Supplements - Yes or No?

GavH

Been using Maximuscle Viper as my carb drink on the long rides for a while now as well as the occasional Promax or Viper Extreme bar as a post ride recovery type thing. It got me wondering, does anyone here use supplements OTHER than carb based ones like the gels and the drink mixes either for weight loss, improved power/strength/endurance/recovery or whatever?

drummer

I've beenn using this carb drink and it is BY FAR the BEST one I've ever used!

No indigestion!
No repeating!
No sickly flavours!
No loas of dodgy ingrediants!

CNP PRO FUEL.

It is flavourless and has only 1 ingrediant. TRY THIS DRINK!! (It comes in a tub of powder which you add to water)

Again after trying many different recovery drinks I have gone for CNP PRO RECOVER.
It has simple ingrediants, no aftertaste or sicly taste to it.

wheeler585

Yeah i use protein milkshakes post rides, and use l glutamine pre and post rides, stops me getting fatigued after hard training rides and races.

gkerr4

yes - I also use protein shakes to ensure I have the right level of protein in my diet.

I also use L Glutamine in powder form and when I am doing a lot of weight training I use creatine too.

wheeler585

How do you get on with the Glutamine ?

gkerr4

i think it helps recovery from a hard session - particularly the weights to be honest - although I feel it benefits me after hard interval sessions on the bike too (- which probably slip into anaerobic too)

certainly I think it helps avoid muscle aches and DOMS

hard to say how good it is - but it often gets a good write-up - i've heard it quoted as "the most effective supplement you can take", and at £2 for 100g from myprotein I think it is worth a go.

there is some evidence that it can help people avoid colds / fevers at this time of year too - although it required quite a high dose a I recollect - like 20g / day (i currently take about 5g / day)

wheeler585

Yeah ive noticed a big difference whilst using it, thought it was physcological at first, but it really helps me train harder and consistently!! Ive noticed that some nights i wake up sweating ha, come to the conclusion that this is the glutamine speeding up my metabolism.

Regarding it keeping away colds/ man flu, i would have to agree with this as i have been taking glutamine for 2 yrs now, and havnt even had a cold or sniffle.

You want Bulgrarian tribulus, that will sort you out!!

Gav888

I used to use Creatine whilst working out to give me that extra bit of energy, no idea if taking that would work on a bike?

Gavin Gilbert

Gav888 wrote:

I used to use Creatine whilst working out to give me that extra bit of energy, no idea if taking that would work on a bike?

it bulks muscle out by retaining water, so won't give a typical cyclist any advantage and would probably adversely effect performance.

I use Torq recovery formula after hard sessions to refuel, it really does cut down on the aches and hunger after an epic ride. I also use Fish Oil as a general supplement, CLA to help with fat burning, and ZMA to boost testosterone levels. The later 2 because at 42 I'm knocking on a bit and need to give Mother Nature a leg up.

mclarent

Actually, creatine is stored mainly as phosphocreatine in muscles, although weight gain through water retention is a known side-effect. It's mainly used for generating energy rapidly during short duration high intensity activity, like sprinting or weight lifting. Usage allegedly prolongs the maximal power output, speeds recovery between high intensity activity (i.e. sprints / lifts), as well as increasing body mass. In short, probably useful for Trackies, but not so much for distance cyclists. Also, reportedly taking the supplements doesn't work for everyone!!

Alex_Simmons/RST

gkerr4 wrote:

i think it helps recovery from a hard session - particularly the weights to be honest - although I feel it benefits me after hard interval sessions on the bike too (- which probably slip into anaerobic too)

certainly I think it helps avoid muscle aches and DOMS

hard to say how good it is - but it often gets a good write-up - i've heard it quoted as "the most effective supplement you can take", and at £2 for 100g from myprotein I think it is worth a go.

there is some evidence that it can help people avoid colds / fevers at this time of year too - although it required quite a high dose a I recollect - like 20g / day (i currently take about 5g / day)

Can you post the references for the evidence?

I can't find any evidence via a PubMed search supporting its efficacy or ergogenic properties . I have found a study showing it had no effect on cycling performance but it was a supplement component along with other amino acid ingredients.

This item from the AIS is a pretty useful summary. Basically, why would you bother? Just eat good food in the right quantities and get good sleep.

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition ... /glutamine

Finally, I would caution against using any supplement unless you really know what's in it. So much crap being marketed out there, and believe me, some of these supplements contain added "bonuses" which are on the WADA prohibited substances list (and are usually the real reason why they may "work").

gkerr4

i don't have any evidence no - why should i? i was talking about my own experiences!

the "wards off illness" theory comes from this months "cycling weekly - health and fitness for winter cyclists" magazine.

as for WADA testing - well I don't compete in any event where I am likely to be tested so as long as it gives results why would i care about that!!

shockedsoshocked

Protein shake post ride and before bed.

