Question - Creatine & Pre-Workout Supplements

[matt !]

Well about the creatine monohydrate, ive been taken it nearly for 8 weeks, and im wondering if its really necessary to take an "off cycle" for 4 weeks. What happens if i just continue to take 5g all year round. All i know is that it ruins your kidneys at some point. Also i didn't load 20g a day for 5 days, i had 10g for 7 days instead and then went to maintenance dose. Which i heard doesn't really matter over time.

---

Now about the pre-workout supplements, is this really worth getting ? because all im reading is that it just gives you "energy" and so on..im pretty strict on money since im still a student, i was thinking to just take 100mg of caffeine ?

[Hennie]

Stay well hydrated and your kidneys will take less or no strain at all. ( you should stay well hydrated anyway).

Dont worry too much about if you loaded or not, you're into your bottle far enough already, also to load or not to load is around 50 - 50 based on opinions with no proof that loading is required.

Nope pre workouts are not needed, especially not if youre tight on budget. (Pre Workouts are nice to have toys - admittedly nice to play with some times)

IMO (If your'e Fairly new to the game:

Student on budget Supplements:

Plain Creatine Mono

Student with good part time income or rich parents:

Plain Creatine Mono

Whey Protein

If you're still staying with your parents go and clean the fridge out

[matt !]

ah, thanks for the info.

I've been drinking 3+ of 1.5l Bottles a day, my urine is always white, which means im well hydrated ?

And yeah, i guess ill just stick with creatine, if i can squeeze more hours in at my part-time ill probably take a look at some whey protein + BCAA

[Hennie]

ah, thanks for the info.

I've been drinking 3+ of 1.5l Bottles a day, my urine is always white, which means im well hydrated ?

And yeah, i guess ill just stick with creatine, if i can squeeze more hours in at my part-time ill probably take a look at some whey protein + BCAA

If I remember correct the reason for cycling was due to creatine saturation that stayed max until around twelve weeks before starting to taper of, anyway good luck with your goals.

[Hercfeend]

30-60 mins before workout I down a slice of wholegrain toast with a thick spread of lite cottage cheese.

This'll give you complex (slow release carbs) and protein for your work out - uber cheap too. Freeze the loaf and get out one slice at a time - should last you a couple of weeks and 500g of CC should go a week-ish......

Just an idea.

[matt !]

ah, thanks for the info.

I've been drinking 3+ of 1.5l Bottles a day, my urine is always white, which means im well hydrated ?

And yeah, i guess ill just stick with creatine, if i can squeeze more hours in at my part-time ill probably take a look at some whey protein + BCAA

If I remember correct the reason for cycling was due to creatine saturation that stayed max until around twelve weeks before starting to taper of, anyway good luck with your goals.

what would you recommend ? should i cycle or use creatine year-round.

im leaning towards cycling just to be on the safe side

30-60 mins before workout I down a slice of wholegrain toast with a thick spread of lite cottage cheese.

This'll give you complex (slow release carbs) and protein for your work out - uber cheap too. Freeze the loaf and get out one slice at a time - should last you a couple of weeks and 500g of CC should go a week-ish......

Just an idea.

thanks, something to try out. i was reading some guys diet and he eats CC before he sleeps to slow digesting down. I don't really know the technical reason to actually slow it down while sleeping, im gonna start reading articles etc...so i know basic stuff.. ill probably learn some of this stuff at uni this year anyway, doing sport and rec XD

[Hercfeend]

thanks, something to try out. i was reading some guys diet and he eats CC before he sleeps to slow digesting down. I don't really know the technical reason to actually slow it down while sleeping, im gonna start reading articles etc...so i know basic stuff.. ill probably learn some of this stuff at uni this year anyway, doing sport and rec XD

Hey no worries - the gym is the easy bit no!

