AMINO ACIDS

Protein is made of strands of amino acids. Amino acids are the "Building Blocks" of the body. There are eight essential aminos which means they cannot be manufactured by the body. The rest are non-essential and can be manufactured by the body from the other essential aminos. Amino acids build cells, repair tissue, form antibodies, build RNA and DNA, and carry oxygen throughout the body. One can supplement the diet with protein powders and/or free form amino acids. The difference between free form amino acids and regular protein powders is that free form amino acids are the most broken down form of protein. They are digested more easily and have fewer impurities. Protein powders have fillers, sweeteners, dyes and extra carbohydrates which can make you feel bloated. I prefer a liquid amino acid complex. I like to split the dosage to 2-3 times a day.

When amino acids are added to the diet, they can assist in gaining lean muscle mass and strength. There are no negative effects except for a little stomach bloating if the brand you use is not good. You should take them 2-3 times a day especially after training. After training, I recommend Gaspari's Quickmeal, because it nourishes the muscles with over 40 grams of high quality protein, as well as simple and complex carbohydrates needed for muscle recovery. There are no artificial sweetners or fillers that cause bloating. Therefore, you can consume more protein without the negative effects that low quality protein supplements have on the intestinal tract. I use Gaspari's Whey protein in between meals and before I go to bed. It is mainly just protein and great to use when I am in my contest preparation phase because it is so low in carbohydrates. I combine that with my liquid amino complex which I take in the morning on an empty stomach and before training. I recommend taking an amino acid complex as well as the amino acid Glutamine. Glutamine is the most abundent amino acid in the body. Take between 4 and 10 grams a day depending on your lean body weight.

GLUTAMINE

Glutamine is the most abundent amino acid in the body. Glutamine is the top supplement for promoting muscle recovery and increasing immunity. It is also a great supplement to take if you suffer from intestinal problems. Chemicals and stress can produce an inflammation of the intestinal lining, resulting in bacteria entering the bloodstream. This causes a negative immune response which over taxes the body's immune system, thus depleting the systemic supplies of glutamine and ultimately causing muscle protein catabolism. Exposure to various types of stress, such as viral or bacterial infections and over training can severly deplete glutamine from the body. The end result, a decrease in the ability to recover after training, a decrease in protein synthesis, and a decrease in immune function.

Supplementing with glutamine will pull more water into your muscles for more efficient muscle recovery. Your body will utilize the extra glutamine for muscle recovery so that your normal glutamine stores can be used for immune function. After a coule weeks of supplementation, you should see increased recovery time and enhanced muscle hypertrophy.

Glutamine can be found as an oderless and virtually tasteless white powder that can be added to water, protein powder, gatorade, or any other drink. Sometimes I add it to my coffee to prevent my intestines from getting bloated from the coffee. I also add it to my oatmeal if I forget to add it to my drinks. The normal dosage is generally between 4 and 10 grams a day. For intense bodybuilders, I recommend between 10 and 20 grams a day split into 3 dosages. Try to take it between meals away from other aminos or protein.

PLANT STEROLS

The newest muscle building supplements on the market are plant sterols. They are non hormonal plant extracts that are proven to be anabolic by increasing nitrogen retention and protein synthesis. You may have seen advertisements for products containing 5-methly-7-methoyisoflavone, 7- isopropoxyisoflavone, 5,7 dihydroxyflavone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, Triboxybol™, Ecdysterone, Ectypure™. These are derived from plants and known for increasing strength, endurance, and muscle mass. The beauty of these plant sterols is that they are non hormonal, therefore, you will not experience the side effects associated with steroids or pro hormones. I have tried them and have seen optimal results! Not only have my strength and endurance increased, but I feel that all of my water is being pulled into my muscles assisting me in looking more full and hard. I am also recovering more quickly from my workouts. I can workout more days in a row without taking a break, ensuring that I can train every muscle each week. I train extremely hard, and I used to get so tired by the end of the week that I would have to cut out a body part so that I my muscles could recover.

