men's health muscle supplements guide
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8/12/2019 Men's Health Muscle Supplements Guide
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SUPPLEMENTS
QUICKSTARTGUIDE
PROTEIN POWDER
Because whey and casein protein supplements
are popular among the bodybuilding crowd,you might assume that these products are
only for hardcore lifters. But the truth is,
theyre simply a convenient way to increase
your intake of high-quality protein. A quick
primer: Whey and casein are the primary pro-
teins found in milk. In fact, about 20 percent of
the protein in milk is whey,
and the other 80 percent is
casein. Any time you drink
a glass of milk, youre con-
suming both whey and ca-
sein. Over the last few years,scientists have learned how
to separate these proteins
from milk, and then create
powders that can be used
to supplement your diet.
Products made from either
protein are both excellent
sources of high-quality pro-
tein. Another benefit: Consumption of whey
protein has been shown to enhance immune
function, and to be beneficial in treating can-
cer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Although both pro-teins are high-quali-
tymeaning they con-
tain all of the essential
amino acids needed to
build muscletheyre
W W W . M E N S H E A L T H . C O M mh
COPYRIGHT 2008-2009
YOU CANT BUY A MAGIC BULLET IN A VITAMIN STORE. AND NO MATTER HOW
alluring a sales pitch sounds, theres a simple truth about supplements: They work best
when they augment, not replace, a healthy diet. (Hence the name.) Well-formulated protein
powder, creatine, and multivitamins can all contribute to a bigger, stronger, better you.
Use them properlylots of advice ahead about thatand theyll help you reach your goals.
Just remember they cant outweigh or even counterbalance a steady diet of junk food or
an entire NBA season on the couch.So before you invest in a product that promisesdramatic changes in physique or amazing health improvement, make sure youre also doing
everything else that will help build a stronger, healthier body. Now lets look at two types
of supplements that mixed with weight training will boost your muscle gain.
THE LABELDECODERFor most guys, the ingredientslist of a protein powder might as
well be written in Sanskrit. Thats
because it often contains several
subtypes of whey, casein, andeven soy protein. Heres how to
read the label like a chemist.
CONCENTRATE:The cheapest
form of most protein. It containsslightly more fat and carbohydrate
than more pure versions, and can
be clumpy and hard to mix by hand
However, it provides the same basic
muscle-building benefits. In the
case of casein, its referred to as
caseinate.
ISOLATE:More pure than
concentratesread: less fat and
carbohydratethis protein is also
easier to mix.
HYDROSYLATE OR HYDROLYZED
A protein thats been broken downinto smaller fractions than a con-
centrate or isolate, allowing it to be
absorbed into your blood stream
more quickly. However, when it
comes to casein hydrosylate, this
defeats the purpose.
MICELLAR CASEIN OR ISOLATE
CASEIN PEPTIDES:Expensive, bu
easy to mix, and composed almost
entirely of pure casein protein, en-
suring slow-and-steady absorption.
MILK PROTEIN:This ingredient
provides the original composition
of milk proteinroughly 80 percent
casein and 20 percent wheyso its
technically a natural whey-casein
blend.
EGG-WHITE PROTEIN:Like whey
and casein, this is an excellent
high-quality protein. Its sometimes
called instantized egg albumin on
the label.
ESSENTIAL MUSCLEBUILDING
NUTRITION m
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MH TOP PICKSOUR FAVORITE WHEY AND CASEIN BLENDS
BIOTEST METABOLIC DRIVE SUPERPROTEIN SHAKE
We say:Choose the chocolate.
Available at:biotest.net
AT LARGE NUTRITION NITREAN
We say:Best tasting vanilla weve found.
Available at:atlargenutrition.com
W W W. M E N S H E A L T H . C O M mh
QUICKSTART GUIDE
SOY PROTEIN:USE CAUTION
The active compounds in soy,
called isoflavones, have beenshown to raise estrogen levels
in men, and also negatively
affect thyroid function when con-
sumed in high amounts. While eating
soybeans or some tofu wont likely have
this type of impact, its possible to ingest
enough soy through supplementation to
experience the undesirable effects. If a soy
protein is listed as the first or second ingre-
dient on the label, choose another product.
each processed differently by your body.
Whey is known as a fast protein, meaning
its quickly broken down into amino acids
and absorbed into your blood stream. This
allows the amino acids to be delivered to
your muscles for immediate use. For thisreason, its a very good protein to consume
after your workout, when your bodys ability
to build and repair muscle is at its highest.
