A lot of people who buy supplements are sometimes unsure when and how to take them. The most common questions I hear are “when should I take them?”, “Can I add more water to them?”, and “how much should I take?”

Most supplements have basic instructions or guidelines on the label that indicate how to use them and take them, though these directions do not always suffice. For products like fat burners, pre workouts, creatine and energy enhancers, it is almost always best to follow the instructions that are written on the label as it is somewhat straight forward.

Most times you need to take a certain amount of the powder or pills some time before your workout. If you are new to supplementation it can also be a good idea to start with half the dosage as specified (sometimes this is recommended on the supplement label), just to see how your body reacts to it. Some people are more sensitive to stimulants than others so by taking half the dosage you may still get quite a dramatic effect.

Protein Powders

When it comes to protein powders you can manipulate them a lot more to suit your schedule. It is most often recommended to use the powders straight after a workout or first thing in the morning. You can really have a protein shake whenever you like, whether it be first thing in the morning or between meals, after a workout or before bed. Just think of it as just another ‘convenient’ snack.

Depending how your daily schedule is, will depend when you have the shake. For instance if you have to wake up and leave for work very early, you can have the shake just to get your day started. Or if you cannot eat a meal after you train because it is still quite a distance from home, you can drink the shake after you train and then eat a decent meal when you get home.

When it comes to how much or how many scoops of the powder to use, try to aim for about 20 – 40 grams of protein per shake. What that means is, on the label it should tell you how many grams of protein the powder contains per 100 grams. E.g. 75 grams protein per 100 grams. You can then workout how many grams of the powder to use. In this case you could use 40 grams of the powder to give you 30 grams of protein. If you have a scale you can then weigh it to be exact, or you can go by the scoop measurement that is on the label. It should tell you how many grams a scoop is (though it is not always accurate as some supplement companies overstate the amounts).

With regards to dilution, it really is up to. The supplement label will give you a guideline such as mix 2 scoops with 350 ml water for example. If you try that and find that you do not like the taste feel free to add more or less. You can also use milk or anything other than water to mix it with, whatever tickles your tastebuds.

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An interesting article by Reviews.com had a look at a wide range of different protein powders to assess ultimately, which are the best protein powders. Of course there are various things to take into consideration when attempting such a scale of a review on these supplements. Some of the main aspects which they focused on were the quality of the ingredients, and the taste of the powders. On a related note, if you are interested in finding out which are some of the best BCAA supplements, read this article.

A great thing about this study is that they were focused on identifying the supplements that do NOT make use of artificial flavors and substances and go into a lot of detail with each of the processes they used. They also attempt to cut out all the marketing hype that surrounds the fitness and supplement industry, which so many consumers fall prey to. Below is only a snippet and overview of the review, but the full article is on their site (HERE) with many great easy to read diagrams and charts to summarize their findings. Definitely worth a thorough read if you are not too clued up on the supplement industry or on protein and protein powders in general.

The sports nutrition industry has a history littered with lawsuits, misleading product labels, and hyperbolized products, especially when it comes to protein powder – which is a multi-billion dollar industry. Outrageous branding campaigns have been convincing people they need extra protein to build muscle since the ‘70s, and that perception is still going strong. Sales are up, spiked proteins are rampant, and the war for the best-tasting whey isolate continues.

We spent 180 hours researching the industry to discover what the frenzy was all about. During that time we built a list of 697 different flavors of protein powder, consulted with nationally renowned fitness and health experts, and investigated the nutritional pros and cons of 191 artificial sweeteners, food colorings, and illegal substances.

We inspected the ingredients of 697 flavors of protein powders, and only eight of them were truly risk-free.

In the end, we determined that pure, wholesome ingredients (those without artificial and potentially harmful additives) are the key to a great protein powder.

Our three approved protein powders are:

1. Garden of Life: Raw Protein (vanilla, chocolate, original)
2. Optimum Nutrition: 100% Whey Gold Standard (natural chocolate and natural vanilla)
3. Vega: Performance Protein (mocha, chocolate, and vanilla)

How we found the best protein powder:

Because ingredients can vary from flavor to flavor, we realized early on that we needed to evaluate every single flavor of every single product line. Fast forward a week and we had a list of 679 products from 111 different brands.

