Is this too many supplements?

[Hockey Playa]

Just starting a creatine cycle for the break 3 weeks of no school :rockon: so lots of time for the gym..
Supplements i have right now:
1. Casein Protein (before bed)
2. Iso Protein (after workout)
3. Muscle Milk ( i have lying around from before)
4.ZMA
5.Creatine ester
6.Fish oil
7.Vitamin C
8. Multi
9. Green tea extract
10. BCAA(have to take 7 before a workout:O)

i dont mind dropping BCAA for the new creatine...and maybe the green tea, the other stuff is pretty legit right? i dont want to become a supplement freak...but i really do notice differences with fish oil, zma, and creatine my favourites...anything i have in my life or i dont need? or does anybody see anything wrong with taking these many supplements, i am aware alot of them are vitamin type supplements, so wont be that bad..

 

[Quagmire911]

Just starting a creatine cycle for the break 3 weeks of no school :rockon: so lots of time for the gym..
Supplements i have right now:
1. Casein Protein (before bed)
2. Iso Protein (after workout)
3. Muscle Milk ( i have lying around from before)
4.ZMA (Zinc 15-30mg, Magnesium 400mg)
5.Creatine ester
6.Fish oil (10g-30g)
7.Vitamin C (1g)
8. Multi
9. Green tea extract (1-2g a day should be 40% polyphenols minimum)
10. BCAA(have to take 7 before a workout:O) (Can't remember off the top of my head search if you haven't already)

i dont mind dropping BCAA for the new creatine...and maybe the green tea, the other stuff is pretty legit right? i dont want to become a supplement freak...but i really do notice differences with fish oil, zma, and creatine my favourites...anything i have in my life or i dont need? or does anybody see anything wrong with taking these many supplements, i am aware alot of them are vitamin type supplements, so wont be that bad..

Muscle milk is unnecessary and If I remember correctly contains sugar. The rest looks good, I'd consider adding Vitamin E 400IU too. I added roughly the amount you should be taking up above for a few things. You may also want to consider calcium although if you take in a lot of green veggies/cheese or foods high in calcium this shouldn't be a necessity.

Quagmire

 

[Throttle]

have you tried drinking green tea? if you prepare it properly it doesn't need any sweetener...

 

[Fuglydude]

Muscle Milk is a great-tasting protein/fat meal replacement. It has some sugar in it (6 g), but not that much with my carbohydrate tolerance/metabolism. I actually take it before going to bed because of the protein/fat content along with some eggs/cottage cheese.

http://www.enutrition.com/cytmusmil248.html

 

[Hockey Playa]

thanks for the input guys

 

[mrRuckus]

have you tried drinking green tea? if you prepare it properly it doesn't need any sweetener...

Eh, what i've noticed is if you just man up and drink green tea or any other supplements despite the bad taste you just used to it and it doesn't matter.

I used to mix cinnamon or whatever else into the green tea but it's just too much of a hassle anymore so i just fork in some green tea powder into some hot water and drink away and don't even think about the bitter taste anymore.

CEE goes down no problem. BCAAs gulp. Taste like crap originally but got used to em.

 

[Charm]

No such thing as too many supplements. You could easily add more shakes to that regime or protein bars!

 

[Throttle]

Eh, what i've noticed is if you just man up and drink green tea or any other supplements despite the bad taste you just used to it and it doesn't matter.

well there's a difference between manning up and drinking something that tastes like grass clippings just b/c the directions on the box are terrible (or the directions are great but you ignore them)

 

[mrRuckus]

well there's a difference between manning up and drinking something that tastes like grass clippings just b/c the directions on the box are terrible (or the directions are great but you ignore them)

Where did this stuff about following directions come from?

Grass clippings can become fine to eat to if you bother to get used to it. I know there's a limit but most things are not *that* bad.

In college i used to down many shots of the cheapest vodka known to man like they're nothing and now i can barely do the good stuff without sour facing a little simply because i hardly ever do shots anymore. But if i just did it consistently it would become second nature again.

This is the same concept as "working out makes me too sore." Get used to it and you don't get so sore!

 

[Throttle]

fair enough, but in each case the headache / soreness is your body's way of telling you that it's suffering.

with vodka, if i understand correctly, you essentially pay for some combination of filtering and branding. so in general, the cheaper the vodka, the more impurities, hence more hangover potential.

my sense is that DOMS is your body's way of telling you to consume more protein. I get sore from lifting if and only if I work too hard right after a long layoff AND eat too little protein.

 

[wolf116]

I like to think I have the same additude towards food as you Mr R, but in practics I can eat much more good tasting food then I can with cold tuna, before I feel like I want to hurl.

I would like to hear more of your cooking tips Throttle.

 

[spesmilitis]

I think WBA says that BCAA's are useless unless you take like 20.

If you don't like green tea, just rip open the bad and pour it into cold water and drink the cold water.

 

[simon]

I think WBA says that BCAA's are useless unless you take like 20.

High dosage BCAAs are awesome. I take 5g in the morning before my cardio. When I've got enough money, pre-workout and during workout I also use a 45g mixture of BCAAs with extra leucine to make it up to 4:1:1 (leucine:isoleucine:valine) and EAAs - I experience absolutely no DOMS and recovery is superfast. Taken between meals on non-workout days aswell is even better. Damn expensive though, especially in the UK.

 

[Quagmire911]

Some pretty bold statements Espi.

Green tea, fair enough is not a necessity more a luxury but if you have everything else down then adding it is a good idea.

Vitamin C you are not sure why people recommend. There are many reasons, increased recovery, heightened immune system, reduced stress not to mention a whole host of other benefits. In relation to lifting performance it isn't terribly important but from an overall health standpoint it is high on the list. Good health = good lifting as I am sure you very well know.

Bcaa's a waste of money? Dump it? Kindly explain...

Quagmire

 

[simon]

Green tea increases thermogenesis more than caffeine alone. Caffeine doesn't have anywhere near the same health benefits as polyphenols. I much prefer the effects of theanine in tea than caffeine; I have a really high caffeine tolerance and it just makes me a bit buzzy followed by a crash and headaches. Theanine makes me feel calm and helps me concentrate more.

Vitamin C is cheap as hell if you buy the powder; it's 1lb for less than $10. As for the effects; it works synergistically to prolong the effects of tea polyphenols, taken before/after a workout it reduces my DOMS and I get less sick. Never really felt an increase in energy from it though.

BCAAs aren't cheap over here, but they're like twice the price they would be in the USA. True, you can do most things with just food, routine and sleep, but BCAAs are really, really helpful. The elite bodybuilders recommend them because taking high dosage BCAAs really reduces the amount of solid protein you need to eat, and because they probably get money from their sponsors. But yeah, they're not necessary.

 

[spesmilitis]

lol, I love ZMA dreams. Most vivid dreams I've had.

 

[Quagmire911]

You make some fair points Espi, they are not a necessity more a luxury.

If you can't afford it fine, if you can and perhaps want to speed things up a bit also fine.

Either way you can get the job done.

And I think that many people would be a lot better off if they spent more money on a lot of quality food rather than buying supps for this and that.

Quagmire

 

[Throttle]

I like to think I have the same additude towards food as you Mr R, but in practics I can eat much more good tasting food then I can with cold tuna, before I feel like I want to hurl.

I would like to hear more of your cooking tips Throttle.

wolf -- start here:

http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=110107

and feel free to ask questions. i should probably come back and start another one that reflects what i've learned since then.