Definately agree!Originally Posted by BMWGraeme
The balance with what you put in, what you do with it and what you get out of it is key to your health
The supplements market is packed full of strange potions and powders that make big promises and usually deliver little if any results.
That said however, if you are trying to put on muscle, then you do need to increase your protein and creatine intake. This can come from natural sources (chicken/tuna etc for protein, and beef etc for creatine).
A healthy diet is great, but most people don't realise how much extra you have to eat to put muscle on. Ignore my curent physique for a moment as I did do a number of years of 'proper training' when I was younger, and was fortunate enough to do a training nutrition course as well. It's actually quite difficult (and expensive!) to eat what you are supposed to eat every day (yes - every day!) to actually lose weight and put on muscle at the recommended rates.
Here's an example diet plan (supplement free) that you would follow if you want to do it properly....
Wake 6.30 am Strong black tea / coffee
40-50 mins low intensity cardio
7.30 breakfast Porridge: 30g oats + skimmed milk + tsp sugar
3 egg whites + 1 egg yolk scrambled
200ml fresh fruit juice
10.00 100g chicken breast
2 oatcakes
Fruit
Mug green tea
12.30 180g tuna or mackerel salmon or chicken breast
30g wholemeal pasta or basmati rice
Large mixed salad
Mug green tea
15.00 100g chicken breast
2 oatcakes
Fruit
Mug green tea
45 mins pre-workout 20g whey protein powder in water
2 oatcakes
Banana
Drink water
45 mins intense weight training
Immediately post workout 40g whey protein powder + 5g glutamine in water
Evening meal
60 mins later 150g lean red meat or 180g salmon steak
40g wholemeal pasta or 40g basmati rice or 2-3 small boiled new potatoes
Large serving mixed vegetables
Bedtime 200g cottage cheese
The only supplement (and protein isn't really a supplement - it's a base part of a training diet) is before & after weights, to help your body re-build what it's lost through the tearing of the muscle fibres during weights. And if you don't need protein to recover, you haven't been lifting heavy enough weights!
If anyone is interested in reading more on the subject, I use another forum called muscletalk. It's a bit like WBers for people who train (ie it's mostly friendly people and a good atmosphere!). There are loads of good articles on there, about everything from diet plans, fat burners, steroid use (they don't encourage it, but they do give you factual info, not the goverment created rubbish you get from Frank) to training ideas, how to improve physique etc.
Worth a look if you're at all interested in any of this.
