I was inspired to write this after a friend of mine bragged to me about how he just dropped $200 on supplements for working out. Seeing his stack, I quickly realized that one of the most commonly known and discussed facts about workout supplements is simply not discussed enough.
For most people this is going to be a restatement of what they already knew. Supplements will not cause you to build muscle. Supplements are just what they are named, supplements. Well technically they’re dietary supplements.
A supplement is defined as:
something that completes or makes an addition
A dietary supplement is basically just a revised definition. It is defined as:
a product taken orally that contains one or more ingredients (as vitamins or amino acids) that are intended to supplement one’s diet and are not considered food
In plain English, supplements are available to help you boost the percentage of certain nutrients for your diet, without having to go through the complexities that normal food intake would include. A protein shake, for example, will allow you to ingest 25-30 grams of protein in a single serving.
If they don’t build muscle, then why is everyone taking them?
There are approximately 4-7 grams of protein in one ounce of medium-fat (average) meat. According to the Mayo-Clinic, the average serving of meat yields an approximate caloric intake of 130. Your average protein shake has four to five times the amount of protein with calories remaining the same as what a normal serving of meat would be. That means you get way more protein, at a way lower cost, way faster. In short, it’s like NOS for your body. You get a supercharged boost of nutrients for a short period of time.
What about the different kinds of supplements?
The key thing that tipped me towards writing this, was the fact that my friend has three types of protein powders he uses. Casein, Whey, and Whey Isolate. These are basically redundant of each other. Your normal whey is defined by as:
the watery part of milk that is separated from the coagulable part or curd especially in the process of making cheese and that is rich in lactose, minerals, and vitamins and contains lactalbumin and traces of fat
Whey isolate is just a higher refined version of whey. And casein is a slower digesting version suggested before bed, however still rather un-necessary. For those wanting a dentition:
a phosphoprotein of milk: as one that is precipitated from milk by heating with an acid or by the action of lactic acid in souring and is used in making paints and adhesives
In short, my friend ordered three of the same thing. Now for professional bodybuilders, the differences are enough to justify ordering all three. For the average person, even extended gym enthusiast, you will never need all three. If you don’t believe me then watch the first minute and eight seconds of the video below. Although the video talks about alcohol, his point on where you will be with your fitness level remains the same as what I would say.
What’s Your Stack?
I do take supplements but my stack is simple. Whey protein for post workout shake, multi-vitamin (standard off the shelf brand), BCAA tablets, and a pre-workout. That’s it. I used to debate having more until I did research and found out that there’s really no need. And it all comes back to the fact that supplements don’t build muscle.
The only one who can build muscle is yourself. Muscle is built based on necessity. The better the workout and diet combination you have, the quicker it happens, this is why people use supplements. But chugging protein shakes every morning and walking three miles will probably just make you fatter than you were before. You’ll have to do some serious lifting to actually get results.
My friend could easily have bought either whey, or whey isolate, and even decided to drink one shake in the morning, and one shake post workout, have saved a boat load of money, and gotten the same results. Instead, he made the same rookie mistakes most people make, and that’s invest a ton of money on supplements, and not enough time on their exercise program. The results is always that in the end they get mad over a lack of results.
So Why Take Them At All?
Like I said, they help supercharge your system. However they aren’t necessary. I take them because I’m lazy. It’s easier to chug a protein shake post workout than it is to down three chicken breasts. Plus I take in less calories with my shake. I take a pre-workout because it’s nice to get that extra boost of energy prior to lifting, especially since I lift after working. You could chug a cup of coffee however, and probably get a similar result. My multi-vitamin is because my diet isn’t as good as it should be. And my BCAA tablets, well I got them cheap as hell, and I don’t feel like throwing them out.
In short, working out and muscle gains are solely based on yourself. If you workout hard and eat right, you’ll have big gains. If you monitor it all closely, you can get away without ever taking supplements. Most people don’t monitor their diet to the extreme, so supplements help add that extra boost to their system. But supplements will not give you muscle.
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Totally true. I find it disturbing to out too much supplements into my system..I think one of the most accurate ways to build muscle is to lift heavy, consume raw nonstarchy carbs (most vegetables) and protein from chicken or fish…a good quality protein powder, as a supplement…duh, is a fine addition…am I the only one who notices that the bulk of fitness magazines marketed towards men is filled, front-center-and back, with tons of advertisements pushing supplements? Nowadays, there’s less editorial substance than supplement advertisement…that’s one major cause for the success of supplements…aside from laziness…
What about creatine? or people lie me who are ectomorph’s
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Creatine doesn’t build muscle, it just helps your muscles retain more water which gives the appearance of having more muscles. That’s why you have to drink so much water to avoid cramping.
Ehhh not quite. It does have an osmotic effect but that is NOT why you should use it. Raising creatine levels allows increased ATP generation by the ATP-PC energy pathway leading to improved strength and endurance during short bouts (~0-10 seconds) of exertion.
If muscles are 70% water, and creatine makes your muscles hold more water, wouldn’t that help you gain muscle?
Creatine is basically a combination of 3 aminoacids.It has 0 effect and gradually went out of fashion in sports medicine in 90s.
Really? I don’t take the stuff, but there seem to be studies supporting its ability to affect rest periods between workouts:
http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/
Can you comment on the sources’ veracity? Want to know if I can trust that site as well as leangains.
Creatine is a nutrient found in red meat – i.e. in muscle tissue. It is used by muscles to store energy. Your own body makes it, but can also use it directly when you consume it as food.
