Supplements

currently taking tribulus along with my training. although it is a herb extract, would anyone with experience recommend i stop taking them, or are these an acceptable supplement. i have the psychometric tests in early sept, so id of thought the medical etc wouldnt be too long after them, so it would be wise to stop them now if anyone thinks they will affect my application process

 

Hi there,

From what I know Creatine will give your muscles a "solid" feel to them and you seem to be able to lift more whilst taking it, creatine is a supplement that is purely for your muscles. If you stop taking creatine you would loose its effects from what ive heard people who abuse creatine end up with the "creatine bloat" effect where your muscles look bloated rather than chiseled. Creatine requires you to have a loading phase where you take it 4 times a day for the first 5 days and then drop to twice a day so a tub wont last very long and its expensive about £40 on argos, £35 in Costco and abour £30-£35 on the internet.

Anyway my advice is not to take creatine unless you want to become a body builder as you wish to be a marine there are other suppliments you could take for example maximuscle promax which is protien powder to help you maintain muscles growth and repair. As we all know if we all ate a balanced diet then that contains everything the body needs however my diet is crap for want of a better word *text deleted* so i use the promax powder. I dont go over board with it i put 1 scoop in 200ml of milk and drink that after a weight session. When you get down to lympstone having a balanced diet shouldnt be a problem as I'm assuming that alot of thought is put into what they serve for breakfast lunch and dinner so you will be able to consume enough calories and protien etc to maintain/increase your fitness and strenght.

Anyway enough of my waffling *text deleted* hope this helps.

Take care

P.S I havent heard of Tribulus before so I cant really comment however I found this on the mens health website take from it what you will

"If your going to buy a tribulus supplement, ensure you get one with Avena Sativa in it. It is the only natural product that reduces SHBG (sexual hormone binding globulin). SHBG bonds to the free testosterone in the blood, and effectively renders it useless for muscle building. It occurs naturally in the body the same as testosterone and has its functions, but by reducing, you are effectively increasing the amount of free natural testosterone available to build muscle tissue.
I'd use the creatine and trib together, i don't think you need to worry about cycling them alternate. Creatine will give you the extra energy you need to get the most out of your workouts and thus the most out of your trib."

 

Hi guys - depending on what you *text deleted* do ...

If your looking to build lean muscle, aim to be consuming about 1gm of protein for everyone pound of body weight, e.g If weigh 83ks - 182lbs then you should be consuming at least 182grms of protein daily. You can supplement this with whey protein shakes through out the day and after training! However there is no substitute for a well balanced diet as its better to eat protein than drink it, the only acception being post work out when you want to get protein into your muscles asap to stop catabolism of the muscle. At this stage a protein shake is ideal.

If your looking to increase athletic preformance, aid quicker muscle recovery & increased strenght/endrance then a supplement like ZMA (a combination of Zinc, magnesium & vitamin B6) or Tribulus would be what your looking for. Both are natural mineral & vitamin complexs that have an natural anobolic effect that increase Testosterone levels in your body and aid recovery. If you look about the net & research both these supplements you'll get a more indepth explantion to what each off these do!

I have taken a few supp's - protein, creatine, zma etc and each has their own benefits - do a bit of research and see what's best suited to your goals & training programme!

Just need to stress guys THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE FOR A GOOD WELL BALANCED DIET!!! The above supplements are exactly what they say - supplements, meaning that they're not a magic remedy, you still have to put in all the hard work to get the results!

As for whether these supp's will have any effect on your medical I'm not to sure to be honest! I would however avoid creatine as its affects are not what your looking for while training for the marines.

If your *text deleted* buy supplements guys make sure you shop around online - you'll pay through the nose for the big brands when there's no need as you can get exactly the same quality minus the fancy packaging if you do a little searching!

 

High protien foods

Guys if any of your are looking to build muscle while you train and not to keen on taking protein shakes here's a list of some High Protein foods, Not much I know, but some of you may find it useful…

Beef Steak – ¼” thick (100g Lean)

Calories 211
Fat 10.6g (0g Sat)
Carbs 0g
Protein 29g

Tofu – Fried (100g)

Calories 271
Fat 20.2g (3g Sat)
Carbs 10.5g
Protein 17g

Chicken – Grilled (100g)

Calories 165
Fat 3.6g (1g Sat)
Carbs 0g
Protein 31g

Egg, Large Whole (hard boiled)

Calories 78
Fat 5.3 (1.6 sat)
Carbs 0.6g
Protein 6.3g

Egg White – Cooked

Calories 17
Fat 0g
Carbs Trace
Protein 3.5g

Weetabix - 100g

Calories 336
Protein 11.8g
Carbs 68g
Fat 1.8g (0.6g Sat)
Fibre 10.1g

Oatmeal - 100g

Calories 311
Fat 5.1 (0.8 Sat)
Carbs 54.3
Protein 13g

Lentils – 100g (boiled)

