Supplements ?

[jared1989]

i recently began training for bud/s i am currently in the Air Force Special forces Tacp and i am wondering about some supplements i take a multivitamin and joint pill in the morning and pre and post workout protein and creatine powder for recovery along with that eating healthy and lots of pt i am seeing great results...anything else i should be taking or doing?

[scskowron]

You're in TACP at age 18? Wow that's young.
Anyhow, check out this link:
http://www.navyseals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156336

Additionally, Kory Knowles from TheSealQuest.com has his own list of recommended supplements. Here it is:

VitaCost Vitamins
HOOAH! Energy Bar, Chocolate Crisp, 15 Pack
HOOAH! Energy Bar, Apple Cinnamon, 15 Pack
Chek Institute
CocoChia Snack Bars - Box of 12
Omega 3 & E
CocoChia - Loose Bag
Super Berry
Super Greens
Source Natural
Multi-vitamin
Amino Acids - This is great for you bones to help prevent stress fractures and to help you sleep better.
Joint Support
Essential Fatty Acids - The benefits are endless.
Wellness Formula - Great to keep the immune system strong.
Coral Calcium/Magnesium - This is great for your bones and will help you sleep.
L-Glutamine - This is great for recovery.
CLA - Great for fat loss.
------
end of list


PS: I don't take any supplements whatsoever. I used to take creatine and whey protein/weight gainer awhile ago and since I stopped, my training has stepped up tremendously and so has my physique. Just something to think about.

[mikev]

Do they let you have joint support type products at BUD/s? I was under the impression that they pretty much ban everything but protein and vitamins. I might be wrong though.

[scskowron]

Do they let you have joint support type products at BUD/s? I was under the impression that they pretty much ban everything but protein and vitamins. I might be wrong though.

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you are only allowed to have individual packets of whey protein, and multivitamins if and only if they have been pre-approved by a corpsman.

[asumtnrbb]

If your'e looking to recover quickly make sure to take a quality BCAA supplement and L-Glutamine regularly. I do believe that GNC's sport version of their men's multi has the BCAA's but I'm not sure about glutamine.

Let's see if V makes it in here for recommendations...likely.

Feed the body what it needs and nothing else. You should almost not have to take anything. Eating right is the key.

[gmt-nyc]

Quick question since I saw this topic, when do you guys like to take your daily multi-v? In the morning with breakfast or at night with dinner? I figure there's pros and cons to each, but was thinking it may be better to take with dinner so the vitamins and minerals can work while you're sleeping. Right now I'm taking mine with breakfast after my morning workout. Thoughts?

[misterdelgado@gmail.com]

Multivitamins and L-glutamine would be the only thing I would take. Creatine is a temporary fix and protein powder will be voided from the body if the body feels it's had enough.

[rsctt83]

For me it Jamba Juice all fruit smoothie with vitimin boost added and a one ounce shot of wheat grass every morning.

[christoph83]

Quick question since I saw this topic, when do you guys like to take your daily multi-v? In the morning with breakfast or at night with dinner? I figure there's pros and cons to each, but was thinking it may be better to take with dinner so the vitamins and minerals can work while you're sleeping. Right now I'm taking mine with breakfast after my morning workout. Thoughts?

With most multiV's they are actually meant for half of the pill to be taken in the morning and half at night. Unless of course you are taking the multi pak ones then I don't know.

[asumtnrbb]

I've been taking a multi-V from GNC now for about 4 years. The directions on the back say to take one in the morning and one at night I believe. Your right about having nutrients while sleeping too, but you have to make sure to halt the catabolic effects that fasting for so long has on you during the night. A multi-V isn't enough for that though, so eat breakfast, don't be a dumb-A.

G

[bigv123]

I see this question quite a bit...certainly even more in my old neck of the woods (body building). The true answer is...it varies from person to person and is very dependent on your individual goals. First and foremost, make sure you understand that BUD/s has some tight regulations regarding supplementation use by trainees (I'm not a BTDT and I'm reciting information from those that are on that).

Next, make sure you're getting the right amount of macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). Whole food is THE best "supplement". Make sure you've got that in order before you start worrying about additional supps.

Water. It's not sexy or cool, but, it can make a HUGE difference in your performance. And, it's really hard to tell when you're in a slightly under-hydrated condition. There are calculators online all over the place that will give you your daily water needs down to the ounce based on body composition and workload.

Now...to the nitty gritty of your post. Get a GOOD multi-vitamin/mineral supp. A regular grocery store brand like Centrum or One-a-Day is OK. But, understand that absorption with those products isn't ideal. There's a good reason those products are as cheep as they are. If you can afford it, there are some outstanding alternatives available. GNC makes a surprisingly excellent offering. And, there are several supplement companies out there they have some outstanding products...but, you're going to pay extra for tht quality.

Meal replacement powders. Certainly not mandatory. But, they make my life a LOT easier. I eat 6 meals a day, and frankly, it would eat up WAY more time in each day if I had to prepare 6 whole food meals each and every day. In addition, in the past 10-15 years, these products have really taken a lead role in supplement quality. Met-Rx and Myoplex being the 2 best that I've personally used. YMMV.

L-Glut. I'm older than a lot of you guys around here so recovery is a much bigger deal for me. L-Glut is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins). It just so happens that about 70% of the protein contained in muscle tissue is L-Glut. Thus, it stands to reason that it makes for an excellent post-workout supp. I mix in about 1 tbsn in each of my meal replacement shakes and put the same amount in my workout drink that I take with me to the gym, or the track.

