Do Not Rely On Supplements To Build, Shape, Or Tone Your Body!!!!!!!!!
Trust me, they don't work. There is no significant, scientific proof that shows vitamin supplements enhance energy, strength, muscle size, or athletic performance. No over-the-counter vitamin or supplement will increase muscle mass or burn fat. Do not rely on supplements to build or shape your physique. Remember the basics: train hard, eat right, and get plenty of rest. Even people who take steroids won't see any results unless they train hard with weights and eat right. As a matter of fact, I work in the drug industry as a pharmaceutical salesperson. Some doctors prescribe Anadrol 50 and Growth Hormone for people with AIDS that are wasting away. The goal is to increase lean muscle and lose fat. Most of the doctors told me that these treatments don't work because their patients don't exercise and eat right. Not to say that steroids and growth hormone don't work. They do, that's pretty obvious from looking at professional bodybuilders. But unless a person on steroids trains hard with weights and eats quality foods, they won't see muscle gain and fat loss.

Do not get ripped off buying vitamin supplements. They are big business today and companies will charge a premium for them. The United States Government has estimated that health supplements are a 10 billion dollar a year business. Every one is looking for the quick fix. Walk into a health food store to purchase amino acids and vitamins and see 1000 different brands make false claims.

Remember Chromium Picolinate? Here is a product you may have heard a lot about in the past. It gained national attention from one study conducted on young athletes in 1989. The young athletes participated in a weight lifting program, but maintained their normal eating habits. They received 200 micrograms daily of chromium picolinate or a placebo. The chromium picolinate group showed greater gains in muscle and total body weight than the placebo group. The size of the biceps and calves of the chromium group showed a slightly greater increase than the placebo group. And the average body weight increase was about four to five pounds compared to two to three pounds of the placebo group. A greater decrease in body fat was also reported in the chromium group.

First of all, this is one study compared to many other studies that showed no benefits at all! Second, this study was conducted on athletes participating in a vigorous weight lifting program. Of course you will see an increase in muscle mass. The argument of the study is that the athletes given chromium picolinate showed more benefits than the control group. Even still, other factors such as diet, heredity, gender, exercise frequency and intensity, need to be considered. Also, many bodybuilders that have tried this agent have reported no additional muscle building or fat reducing benefits.

On a positive note, chromium picolinate has shown to improve blood sugar tolerance and reduce blood cholesterol levels. If you are wondering why you haven't heard about chromium picolinate lately, that's because is was a fad. Like Creatine is a fad. In a couple of years, you won't hear much about creatine either, because it doesn't enhance muscle strength or size.

What about Creatine & Androstenedione?

Creatine is yet another product promising unrealistic results. Before we get into that let me explain what creatine is. It's a naturally occurring amino acid found in raw meat and fish. Once digested, it gets stored in the skeletal muscles. The first thing I'll say about creatine: If you really think it will help you build muscle, then eat plenty of fish and meat. The only problem is creatine gets reduced by cooking. We can't really say how much of it gets reduced by cooking, but it will depend on how long you cook your food. It's like saying protein from fish and meat gets reduced by cooking, but it doesn't mean you are not getting protein from your cooked food. But companies that sell creatine claim that it is destroyed in food when cooked. Obviously they want you to think you can't get creatine from food so that you buy it.

Creatine is known to increase short term, high intensity, exercise performance by delaying muscle fatigue. It does not increase muscle! It is known to increase the ability to work harder. Maybe this can help you workout harder, which may lead to better workouts and potentially some muscle gain. But there is no known mechanism of action in creatine that builds muscle.

In a June 4, 1998 USA TODAY article titled "1 in 3 sports teams say 'no' to creatine," trainers and conditioners for 21 professional sports teams surveyed disapproved the use of creatine for their players. They say that creatine causes muscle cramps, tears, and gastrointestinal problems. However, some athletes and teams say that creatine is safe and helps increase strength and size. A trainer form the Los Angeles Lakers says that it works. He tried it himself during a summer of weightlifting and found that creatine increased his capacity to lift weights. Utah Jazz center, Greg Foster says that creatine helped him increase his strength and size and experiences better energy levels. Other pro athletes using creatine are Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, Shannon Sharpe of the Denver Bronco, Mike Piazza of the New York Mets, and others. However, some of these athletes promote creatine for the manufacturers and marketers of creatine.