Calories 116
Fat 0.4g (0g Sat)
Carbs 20.1g
Protein 9g

All Bran – 100g

Calories 264
Fat 3.1g (0.7g Sat)
Carbs 75.9g (Fiber 32.3g)
Protein 12.2g

Tuna – 100g (drained)

Calories 116
Fat 0.5g (0g Sat)
Carbs 2.5g
Protein 25.5

Peanuts – 100g

Calories 567
Fat 49.2g (6.8g Sat)
Carbs 16.1g
Protein 25.8

Cottage Cheese – 100g (Fat free)

Calories 70
Fat 0g
Carbs 3.5g
Protein 14.1g

Milk – 1 Pint (Low fat)

Calories 283
Fat 9.6g (5.8g)
Carbs 30g
Protein 19.2g

Cant take credit for this, its just something i came across while i was looking into nutrition on the net.

 

i use whey protein...taken thre times a day...2 scoops at a time.

but its with well balanced diet too...other wise its pointless...


creatine is chemical that is produced by your brain in very very small doses which helps your muscle recover quickly and helps them to be stronger as in less chance of you tearing a muscle...ie not strength..

so creatine just adds more to your body helping the recovery process quicker.

its wrank!! *text deleted*

 

I know USN muscle fuel is cracking stuff, I deffinitely felt the difference after 4-5 days,

never tried creatine, heard a few dodgy things about it. Never seen any adverse proof, and only heard of bad things from people that have abused it. But I basically only se the protein - muslce fuel mixture from USN.

GW

 

There have been quite a few questions lately about supplements so I thought I would make a sticky on the subject giving a bit of general advice and then everyone can post their experiences and questions in one place.

Please note that supplements are in no way endorsed or recommended by the Royal Navy/Royal Marines or PRMC.co.uk. Taking supplements is no substitute for a good diet and you can build your fitness level up and complete training without ever taking them.

First off, a bit of info into the different goals when exercising:

Body builders aim for strength (the maximum amount of force your muscles can apply) and achieve this by lifting big weights, which results in large muscles that are made up of fewer layers separated by large layers of energy stores. The problem with this is they are also heavy which makes running and lifting your own body weight very difficult (some body builders can struggle to do a single press up).

For Royal Marines training you really need lean muscle, which is why a lot of recruits/marines you see won’t actually look that big. In order to achieve lean muscle you need to do body weight exercises (where you use your own body weight as resistance), this results in highly toned muscles. Toned muscles are made up of many layers separated by thin layers of energy stores. Toned muscles are perfect for Royal Marines, they are light which makes running easier, powerful (the speed that your muscles can apply force) and also good for stamina and endurance.

Now on to the actual supplements:

The problem with many supplements is that they are designed for body builders and contain ingredients which promote large muscles (which you don’t want) taking these supplements will not only be a waste of money but won’t help you with your goal of lean muscle either. Rather than run though the different products I will go through some of the most common ingredients so you can make your own informed decision if you choose to try supplements. Be aware of the advice given by the manufactures or supplement websites as this will be biased and some of the ingredients have no medical proof they even work.

Protein

Protein is the essential building block of muscle, no one will argue that it does not help muscle growth be it for bodybuilding or toning up. However, if you have a good diet chances are you are getting enough protein already and if you take too much you will literally be peeing your money away. If you do buy protein stay away from the big brands as you are just paying for the name.

Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occurring acid in the body that supplies energy to muscle cells for short bursts of energy (good for lifting weights but doesn’t help much with endurance). It is also proven to increase the size of your muscles by drawing water into them – again this is not particularly good for building lean muscle.

HMB

HMB (or Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate if want to be clever) is naturally occurring in the body and believed to increase muscle mass and decrease muscle breakdown (in other words scientists are fairly certain it does but at the same time it might do nothing at all). Taking three grams per day may help reduce muscle breakdown, assist with muscle repair and support higher endurance.

Glutamine

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, research shows that it can help support the immune system as well as reduce healing/recover time after injury. Glutamine can also convert into alanine which is an amino acid that the liver in turn converts into glucose which supplies extra energy to muscles during a long fizz session.

Please ask any questions you have about any other supplements you come across or post your own advice and experiences.

 

i was looking to get something for myself which would help me with my 'lean muscle' building as my diet sucks real bad and my recovery time and progress is extremely slow. do u recommend any product because i dont know what I'm looking for. if i become ill, i am using at my own risk.

thanks

james

 

If your diet sucks then sort that out instantly mate. Look up some stuff online. You can take all the suppliments in the world,but without knowing some basics about what and when to eat it wont help at all.

And none of the above will make you ill. Nothing is a magical pill. Get your diet sorted,then look for a good whey protien,combine this with some carbs post workout and thats all you need mate.