SCS put up a list earlier in the thread with a lot of good stuff on it. EFAs have to rank high or near the top. Fats are not something you want or even need to avoid guys. Fats are required by the body to perform certain biologic functions. Those fats that the body can't produce from other injested foods are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Perhaps the most important of which are the Omega family. Omega-3, -6, and -9. You can get these from eating fish, or supplementing with fish oil or flaxseed oil. I mix 1 tbsn of a combo flax/fish oil into my 3 daily shakes.

There's nothing really flashy or sexy with the items i've listed here. you can spend a lot of time and money on a whole host of supplements...creatine, nitric oxide products, vanadyl sulfate and other insulin mimicking agents, more fat burners than you can shake a stick at. Some of them have good application here, some don't. Some have tons and tons of clinical data to back them up, others don't. Some can even be dangerous to your health if taken inappropriately.

Another question that was brought up is "When to take your multi?" I take mine twice a day. In the morning right after my cardio and then again in the evening with my post-workout shake. A period of about 60 minutes after a rigorous workout, the body will be in a state of "super-absorption" and utilization. You'll not only be replenishing your depleted stores more quickly, you'll do it more efficiently.

Hope this helped.
V

[jason12]

Quick question regarding the multi.... I just recently switched to a GNC multi over the crappy generic grocery store brand i was taking, and i noticed 1 thing right off the bat, my pee looks like someone dropped a bucket of neon yellow paint in my bladder. Is it normal for it to be this color? I wasn't sure if it was due to lack of water intake or somethin but i'm drinking about a gallon a day. Just curious.

[gmt-nyc]

Quick question regarding the multi.... I just recently switched to a GNC multi over the crappy generic grocery store brand i was taking, and i noticed 1 thing right off the bat, my pee looks like someone dropped a bucket of neon yellow paint in my bladder. Is it normal for it to be this color? I wasn't sure if it was due to lack of water intake or somethin but i'm drinking about a gallon a day. Just curious.

That's normal at first, but if it is always a bright neon yellow you need to drink more water. Urine is becomes clearer the more hydrated you are, and yellower the more dehydrated you become. I believe the neon yellow is mainly due to excess vitamin B being excreted that the body doesn't need, but BigV, DiveDoc, Rsctt or others more knowledgeable can probably provide a much more detailed explanation.

[blownbird]

Hey V

What do you think about the CytoSport products? IE Cytogainer

[aj1953]

I take mine in the morning, otherwise it disturb my sleep pattern.

[asumtnrbb]

Hey V

What do you think about the CytoSport products? IE Cytogainer

Bird,
I've personally used almost all of the cytosport products including cytogainer and all of the muscle milk products. Personally I really see no increased effects from using the cytosport products compared to my normal protein blends. Ive been using syntha-6 and truemass now for over 2 years and I can say ive made more gains with those two than with the cytosport. Theres a reason why true-mass is the protein powder of the year.

Of course this is all from personal experience, V might have some bigger words for you to swallow but he's definitely got an answer somewhere.

-G

[bigv123]

What do you think about the CytoSport products? IE Cytogainer

Differentiating one product in the supplement market place from another is a difficult task to say the least. Part of the problem is creating a "level playing field" from which to make an objective determination. How do I ensure that the goal(s) I'm using to measure the "quality" of these products is/are the same from 1 cycle to the next? And, what about the test subject(s)? Haven't they also changed to some extent. As Heraclitus said some 2500 years ago, "In the same river we step and we do not step". Point being, we're effectively trying to test with several moving targets.

I CAN say that I've used Cytogainer and MuscleMilk for about the past 12 months with good results. Cytogainer fills a specific need position in my diet. To balance my protein/carbs/fats the way I want to, I need a supp that delivers protein and carbs in roughly equal ratios...with some quality fats thrown in as well. Cytogainer does that for me. MuscleMilk also fits a very specific need for me. Right before bed, I need to feed my body some slow digesting protein source that will keep my body from getting too catabolic by the time I wake up in the morning. Casein is a great, slow-digesting protein that does just that. It's utilization, and thus its BV, is lower than other sources *cough*whey*cough* but that's a small price to pay imho. MuscleMilk also gives you a NICE array of fats as well.

I like both products very much. But, are they better or worse than Product X, Y, or Z?? *shrug* There are probably dozens of products out on the market that would work as well if not better imo. But, keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another, ymmv. To give you an idea of what I personally do, here's the shake I have post-workout:

1 Met-Rx
1 Scoop Cytogainer
1 Scoop MuscleMilk
1 Scoop ON Gold 100% Whey Protein
1/2 tbsn Glutamine
1/2 tbsn Omega Twin Oil (think: combo fish/flaxseed oil)

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to anyone here. Most of you guys are young and considerably smaller than I am. This works for me.

V

[blownbird]

I agree with what works for one may not for the other. Ive tried other supplements and haven't gotten the wanted results as i have with the Cytogainer.
The MuscleMilk made me bloated and gassy as hell for some reason. The Cytogainer just seemed to be a good pick me up after a hard PT session, must be the "pre digested whey peptides" hahaha
Thanks for the input V

[leahy_j]

i used to take only creatine and protein a while ago, then i started training for bud/s and stopped taking creatine. then my mentor said it's not even worth it with the protein. he said "if you think your body needs something, eat".....i figure if i can perform great without these things, i'll be better off......"don't shoot me Akbar, i haven't had my creatine today!"

[blownbird]

When u have two jobs and are training at the same time, it makes it hard to prepare a meal. If you have the time then by all means eat. If you can focus on just training and not working twelve hours a day then train, eating and other "must take care of" activities become more available