Other evidence suggests that creatine may be advantageous to a bodybuilder interested in "ornamental" muscle development; however, disadvantageous for football players interested in "functional" muscular development. As a result, some professional football teams don't allow it's players to use it.

Studies conducted on runners and swimmers to measure exercise performance showed no performance benefits. (Medical Science Sports Exercise. 1997, Volume 29, No. 2, pp 216-219.) In the study on swimmers, 20 highly trained national competitors were given either creatine or a placebo. The research did show a weight gain in the creatine group compared to the placebo group, but no performance benefits. Keep in mind, even though the creatine group showed and increase in body weight, it doesn't mean it was necessarily muscle. And also, using only 20 subjects in the study is hardly considered a significant finding either way. When pharmaceutical companies conduct studies on their drugs to show whether or not they work, they use thousands of subjects where the findings have to be significantly better than the placebo.

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing whether creatine was responsible for two people who suffered seizures who were taking it and other supplements. The FDA says that much is unknown about creatine and recommend that people use it under a doctor's care.

Even if creatine helps your increase intensity and energy that results to better workouts, you have to continue using it. So if you want to spend your money for something that might work, go ahead, because it's not cheap. It costs anywhere between $35 to $50 for a 300 gram package. Companies recommend taking 5 grams four times per day. That's 20 grams per day. So that's enough for 15 days if you take it seven days per week. For a month, it will cost you anywhere from $70 to $80. U.S. Sales of creatine was about $100 million in 1997 and are expected to grow.

My recommendation is to try it if you are really curious and have the money to spend. But I still believe that eating right and working hard are all you really need to build the best physique possible. If you are consuming quality foods in the right amounts from the four basic food groups, you will not need to spend your money on supplements.

Androstenedione:

The only reason this product has received national attention and increased sales is because Mark McGwire claimed usage. Otherwise, it would be just another supplement. Androstenedione, also found in meat, is a building block for testosterone, just as amino acids are building blocks for proteins. By supplying the body with more building blocks, the body may have the ability to produce more hormones, but may not necessarily do that. Your body will determine how much testosterone is needs. At best, in young males, Androsenedione will increase testosterone to optimal levels. For most young males, they are already at optimal levels.

A consultant to sports nutrition manufacturers who appeared on the ESPN Outside the Lines show stated that androstenedione, a pro-hormone is safer that anabolic steroids. A person using androstenedione gets only a short elevation in testosterone that lasts about one and a half hours. This may be the reason why some users claim better energy during their workouts. Anabolic Steroids on the other hand increase testosterone levels about ten times normal levels for longer durations. This is significantly higher than androstenedione. Besides, steroids work through a mechanism that increases the production of new protein cells in the muscles resulting in muscle size and strength.

Currently, there are no good studies that show androstenedione increase muscle size and strength. In 1962, a study was conducted on a small group of women who were administered DHEA or androstenedione. The results showed a greater increase in testosterone levels in the women who took androstendedione. That's it. Big deal. Another study on East German Olympic athletes who took androstenedione during the 1970 Olympics showed enhanced athletic performances, but the results were not analyzed or studied thoroughly. My point is that these studies are weak because they don't compare the agents to a placebo and the number of athletes studied is low.

As a pharmaceutical salesperson, I know that respected studies include a large number of people and compared to a placebo. The study on Redux, the weight loss drug, explained below, tested almost 900 patients that also had a placebo group. That is a good example of a well-controlled study that showed significant results! Other studies on supplements are currently being conducted, but I wouldn't hold your breath for significant results.

