# Supplements the basics.



## Jason (Jan 9, 2008)

If you don&#8217;t know the difference between whey protein and casein protein, you might be a first-time supplement user. If you think NO is an effective way to tell your kid or dog to stop what he&#8217;s doing, you might be a first-time supplement user. If you&#8217;re reading this article, you might be a first-time supplement user. 

Don&#8217;t worry &#8212; being considered a first-time supplement user isn&#8217;t as demeaning as being considered a redneck. In fact, we&#8217;re glad you finally recognized the benefits that supplements provide as you pursue your bodybuilding goals. Allow us to walk you through the basics of supplement science to give you the know-how to build your first stack. You&#8217;ll be an expert in no time, armed with the knowledge to create more advanced stacks as you progress in ability and experience. The following seven supplements are all you&#8217;ll need to add mass, maintain energy and stay healthy. 

*Arginine*
Arginine is an amino acid that&#8217;s readily converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the body. NO is involved in many physical processes, but the most vital to you is vasodilation, which is the process that increases blood flow to muscles, allowing better delivery of nutrients and oxygen. Arginine can boost growth hormone levels as well. Dose: Take 3&#8211;5 grams on an empty stomach in the morning, before workouts and before bed. 

*Creatine*We&#8217;ll keep it short since you can read everything you need to know about creatine on pages 128&#8211;129. Creatine is an amino acid-like supplement that provides the quick energy you need for powerful muscle contractions, such as when lifting weights. It also allows your muscles to hold more water, making them fuller and stronger, which ultimately stimulates additional growth.
Dose: Take 3&#8211;5 grams before and after workouts. 

*HMB *
One of the best supplements for true beginners is beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). It&#8217;s a metabolite of leucine, the most essential of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs); however, it&#8217;s considered to be a more effective form of leucine. Supplementing with HMB prevents muscle breakdown, encourages muscle growth and aids fat-burning processes in the body. Research shows it&#8217;s very effective at increasing muscle mass and strength in beginner-level trainees, but it may be less effective in more experienced lifters.
Dose: Take 1&#8211;3 grams with food in the morning, before and after workouts, and before bed. 

*Whey Protein*
If there&#8217;s one supplement every bodybuilder needs &#8212; regardless of experience &#8212; it&#8217;s whey protein powder. Taken before and after workouts, this fast-digesting protein provides the amino acids required to build muscle protein at the most critical time for growth. Whey is a good source of the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine. Leucine, a key stimulator of protein synthesis, starts the processes for building muscle protein and uses the other aminos as the building blocks for making more. Dose: Take 20 grams before workouts and another 20&#8211;40 grams after workouts. 

*Glutamine *
Glutamine happens to be one of the most plentiful amino acids found in the human body. Not only is it crucial for recovery and muscle growth, but it also buffers the fatigue-inducing chemicals that form during intense exercise. By delaying fatigue, you can bang out more reps. In addition, glutamine is essential for normal digestion and immune function. Supplementing with it protects your muscles from being broken down for fuel by your body to access the stored glutamine.
Dose: Start with 2&#8211;3 grams and work up slowly to 5 grams, taken in the morning, before and after workouts and before bed. 

*Multivitamin/Mineral*
Whatever your level of training experience, you must take a multivitamin/mineral supplement. It may not sound sexy, but building muscle requires adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to do the work. Even if you eat a healthful diet, you still need to take a multi because vitamin and mineral contents of many foods have declined significantly due to modern farming practices. In addition, hard training depletes stores of certain vitamins and minerals. Choose one that contains the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals and provides 100% of the daily value (DV) of most of these. 
Dose: Take one dose with food twice a day. You may also want to consider taking some extra B vitamins, such as a B complex, as well as the antioxidant vitamins C and E. The B vitamins are important for proper protein and fat metabolism, while vitamins C and E scavenge free radicals, protecting your muscles and the rest of your body from cellular damage. Try a B complex that provides 50 mg of B1 and B6, and 50 mcg of B12. Take 500&#8211;1,000 mg of Vitamin C twice a day, and 400&#8211;800 IU of Vitamin E once daily, both with food. 

