When to take your Supplements

[NiteHawk]

The thing you have to remember with creatine is that once you are taking the creatine supplement for awhile, your muscles will be fully saturated with it. Your muscle cells will not be able to hold anymore creatine. There is a maximum amount,the cells can hold. This amount is around 150-170 grams.

That's why I take my creatine post workout. You will be using up your creatine stores during your workout and you will need to replenish them.

If you desire to take it before workout, consuming it between 30-60 minutes is fine.

[Ninan]

Is there a difference between taking a pure Leucine supplement or taking a BCAA supplement with:
# L-Leucine
# L-Isoleucine
# L-Valine ?

[NiteHawk]

Originally Posted by Ninan

Is there a difference between taking a pure Leucine supplement or taking a BCAA supplement with:
# L-Leucine
# L-Isoleucine
# L-Valine ?

BCAA's are the most crucial when it comes to your muscles. They make up around 35 % of your muscle mass. The 3 BCAA's are.... Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.
BCAA's are metabolized in the muscle not the liver like other amino acids. They spare muscle tissue from being used for energy during intense exercise.

You should supplement with all of them. However, leucine is the most crucial of the 3. Leucine is key to protein synthesis. Leucine is 10 x more potent in protein synthesis than other aminos.

So that is the reason that some take extra leucine.

[Ninan]

thanks for the answers you guys

[Ninan]

the articles says that creatine is a good supplement to take before you work out but ive heard that it fills you with alot of water and once you get off it your muscles deplete...is this true?

What other nutrient or supplement would give me some extra energy for my workout?

sry if these are numb questionshttp://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/forums/images/smilies/confused.gif

[CraigC]

Originally Posted by Ninan

the articles says that creatine is a good supplement to take before you work out but ive heard that it fills you with alot of water and once you get off it your muscles deplete...is this true?

What other nutrient or supplement would give me some extra energy for my workout?

With mono most people will gain water weight. When you stop taking it you will lose that water weight which may cause you to look a little bit smaller. Nothing big though.

dannyboy said it for energy. Diet makes a big difference. Also BCAAs seemed to give me a bit of extra energy, and they're great for recovery.

[CountryBOY05]

hey guys. ive been stacking no-xplode, cellmass, and nitrix for about 4 months now and have had considerable results. i want to start cutting though and my friend had some hydroxycut hardcore he wasnt gonna use so i bought it off of him. im not trying to lose a lot of weight, i weigh 205 and am just trying to tone up. would it be safe if i continued my stack and just took 2 pills of hydroxycut a day. because the label asks for 3 pills a day twice a day, and i figure by taking less it will give me the extra fat burning potential, but wont overdo it. can anybody help out?

[NiteHawk]

BCAA's are good to take prior to a workout and I also like to eat some oatmeal prior to my workout as well.

[RJSMuscle]

I totally agree

when I was younger I had no idea about supplement timing and I busted my ass in the gym and would come home not eat anything and plunk my ass in front of the tv. No wounder I never had any success.
I know better now thanks to threads like this one.

[mdg101977]

Hi, i would like to ask if anybody here using HydroxyCut Hardcore? This is for Fat Burning. Im new with this supplement... I also go to Gym atleast 4 times/week.

[Matt58]

Well after skimming through this thread a question came across my mind. In this thread it suggests taking creatine and a complex carb together 0-30 minutes pre-workout. Most creatines say on the label take 30 minutes before meals and 30 minutes before working out and some suggest not to mix it with food.

Is creatine(any type of it) ok to have with complex carbs? So say I am taking MRI's CE2 and having cup of oatmeal and couple eggs. Eat the oatmeal and eggs then right after down 2 CE2 pills, then 30 mins later lift. Thats ok to do? Like creatine won't "compete" or w/e with the complex carbs?

^^This is how it will look come summer time for me. Get up around 8:30 eat breakfast(pre-workout meal) and then 30 mins later lift.

[Traps]

You question seems more related on how to take creatine. Perhaps you may want to review the creatine sticky. There will be alot of people that voice a variaty of opinions about creatine. All you need to know is what I say.


Take creatine monohydrate(if your stomach can handle it). Take it twice a day. Once in the morning, and again after you workout. Like this......

First thing in the morning.
12oz of water mixed with 5+ grams monohydrate(I like ISS Research), and 40 grams of dextrose.

Immediately chase that with 16oz of water mixed with 20-25 grams of whey protein(If you want throw in bcaa's(10g), or Leucine(5g)

30 to 45 minutes later, consume 20-25 oz of skim milk with 20-25g of whey protein. You can also eat at this time. But out of personal preference, I'd eat after I drank the milk.

Immediately after workout
12oz of water mixed with 5+ grams monohydrate(I like ISS Research), and 80 grams of dextrose.

Immediately chase that with 16oz of water mixed with 40-50 grams of whey protein(If you want throw in bcaa's(20+ grams), or Leucine(10g)

1 hour after workout, consume 20-25 oz of skim milk with 20-25g of whey protein.