My favorite plant sterol is Ecdy-mass from Gaspari Nutrition. It is non-hormonal anabolic supplement who's ingredients have been clinically proven to be as anabolic as actual steroids while exhibiting no undesirable side effects. The active anabolic ingredient in Ecdy-mass is the known steroid, Ecdysterone. The Ecdysterone in Gaspari's Ecdy-Mass is Ectypure™ material, guaranteed to be 97 percent pure or higher. This ingredient is imported directly from Russia and is extracted from Rhaponticum carthamoides, which is the only plant extract that has been proven in clinical studies to be more anabolic than methandrostenolone (Dianabol), with no androgenic or other undesirable side effects. Ecdy-mass works by increasing nitrogen retention and increasing protein synthesis at the cellular level. Clinical studies have proven that Ecdysterone will increase muscle as well as strength, endurance, and burn fat. Ecdysterone has been used by the Russian government on its top athletes prior to competitions in order to optimize athletic performance while coming off anabolic steroids to beat doping tests. The fact is that Russian athletes actually performed better in competition while using Ectysterone than on anabolic steroids! Gaspari Nutrition only uses the highest quality Ecdysterone available in America today. To make Ecdy-mass even more effective they added patented Bioperine® which is proven to increase the bioavailability of ingredients. There is nothing available over the counter that comes close to working as well as Ecdy-mass for increasing muscle size. In fact Gaspari Nutrition guarantees results with using Ecdy-mass or your money back! What's even better news is Ecdy-mass is safe for both men and women because it is a non-hormonal supplement.

If you are interested in trying a bottle for please email me or go to my Supplements 4 Sale section to place an order.

PRO-HORMONES

A Pro-hormone is a compound designed to be very similar to a hormone, close enough to accurately be converted into a hormone. Once it enters the blood stream a Pro-hormone converts into a hormone with the goal of creating a more anabolic environment. The concerns of safety surrounding Pro-hormones are unfounded. More testing needs to be done to confirm the long-term effects of Pro-hormone usage. The speculated short-term dangers are nothing but hype. Pro-hormones are marketed as a "legal steroid," therefore, the common belief is that they may have negative side effects on the liver. This is far from true. Most oral steroids have something called a 17 alpha-alkyl, this basically prevents the liver from destroying the foreign hormone, (steroid) and it is very toxic to the liver. Pro-hormones are naturally occurring and do NOT contain a 17 alpha-alkyl.

There have been studies implying that prohormones stimulate strength, fat loss and a gain in lean muscle mass. About 95% of people that take Pro-hormones in an adequate dosage see some results, such as increased strength, aggression, and several pounds of lean muscle. The effects of Pro-hormones can only be determined by you. Try a few different types of prohormones and see what happens. As for the best Pro-hormone brand, any reputable company is a safe bet. There are several different types: liquid, transdermal, cyclodextrin, or regular capsules. They all contain the same active ingredients and the body processes them all in the same manner.

There are not usually many side effects unless high dosages are taken. As with anything, follow the directions of the bottle. I have heard of increased facial hair in men and some facial hair growth in women, but I never experienced any. Although, I never took a Pro-hormone for more than 4 weeks at a time. I think it is wise to cycle any type of anabolic supplement so that the Pro-hormone does not interfere with normal hormone production. There is no conclusive proof either way of the safety of Pro-hormones. However, Pro-hormones may speed up the process of hair loss due to the conversion into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Elevated levels of DHT can speed the process of balding if it is already happening, but balding is genetically predetermined. If you have already noticed some hair loss, it is best to get a prescription of Propecia while you are using any type of Pro-hormone. The prescription blocks the converson of DHT, thus decreasing the hair loss.

The problem with Pro-hormones is that there is really no telling what percentage of the pro-hormone the body will convert into estrogen. It seems to be mostly converted into testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, although, there can be a conversion into estrogen causing unwanted bodyfat. I have experienced increased strength and muscle with some added bodyfat. I can't say the bodyfat was due to the Pro-hormone, because of course, I was eating more to put on more muscle. But, I will say that it generally will not keep you lean. It may make you retain a little water, but that is necessary for muscle repair.

CREATINE

Creatine Monohydrate is about 88% "free" creatine mixed with water (12%). Creatine Monohydrate is almost identical in chemical structure to Creatine Phosphate. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is the muscles' most predominant source of energy. When your muscle utilizes ATP to aid in muscle contraction, the ATP is broken down into ADP (adenosine di-phosphate). ADP is then combined with CP (creatine phosphate) to recreate the usable compound, ATP. Creatine Monohydrate acts as a precursor to CP, this produces an abundance of CM & CP to combine with ADP to provide fuel for the muscle. Creatine is effective for anaerobic exercise, activities that require quick, explosive bursts of energy such as weight training. Creatine is not effective for endurance activities. During endurance exercise, the body uses fats and carbohydrates for energy. Creatine remains stored until anaerobic activity is performed.