From there, we inspected each product’s “Supplement Facts” label looking for two things: artificial sweeteners and food coloring. We cross-checked every single ingredient against a comprehensive list of artificial sweeteners and food colorings that we compiled from the Department of Health and Human Services, FDA, and other scientific journals. If a controversial ingredient showed up, we excluded the product.

Our expert contributors were adamant about third-party testing, so we decided that our recommendations must be verified by the NSF Certified for Sport program or Informed-Choice.com. No one expects to buy a protein powder that contains illegal stimulants, but since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, it’s a very real possibility. And accidentally consuming a powder with steroids or stimulants could be a career-ending mistake.

Finally, since quality is the most important thing (and that people have legitimate reason to distrust protein powder manufacturers) we chose to make cuts based upon the purity of the ingredients themselves. We at Reviews.com are not scientists, but the fine people at Labdoor are, and thanks to the company’s thorough investigation on the quality of top-selling protein powders, we were able to determine which of our finalists were labeled truthfully and accurately.

It’s important to note that if a product is not verified by Labdoor, Informed-Choice, or the NSF, that does not mean it failed; it just means the company that produces the powder has not submitted it to one of these organizations for testing. We chose to exclude unverified products nonetheless because we will not slap a Reviews.com-recommended label on any product that is not irrefutably legal and pure.

Team taste test:

After narrowing down the list of products to the recommended brands, we knew we still needed to address one important question: How do these protein powders actually taste?

We decided to conduct an in-office taste test and ordered the vanilla flavored powder from each of the top brands to see how they compare. We tested each powder by mixing with water (as opposed to milk or other beverage), to make sure the taste of each product wasn’t impacted by outside flavors.

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We all have to start somewhere, and if you have decided to start using a few supplements, I am pretty sure there are a lot of questions on your mind about them. Hopefully the questions and answers below will shed some light on the basics of supplementation. Some of the questions may seem pretty arbitrary for some, but we try to address even the simplest of queries. If you have any other supplement questions feel free to ask us and we will add them to this list.

Just remember though, that you should always try to utilize whole foods as much as possible, so do not just keep replacing shakes for most of your meals. You should NOT get dependent on them as the supplements are there to just fill in when you cannot manage a meal.

I want to lose a bit of weight what supplements can I take?

Too often people get reeled in with all the marketing hype of supplements and their first thought after months or even years of living a sedentary lifestyle, is not, what foods should I not be eating? or Maybe I should do some sort of exercise, or what are the best foods to eat to lose fat?

It’s… what supplements and fat burners should I take?

People assume that these supplements can work magic and all they have to do is choose the right one and voila the fat will just disappear. The thing people need to understand is that fat burners and supplements should be the last thing on your mind when starting out. They are such a waste if used immediately by someone who hasn’t even set foot in a gym let alone changed their eating habits.

The first thing you should do is get educated on eating and training properly, then start to slowly change your eating habits and limit all the junk. You should then start doing some sort of physical activity a few times a week and make it a consistent cycle. Once you have managed to do this for a few months only then you should start thinking about supplements.

Do you really need supplements to get the body and performance that you want?

No you do not strictly NEED supplements to reach your peek performance. They do provide an edge and support on the path to a great body but they are not mandatory. It is possible to get everything that you need from a properly thought out diet. The aspect of supplements which appeals to most people is the ‘convenience’ of them. There is no cooking required, its just mix and go.

So as long as your ear eating a variety of good foods, it is possible to cover all your nutritional bases. As stated in the previous question, don’t fall for all the marketing hype as they will not work miracles with your physique.

The label says I must mix the powder with 350 mls water. Can I use less or more than 350 mls? Does it matter?

No it does not really matter. You can mix it with as little or as much water as you like. The amounts are just a basic guideline. You can even mix it with a few mls of water and create a thick pudding like effect to enjoy a high protein dessert snack.

Can I mix it with milk instead of water?

Yes definitely. You can use whatever tickles your taste buds. If you are looking to gain some serious size to your physique, adding milk could be a great thing as it will then add even more calories to your diet.

