Supplements

[Patrick]

Rip, I'm wondering if you can offer your opinions on which supplements might actually be useful. If you'll forgive the transparently loaded questions, would it be fair to say you feel they're over-hyped and a huge waste of money?

With that said, I've read some comments where you give at least some degree of approval to a few things: fish oil caplets, the cheapest non-supermarket multivitamin you can find, glucosamine and chondroitin, and the cheapest whey you can find (if you need whey). The efficacy of whole milk and ibuprofen seems undisputed, though it's unclear whether one ought to think of them as supplements for a lifter. I'm a believer in the virtues of caffeine and consider coffee to be the kind gift of a generous god. Is there anything else that might actually be useful?

[Mark Rippetoe]

No, that's about it. Now that we've saved you about $500/month, you can afford some weightlifting shoes.

[Brandon Oto]

Creatine and ZMA help some people.

And, well, roids. Hey, the question was just what's useful.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Creatine helps everybody in a certain repetition range or sprint distance, but not for sets of 5. That's why I don't usually recommend it for strength training. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate help about half of the people that try it, so it's useful too if you're hurt in a joint capsule. What does ZMA do, and how does it do it?

[Gant Grimes]

Creatine will be most helpful to those that add in some metcon on top of their strength training.

The original ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Aspertate) was originally out of the Balco labs and purported to increase mass, strength, etc. There were some criticisms with that study, but the original formulation is considered by some to be a foundation supplement.

Most male trainees are deficient in both Zn and Mg. Zn is supposed to promote GH release, testosterone production, and healing. Mg is supposed to promote strength, endurance, and muscle relaxation through increased O2 transport to the muscle tissue. From what I gather, there is no synergestic effect from the mix, and good results can be obtained from dosing individually.

Mg also helps the body assimilate Ca; some Ca deficiencies are attribute to Mg deficiency. So if you're Mg-deficient, that gallon of milk is being pissed away. Ironically, dietary Ca is a Mg blocker, so you're not going to get your requisite Mg out of a multi (since it has Ca).

Most people who use ZMA say it helps them sleep (which is a good thing in itself). Many also report crazy, vivid dreams, which is also worth the price of admission. I once dreamed the Scientologists were trying to get me, but that's as good as it got. If nothing else, you should get charged up on Zn and Mg for the muscle relaxation, healing, and Ca-absorption benefits.

[Brandon Oto]

Yeah, I don't know about anything else, but at the very least some people find it valuable for improving their sleep.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Let me also say that (Okay, Rip, go ahead.) I have been taking a Beverly International Super Pak daily for about 20 years. It's a good cheap comprehensive way to cover all your bases vitamin-wise. That, fish oil, and some extra C is about all I take, and all I consider useful for me.

[Jason L]

Any other recommendation for sleeping aids (other than prescriptions drugs, alcohol, mallet to the head). I've always been a poor sleeper all my life
(sometimes going for weeks on 4-5 hrs a night) but I've never stress about it ... until I met you crazy people with your "if you don't sleep 10 hours straight you suck!" propaganda. Now I'm worried.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Different people require different amounts of sleep. If you're getting recovered on 4-5, I certainly would not advise Ambien because somebody else thinks you need more sleep.

[Gorlox22]

I already have a fish oil I take but I wanna get a good multi-vitamin (right now I have Walgreens brand). You recommend Beverly's Super Pack, right? What about Universal Animal Pak? And is a multi-vitamin that strong safe for a 16 year old? I say it is, but my parents say otherwise. Help me out here.