If you’re eating a whole lot of lean steak to get your extra protein you probably don’t need it. If you are supplementing with something like whey, though, adding creatine to that supplement gives you the additional muscle-specific nutrition that you would get from red meat but can’t get from whey alone.
Calculate how much meat you would have to eat equivalent to a serving of creatine mono.
STEROIDS BUILD BIG MUSCLES. 100 PERCENT of those big bodybuilder types, they ALL USE STEROIDS.
If you really want to get big, there is no other option but to take steroids.Your creatine, egg whites, and protein powder are not going to do it.
Most guys at this site aren’t here to participate in bodybuilding/weightlifting competitions, they just want to look better and get stronger. Protein for meals and whey protein after a workout is enough.
Most guys at this site aren’t here to participate in bodybuilding/weightlifting competitions, they just want to look better and get stronger. Protein for meals and whey protein after a workout is enough.
Weight lifting is so you can hump 100 lbs of meat and gear out of the woods or pull your buddy out of a glacial crevasse, not so you can tan and oil yourself and prance around in a banana hammock with other tanned and oiled men. How’s bodybuilding not the gayest activity ever?
That’s absolutely true, I got into lifting for hunting, hiking and other activities. Though there’s alot dedication involved bodybuilding is extremely gay! These guys/gals look like the pinnacle of optimal health but are filled with garbage to make themselves bigger but are slowly destroying themselves on the inside. Who the fuck wants to live a life where everything you eat and drink is timed and portioned just so you could look like a comic book hero.
Eat Clen, tren hard.
They’re supplements, not a substitute.
They’re supplements, not a substitute.
I bought tons of supplements back in the day, but then wanted the size so bad I gave in and took steroids. I didn’t do a lot, but it was in 8-12 cycles over the course of two years. My size and strength went through the roof. After you use steroids and see what real results are you’ll never take supplements again, waste of fucking money!! Take that money and buy some cool shoes, new jeans, save it for a car, house or whatever. You’ll be way better off and way ahead of the game. I’m not saying to take drugs, but if it’s not a drug it’s not gonna work, I learned the hard way.
Not true, cheater.
so much broscience
all you need is tren and bicep curls bro
I am a scientist in the medical field and I also hit the gym.Recently I went to pubmed and other resources and checked papers on protein supplements in sports medicine.There are no proofs that protein supplements increase muscle growth full stop (pending you have a proper diet ofcourse).Its all bullshit.
Yes. All of you should listen to the scientist. Motor proteins such as myosin contain no actual proteins. Although your muscles contain myosin etc you shouldn’t ingest more protein and lift weights to bring about the result of more muscle mass. BTW I am an idiot whose hobby is free weights and not a scientist and you shouldn’t pay attention to my writing.
You need most of your protein to come from natural sources anyway. Science labs try to imitate natural products and processes all the time and fuck it up, or, as they call it, “simulate.” Fuck science.
True Story. Remember that synthetic weed that everyone is dying from now. Science fail ahaha
It is a fact supplements don’t build muscle. Only working out for years and years and a healthy diet does. There is no such thing as a muscle building formula, just fake ones to get people’s dough.
My understanding is that you take protein powder in order to make up for the protein you don’t have the stomach for. I, for example, can’t eat 300 grams of protein from chicken breast every day without taking the powder to make up for the difference.
I’m seeing major gains ever since I started eating more protein, but that could just as well be from the food-borne protein as the powder (could also be leangains working its well-documented magic).
Speaking of Leangains, this is Martin’s take on supplements:
http://www.leangains.com/2010/01/supplements-you-might-actually-find_09.html
His shit works with or without that stuff, so I’m not sure how useful it all is.
Yeah. Good diet (which often includes supplementation) helps with gains. But simply chugging a protein shake and sitting on your ass wont do anything but make you fat.
Bullshit. If a multivitamin is a sup, steroids are supplements too. Steroids build muscle.
Nah.. not buying this storyline.
I’m in my 50’s , was in decent athletic shape.. and took supplements and protein and my muscle mass / strength increased so much that I was stronger than when I was 18 playing ball. I’ve lifted weights before and never had such dramatic increases .
You’ve only proved that you were a huge pussy at 18 years old.
I find the title of this article amusing. Of course the supplement does not work that way; anybody involved in bodybuilding understands this basic principle. A protein supplement won’t “supercharge” your system; it only provides you with some essential nutrients to help recover your body after a well worked out routine. You would do the same with regular protein sources but most people won’t eat a 200 gr. steak or 6 cooked eggs after their training. With a supplement you get convenience in a pre-digested package that will help you have your muscles repaired with a sustained protein flow. However, if you are getting fat after using them; don’t know the amount to eat, etc. then forget about supplements because you do not know what you are doing. If you are serious about making muscle, study a couple of books about nutrition and bodybuilding or pay a professional to advice you in your training before doing trial and error with the only body you have.
IMO Creatine, HMB, and DHEA work well.
Along those same lines, steroids don’t build muscle either. What they do is speed up your recovery time.
Thanks for sharing!AndI want to add some personal experience,Tips to Build Muscle :1.Donot overtrain. Most people do;2.Donot train same parts wihin the same week;3.Eat good protein supplement immediately after the workout and first thing in the morning;4.Do variety of exercises.Source:Bodybuilder for 8 yrs.
Source:bestfitnessandmusclebuilding(.)com
Add creatine to the supps recommended here, and consider fish oil supps depending on your dietary intake of course. Other than that, nothing else required besides the following:
hard workouts
nutrition
adequate sleep
hydration