The label states the times and frequency I should take the supplement, do I have to take it so many times and at those exact times?

The label usually just gives a basic guideline for when the supplement can be used, but this does depend on the supplement itself. For protein powders and meal replacements you can generally take them whenever you like throughout the day. You do not have to only stick to consuming them say before or after your workout. They can be taken in between meals or as part of your breakfast for example. You can also choose how many or how much to take, depending on your calorie requirements, it is not set in stone. See how many calories are in each serving of the shake and then you can decide how much you need to take in order to meet your own requirements.

For supplements like preworkouts and fat burners, it is a good idea to follow the instructions on the label, but you can start off with slightly less than they recommend just to see how you react. This reason for this is that we are all different and thus some people will only need a small dosage of the supplement to see an effect, where as someone else may need the full serving.

I am on a tight budget, which two supplements should I get?

There can be many different answers to this, and it also depends on your goals. Most people want to gain a bit of muscle and  perform better throughout their training sessions. Generally, though, a good start would be to get some form of a protein powder and some glutamine or BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids). The protein powder can help to add protein to your daily intake and allow you to add high protein snacks inbetween your meals. The glutamine or BCAAs will assist with recovery between training sessions.

The post A few Of The Most Common Supplementation Questions ANSWERED! appeared first on FitNish.com.

With so many different supplements on the market it can be really difficult for someone new to the industry, to know exactly what each does and what each is used for.

Protein powders alone come in so many different types, all serving more or less the same purpose.

It also doesn’t help that some supplement companies give bizarre and unfamiliar names to their products confusing the consumer even more. The infograph below should give you a rough idea of the different protein powders available, what each is ideal for, what to look for when buying such supplements, and a few more supplement tips to help you when choosing a product to aid with your goals.

“The Scoop on Protein Powder” on Health Perch

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Many people, when starting out on their weight loss/muscle gaining journey tend to get sucked into all the big marketing hype and shiny claims from most supplement companies these days. It forces them to immediately ask the question, “Which supplements should I take?” This is before they have even sorted out their diet or training.

Your 3 main priorities when starting out should be:

1. Diet
Clean up your diet and figure out the right foods and the right amounts of those foods that you need to be eating in order to achieve your goal.

2. Training regime
Formulate an intense training programme that targets every muscle that you want to work.

3. Rest
Sleep and rest is often overlooked and is a critical factor in achieving either weight loss or muscle gaining goals. With an intense enough exercise programme, you are going to need it!

What needs to be understood is that if your diet is terrible, taking a supplement is not going to magically make you lose the fat or suddenly gain pounds of muscle. As has been said so many times, supplements are there to “supplement” your diet; to add onto an already strong base, being a good solid diet and training programme.

So with that being said, once you have been training and eating right for a good number of months, only then you can look to supplements to give you that little extra boost. But don’t just go out and buy 10 different ones and use them all at once, no. Take one or two at a time initially to see how your body responds, so you can assess and judge what to take next and see what works and what doesn’t.

Here we will have a look at the absolute basic supplements which are a good place to start.

Just remember, at the end of the day, those supplement companies are there to make money, so be careful of the over exaggerated marketing claims that some of them put out there.

Protein

This is the bread and butter of supplementation. Protein builds muscle, so we do need to make sure that we are taking in enough protein for our bodies. Even when wanting to lose fat, it’s a good idea to keep your protein intake up to preserve your muscle. So protein shakes are a good and convenient way to get more protein into your body easily.

There are 3 main types of Protein shakes:

1. Whey protein (Whey concentrate and whey isolate)

Whey protein is said to get absorbed into your blood the quickest. It is great to use before or after your workout, or even first thing in the morning. But don’t worry, it can be used any time throughout the day. Any protein shake is great in the sense that it will get absorbed quicker than food in most cases because it is liquid, so it doesn’t have to be broken down as much as food does.

2. Casein (calcium casienate) protein

Casein protein is said to have a digestion rate much slower than whey protein, so it’s marketed as ‘ideal’ to use before bed or in-between meals. Honestly, the rate is not that significant and you should not get caught up on such small factors. Rather, start off with a good whey protein, or even a mixture of both proteins and you will be good to go.