Casein, on the other hand, is digested more
slowly. So its ideal for providing your body
with a steady supply of smaller amounts of
protein for a longer period of time. As a re-
sult, its a great choice for before you go to
bed. For most purposes, both proteins will
provide a similar overall benefit.
Which one is best? Try a blend. Either
will provide your muscles with the raw
materials for growth, but combining them
allows you to optimize your protein intake,
no matter when you down a shake. In a
recent study, researchers at Baylor Univer-
sity asked men to lift weights, then drink
either a whey-protein shake or a beverage
containing both whey and casein protein.
After 10 weeks, those who had the combo
drink packed on about 5 pounds more
muscle than those who had only whey.
An unprecedented number
of studies have shown that
creatine supplementation is
not only safe, but it also enhanc-
es both muscle size and strength
gains when taken in conjunction with a
resistance-training program.
Creatine is a natural substance found in food (pork, beef,
tuna, and salmon are good sources) and also produced in
your liver and kidneys. It replenishes the energy needed for
repeated bursts of activity, whether youre getting up from
the La-Z-Boy or getting down with the old lady.
While the benefits of creatine may seem magical, theyre
not: The supplement simply helps provide your muscles
with more energy. And that allows you to work out harder
for longer, says Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise scien-
tist at the University of Connecticut. Which is the key to
greater muscle and strength gains. Heres what happens:
You take 20 grams of creatine a day for 5 days.This increases the amount of creatine in your muscles by 25 percentMany of the creatine molecules you consume bond with a
phosphate molecule.
This forms creatine phosphate, which is stored in the muscle fiber.For a muscle to contract, it has to break a phosphate molecule off of
a compound called adenosine triphosphate (adenosine + 3 phosphatmolecules), or ATP.
This creates a chemical reaction that fuels muscle contraction,allowing you to lift weights at a high intensity.At the same time, the ATP now becomes adenosine diphosphate
(adenosine + 2 phosphate molecules), or ADP.
The amount of ATP stored in your muscles is limited, and yourmuscles cant use ADP for energy.
So to allow you to maintain your lifting intensity, ADP removes thephosphate molecule from the creatine phosphate your body has ma
This forms more ATP quickly, giving you more energy to train intense
TRY IT THIS WHEYJUST TOSS THE INGREDIENTS IN A
BLENDER AND LIQUIFY.
TIRAMISMOOTHIE
cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1 Tbsp reduced-fat yogurt Tbsp slivered unsalted almonds 1 tsp chocolate whey powder 1 tsp ground flaxseed tsp finely ground coffee 6 ice cubes
MUSCLE BUILDER SMOOTHIE
2 Tbsp peanut butter 1 banana cup whey powder cup fat-free chocolate
frozen yogurt 1 cupfat-free milk
CREATINE
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the study at the University of Nottingham
in England.
YOURE ABOUT TO GOUNDER THE KNIFE
If your cardiologist is about to performopen-heart surgery, creatine can help you
in several ways. A 1993 study found that
creatine supplementation helped protect
the heart muscle from damage, and more
recent studies have shown that creatine
helps post-op patients exercise at a greater
intensity.
YOURE TRAINING IN HOTWEATHER AND WISH TOREMAIN ALIVEA study in the Journal of Exercise Physiol-ogyfound that creatine-supplemented ath-
letes actually did better when exercising inthe heat. After 60 minutes of cycling in 98Fahrenheit weather, the creatine groupscore body temperatures rose an average of6.5 degrees less than those of a group thathad been given a placebo.
In fact, creatine may offer protection dur-ing strenuous exercise in hellish conditions.A number of studies have reported similaror lower incidence of injuries, cramping,gastrointestinal upset, and fatigue in foot-ball players, baseball players, and soccerplayers, says Kreider.
YOU WANT YOUR MUSCLESTO LAST LONGERCreatine is applicable to anyone whos
doing high-intensity activity, says Kreider.
That includes anyone who hits a ball hard
(golfers, softball players), who moves at
high speeds (skiers, basketball players),
who needs strength and power in his work
(carpenters, policemen), or who simply en-
joys working out and plans to continue ex-
ercising throughout life.