*Fish Oil*
Fish oil supplements containing the essential omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent muscle breakdown, help regenerate and grow muscle, enhance joint tissue rebuilding and encourage fat loss. Eating fatty fish like salmon several times a week may provide all the omega-3s you need, but concerns about the levels of mercury and PCBs (a mixture of individual chemicals found in the environment that are related to several health problems) in fish have caused many people to cut back on their fish intake. The good news is that a recent study found no traces of either in more than 40 brands of fish oil supplements.
Dose: Each day, take 2&#8211;6 grams in two divided doses with food. M&F 

TALE OF TWO STACKS
Just because you may be a supplement beginner doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;re a beginner in the gym. These two first-time stacks are designed with your lifting experience in mind. 

Old-Timer Stack
Why did you wait so long to give supplements a try? Whatever your reason, here you are with significant lifting experience but a lack of supplement savvy. This stack includes whey protein, a multivitamin/mineral, fish oil, creatine, glutamine and arginine. The only thing missing is HMB. Most research supports the effectiveness of HMB in beginning lifters, but the gains seem to be less impressive with experienced trainees. However, some anecdotal evidence suggests that when HMB is taken in higher doses (3&#8211;5 grams in the morning, before and after workouts and before bed), it&#8217;s very effective even in highly trained lifters. We suggest sticking with this stack for a couple of months before adding HMB so you can better gauge how effective it is for you. 
Supplement Dose 
Whey Protein 20 g preworkout 20&#8211;40 g postworkout 
Creatine 3&#8211;5 g pre- and postworkout 
Arginine 3&#8211;5 g morning, preworkout and before bed 
Glutamine 2&#8211;3 g* in the morning, pre- and postworkout and before bed 
Multivitamin/mineral 1 dose with breakfast and dinner 
Fish Oil 1&#8211;3 g with breakfast and lunch 
* Work up to 5 g over several weeks. 

The Green Stack
For those of you just beginning a lifting program who want to start stacking supplements right away, this one is for you. It includes HMB, a supplement found to be very effective in beginner lifters, as well as a multivitamin/ mineral, whey protein and arginine.
The most surprising part of this stack may be what&#8217;s not included: Creatine isn&#8217;t present because you&#8217;ll make significant gains in your first six months of training anyway; use it when your gains have slowed and you want a boost in size and strength. You won&#8217;t find glutamine, either, because your training intensity likely isn&#8217;t high enough to deplete your muscles of this critical amino acid. Nor will you take fish oil at this time: While it protects joints and enhances their healing, as well as prevents muscle breakdown, you&#8217;re probably not lifting heavy enough yet to warrant its use. 

Supplement Dose 
Whey Protein 20 g preworkout 20&#8211;40 g postworkout 
Arginine 3&#8211;5 g morning, preworkout and before bed 
HMB 1&#8211;3 g with food in the morning, pre- and postworkout and before bed 
Multivitamin/ mineral 1 dose with breakfast and dinner 

Info on Arginine L-Arginine - What You Need to Know About L-Arginine Arginine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Info on Glutamine L-Glutamine Basics - Preserve Lean Muscle Mass With Glutamine Glutamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Info on Whey Protein Bodybuilding Supplements - Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics Whey protein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Info on Creatine Creatine - What You Need to Know About Creatine 
Creatine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 


Info on Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


From here YOUR FIRST SUPPLEMENT STACK - Nutrition - Muscle and Fitness


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## halsinden (Jan 9, 2008)

Jason said:


> If you dont know the difference between whey protein and casein protein, you might be a first-time supplement user. If you think NO is an effective way to tell your kid or dog to stop what hes doing, you might be a first-time supplement user. If youre reading this article, you might be a first-time supplement user.
> 
> Dont worry  being considered a first-time supplement user isnt as demeaning as being considered a redneck. In fact, were glad you finally recognized the benefits that supplements provide as you pursue your bodybuilding goals. Allow us to walk you through the basics of supplement science to give you the know-how to build your first stack. Youll be an expert in no time, armed with the knowledge to create more advanced stacks as you progress in ability and experience. The following seven supplements are all youll need to add mass, maintain energy and stay healthy.
> 
> ...




good post, chap. certainly beats the wade-through of insults, name calling and n00b flaming that most will encounter on the bodybuilding.com forum in pursuit of the same. we can be a little strange over on that site.

