Which supplement?

Which supplement would you use?

Whey protein

NO 2

Xyience

Explain your choice.

whey protein - sounded the most natural.

whey protein - sounded the most natural.

Well it the most natuaral but I really want to find which one has the shortest recovery time.

I personally use a stacking scenario. There's several important compounds you'll want to consider (I assume you're doing weight training.)

- Whey protein is great -- it's most effective when taken about an hour after your workout, but it's best consumed several times throughout the day (make sure you buy a brand that mixes easily with milk or water, as you may not always have a blender at the ready.) I usually like to consume mine alongside something with a reasonable amount of carbs as well (to help provide the energy for the muscles to utilize the protein.) Protein is, of course, a key component in aiding muscle repair and recovery.

- Something with a balance of amino acids (as key building blocks of protein, they aid in the manufacture and effective utilization of protein by the muscles.) I'm drawing a blank right now as to the key components in that NO2 or Xyience, but suffice it to say, if it's an Argenine/Glutamine etc. complex, it should go a ways to cover your amino acid needs.

- And of course Creatine. This is a debated supplement, but the general opinion is that people DO notice a difference with it. While there aren't really any conclusive results from long-term studies into the usage of the substance, it IS naturally manufactured by the body, so it's assumed that supplementation should be safe (follow the instructions for your particular brand.) Creatine is great because it's like stamina for your muscles. You'll find creatine allows you to push through a few extra reps at a little more weight (since supplementation increases the muscles natural store of the chemical, which once used up by the muscle, takes time to replenish -- hence the effectiveness of supplementing.) The two important types of Creatine are Monohydrate (usually found in drink mix form) and Ethyl Ester (usually found in pill form.) Monohydrate is probably more popular, but it's designed to bind with water molecules in your body, and hence any that isn't absorbed by the muscles just sits around outside of them, causing what is known as "the bloat". Some people like this, because it makes them look bigger -- but it's not actual muscle mass, and given time it will absorb and disappear. Ethyl Ester is designed to bond with fat molecules (esterized), and hence is more readily absorbed and utilized by the muscles. In addition, sonce it doesn't bond with water molecules, it won't sit around outside the muscle causing bloat. I personally use Ethyl Ester, but everyone's got their own preference. (Don't bother with Monohydrate pills -- they're not worth the cost due to the amount you have to consume to get the same affect as a couple glasses of drink mix.)

Beyond that I have a full regimine of supplements and vitamins that I take. And of course the key component -- a balanced diet. BTW, you don't have to spend the big bucks at places like GNC and whatnot. I get all my stuff at the evil Walmart (they have a decent selection) and I'm sure pharmacies are generally more affordable as well.

Does it all work for me? I think so. This is the second time I've been involved in an exercise program (I went pretty regularly for a while about half a decade ago) and I DEFINITELY notice a lot more progress this time around (I wasn't tapping into protein and supplements the first time.) I guess if you want a definitive answer as to the best choice, using one and ONLY one supplement, I'd definitely go with the Whey protein, hands down. Protein is such an important ingredient in effective muscle growth, it can't be overstated enough.

Thanks. That was a very detailed answer but I guess I should specify:

We all know what whey protein is.

NO 2 is nitric oxide which I'm actually researching into what it is exactly now and Im hoping someone can impart some knowledge on me about this one.

Xyience NOX CG 3 is a blend of creatine and amino acids, "Three intense creatines (Creatine Ethyl Ester, Creatine Alpha-Ketoglutarate, and Tri-Creatine Malate), three extreme Arginines (Arginine HCl , Arginine Ketoisocaproate, Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate) and three unstoppable glutamines (Glutamine HCl , Glutamine Alpha-Ketoglutarate, N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine )", this the list of ingredients from their webiste.

Good post above. For some great info, I suggest checking out www.discussbodybuilding.com they have an entire section devoted to supplements too, which is great.

I'll just toss in my .02

First off, a good multivitamin and diet are key. If you aren't eating right, no amount of supplements is going to do you much good.

hey, obviously, should be part of pretty much any athlete's diet. You should be aiming for 1g of protein per lb you weigh, and that is difficult to do without consuming alot of carbs and/or cholestoral too, so whey is a pretty obvious solution.

no2 is good for blood flow, which helps with muscle rebuilding, and also the your pump, plus some brands, like no-explode come with trace amounts of creatine, which actually may help you lift a bit more. Some people love it, some people think it's worthless. It's good for bulking up, but not so much for cutting. I personally would say give it a shot. Also many find that this makes you need to urinate more often.