Taking my creatine like this puts my body in a very anabolic state for pretty much the whole day. I walk around with a noticable pump. The tape measure confirms this.

More information
Overtraining/Recovery/Dual Factor Theory

[Matt58]

Thanks for the response, sounds like a good plan to follow by. Why do have skim milk and whey an hour after workout though? Isn't this when you should have your post-workout meal with some protein from "real" food and complex carbs?

Besides that does the same rule apply for CEE or Kre-Alk?

[NiteHawk]

Originally Posted by Matt58

Thanks for the response, sounds like a good plan to follow by. Why do have skim milk and whey an hour after workout though? Isn't this when you should have your post-workout meal with some protein from "real" food and complex carbs?

Besides that does the same rule apply for CEE or Kre-Alk?

Matt, an hour after your workout, you should be eating real, solid food, not a shake. A good protein source and some more carbs.

As for CEE and Kre-Alk, these have different absorption methods. They do not need a transport like dextrose, like regular creatine does.

[Traps]

Originally Posted by Matt58

Besides that does the same rule apply for CEE or Kre-Alk?

I dont like cee or kre-alk. I think its simply a gimmick. I've tried both, and they pale in comparison to the response I get from monohydrate. I think the major consensus of "old school" lifters would agree, monoyhydrate is the direction to go when bulking.

Originally Posted by Matt58

Thanks for the response, sounds like a good plan to follow by. Why do have skim milk and whey an hour after workout though? Isn't this when you should have your post-workout meal with some protein from "real" food and complex carbs?

Oops sorry, forgot to mention that I eat as well. Sometimes at the same time, and sometimes I'll wait like another half hour after I drink the milk with whey.

The reason I drink the milk, is two fold. One the casien protein is a nice slow digesting protein. Two, the carbs help to balance out the insulin spike. Because my body is shifted back into an anabolic state after my pwo shake, I want to get a mix of slow and fast digesting proteins to assist protein synthesis, and I want the extra liquid because the creatine causes your muscles becomes like a sponge(a window of about an hour, beginning 1/2 hour after you consume the creatine mono) When I say I have all day pumps. I'm very serious. This effect lasts for a solid month at least, and slowly begins to taper away, as I continue to use the creatine. I dont go more than two months before taking a break. I also reload on creatine about every 2-3 weeks for 1 to 3 days. There will be those that say you dont need to reload.... whatever.... my tape measure dont lie. Anyway I digress. There's been alot of discussion about these things by me, and right now I dont have the time to search for them. You could always use this forums search tool to find them.

I could continue to rant in a more logical and readable discussion, but I'm at work, and cant really focus on what I'm typing right now.

[Matt58]

Thanks for all the info will be a big help. How does this schedule look for the summer then:

8:00AM-Wake Up
5+ grams of creatine monohydrate with 20g of dextrose(made it less for me because I am a lot smaller than you lol)
1 scoop of whey(20g) with cup of water

8:30AM-Breakfast: Pre-Workout Meal
1 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup dry oats with milk/water
6 eggs(5 whites, 1 whole)
2 fish oils

9:00AM-
20g of BCAA(BCAA Boost from TP 2-1-1)

9:30AM-10:30AM-Lift
Drink 1 gallon of water throughout workout

10:31AM-PWO
5+ grams of creatine monohydrate with 40g of dextrose
Chase with 2 scoops of whey(40g) blended with dry oats?

11:30AM-PWO Meal
1 cup of skim milk
1/2-1 cup of brown rice/pasta
chicken breast

Look good? But what if I don't have dextrose available? Take with gatorade or banana? Or for PWO mix monohydrate with whey,banana and oats?

...GNC has their creatine monohydrate on sale for $15.99 for 1000g so is about $7 less than ISS Reasearch, so probably go with that for now. Is the water retention bad though with mono? But I guess if i'm bulking it doesn't matter.

Thanks.

[Traps]

Originally Posted by Matt58

Thanks for all the info will be a big help. How does this schedule look for the summer then:

7:45AM-Wake Up
12oz water + 5(+) grams creatine + 30g dextrose
16oz water + 1 scoop whey + 10g BCAA

8:30AM-Breakfast: Pre-Workout Meal
* here I would like to see some more whey, but too much protein does you no good, so eat the eggs instead.
8oz of skim milk, 12oz water
1/2 cup dry oats with milk/water
6 eggs(5 whites, 1 whole)
2 fish oils


9:30AM-10:30AM-Lift
Just workout, drink a little water if your thirsty, DO NOT drink a gallon while your working out. Instead drink it throughout the day

10:31AM-PWO
12oz water + 5(+) grams creatine + 60g dextrose
20oz water + 2 scoop whey + 20g BCAA

11:15AM-PWO Meal
20oz cup of skim milk with your oats blend + 1 scoop whey
1/2-1 cup of brown rice/pasta
chicken breast

Look good? But what if I don't have dextrose available? Take with gatorade or banana? Or for PWO mix monohydrate with whey,banana and oats?

