Essential MUST HAVE Natural Supplements

[BodySculpt]

Hey Guys,

Im tired of researching Test/Test boosters etc, to me unfortunately the cons far outweigh the pros regardless of ancillaries, PCT, liver protection DHT protection and so forth.

Its taken my focus away from potential natural/safe supplements of which I still havent fully explored yet.

Found an interesting web page specifying natural supps with doses, I have no idea how accurate it is, just post FYI.

feel free to add any natural supps that you think are essential to a Natty bodybuilders arsenal.

would also be great if you could get all this in a powder form from a place such as http://www.trueprotein.com all pre mixed/measured for optimal dosage (i get sick of cracking into mulitple supplement bottles...

Choosing Effective Bodybuilding Supplements

Filed Under Natural Athlete, Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) |

When the average person thinks of bodybuilding, the dangers of anabolic steroids, muscle-bound giants (Arnold, The Hulk, and others), and the “no pain, no gain” philosophy always seem to come to mind. But anyone who wants to look trimmer and feel stronger can become a bodybuilder.

Bodybuilding is for women, too. In fact, a record number of health-conscious women are avid bodybuilders. Weight and strength training can enhance bone mass at any age, preventing osteoporosis. Exercising to build stronger muscles decreases body fat percentage at the same time, thus lowering the risk for breast cancer and heart disease.

A little-known fact about bodybuilding is that the benefits of anabolic steroids can be duplicated by using natural food supplements without life-threatening side effects. This is where people get utterly confused—and with good reason. One 53-year-old woman, very knowledgeable in diet and fitness, recently consulted me on what supplements she could take to build up her muscles for better endurance in competitive swimming. She had visited the health food store and was overwhelmed by the number of supplement choices available. What supplements do you choose and why?

While over 50 different natural supplements are advocated for bodybuilding, in practice, one has only so much time, money, and room in the stomach. This article lists the supplements I recommended for this woman. She found them extremely effective and has continued to use them on and off intensively a month or two prior to competitions.

In my experience, this is the most cost-effective list of supplements for anyone wanting to build muscle, burn fat, and enhance endurance. Yes, both men and women can take these supplements, and they are all generally regarded as safe for both sexes.

1. Whey Protein—One gram of protein per pound of lean mass or more is required daily for maximum muscle strength and growth, as well as to prevent muscle deterioration and loss of lean body mass. The highest-quality proteins, in descending order of amino acid composition, are:

• lactalbumin (from hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate)

• egg albumin (from egg white)

• meat, fish, and poultry

• casein (from milk)

• soy protein

• vegetable protein (half the muscle-building protein quality of lactalbumin)

The right kind of protein optimizes lean tissue health and mass, boosts metabolism, maximizes fat loss, minimizes recovery time and muscle soreness, boosts immune function, and helps prevent muscle and bone damage consequent to weight training.

2. Glutamine (l-glutamine)—Take 6,000–18,000 mg daily in powder or capsule form after workouts or before bed. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and makes up more than 50% of the amino acids found in muscle cells. Glutamine enhances stamina and exercise performance. The usual aches and pains we feel after heavy exercise are significantly reduced by regular use of this supplement.

3. Arginine (l-arginine)—At 6,000–12,000 mg daily, arginine is another effective amino acid supplement for improving athletic performance of just about any kind. Arginine is an essential amino acid that works by stimulating the release of prolactin, glucagon, insulin, and growth hormone. Growth hormone helps reduce fat, improves healing, and increases muscle mass. The body uses arginine as a base for making nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes the muscles in the walls of arteries and thereby increases blood flow and tissue oxygenation.

4. Ornithine (l-ornithine)—Take 3,000–6,000 mg daily. Like arginine, this amino acid stimulates the release of growth hormone, which increases muscle mass while decreasing the amount of body fat. Ornithine boosts the immune system and promotes healthy liver function and liver regeneration by detoxifying ammonia. Ornithine is used for bodybuilding and for improving athletic performance and wound healing.

5. Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine—Take 1,500–6,000 mg of leucine and 800–3,000 mg of valine and isoleucine daily in divided doses. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are usually called the branched-chain amino acids because of their common chemical structure; they make up 35% of the amino acid content of muscle. Found in proteins, they are important for mental vigor, alertness, blood sugar control, muscle coordination, muscle damage repair, and calm.