Creatine is safe when used in proper dosages and water intake is increased. Be cautious while using creatine if you are an athlete that can become dehydrated at times. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water while taking creatine. I drink up to a gallon a day and a minimum of 64 ounces. Creatine can cause dehydration if an adequate supply of water is not consumed. Also be sure to consume an adequate amount of sodium and potassium as well as other minerals and electrolytes. This will assist in muscle contraction and hydration.

The usual dosage of creatine is 5 grams daily more or less. I recommend 6 grams a day for the first ten days if you are weight training to get it in your system. Then bring it down to 5 grams 5-7 days a week. It is not necessary to load creatine in amounts of 30 grams a day like the supplement companies used to preach. When you take creatine on your "off days" it will start to store in the muscle. Loading for several days was a marketing ploy by the supplement companies to sell more creatine. This usually causes tremendous amounts of gas and abdominal pain.

It is best to take creatine with a sugar or complex carbohydrate drink right after a workout. This is when muscles are most depleted and carbohydrates will be pulled into the muscle. At the same time, creatine will be pulled in and stored until your next workout.

One can count on any reputable company to have quality creatine. However, most people I have spoken to have not had positive experiences with liquid creatine. Although, I have used Ribose-C by Biotest and I must say that it worked for me while I was dieting for a competition. It is a liquid delivery system with micronized creatine, it is NOT liquid creatine. Creatine in its liquid form is not stable and does not work as well or at all. If you do not feel stronger during your workouts after the first week, then you may need to seek another brand. You should also have better muscle recovery time. While on creatine your muscles will be more full. You should smooth out a little while on creatine due to the hydration effect on the muscles. Water weight gain resulting from creatine use will be shed when creatine use is discontinued. It usually takes about a week to ten days to get out of your system and look more lean.

HMB (hydroxy-beta methyl butyrate)

HMB is a metabolite of the branch chain amino acid amino acid Leucine. HMB is effective for improving endurance, sparing muscle protein, and promotes muscle recovery. The human body can produce between .3 and 1 gram of HMB a day in the muscle tissue. By suppressing proteolysis (the breakdown of muscle protein), HMB can improve anabolism, endurance and muscle recovery. There have been a few studies showing evidence that HMB also lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while not effecting HDL (good cholesterol).

The speculated half life (the amount of time it takes for half a given amount of a substance to be removed from living tissue through natural biological activity) of HMB in the body is around 3-4 hours. Therfefore, it is necessary to take several doses throughout the day to maintain an effective level of HMB in the body. It is very effective for increasing the immune system and promoting muscle recovery. Take it before and after an intense weight training session or cardio bout. A total of 8-12 grams a day is necessary to be effective. HMB is assimilated more efficiently when taken with meals. There are no side effects. My favortie brands for HMB are Metrx and Betagen by EAS. HMB is very complex and is not easy to accurately counterfeit.

VANADIUM

Vanadium (Vanadyl Sulfate) can be potentially dangerous, but if taken in the correct dosages it helps to pull water and carbs into the muscle providing a full and muscular look. Vanadium is similar to insulin in that it helps the body store more carbohydrates in the muscle. It is supposed to create an anabolic state by increasing glycogen and amino acid stores in the muscle. However, the only studies that produced results similar to the product claims were done on obese mice. These studies did show some of these claims to be valid. But, to this date, there is no complete evidence that Vanadium is of ANY benefit to humans. Speaking from my own experience, I have found that it definately helps to pull carbohydrates and water into the muscle. I have even felt tired due to the lack of carbohydrates roaming in the blood stream. So I believe there is some validity to it. It has made my muscles look very full and round in photo shoots. But, DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage. It can lead to toxicity.

According to numerous studies that used low to high doses of Vanadium on people who are obese, thin, and athletes, they claim that the end result, was no change. I think they were looking for something to create muscle. I believe it is an aid for making the muscles look more full temporarily. Vanadium basically gives the muscles a transient pump after a workout. Vanadium has been proven to be toxic in doses lower than what is recommended by a lot of supplement companies. Side effects include depressed growth, decreased appetite, gastrointestinal discomfort, cramps, diarrhea and in a few cases death.

Information provided by the Sport Supplement Review guide by Vince Andrich, Rich Gaspari, and the National Sports Performance Association (NSPA).