The placebo effect: People who make claims that creatine or any of these products work for them are either lying or experienced the PLACEBO EFFECT! The mind is more powerful than you think. Being in the drug industry, I know that good drug studies are compared to a placebo. This goes for any type of drugs. I have sold pain medication, weight loss drugs, blood pressure drugs, and anti-depressants. And they all have been tested with a placebo. In clinical trials, half of the people being tested are given the medication and the other half are given a dummy pill. In order to get FDA approval, the company has to prove that the drug is at least twice as effective as the placebo. There is always a placebo effect. For example, when I promoted Redux, the weight loss drug (recently pulled from the market), a total of 900 patients were studied. 463 patients were given Redux and 467 patients were given a placebo. 40% of the patients on Redux lost at least 10% of their body weight where 21% of the 467 patients on the placebo lost 10% or more of their body weight. In this example, 185 of the patients on Redux lost 10% or more of their body weight and 98 of the patients on the placebo lost 10% or more of their body weight. Even though Redux was twice as effective as the placebo, the placebo showed a pretty good success rate.

I think that the people in the placebo group started eating better and exercised and therefore lost weight. Probably the same thing that happens to people who take supplements trying to gain muscle. They start eating better, training harder and more frequently, and make gains.

What about Amino Acids?

During my years of contest preparation, I did include amino acids after every meal during the last six weeks before my contests. I worried that my decreased caloric intake reduced the amount of protein I was consuming. The last six weeks of precontest dieting, most bodybuilders eliminate fruit, dairy products, egg wholes, red meat, and cold cereals. These foods are rich in the essential vitamins, especially vitamin C and B complex. During this time, it is necessary to supplement with a one- a-day vitamin, Vitamin C, and B Complex vitamins. Although I increased my protein meals to three per day, they were of smaller portions. If I had to do it all over again, I would rely on hard boiled egg whites and chicken slices for supplements. This Works!

One ounce of chicken which is equivalent to a small slice, has about seven grams of protein. Why not keep small slices of chicken in your refrigerator and use them for additional supplements? It's much less expensive and more nutritious than any amino acid supplement. You can also keep hard-boiled eggs in your refrigerator and use the egg whites as supplements. One egg white has about three grams of protein. You can consume 12 egg whites, which is about 36 grams of protein for less than one dollar. On the other hand, a bottle of 100 tablets of amino acids costs about $30, with each tablet containing about one gram of protein. That same 36 grams of protein will cost you about $11! The irony is that these supplements are made from food, especially eggs.

Read the nutritional information on any bottle of amino acids and notice the recommended consumption: five to seven tablets after every meal. There are usually about 100 capsules per bottle that sells anywhere from $25 to $35. You will also notice that five to seven capsules equal about 10 grams of protein. You will eventually consume the entire bottle in less than a week to supplement 100 grams of protein.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The answer has been a topic of controversy among the government, nutritionists, and bodybuilders. As far as I'm concerned, it basically comes down to your goals. Originally, when I was competing, my protein intake was much higher than it is today. My goals have changed. I'm not looking to be huge anymore, but I do want to maintain my current musculature. I'm currently about 170 pounds. My bodyfat is very low, at about 5 or 6%. Enough about me, let's hear what they have to say about protein.

We already know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that 10% of your calories consumed should be protein. Let's say that the average person consumes 2000 calories. So 10% of 2000 equal 200 calories. 200 calories divided by 4 calories is 50 grams of protein. So that's one recommendation. Let's summarize:

U.S. Department of Agriculture's protein recommendation for a 2000 calorie diet: 50 grams or 10%

The problem with this recommendation is that if you are looking to build, tone, or shape your muscles by lifting weights intensely, you are no longer an average person. Do you think your protein intake should be the same as a couch potato. Why would it be so important for a couch potato to need extra protein?

The PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Health takes this into consideration. It suggests to include 1.5 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight to build a more powerful physique. To figure this out, the first thing you need to know is that 1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. So if you weigh 170 pounds, divide 2.2 into 170 and multiply by 1.5. This gives you 116 grams of protein. If you consume 200 calories this is about 23% protein compared to the government's 10%. Lets summarize:

PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Health protein recommendation: 116 grams or 23% of total calories for a 170 pound person.

> Prescription for Nutritional Healing, a widely read nutrition book recommends that a 170 pound man, doing light work, should consume 25 to 30 grams of protein. If this person consumed 2000 calories, then that is only 5 to 6% of total calories. Let's summarize:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing recommends 25 to 30 grams or 5 to 6% of total calories for a 170 pound person.

