What supplements for lean muscle
Discussion
I imagine H&B is a horrendously expensive place to buy protein. I use MyProtein out of habit but I am sure there are others.
Sounds like you need to eat more really.
Creatine has well studied benefits and cheap per serving, water retention aside I think it's one of the better supplements.
Sounds like you need to eat more really.
Creatine has well studied benefits and cheap per serving, water retention aside I think it's one of the better supplements.
I’ve tried lots of things over the years, some which have reacted badly with my constitution, others which have been ineffective and some which are good.
At the moment I use a pre workout gel, then take 150g of protein powder (pure whey) a day, followed by another 30g before bed (casein). I also take two testosterone boosters every morning.
That plus whatever I get from my salad lunch and normal dinner.
I’m a lump though (19st), so your protein needs in relation to your goals will probably be different.
I get all my supps from BulkPowders, having researched many suppliers they seemed to be the best in terms of low sugar/high proats, and you get a loyalty system and many discounts throughout the year so work out quite reasonable.
At the moment I use a pre workout gel, then take 150g of protein powder (pure whey) a day, followed by another 30g before bed (casein). I also take two testosterone boosters every morning.
That plus whatever I get from my salad lunch and normal dinner.
I’m a lump though (19st), so your protein needs in relation to your goals will probably be different.
I get all my supps from BulkPowders, having researched many suppliers they seemed to be the best in terms of low sugar/high proats, and you get a loyalty system and many discounts throughout the year so work out quite reasonable.
Sa Calobra said:
No water rention so I think Creatin is out?
I cycle and I think post ride my body is eating into the muscle that I'm trying to build in the gym so a supplement to feed/dual use after a ride would be good too.
I've just started using protein powder from Holland & Barrett.
You don't need supplements - just eat more and eat clean.I cycle and I think post ride my body is eating into the muscle that I'm trying to build in the gym so a supplement to feed/dual use after a ride would be good too.
I've just started using protein powder from Holland & Barrett.
Sa Calobra said:
That's alot of protein. I work long shifts so hit the work gym before or after work.
I eat good but to eat enough protein would mean alot of chicken. That's not practical and not cheap
Same situation for me - I use a smartshake with compartments for each spoonful of whey - its the only way I'd get my intake during the day, if I had the ability I'd have actual food for breakfast and lunch (chicken, legumes etc) but it just isn't practical so powder is what it has to be.I eat good but to eat enough protein would mean alot of chicken. That's not practical and not cheap
Amazing what little differences make too - for example I walk to the furthest loo in my office (perhaps 1/3 mile) and back instead of the closest one, always stride up tube station escalators, use stairs, walk between tube stops if I can, no control measurement but I feel if I can feel my heart beating faster half a dozen times a day it must be making a difference.
Sa Calobra said:
No water rention so I think Creatin is out?
A recent double blind study showed no water retention but an increase in lean mass and strength. I'd stick to a decent brand though, not some Thai/Chinese stuff.Sa Calobra said:
I cycle and I think post ride my body is eating into the muscle that I'm trying to build in the gym so a supplement to feed/dual use after a ride would be good too.
Better off doing weights first if you want to gain lean muscle in the areas just trained. Just to reiterate - weights first, cardio second if you want to grow.Sa Calobra said:
I've just started using protein powder from Holland & Barrett.
Just use it when you can't get a proper meal in, otherwise normal food is fine.Sa Calobra said:
That's alot of protein. I work long shifts so hit the work gym before or after work.
Some recent research showed an increase in effectiveness of exercise later in the day:"Dr Pearson said: “Exercises that rely on a short strength or explosive power seem to be easier in the afternoon and early evening.
The best performances are usually seen between 4pm and 8pm, with some experiments showing a positive change of up to 29% for strength, as seen in weight lifting, or 5 to 9% for explosive power, as seen in basketball or taekwondo.
Another interesting thing that we’ve found is that you can also use the natural rhythm of your hormones to your advantage.
“We recently carried out a series of studies culminating into the latest one that suggests that the balance of hormones in the evening is more likely to promote muscle growth.” "
Personally I think if it suits you OP I'd still do weights first.
Sa Calobra said:
No water rention so I think Creatin is out?
I cycle and I think post ride my body is eating into the muscle that I'm trying to build in the gym so a supplement to feed/dual use after a ride would be good too.