3. Mass Gainers

Mass gainer shakes are marketed to guys who want to pick up a lot of mass. They consist of protein and a high amount of carbohydrates. With these you must learn to read the ingredients list, well with any food product these days you should know what ingredients are going into the product. Most of these shakes are a mixture of many lower quality protein sources such as soya protein. So if you read the list and the first ingredient is soya protein, then know that the majority of the protein is coming from soya protein. The ingredients listed first usually make up the bulk of the supplement.

There are so many ways to make your own mass gainer shakes at home, using whey protein and oats for instance; so unless you are really, really skinny and struggle to gain weight, rather make your own.

Glutamine

Glutamine is one of the most abundant naturally occurring amino acids found in our body. Some of its benefits include: Aiding with protein synthesis, recovery and repair of muscle tissue, and used as a cellular energy source next to glucose. It is a great substance to supplement with even in times of illness, since it is good for recovery and can help with muscle soreness (DOMS) as well as boost your immune system.

BCAAS

Branch Chain Amino Acids consist of three essential aminos, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. What makes them ‘essential’ is the fact that the body does not produce them naturally and thus they need to be ingested in the form of food or supplementation. Their significance is shown by understanding that the BCAAs make up 40 percent of the daily requirement of all nine essential amino acids.

Some of the advantages of them are:

• Aid with the rate of protein synthesis
• Increases cell’s capacity for protein synthesis
• Reduce muscle soreness
• Speed up recovery
• Improves the body’s ability to use fat for energy.

As you can see they provide a host of benefits and can definitely assist in speeding up your recovery periods. Whey protein does consist of BCAAS as well, but free form BCAAS tend to be digested and absorbed better.

Multi vitamins

Multi vitamins are supplements which are marketed to everyone, no matter the age, weight, sex, everyone ‘should’ be taking a multi vitamin according to the media, and many people seem to agree. The notion of more is better is portrayed here. But is that really the case? Will overloading yourself with vitamins really help you; for instance, help you prevent an illness? More is not always better. In most cases, if you do not have a vitamin deficiency, taking a high dosage of a vitamin can actually be harmful to you. Another factor which needs to be taken note of, is the fact that most of the absorption of these multivitamins into our bodies and blood streams can be minimal.

Dr. Dan Engle MD, director of medicine at the Rejuvenation and Performance Institute said:

“There are varying studies on the absorption rates of vitamins and minerals, with many showing that the compressed pill form of vitamins have very poor absorption rates.  Add this poor absorption rate to the use of synthetic ingredients, toxic binders, and excipients in most of the tableted supplements and what results is essentially expensive urine.”

So can taking a multi vitamin be useful? Well yes they could be, the best way is to try it for yourself and see if you honestly experience a difference over a period of time. The ideal option is to eat as organic as you can, and include a wide array of vegetables and some fruits in your diet.

References

1. Aledo, J. C. (2004). “Glutamine breakdown in rapidly dividing cells: Waste or investment?”.BioEssays 26 (7): 778–785. doi:10.1002/bies.20063. PMID 15221859

2. Lee, W. J.; Hawkins, R. A.; Viña, J. R.; Peterson, D. R. (1998). “Glutamine transport by the blood-brain barrier: A possible mechanism for nitrogen removal”. The American journal of physiology 274 (4 Pt 1): C1101–C1107. PMID 9580550

3. Shimomura Y, Murakami T, Naoya Nakai N, Nagasaki M, Harris RA (2004). “Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle during Exercise”. J. Nutr. 134 (6): 1583S–1587S.

4. BCAAs: The Many Benefits Of Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplements: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaas-the-many-benefits-of-amino-acids.html

5. Ten Benefits of BCAAs By Poliquin Group Editorial Staff: http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1088/Ten_Benefits_of_BCAAs.aspx

6. Multivitamin Researchers: “Case Is Closed… Because I Said So?” https://www.onnit.com/blog/multivitamin-researchers-case-is-closed-because-i-said-so/

7.  Are multivitamins a waste of money? Editorial in medical journal says yes: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/16/health/multivitamins-studies/

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