Let's try another source. Fitness for Dummies recommends .4 grams of protein per 1 pound of body weight. This is easy to figure out. If you are 170 pounds, just multiply 170 by .4. This gives you 68 grams of protein. Let's summarize:

Fitness for Dummies recommends 68 grams of protein for a 170 pound person.

And finally, one of my favorite bodybuilding books, Beyond Built, written by my favorite bodybuilder, Bob Paris, recommends that an average weight-trained athlete should consume 20% protein. For 170 pound person consuming 2000 calories, that would be 100 grams of protein. A competitive bodybuilder should take in 30% protein. For a bodybuilder consuming 2000 calories, that would be 150 grams of protein, which is almost one gram of protein for each pound of body weight. Let's summarize:

Bob Paris, Beyond Built recommends 20 to 30% of total calories for an average weight trainer and competitive bodybuilder respectively. For a 2000 calorie diet, that would be 100 to 150 grams of protein.

So there you have it, five different protein recommendations. I think a happy medium between the PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Health and Bob Paris's Beyond Built would be the best recommendation. That is, 20 to 30% of your total calories, depending on your fitness goals or 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight. For a 170 pound person, that would be a range of 116 to 155 grams of protein. That's a good range. I would say that I am currently at the lower end of that range. When I competed, I was at the higher end.

Experts say protein foods such as meats allow your body to use amino acids to make new proteins that build muscle tissue. There's no argument there. But most experts also say that more protein doesn't necessarily mean bigger muscles. It's like saying that if one aspirin gets rid of your headache, why take two. With drugs, an increase in dose doesn't necessarily mean an increase in efficacy. However an increase in dose does mean an increase in side effects. Excess amounts of protein on the other hand shouldn't harm you, but if you are taking in excess protein, that also means you are taking in excess calories. If your body can't use the protein, it will store it as fat. Remember, you want to build or tone muscle, not get fat. Just keep it simple; try to consistently consume two to three small protein meals a day. That means 4 egg whites and one whole egg in the morning, some tuna for lunch and one or two chicken breasts for dinner. It doesn't mean a 12 ounce steak three to four times per week!

Protein Powders

The first question you have to ask yourself is why do you want to include a protein drink in your diet? Is it to supplement protein that you think is lacking in your diet? Is it to gain weight for muscle building goals? Or, is it just a post workout treat? Personally, I just love the way some of them taste. These are all fairly legitimate reasons to want to consume protein drinks, but once again, this can get very expensive. You would have to be consistent in consuming these drinks to gain the benefit. That means spending a lot of money for something that can be easily and very inexpensively accomplished with food.

If you are trying to build muscle and want to consume additional calories and protein, consuming a protein packet, skim milk, and one banana, could add about 500 good calories to your diet. Suppose you 150 pounds and want to gain 10 pounds. And let's suppose you figured you are currently consuming about 2000 calories a day. So you know that 2000 calories a day maintains your current body weight, but you find it difficult eating more food. Drinking a protein shake can help add 500 calories a day. If you are consistent in drinking these extra 500 calories every day, you would possibly gain about one pound per week because 3500 calories equals one pound. The math is easy, 500 calories times 7 days equals 3500. So it would take you about 10 weeks to gain ten pounds by simply increasing your calories by 500 per day, assuming everything else remains constant: your food intake and calorie expenditure.

I enjoy drinking MET-Rx, not because of its claims of decreased body fat and increase muscle, I don't believe that part at all, but because it tastes great and doesn't upset my stomach. I love drinking a cold MET-Rx mixed with skim milk, a banana, with crushed ice after a hard workout. Other than MET-Rx, the only other protein powder I recommend is one that contains 100% egg albumen. Egg albumen is the protein in egg whites. I do not recommend carbohydrate drinks or powders. Besides the fact that they can upset your stomach and cost a fortune, carbohydrates are not usually lacking in the average diet. We usually consume too many carbohydrate meals and not enough protein meals.