I've just started using protein powder from Holland & Barrett.
If I'm reading this correctly you are working on increasing your endurance at the same time as strength and muscle gain? I hope I'm right as otherwise my (long) post is way off on a tangent. If so, apologies.I cycle and I think post ride my body is eating into the muscle that I'm trying to build in the gym so a supplement to feed/dual use after a ride would be good too.
I've just started using protein powder from Holland & Barrett.
Your training regime is of more importance than the narrow and low-percentage area of 'supplements'. However I'd be very wary of including whole-food source powdered proteins (such as whey, soy or even beef powders) in that category.
As other posters have pointed out, achieving reasonable intakes of protein daily *without* consuming large amounts of food, is very hard to do. Even lean high-protein foods such as turkey and tuna incur a significant calorie count, as well as expense - gram for gram. The consensus on protein intake for recreational trainees is around 1.5-1.8g/kg/day, ideally divided into 4-5 'meals' separated by a few hours. This is current best evidence; if you want to do some further reading let me know and I'll stick some links in.
In short eat as much whole food protein as possible / comfortable / affordable for you. 'Supplement' this with a whole-food powder which you find OK in terms of taste, expense and gastrointestinal tolerability. Sample packs are often available. I'd second those above who advise to shop around; IMO H&B are very pricey.
There are few true supplements with a decent evidence base for athletic performance. These include creatine (monophosphate), caffeine, and beta-alanine.
Creatine is probably the biggest hitter in terms of supplements for most people. It is safe, and its water retention effects are reversible and temporary. Its ability to make your resistance training potentially more effective (by allowing you to achieve more repetitions at a given intensity) may outweigh the negatives incurred by a slight increase in water retention.
For adequate recovery, vitamin D and omega-3 may be useful, depending on your daily exposure to sunlight and your consumption of foodstuffs such as oily fish, respectively.
In regard to your training, you're doing a form of concurrent training. This means the combination of resistance exercise and endurance exercise, with the aim being for gains (and not simply maintenance) in both aspects. This has been researched in a lot of detail, and it does seem as if a consensus is emerging.
Broadly:
- concurrent training is a good idea for most people.
- it is not associated with significantly reduced gains in either area over reasonable training periods, versus control groups.
- it is not associated with decrements in performance or muscular hypertrophy, provided training is applied intelligently in regard to potential interference effects.
Popeyewhite is correct, endurance training should follow strength training. Furthermore: harder (above moderate) endurance training should ideally be conducted 6-24h after strength training involving the same prime mover muscle groups. However easy or moderate endurance sessions can likely be conducted reasonably soon after strength training, with no significant impairment.
There is also some evidence that the type of endurance exercise conducted makes a difference to rates of hypertrophy. It's good news for you if you predominantly ride, as cycling does *not* involve a significant loaded eccentric component such as that seen in running, which seems to be associated with more negative effects on muscle mass gain.
Here is an excellent primer on the subject of concurrent training. It's from a reputable source.
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/avoiding-cardio-...
Sa Calobra said:
Yep Endurance, strength etc.
I need to rebuild my leg muscles following two months of that bad flu earlier this year.
After one ride my leg muscles ache for days especially my quads so I need some extra help.
Reading up on creatine it can accelerate hair loss!
Concerned about hair loss, maybe watch this vid. I need to rebuild my leg muscles following two months of that bad flu earlier this year.
After one ride my leg muscles ache for days especially my quads so I need some extra help.
Reading up on creatine it can accelerate hair loss!
1 Year Male Pattern Baldness Reversal: How I Did It
https://youtu.be/5_16NVJS_9k14
Sa Calobra said:
Reading up on creatine it can accelerate hair loss!
I was unaware of that, looking further it seems that if such exists it would be associated with taking hoofing great amounts.One of the points I was trying to make is that for most people supplementation of any kind (excluding whole-food protein) is not going to make night and day differences to improvements.
If training is correct (appropriate frequency, duration, type and intensity), recovery is adequate and nutrition OK, you're going to make improvements. Creatine etc. might be worth another one or two percent looking at your program as a whole.
And side-effects definitely play into it - for example many people chuck down pre-workout containing masses of caffeine for more psyche, then wonder why their sleep is s
t and their recovery so slow.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff