men's health muscle supplements guide

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.


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.


QUICKSTART GUIDE

PUMP UP WITH VITAMINSA MULT I A DAY IS AN EASY WAY TO COVER MISSING INGREDIENTS

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