Gatorade is good just drink enough to get your required grams of sugar. I'll often mix my dextrose with gatorade for flavor. Avoid consuming food during the first 30-45 minutes after taking creatine. It will slow absorption.

...GNC has their creatine monohydrate on sale for $15.99 for 1000g so is about $7 less than ISS Reasearch, so probably go with that for now. Is the water retention bad though with mono? But I guess if i'm bulking it doesn't matter.

No go for the ISS Research. Not all creatine is the same. As far as water retention. Most of the water will be intracellular(in the muscle). This is a good thing. You'll get some skin bloat, but who cares. Unless your ripped, it shouldnt be too noticeable.

Thanks.

Do it something like that I guess. I dont workout until the evening, and I hate taking creatine before working out. Furthermore my creatine doses are spread out so that as the "pump" begins to wear off, I'm scheduled for another dose of creatine. So if my technique will work in your case remains to be seen.

Here's what I have done, and will be doing again shortly.

8:00 am
12oz water + 5 grams creatine + 40 grams dextrose or dextrose/gatorade mix
16oz water + 25grams whey + 5 grams leucine

8:30 - 8:45 am
16-25 oz skim milk + 25 grams whey protein
Eat some complex carb source, maybe some eggs too

Do my stuff throughout the day. Eat food every couple hours, drinking milk and water, there will be 1 or 2 occasions in which I'll throw in a scoop of whey as well.

sometime after 6:00pm workout

Post workout
12oz water + 5 grams creatine + 80 grams dextrose or dextrose/gatorade mix
20oz water + 50 grams whey + 10 grams leucine

45 minutes to an hour later
20-25 oz skim milk with 25 grams whey protein

15 minutes to half hour after that
eat

the rest of the night I might eat another meal, before bed 20-25oz of skim milk + 20g whey protein.

I'm certainly no monster and no end all and be all of answers. But it worked well for me. Try to consume 2 grams protein per lb of body weight. At the very least 1 gram/lb, and spread it as evenly as possible throughout the day.

[Matt58]

Alright thanks again for the help. I'll probably purchase that ISS Mono from BB.com real soon. Also need to get some BCAA's and whey.

I'm pretty much set on what BCAA I want to buy which is BCAA Boost from TP.com. $17.96 per/lb for over 5lbs and I like to buy in bulk. So 5lbs(20g per serving) will last me 57.5 days for $89.80 if I take 2 serv a day. Or do you know any better deals on BCAA's and last me long time?

I split on which protein to take. Either whey concentrate from TP.com or Bioplex 100% Whey. I just want to make sure I am getting a quality product but not getting ripped off. Now I did all that math and Bioplex is cheaper per/serving and will last longer. I also already bought the 22lb bucket of whey and probably 20 servings left and it seems to be fine but not sure if it is top quality you know.

I was either going to get the 22lb bucket of Bioplex or 20+ of whey concentrate from TP.com. I'll give you what Bioplex's product says about its whey on BB.com
Product Highlights

* Best Flavored Whey Protein in the Industry
* Sweetened with Sucralose
* No Bitter Aftertaste
* Aspartame Free
* Acesulfame-K Free
* Low in Lactose
* Low in Carbohydrate
* Low in Fat
* Mixes Instantly with Liquids

Product Benefits

* High Amounts of Whey Microfractions
* Superior Protein for Lean Muscle Growth
* Supports Tissue Repair and Recovery
* Boosts Immune System
* Natural Antioxidant
* Appetite Suppressant
* Superior Amino Acid Profile
* High Levels of Branched Chain Amino Acids
* Undenatured Proteins for Digestive Ease

22lb bucket of Bioplex is $110.99 plus shipping(384 serv-20g protein per serv) and TP whey concentrate is $122.85 for 22lbs(330 serv-23g protein per serv) I'd post info about the whey concentrate from TP but don't want to make post to long. lol Just check it out at TP if u want.So what do you think I should go with?

[Traps]

This is getting out of the original threads context but I'll just say, normally I'd suggest ON Whey for a cheap quality protein, but that bioplex looks decent and just as good a value. I might try that in the near future. As far as BCAA's I dunno. Too expensive for me. I just get leucine. I wouldn't mess with TP's whey concentrate, blah....

Anyways. Any further questions not related to supplement "windows of opportunity" or dosing schedules should be placed in a different thread in the supplements forum.

Thank you and good luck with your lifestyle. Stay away from drugs, and those that do them.

[Matt58]

Sorry for getting off track there but thanks for all the answers now I know a lot more about pre and post workout nutrition and think it'll help me greatly.

Thanks for the help and like you said i'll keep avoiding drugs and those who use them. lol

I got a question or 2 on BCAA's and just L-leucine but wont ask here because of topic, i'll just PM you if I can't find the answer from searching this site.