6. Creatine Monohydrate—Take 20 grams per day (or 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight) for five days followed by a maintenance dose of 2 grams (or 0.03 grams per kilogram of body weight) daily. Creatine monohydrate has been the victim of much unwarranted criticism, moralizing, and political debate. It is not a steroid and is found normally in the body. As a supplement, it is a natural, tasteless, and safe nutrient found in animal protein (about 5 grams per kilogram of steak, salmon, tuna, lobster, or lamb).

Creatine monohydrate is especially popular with competitive bodybuilders because it can cause them to look about 5–10 pounds more muscular. This is because creatine attracts water into the muscles. This should not be confused with the bloating and fluid retention caused by allergies, congested organs, or other suboptimal states of health in which the fluid accumulation is outside the muscles. Creatine also acts as a buffer against the buildup of lactic acid and neutralizes the free radicals produced by heavy exercise. During creatine supplementation, your water intake should be at least 64 ounces per day.

For more information, see my previous blog entitled “Why Take Creatine Monohydrate?”

7. Bovine Colostrum—A special non-milk breast secretion produced by all mammalian mothers during the first 48 hours after they give birth. Bovine colostrum has health benefits for bodybuilders because it contains many muscle-building complex proteins and growth factors, including growth hormone. Colostrum contains insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth factor I, hormones that can improve athletic performance. The usual effective dose of colostrum is four to six 500 mg capsules twice daily on an empty stomach.

8. Chrysin—Take 500 mg twice daily. Chrysin is the chemical name for a type of isoflavone (bioflavonoid) that minimizes the conversion of testosterone to either estrogen or dihyrdotestosterone by blocking an enzyme known as aromatase. Too much estrogen can cause increased fat gain, water retention, and breast enlargement in males, while too much dihydrotestosterone can cause prostate enlargement and accelerated male pattern baldness.

Chrysin is a naturally occurring chemical extracted from a plant called Passiflora coerulea. Several studies conducted on chrysin have shown it to increase natural production and blood levels of testosterone by 30% without the usual conversion into estrogen or dihydrotestosterone.

9. Tribulus Terrestris—Take 750–1,500 mg daily in divided doses. Also known as gokhru, nature’s Viagra, and puncturevine, tribulus terrestris naturally increases luteinizing hormone, a pituitary hormone that stimulates the manufacture of testosterone. It contains diosgenin and other not-yet fully identified saponins, which are thought to be the active ingredients.

Tribulus can increase testosterone by 30% or more within five days and without any clinically proven toxic effects. Since testosterone promotes protein synthesis and positive nitrogen balance, the benefits for the bodybuilder or any athlete are muscle cell growth and increased body strength. In addition it offers faster recuperation and recovery from muscular stress. Tribulus also has a mild diuretic effect, increases muscle size and lean body mass, boosts immunity, lowers cholesterol levels, boosts libido, and enhances mood.

Each and every one of the supplements discussed here will help both men and women lose excess body fat while gaining lean body mass, provided they exercise at least one hour 4 times a week. They are all best taken before and/or after heavy exercise for several months at a time, depending on your bodybuilding goals. If you want more information about these and other supplements, see my book, Supplements for Natural Body Building (Alive Books).

Dr. Zoltan Rona

[Jasthace]

Taurine is an amino acid like glutamine that is earning more and more respect from bodybuilders and protein scientists.

While taurine generally is the second most abundant amino acid in muscle, in several metabolic conditions, some muscle biologists like Eric Serrano, M.D., have determined that it, not glutamine, is the most voluminous amino represented in striated type 2 muscle fiber! Taurine has several critical functions and can act similarly to creatine in that it expands your cells by helping the muscle cell itself hold more water, increasing cell volume. For a lifter or bodybuilder, this is significant because expanded muscle cells can boost hydration resulting in a higher rate of protein synthesis and bodybuilders will appreciate the increased appearance of muscle fullness.