W W W. M E N S H E A L T H . C O M mh
QUICKSTART GUIDE
THE BEST WAY
TO TAKE A POWDERThe helpful folks in the supplementindustry have come up with a bewilderingarray of creatine pills, bars, candy, andeven fizzy powder. But none of these hasbeen proved any more effective than thecreatine monohydrate powder you buy in
jugs. Heres how to make it work for you:
WHAT TO DO
Step 1:For the first 5 days, take 20 grams
of creatine a day, divided into four 5 gram
doses. This is called loading, and research
by Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., shows that it works
best if you take each 5-gram dose with
about 100 grams of carbohydrates, prefer-ably in the form of a sugar called dextrose.
(Some creatine powders, such as Cell-Tech,
come premixed with dextrose.) This causes
a surge of insulin that pushes the creatine
into your muscles. An equally effective alter-
native is to take each dose of creatine with
50 grams of carbohydrates and 50 grams
of protein, Greenhaff says. You can buy the
creatine and protein powders separately and
mix until you achieve the right combination.
CAUTION:This loading technique totals
1,600 calories a day, so if youre going to do
this, cut back on other meals and snacks.And if youre diabetic, talk to your physician
before trying creatineor any nutritional
supplement, for that matter.
Step 2:After the loading phase, you can
maintain creatine levels with 3 to 5 grams a
day, preferably taken right after a workout.
Dont worry about combining it with carbohy-
drates or protein.
WHAT TO EXPECT
An initial weight gain of 2 to 5 pounds. Some
longer-term creatine studies have shown
weight gain of close to 10 pounds whensupplementation was combined with a seri-
ous weight-lifting program. Thats over and
above the pounds of muscle normally gained
in workouts.
Immediate improvement in your ability
to repeat high-intensity activities, such as
sprints or weight-lifting sets. Over time, the
increase in strength can be dramaticone
study showed a 45 percent improvement in
bench-press results, for example.
YOU JUST STARTED A WEIGHT-LIFTING PROGRAMAbout 50 percent of guys quit their exercise
programs in the first 6 months. Thats why
Kreider thinks creatine can help men stick
with it longer. People start a program, theywant to see results quickly. In 1 week, they
can feel themselves growing stronger and
building more endurance, he says.
YOURE TRAINING FORA MARATHONOne potential benefit is more power for
interval training, ultimately leading to in-
creased aerobic capacity. And after the
training is done, creatine can come in handy
for race preparation. If you creatine-load
before you carbo-load, you get a better ef-
fect, says Kreider. Try it in the 5 days im-
mediately preceding your next carb-fest.
YOU HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROLA 1996 study found that men with high
cholesterol (more than 200 milligrams per
deciliter of blood) lowered their numbers
when taking creatine. The total cholesterol
reduction wasnt dramaticabout 5 per-
centbut triglycerides and very-low-den-
sity cholesterol (the most dangerous kind)
each went down more than 20 percent.
YOU JUST BROKE YOUR LEGCreatine increases your bodys supply ofGLUT-4, a protein that allows your mus-
cles to use energy, according to a study
in the journal Diabetes. Researchers put
volunteers right legs in casts for 2 weeks,
and after the casts came off had them
lift weights to try to regain their strength.
The volunteers using creatine had higher
GLUT-4 levels while in the casts and re-
covered faster from the immobilization,
says Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., who conducted
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY CREATINE IF...
Recent research suggests creatine may benefit millions of people whove neverpumped up or felt the burn. Its more than a supplement for athletes, says RichardKreider, Ph.D., an exercise researcher at the University of Memphis. It helps youmaintain muscle mass, and that has long-term health benefits. While creatinesupplements have stirred up plenty of controversy in the past decade (including aquestionable French study that linked creatine to cancer), theres a pile of credibleresearch suggesting that creatine wont harm youand may help you if...
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EASE MUSCLE PAIN WITH MULTIS
Multivitamins arent just for overall health. A daily dose of vitamins and
minerals before endurance exercise will speed your muscles recovery.
Athletes who took a multivitamin for 3 weeks prior to a 34-mile trail race(and for 2 days after) showed 11 percent faster recovery in their quadri-
ceps than did runners who took a placebo. Vitamins C and E, selenium,
and glutathione help control inflammation and the muscle-damaging ef-
fects of free radicals, according to researchers at the National Institute
of Sport and Physical Education in Paris. They used a multivitamin called
Isoxan Endurance, comparable to Centrum Performance.
W W W. M E N S H E A L T H . C O M mh
QUICKSTART GUIDE
PUMP UP WITH VITAMINSA MULT I A DAY IS AN EASY WAY TO COVER MISSING INGREDIENTS
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