Diet,diet ,diet!

 

Purple Wraath by Controlled Labs, and Xtend by Scivation are both excellent BCAA supplements. Absolutely ideal for immediately before/during/after training, if your goal is to maintain lean muscle mass, but expend calories by means of fat and glycgen.

http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=7651

http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=4119

The watermelon flavour of the Xtend is by far the best tasting supplement I have ever used.

My favourite supplement by an absolute country mile though would have to be Torrent by Universal:

http://www.tropicanafitness.com/?session=VRYDCJYTUUWFYTNGUMBHZTXK&product=1868

And before anyone says anything about what a load of b*text deleted**text deleted**text deleted*t supplements are; In 6 weeks time I will hopefully have my degree in Sports Nutrition. And in 2007 I won my first (and last) Bodybuilding competition. Therefore I can honestly say I believe there are some supplements out there that can be of great benefit to you, whatever your fitness goals, provided your diet is up to scratch like Sam Forrest has stated.

 

I used to do some moderate weight-training and would take a simple protein powder as well as a period using creatine. I can see how the protein powder could still be of use to anyone training who is naturally a scrawny bugger and needs a little extra help, but not so sure about the creatine as I always found the weight gain through water retention to be not inconsiderable.

Only one I am currently considering using is glutamine for the recovery aspects. Don't need any extra size/weight as I'd be completely unable to do the bodyweight exercises. Would much prefer the strength/weight ratio of a climber to that of a body-builder for Marines stuff.

 

I would like to let for those that have not had experiance with supplements that not all supplements work for each person, some people find certain products work at all and others swear by them, this has also been linked to brands eg USN may not work for you but EAS does...its an odd thing since essentially they are the same chemical make up but its something that is fairly common.

I myself use

Universal Animal Pak : which is essentially a multi vitamin but also comes with liver and joint support which i can deffinatly feel working.

Universal Animal Stak : a testosterone booster that i cycle as is recommended on the package ( some people i know find it does not work for them )

A BCAA : Its a good way to get the protien needed

A Protein shake : Helps with calories and is nice and light to have post workout or during a long run

Glutamine : Never really been able to determine that it deffinatly helps with recovery but use it relgiously

Thoughts on creatine : When i was more focused on muscle size and weight i found it useful but now that i spend workouts in the gym focusing on muscle endurance and strength i dont find it that useful

But besides for all these supplement ideas quality food and rest are the best things you can put into your body

 

yeah i think i might need somethin like this. before i started training harder i was close to 11 stone. I'm only 5foot 7 so quite short aswell. i just done my pjft the other day and got weighed in at just under 10 stone. *text deleted* kinda close to the limits for joining.

ive been watchin what i eat, so just cutting out all the fried food and rubbish. but just eating normal. i cant seem to put the weight on when I'm training. and i eat loads. I'm *text deleted* look in to the protein shake i think.

 

If your still increasing with strength and endurance then i wouldn't worry too much about your weight gain, but yeah go for a shake if you want to add a little more weight to your frame...

I cant stop eating the chocolate here since its so much better than home so i see myself putting some fat on rather soon

 

Lee.Just out of interest,whats your daily eating like? Any chance you can give a rough idea of what you eat on a training day?

Its only when you step back and look at what you eat that you can workout if your getting too much/too little.

 

dunno it varies a bit. normal day though. breakfast with cereal and a bananna or similar. then lunch, a couple of ham salad rolls. or tuna bagette thing. it depends. then dinner, big bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. then at night i eat a bit of *text deleted**text deleted*e. like biscuits or sweets. ive stopped drinking, might just get back on the whiskys. I'm sure that ll put on the weight.

thats just an average day. thats not all i eat, just an example. after a big run i normally eat a bit more. i never eat too much before exercise, normally after.

 

I would say your not getting enough food, 3 meals a day should be split into 6 or 4 meals a day and you should start off with portions you can handle and then slowly increase the amount you eat by the sounds of it your not getting enough calories and protein to pick up lean mass. If you want i can find the online articles i read about what you should eat and how to structure the eating and such.

 

Suppliments??

Just wondering about suppliments.

I gym regularly (5 times a week) and i was wondering if i take any suppliments will it show up and effect my application in my medical etc.

The suppliments i am thinking of taking are:

Noxplode this contains creatine

and also thermobol, its a fat burner, i was just wondering that if i do take any of these will they effect my application??

cheers

 

yes but your reps arnt *text deleted* drop by anything dramatic. Youll probably find yourself doing more reps than you would have been doing if you hadnt taken it. but thats just my opinion on supp's, worked for me in the past. Some people say differently

and no to the fat burner, no good for you!

 

I disagree with this thread completely, you should be taking as much Protien as you can get.

See my recently added threads.