[BodySculpt]

Interesting. would be cool if an NZ supplement company could put together a stack of the above (or the like) with optimal dosages in powder form, say a kilo or more.. cant say Ive seen anything like that available

[auck_builder]

have you tried a shite load of taurine before training ? its like fricken speed amps u up real good

[BodySculpt]

havent but keen to give it a go, apparently Beta Alanine is good for workouts too:

The effect of 30 days of beta-alanine supplementation (4.8 g per day) on resistance exercise performance and endocrine changes was examined in eight experienced resistance-trained men. An acute resistance exercise protocol consisting of 6 sets of 12 repetitions of the squat exercise at 70 % of one-repetition maximum (1-RM) with 1.5 minutes of rest between sets was performed before and after each supplemental period. Blood draws occurred at baseline (BL), immediate (IP), 15-minutes (15P) and 30-minutes (30P) postexercise for growth hormone, testosterone and cortisol concentrations. A 22 % (p < 0.05) difference in total number of repetitions performed at the end of 4 weeks of supplementation was seen between beta-alanine (BA) and placebo (PL), and Delta mean power was greater in BA (98.4 +/- 43.8 w) vs. PL (7.2 +/- 29.6 w). Growth hormone concentrations were elevated from BL at IP and 15P for both groups, while cortisol concentrations were greater than BL at all time points for both BA and PL. No group differences were noted. No change from BL was seen in testosterone concentrations for either group. Results indicate that four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation can significantly improve muscular endurance during resistance training in experienced resistance-trained athletes. However, these performance gains did not affect the acute endocrine response to the exercise stimulus.

PUB MED

[Varven]

True protein rocks.. get all my non bulk supps from there... BCAA, Glutamine, Carnitine, creatine, absorbic acid, etc.. with shipping from the U.S. works out cheaper than what I can get locally.

Don't forget to order in jars though.

[BodySculpt]

Ok, I see they sell Trib and Beta Alanine but not as part of the custom mix, have emailed them asked to add these supps to the list but maybe they cant be mixed with other supps..

[Gym rat]

Protein,creatine,flaxseed and men's muilt would be must have essentinal supplements in my book.

[Android]

havent but keen to give it a go, apparently Beta Alanine is good for workouts too:

Beta-Alanine is the absolute best for muscle endurance, all that medical-speak you posted can be best summarised by:

it boosts carnosine levels

Amen

Wikipedia summarises it as:

Beta-alanine is the rate-limiting precursor of carnosine, which is to say carnosine levels are limited by the amount of available beta-alanine. Supplementation with beta-alanine has been shown to increase the concentration of carnosine in muscles, decrease fatigue in athletes and increase total muscular work done.[2][3]

H-Blocker and Purple Wraath are the only 2 beta-alanine supps I have tried and the effects are noticeable not just because it gives you a prickly feeling like you've taken to much Niacin (B3) but also in reps...you just keep going and going and going. My favourite is Controlled Labs's Purple Wraath because it also has BCAAs in it so they take the shit seriously and not just give you the buzz-word-of-the-day supplement, but iSatori's H-Blocker is also up there it has other stuff in it to block lactic acid pain and I remember being able to blow up my arms on it like never before.

If you take it just be prepared to finish your workout without being tired, it's easy to stay for over an hour and just keep repping out the muscle which , you shouldn't do. Hope that helps.

[BodySculpt]

sounds awesome! especially for those taxing leg workouts.. I guess beta Alanine is beta Alanine, could just buy it straight from trueprotein

[GreekAdonis]

Beta-Alanine definitely works but you dont need to go as high as 4.8gms. 2gms will do the trick. It actiates the nerve receptors under your skin so where the skin is thin ie ears, backs of hands you get a "pins and needles" sensation. Going higher than 2gms will make you itchy all over and drive youinsane! :twisted:

[GreekAdonis]

Oh yeah and Morph by Isatori is a NO product with Beta-Alanine in it as well.

[mr natural]

the animal pak has some of the above in it and is pretty good, not sure if you can still get it here,its been awhile since i have seen it around.

[laurasaur]

haha yeah make sure you check your dosage of beta alanine. i was getting major skin crawlings from it until i realised I was taking about 8 times what I should have been

[Luigi]

haha yeah make sure you check your dosage of beta alanine. i was getting major skin crawlings from it until i realised I was taking about 8 times what I should have been

Horse Power Supplement Facts

Serving size: one scoop (20g)

Servings per container: 50

Amount Per Serving

Calories 12

Total Carbohydrate 3g

Sugars 2g

Kre-Alkalyn® 1.5g

Creatine Ethyl Ester 1.1g

Tri-Creatine Malate 1.5g

Betaine Hydrochloride 2g

Taurine (micronized) 2g

N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine 1.1g

NO Power Blend 4000mg:

Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate, Arginine Ethyl Ester Dihydrochloride.