Post ride purely because I can't often stomach anything solid for a couple of hours and it tides me over nicely.

Couple that with a healthy diet and it's fine.

rich g

Post ride Milk as good as anything.

GavH

Has anyone used the 'Fat Burners' such as Thermobol, Hydroxycut etc etc? How do they perform?
Seems there is a lot to be said for Protein straight after a ride, are people just using run of the mill Why protein such as sold in Holland & Barret or are you going for something a bit more 'upmarket' such as the Maximuscle or Met Rx type brands?

Gavin Gilbert

GavH wrote:

Has anyone used the 'Fat Burners' such as Thermobol, Hydroxycut etc etc? How do they perform?
Seems there is a lot to be said for Protein straight after a ride, are people just using run of the mill Why protein such as sold in Holland & Barret or are you going for something a bit more 'upmarket' such as the Maximuscle or Met Rx type brands?

I used the minimum dose of Thermobol for 2 days as a control experiment (my GF at the time was researching an article for a rowing magazine). By lunchtime on the 2nd day It had put my blood pressure upto 120psi and I had to be whisked off to the A&E Department as my GP was pretty sure I was in line for a heart attack. It was a very nasty experience. I suspect I'm sensitive to the stuff - I didn't get on with speed during my partying days either... :oops:

A carb & protein mix is far better after a ride than protein alone. The protein is to help the body absorb the carbs; the general consensus is that a ratio of 3:1 carb to protein works best, and that there is a limited window to consume this after exercise (within 20 minutes, but I neck a bottle of Torq before putting the bike away)

There's little functional advantage to premium brand whey over the cheap brands. I've a tub of Body Fortress under my office desk and I keep on repeating that to myself each time I force the foul stuff down me.

gkerr4

not sure about the fat burners you mention - CLA seems to get a good write up and can be taken either as a supplement or through drinking green tea.

as for protein - even the holland and barrett stuff is overpriced and the branded stuff seems outragous. I tend to use Myprotein.co.uk which seems decent quality whey for £10.50 / kilo - it stacks up a bit when you add a flavour and a tub but still only around the £12 mark and then your refills are cheaper.

I use whey for post-workout and casein based protein for night-time as it is meant to be slower digested to drip feed the muscles as you sleep. I try and get around 1g / lb of bodyweight - so currently around 170lbs or protein a day - which is bloody difficult from diet alone but a single protein shake adds 30g to my intake.

Gavin Gilbert

gkerr4 wrote:

not sure about the fat burners you mention - CLA seems to get a good write up and can be taken either as a supplement or through drinking green tea.

I may have got the science wrong here....but CLA is a 'fat transporter' whereas the fat burners work by increasing the metabolic rate.

gkerr4

Gavin Gilbert wrote:

gkerr4 wrote:

not sure about the fat burners you mention - CLA seems to get a good write up and can be taken either as a supplement or through drinking green tea.

I may have got the science wrong here....but CLA is a 'fat transporter' whereas the fat burners work by increasing the metabolic rate.

i'm sure you are right - I was meaning CLA or thermo-stuff as a supplement to deal with body fat - whatever the mechanism.

your experience on thermo-stuff scares me enough to ensure that I will never try it!!

Alex_Simmons/RST

gkerr4 wrote:

i don't have any evidence no - why should i? i was talking about my own experiences!

the "wards off illness" theory comes from this months "cycling weekly - health and fitness for winter cyclists" magazine.

as for WADA testing - well I don't compete in any event where I am likely to be tested so as long as it gives results why would i care about that!!

You mentioned "some evidence" so I was wondering what that evidence was. Thought there might have been something new/worthwhile reading. Clearly not.

If you want to injest stuff without actually knowing what is really in it or what the effects actually are, then it's a free world, go right ahead. I certainly wouldn't be giving such advice though.

It had occured to me that some people don't consider WADA prohibited substances as being of relevance to them, since they may not ever intend to compete.

While it is true that there is a distinction between those prohibited substances that are ergogenic and those that pose a potential health risk (and those that are simply illegal), I'm not sure one should be mucking about with such things. There's usually a good health reason why such things are banned for competitive use.

mclarent

A friend of mine, very much into his weight training (power lifting), recently recanted having spent £40 or so in Holland and Barret on various supplements. I was sceptical, and whilst he could tell me what the theory was behind each one of them, remain so. To my mind, the main supplements for cycling (for the average guy like me) seem to be extra carbs and protein, mainly during or immediately post exercise (although happy to be corrected!).

Whilst I would like to believe that I could get significant benefits from taking a selection of pills, I'm very much of the opinion that unless you really understand what you're taking and why (from a scientific point, not annecdotal) then you're probably better off sticking to what's known. And of course, that fits well with my inner control freak...