Creatine, you use in cycles. I'm sure you are probably pretty familiar with this too. Allows you to lift more, and speeds recovery. However you need to drink extra water for absorbtion, and as a result, you retain extra water weight. But yes, obviously it leads to noticeable results. And I'd recommend it.

BAAs, basic ammino acids are good to take as well. They are the basis of protein, and are great to add into whey shakes.

One last thing, I recommend, fish oil. Comes with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are great for the heart, brain, etc, and help lower cholestoral as well.

Oh, and one other thing. You don't need to spend hundreds at GNC every month, just because the UFC fighters are sponsored by Xyience, doesn't mean it's the best, it jsut means it has the best marketing scheme. I get alot of my supplements online or even at Walmart (body fortress brand...god I hate to admit that), for much cheaper, and they do just fine.

Oh, and one other thing. You don't need to spend hundreds at GNC every month, just because the UFC fighters are sponsored by Xyience, doesn't mean it's the best, it jsut means it has the best marketing scheme. I get alot of my supplements online or even at Walmart (body fortress brand...god I hate to admit that), for much cheaper, and they do just fine.

Haha. Another boxstore bodybuilder :iceslolan I've been into the Six Star brand myself for a while (both their Advanced Whey Protein mix and Creatine Ethyl Ester supplements.) I have a few friends who are very much into Body Fortress. I refuse to spend the big bucks at a GNC or Vitamin World -- I just can't justify that kind of expenditure, especially when you compare the labels to find out that they're all really no different from each other.

As far as that Xyience supplement, it sounds like it's a hybrid Creatine/Amino Acid product. It can't hurt to give it a try. As previously mentioned, I just buy my Creatine and Amino Acids individually so I can better monitor what I'm consuming (and it's probably still less expensive than the Xyience line of products) but everyone's got a preference.

I wasn't sure if that NO2 you had mentioned was some sort of combination product or the actual chemical Nitrous Oxide (in supplement form.) After doing some research I don't know about NO2 -- it doesn't seem to have much research or scientific backing behind it
http://www.ast-ss.com/articles/article.asp?AID=117
If you want to give it a try, by all means let us know if you see results. Creatine supplementation was a stretch for me, but it does have several decades of research and experimentation backing it. Until there is more scientific backing, I wouldn't pay much credence to claims for Nitrous Oxide (even if it did work as advertised -- I don't know that I'd want to be walking around in a state of permi-pump every day.) :2cents:

I will never believe an article that solely bashes or supports a supplement. The whole time I read that, it sounded very bias to me. I mean, they do back it with some scientific evidence, but so do the people who say it doesnt work. And I dont think anyone here is a scientist so we are easily lied to. I know one person who used it and he swears by it. Im still considering it but Im leaning more towards taking a blend of protein and amino acids. It seems to me that muscles need protein and amino acids help protein synthesis so it sounds like a match to me. If I do try the NO2, it will be the beginning of next month and I'll let you know how it goes.

I personally think you should use whey protein. Working out is nothing without a proper diet, protein is paramount when you're trying to build muscle. whey is the best whey (get it?) to do this without adding alot of calories.

anything that will help your body work better will help you see more gains and more strenth. multivitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. should be part of your diet. if you can't get the proper nutrition, get suppliments.

As far as creatine and NOX go, you don't need them, especially in the early stages. They help many people, not all but many people report gains, but why spend the extra money on something that you aren't sure will work. if you make all kinds of changes to your diet and notice changes, you wont know if they're from the protein, the creatine, or whatever else you're taking.

I think you should deffinitly get the protein regardless of what else you're taking, then when you hit a plateau or your gains start to taper off, start using the other products, then you'll see if they work for you.

right now i'm not using anything other than my typical diet supplements and protein but i'm thinking of starting on creatine and NO2 after the fall rowing season. i won't be trying to build muscle until then, just working on improving strength and endurance. after that i want to build up to 210 lbs and lean out, up from my 190-195lbs now.

whatever you decide, post your results, i'm interested in seeing what changes they make