Supplement - What, When, Why and How

[danb6177]

when taking a week off for injury recovery is it better to stay saturated on creatine or to get off until injury subsides?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

when taking a week off for injury recovery is it better to stay saturated on creatine or to get off until injury subsides?

You should be on creatine for life, no breaks, ever.

[jkolt]

This is a great sticky. I know that Rip is found of saying he's a logic guy, not a literature guy, and I'm fine with that for lifting because the results speak for themselves, and always have.

But that's not true for supplements. Seems to me like logic might not be the only thing we need here (note how much the supplements have changed from Bill Starr's list to the current "super" supplements).

Any chance we could start pulling together a literature review on the recommended supplements? I think that could be a great resource!

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Examine.com already has a bunch of literature on the individual supplements, but I see no harm in adding sources to the initial sticky. I'll add them as they come across my radar.

[Jared Nessland]

Jordan,

Couple of questions if you don't mind:

1) Do you take carbs during your workout with your BCAA's? How much and what type or why not? Also, thoughts on highly branched cyclic dextrins?
2) Any (other) recommendations for cramping? I play competitive racquetball. Play alot of shootout style tournaments where you essentially play around 4-6 hours straight, with some short 10-15 minute breaks between games. I'm a heavy sweater and have cramped up several times despite a ton of fluids and different electorlytes (Extend, gatorade + gatorlytes, tried several others). I'll give taurine a shot next time, but any other recommendations?

Thanks.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Jordan,

Couple of questions if you don't mind:

1) Do you take carbs during your workout with your BCAA's? How much and what type or why not? Also, thoughts on highly branched cyclic dextrins?

I usually have about 20g Vitargo or SweetTarts pre workout with BCAAs, then 30-40g carb intraworkout and another 20g PWO with BCAAs. For me, my workouts can last quite a while and I need a bit of fuel. It also helps with compliance to total carb intake for me.

I think highly branched cyclic dextrins suffer the fate that most other carb sources do in that their osmolarity needs to be adjusted towards that of physiological saline (not to be confused with "normal saline") in order to make it's gastric emptying time optimal, as this is the rate limiting step for replenishment in the short term. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15900642 for more info.

2) Any (other) recommendations for cramping? I play competitive racquetball. Play alot of shootout style tournaments where you essentially play around 4-6 hours straight, with some short 10-15 minute breaks between games. I'm a heavy sweater and have cramped up several times despite a ton of fluids and different electorlytes (Extend, gatorade + gatorlytes, tried several others). I'll give taurine a shot next time, but any other recommendations?

I think taurine, coconut water or gatorade cut 50/50 with water, and some carbohydrates may do the trick along with improving conditioning. I'm not sure what your current protocol is now, but it would appear that there's some additional work needed at this time since we're kind of moving electrolyte deficiency to much lower on our differential.

[Jared Nessland]

I think taurine, coconut water or gatorade cut 50/50 with water, and some carbohydrates may do the trick along with improving conditioning. I'm not sure what your current protocol is now, but it would appear that there's some additional work needed at this time since we're kind of moving electrolyte deficiency to much lower on our differential.

Jordan,
Thanks for the answer.

I was usually doing something along the lines of this:

Night before - packet of gatorlytes in 32oz Gatorade G2

Morning of - Breakfast usually something like 40g whey and oatmeal w/ PB or ezekial bread and PB + jelly. Another G2 + gatorlyte during drive to the venue.

Fluids during - 48 oz bottle containing a couple scoops Extend and 50 g HBCD or Gatorade powder. ~6 320z bottles of Gatorade G2 (usually a gatorlyte in 1 or 2 of them). Usually filled some of the empty bottles with water and had that too. Sometimes had a coconut water. Usually had a Clif Bar or something similar when i started warming up, then 1 or 2 more during. Something along these lines was the norm.

Also, what is the role of caffeine in cramping? Would caffeine ingestion (300-400mg) be an issue with that much fluid and electrolytes?

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[zmirvin]

I usually have about 20g Vitargo or SweetTarts pre workout with BCAAs, then 30-40g carb intraworkout and another 20g PWO with BCAAs. For me, my workouts can last quite a while and I need a bit of fuel. It also helps with compliance to total carb intake for me.

Do you take vitargo intra and post as well or do you use a different carb source? What are some of your favorite options?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Jordan,
Thanks for the answer.

I was usually doing something along the lines of this:

Night before - packet of gatorlytes in 32oz Gatorade G2

Morning of - Breakfast usually something like 40g whey and oatmeal w/ PB or ezekial bread and PB + jelly. Another G2 + gatorlyte during drive to the venue.

Yea all that G2 and electrolyte supplementation isn't doing anything for you because the osmolarity is far above that of normal physiology, so it delays gastric emptying and subsequent absorption. I'd cut the gatorade with water 50/50 first.

Also, what is the role of caffeine in cramping? Would caffeine ingestion (300-400mg) be an issue with that much fluid and electrolytes?

Caffeine can actually increase cramping in certain situations, but typically I find that it prevents early fatigue and in the context of normal hydration status- people tend to do better. I think you were overdosing on electrolytes and not getting enough hydration before a workout.

Do you take vitargo intra and post as well or do you use a different carb source? What are some of your favorite options?

I do it pre and post most of the time and eat sweet tarts or starburst during the workout because Diabetes.

[tnumrych]

I do it pre and post most of the time and eat sweet tarts or starburst during the workout because Diabetes.

This made me lol really out loud.