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those considering stacks that include *arginine* may also wish to consider taking *ornithine* at the same time, and there are now a number of very good, affordable & generally available supplements that combine both.

as someone who is currently using this combination (in conjunction with co-enzyme Q10 and some standard form tribulus), i can confirm that the results are in a roundabout way the closest you'll naturally get to producing a peak in growth hormone if taken at the correct times.

*TESTOSTERONE: CYCLING & STACKING*
in general, most male (and in some respects, female) gym users should consider that the human body will offer a natural peak of testosterone first thing in the morning (if you work a day job; about 7am) and again but slightly less profound in the late afternoon.

with this in mind, anyone wishing to exploit their testosterone levels for cardiovascular and/or hypertrophic training should consider these peaks when planning when to take your relevant supplements such as zinc, tribulus, ZMT, arginine etc.

*growth hormone *(the secretion most prevalent during puberty and the reason your bones & muscles grow) acts in a slightly similar fashion, except your biggest peak will be about an hour before waking up from a normal night's sleep (8 hours).

what i'm getting at is that your supplement intake can be put to best use if timed well. don't cram your mouth with your whole day's fill in one sitting, but think about when your body needs what you're giving it most.


...hmm, enjoyed writing that.

H


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## Mattmc74 (Mar 28, 2008)

Great info!


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 13, 2008)

yeah, thanks a lot! Off to GNC..


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## philkilla (Jun 15, 2008)

I have a question about Glutamine.

I'm training up for SF Selection, so I do a lot of strenuous exercises...i.e., long road marches (5 miles and up) with 40-50 lb. backpack at a 13-14 mile pace.

Lots of running and weight training as well. I train 6 days a week basically. 

So if I start taking Glutamine, than get off before I get to selection, are there going to be problems? Will I become more exhausted from exercise or will it traing my body to naturally cope with the extra stress? (When I get there, it is not going to be easy)

When I get to selection, there are no supplements allowed


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## willith (Nov 11, 2008)

halsinden said:


> good post, chap. certainly beats the wade-through of insults, name calling and n00b flaming that most will encounter on the bodybuilding.com forum in pursuit of the same. we can be a little strange over on that site.



Brah, I can tell you now- you are going to get flamed HARD on bb.com for what you posted below:


> -------------------------
> 
> 
> *TESTOSTERONE: CYCLING & STACKING*
> ...



Your wording is boderline dangerous. You're talking about T, cycling and stacking- which is WAY beyond anything that should be in "supplements-the basics". Those things aren't even for supplements- that's AAS. 
Growth hormone needs no mention here either. Your body produces it in your sleep- but under a supplement section- and I have seen this before, and you should know this if you frequent the bb.com forums- Teens can easily mis-interpret this as you saying "it's ok to take HGH" or other pro-hormones. 

And ZMT isn't a supplement- you meant ZMA. You left out the important aspects of taking some of these supps- like with ZMA for example- you can't take it within about a 60-120 min time frame of having Milk or other dairy because of how it bonds to calcium. 


I just wanted to update this because I don't know how many have already read it or will read it in the future.....

what's your handle on bb?


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## Jason (Feb 25, 2009)

philkilla said:


> I have a question about Glutamine.
> 
> I'm training up for SF Selection, so I do a lot of strenuous exercises...i.e., long road marches (5 miles and up) with 40-50 lb. backpack at a 13-14 mile pace.
> 
> ...




Wow. I just seen this. You will be fine Phil.

[action=Jason]realises this is way too late [/action]


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## Evergrey (Jan 23, 2012)

Nice job. Thank you.


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## AngstRiddenDreams (Feb 12, 2012)

Been taking Whey Protein and Creatine for a month now, strength gains are evident. Hit 270 in bench on Friday! Not too bad for being only 15.


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## MetalGravy (Mar 25, 2012)

Any particular brand of multivitamin or fish oil that you want to recommend?


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