RE the above. Its more about the CC being digested slowly by your body overnight rather than it slowing your digestion down - semantics! Essentially if you feed just before hitting the hay it means your body will spend less time in a 'fasting' state i.e. catabolic state - using the body for fuel (I believe this to be accurate I will be corrected if it is not). Eat more protein as soon as you get up and you can minimise 'the damage'. Hell, you can even set you're alarm clock and wake up in the middle of the night to feed if you want to take it to that level

[matt !]

k i got some extra money in the bank,

i was going to get these;

http://eatme.net.nz/supplements/bcaa-powder-500g.html

http://eatme.net.nz/supplements/l-glutamine-powder.html

^ last me 4 months if i take it once after every gym session, 2 months if i take it pre-workout aswell.

not sure whens best to take these, eat-me site said i could take it before AND after.

i know im gonna get bcaa, but whats l-glutamine ? is it the same as the bcaa but just more of the amino acids muscles need ?

1 mroe thing

it is desirable to take your BCAA's separately from the other amino acid groupings for the fact that they totally dominate the race for entry into the bodies' systems

so should i take l-glutamine separate from bcaa or? confused :doh:

[mike27]

if your just starting out.... id get the following only

good quality whey

dextrose

multi vit,fish oil

creatine (since you have it already)

then load up on lean proteins,fruit and vege from the supermarket!

including:

oats

beef

chicken

milk

cottage cheese

oilive oil/flax oil

almonds/walnuts

brown rice/white rice

bananas

eggs

wholegrain bread and pasta

tinned salmon and tuna

natural peanut butter

[matt !]

thanks mike, ill probably get some lean protein for lunch/dinner.

but ive been working out for awhile, but only new to the supplements.

last year i was 85-7kg 12% BF, atm im 95kg 13% BF, so put on abit of muscle w/o alot of protein (roughly i would only have 1 protein shake a day and that was it). Atm im trying to consume roughly ~200g of protein a day, for my BW thats how much i need ? i used some calculator i found. I already got whey protein stocked up, i also wanted to try BCAA's to help with recovery and help reduce overtraining. But just confused when to take them and what to take them with. As i quoted above some people say don't take them with other Amino Acids but on the site im buying from it says take it with l-glutamine mixed with protein shake, which has Amino Acids. So im confused on what to believe.

-To the guys that use BCAA's how do you take them ? whens the most efficient time to take them ?

thanks in advance.

[kels]

personally i take it straight after my work out, as the directions on the tubb suggests, says to take befor bed aswell, havnt done that yet, anyone know if there are benefits to taking them before bed?

[Woodbury]

personally i take BCAAs during my workout from my water bottle and drink a mega dose before my shower at the gym.

[jimjim83]

Stay well hydrated and your kidneys will take less or no strain at all. ( you should stay well hydrated anyway).

Dont worry too much about if you loaded or not, you're into your bottle far enough already, also to load or not to load is around 50 - 50 based on opinions with no proof that loading is required.

Nope pre workouts are not needed, especially not if youre tight on budget. (Pre Workouts are nice to have toys - admittedly nice to play with some times)

IMO (If your'e Fairly new to the game:

Student on budget Supplements:

Plain Creatine Mono

Student with good part time income or rich parents:

Plain Creatine Mono

Whey Protein

If you're still staying with your parents go and clean the fridge out

The KISS theory

[Hennie]

thanks mike, ill probably get some lean protein for lunch/dinner.

but ive been working out for awhile, but only new to the supplements.

last year i was 85-7kg 12% BF, atm im 95kg 13% BF, so put on abit of muscle w/o alot of protein (roughly i would only have 1 protein shake a day and that was it). Atm im trying to consume roughly ~200g of protein a day, for my BW thats how much i need ? i used some calculator i found. I already got whey protein stocked up, i also wanted to try BCAA's to help with recovery and help reduce overtraining. But just confused when to take them and what to take them with. As i quoted above some people say don't take them with other Amino Acids but on the site im buying from it says take it with l-glutamine mixed with protein shake, which has Amino Acids. So im confused on what to believe.

-To the guys that use BCAA's how do you take them ? whens the most efficient time to take them ?

thanks in advance.

if you're doing BCAA, get the pure powder, mix-ability is not great but leaving it to stand a while or mixing it with lukewarm water sorts that out, take it around your workout and early in the morning is advocated by most.

[matt !]

by taking it around your workout, do you mean take sips of it during your workout ?