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How many HBers use supplements when they workout? I have used them for years and think they do help when it comes to recovery and growth of muscles. My wife and I got into an arguement about them and she said they are a waste of money and that I can accomplish the same things without them. What do you guys think? I think she doesn't know sh!t and just wants something to argue about.

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I think she has a point. To a degree a lot of this stuff (vitamins, for example) is just a waste of money, and not even especially effective. I wouldn't know specifically about the nature of your supplements, though.

 

There might be some quality stuff there, but it's a lot more expensive (with the upside of less effort and the possible downside of not being as effective) than eating properly and getting the stuff you need from your diet. I would say, use as few supplements as you can, and only the ones that both have solid public consensus behind them and are things that you'd be really hard pressed to get otherwise.

 

Also, even if they do give you a boost, it might be an unnecessary one, and you could function/recover/workout effectively enough with healthy, clean, and wholesome eating. Enough that you don't need to pay a premium for that extra edge, I mean.

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I use amplified creatine from GNC, and it seems to boost my recovery and strength before I workout.

 

I use that as well. It definitely helps with recovery. Other than that, I take a multi-vitamin and fish oil and have some protein powder in my breakfast smoothies.

 

I've tried some of the other stuff; test boosters, metabolism boosters, etc. Never really noticed much difference.

 

Creatine is one of the most tested supplements out there. I've heard that it's also good for older guys, but I don't remember why off the top of my head.

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They're a waste of money and you can accomplish the same things without them. By definition they're. . . supplements.

Disagree..............if you eat totally clean and watch every little thing you put in your body you can accomplish alot, but supplements will help you get over those plateaus at times. You can take all the supplements you want, but if you aren't eating correctly and putting the work in, it isn't gonna matter. I take several different supplements and they've helped me out throughout my workout hobby.

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I vaguely remember studying vitamins in a MicroBiolgy or Biochemistry back in the day..

 

The water soluable ones were pretty much harmless..(your body just pissed away what you didn't need) but the fat soluable ones could really cause long term problems because they'd tend to build up in your tissues.

 

I bought a digital scale at Harbor Freight the other day and am thinking of getting some raw DHEA among other suppliments to mess with my metabolism and motivate me to exercize moar.

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They're a waste of money and you can accomplish the same things without them. By definition they're. . . supplements.

Disagree..............if you eat totally clean and watch every little thing you put in your body you can accomplish alot, but supplements will help you get over those plateaus at times. You can take all the supplements you want, but if you aren't eating correctly and putting the work in, it isn't gonna matter. I take several different supplements and they've helped me out throughout my workout hobby.

The only thing I've ever used is protein shakes. It's mostly a convenience thing. It's easy, but technically a big fat waste of money.

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How many HBers use supplements when they workout? I have used them for years and think they do help when it comes to recovery and growth of muscles. My wife and I got into an arguement about them and she said they are a waste of money and that I can accomplish the same things without them. What do you guys think? I think she doesn't know sh!t and just wants something to argue about.

http://www.examine.com

 

That should be your source for straight up supplement knowledge. No bro-science. Actual science.

 

That being said, here's my take on supplementation. It's not very hard nor complex, but it can be hard to wade through the marketing machine that wants you to buy all of it.

 

First realize that they're supplements, not replacements for actual food. Eat actual food. Whole foods, at that. (no, not the store. I mean generally not sh#t that comes in a box)

 

There are really only a few that have actual measurable benefit. None of which you actually *need* to achieve your goal. They can help just a teenie tiny bit.

 

First, protein powder. I actually consider this more of just quick and easy food than an actual supplement. I use it when I need some quick food and don't have time to actually warm up something.

 

Second, creatine. There is undoubtedly more research done on creatine than any other supplement. Studies show (check out examine.com) that it does actually increase performance along with some other actual benefits. It's cheap as hell too, at least in the US. I take about 3g a day. No need to load it or do any other sort of protocol, but you can if you want. Once you read up on what it actually does, you can make a decision on whether to use it or not. Oh, and don't be fooled by fancy creatin (buffered, etc). Plain creatine monohydrate is not only the most studied, it's also the cheapest.

Here is the first of three parts on how creatine works. I believe it to be accurate. Kind of interesting if you're a dork, like me. http://athlete.io/3562/the-ultimate-guide-to-creatine-supplementation-part-1/

 

Third, vitamins. If you eat a varied diet of mostly whole foods, you probably don't need to bother with a multi but take it if you want.

Most people are deficient in Vitamin D in the northern hemisphere, especially in the winter. You know, when the sun is friggin gone for months or only comes out when you're inside.. So, I think it's a good idea to take 1000 to 2000IU /day. Liquid or liquid caps.

Fish Oil. There are studies that show some benefit at the 1-2g / day level but that's about it.

 

BCAA's or branched chain amino acids. I like these in spots especially if you're eating at a caloric deficit. All protein, hardly any caloric load and doesn't really require any digestion to be processed. I use them occasionally but never really worked them into a routine.

 

Hope this helps. Check out examine.com though and come to your own conclusions.

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