HorsePower Blend 5800mg:

Beta-Alanine, Glycerol Monostearate, Medium Chain Triglycerides,

Citrulline Ethyl Ester Malate, L-Norvaline, Guanidinopropionic

Acid, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum, Ornithine Alpha Ketoglutarate,

Arginine Ketoisocaproate, R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Rutaecarpine,

and Glycocyamine.

dosnt say amount of beta alanine in there but it def gives you that tingly feeling and it does drive you kinda nuts lol but have wicked workouts on it.

[GreekAdonis]

haha yeah make sure you check your dosage of beta alanine. i was getting major skin crawlings from it until i realised I was taking about 8 times what I should have been

Haha I also learnt that the hard way! The freaky tingling wouldnt stop! :twisted:

[Delpreet]

haha yeah make sure you check your dosage of beta alanine. i was getting major skin crawlings from it until i realised I was taking about 8 times what I should have been

same.... :pfft:

[BodySculpt]

Im up for some freaky tingling... non resonder to most things.

Just another thought, we could also classify the natural supps into

Essential MUST HAVE supplements:

- Tribulus Terrestris

- Whey Protein (of course)

- Arginine

- Ornithine

- branched-chain amino acids

- Creatine Monohydrate

- Colostrum

- Chrysin

- ??

- ??

- ??

Pre Workout Supplements:

- Beta Alanine

- Taurine

- ??

- ??

- ??

Recovery/Post Workout Supplements:

- Glutamine

- ??

- ??

- ??

wish I had the time to research all this..

[Flex]

Interesting. would be cool if an NZ supplement company could put together a stack of the above (or the like) with optimal dosages in powder form, say a kilo or more.. cant say Ive seen anything like that available

Haha, I'm still waiting for you to drop the next post in "Hey I've found a supplement with everything in it by a NZ company - it's called Balance Ultimate Recovery formula and it has pretty much everything in it (bar the Tribulus, whey and arginine)".

It costs a bomb but you get that when you've got an all in one. You'd probably need to use two serves a day to get the best effect, and supplement with extra HMB but it's still a pretty good formula.

Provides per serve:

Calories...............................................212

Protein...............................................13.5g

Fat - Total.........................................<0.1g

- Saturated......................................<0.1g

Carbohydrate Total............................38.1g

- Sugars............................................37.5g

-- Glucose........................................37.5g

Sodium...............................................5mg

KEY INGREDIENTS

L-Leucine.......................................1500mg

L-Isoleucine....................................1000mg

L-Valine..........................................1000mg

L-Glutamine............................................5g

Taurine..................................................3g

Beta-Alanine...........................................2g

Creatine Monohydrate.............................5g

Ca-HMB.................................................1g

Grape Seed Extract............................42mg

[Pete]

It costs a bomb but you get that when you've got an all in one. You'd probably need to use two serves a day to get the best effect, and supplement with extra HMB but it's still a pretty good formula.

Once PWO and once when?

How much more HMB?

Didn't you say that the product had far too much sugar in a serving = need too much water at the same time to process it?

[decade]

tribulus isnt an essential must have supp, probably best for people aged 35years +

[Pete]

tribulus isnt an essential must have supp, probably best for people aged 35years +

I'm not sure how true this is. It doesn't boost testosterone in healthy young males, but testosterone levels and ability to use testosterone for body building purposes are two different things.

[Flex]

Once PWO and once when?

How much more HMB?

Didn't you say that the product had far too much sugar in a serving = need too much water at the same time to process it?

Probably one serve PWO and one 8-12 hours before or after training. You could try sipping it during training or knock it all back just prior to training. You're going to get a pretty big blood sugar spike from it though so you may hit the wall if you've got a long training session.

You need about 3g HMB (weight dependant) for it to be effective so you'd need to get 2g from an additional HMB supplement.

Yeah with that much glucose each serve would be best mixed in at least 600ml to 1 litre of water, not the 250mls balance suggests.

[TheGus]

Same amount of sugar as a can of coke. Which is a fuckload.

[Jasthace]

Pre Workout Supplements:

- Beta Alanine

- Taurine

- ??

- ??

- ??

.

Pre Workout Supplements:

- Beta Alanine

- Taurine

- Citrulline Malate

- ??

- ??

The "Horse Power" supplement that Luigi posted looks right on the money,I'd like to give that one a go for a preworkout supplement