crowman
MASS ABOVE ALL

 

[mac sloan]

These are some good posts,everything that has been mentioned is reneforcing what I will be saying in my article.


My next question is.....
Why did you fall for the supplement hype?
Was it because you were not satisfied with your gains or how fast you acheived them?
Maybe in hopes you would be bigger and stronger like you have secretly dreamed of?

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train smart not hard

 

[Oldman]

Sometimes supps are just peace of mind, like folks who take glutamine everyday. Nothing wrong with that, its both their money and their peace of mind, and its not gonna hurt them. Peace of mind frequently translates in increased motivation. Nothiung wrong with that.

Some supps positively work, like creatine, but how much do they work? A 25% performance increase is significant but a 0.5% increase isn't. However, many times any performance increase is welcome.

I can give a personal experience on the psychological effect of supps. I read a bunch on ZMA and became convinced that I should try it. I tried it and I slept slightly better and woke slightly more rested for the first few weeks - just like the advertising said. Then those sensations stopped. What caused those sensations? All I was doing is bringing a minor zinc/mag. deficiency up and there is absolutely no scientific evidence for that process having an effect on sleep <g>. It was purely psychological.

Most of us, (all of us?), have a built-in performance monitor and its called puberty. We will forever guage our future performance based on that one short period in time when we could make enormous performance gains despite doing almost everything wrong.

And, to give some credit where its due, the advertisers have turned their craft into a literal science. They really do know how to get into our heads.

 

[EarWax]

For me I suppose it's just a psychological boost. I find it makes lifting interesting and helps me think about my diet more. It also makes eating 6 meals a day easier.

 

[crowman]

The first supplement I took (other than a multi) was glutamine and I started taking it just because I wanted to help keep myself healthy. But the more I learned about supps, the more tried. All kinds of protein blends, vitamins/minerals, prohormones, etc. Now I've basicly come to decide on a few that I take daily, a multi, B-5 (helps with the ol' acne), milk thistle (supposedly helps maintain a healthy liver), Saw Palmetto (prostate health), and tons of whey.

I've been taking these for religiously for almost a year now, and have felt great. Plus, when the flu has gone around the worst I've gotten is a runny nose (maybe just coincedence).

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-Crowman
MASS ABOVE ALL

[This message has been edited by crowman (edited 02-22-2001).]

 

[Scotty the Body]

Originally posted by mac sloan:
Why did you fall for the supplement hype?
Was it because you were not satisfied with your gains or how fast you acheived them?
Maybe in hopes you would be bigger and stronger like you have secretly dreamed of?

Thats about it in a nut shell, I'm sure we're all looking for any edge we can get but in the end its mostly hard work and good planning that helps us acheve our goals.

 

[Charger]

I have stayed out of this debate but heres food for thought. I posted this earlier but if supps are needed to get HUGE then why is it prisoners can lift weights everyday or close to that and get huge without any or close to no supps at all. I've heard the arguments if they can get illegal drugs in prison they can get supps but I don't believe they can get all they need.
I take some supps and believe atleast for the time being they are worth it, but this really does make me wonder how much of it's just in my head. Even if that is the case as long as I beieve I am getting results and have the extra cash I'll continue taking them.

 

[mac sloan]

Charger you are going based on what you have heard but do you really know that for a fact?

Probally not.

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train smart not hard

 

[Scotty the Body]

Originally posted by Charger:
Why is it prisoners can lift weights everyday or close to that and get huge without any or close to no supps at all. I've heard the arguments if they can get illegal drugs in prison they can get supps but I don't believe they can get all they need.

My guess is that they don't bother with regular sups, they go straight to AS (the good stuff). And not only that, they've got all kinds of time to rest so they can get away with lifting more often.

 

[Charger]

Mac, my future brotherinlaw works in a maximum security prison. He also used to be a fireman and lifted himself until a work related injury ended his carrier and his lifting. He has admitted that drugs do find there way into the prison and steroids could be there too, but he said he couldn't believe they would be able to get them on a reguler basis.
He said they can get protein drinks like ensure if ordered by a doctor. The trick here is the person the doctor orders it for isn't the one who actually gets it.
Now for another example I personally know, knew a person My age that was just released after doing 10 years that is benching in the upper 400's.
Believe it or not!

 

[Pump_Daddy]

dam upper 400's is impressive. my friend shannon is 16 (a guy) and he benches 405!! You probably think im lying but im not. its true. he doesnt do roids or anything. sometimes real strength just comes from good genetics. and its also weird because his parents and siblings are not big at all. so no one really knowshow to explain it. hes like they guy from taht movie unbreakable. shannon had appenisitis in 3rd grade and gangrene and almost died. then he was hit by a speeding car in the 8th grade and broke his arm and legs and he has a titanium ankle. so for him to be doin what he is doin is amazing. and the only supps he has been on its protein and creatine witha a mutivitamin. so thats all i have to say about that.

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Got Muscle?
Train hard, play fast, go strong.

 

[mac sloan]

Charger I was not trying to belittle you,I was just assuming that you were assuming.

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train smart not hard

 

[Oldman]

Charger brought up an interesting point, even though this might not be the topic for it.

Lots of research has and is being done on criminals, psycho stuff, DNA stuff, etc. Until that mess gets clear it might be enough to say that they always get plenty of sleep each night...

 

[Charger]

Thanks Mac, I understand and should have made myself more clear. Hey Pump, your 16 old friend, 405 WOW!!! 305 would make me happy!

 

[Charger]

I understand Mac, I should have been more specific with my first response.