Ahh... something I can talk with a certain degree of authority on! It's funny because I just ran across some pictures of me before I started working out. (Before:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/scooterboogie/Pictures%20of%20Me/skinnyscott_canoe.jpg (140 lbs.) and after:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/scooterboogie/Pictures%20of%20Me/jan20th2007.jpg, (170 lbs, 13% body fat) for shits and giggles)
Anyway, I'm not some crazy bodybuilder (as you can see), but I've been experimenting with supplements for a while and have an idea of what I like and what works for me.
Rule #1) Work out consistently! Make it part of your lifestyle. Otherwise all the supplements you buy don't mean a thing.
Rule #2) Protein, protein, protein! If you can only afford one supplement, make it protein powder.
CREATINEThat said, I have used creatine products for a while. I was using them back when they had ephedra, and they were great! Too great, really, because the ephedra made my heart race too much and it freaked me out, so I stopped. I gained about 10 lbs on it, and I think most of it was water weight.
I stopped using creatine for a while and started again, with BSN's CellMass. CellMass is supposed to be the best out there, because they use the Creatine ethyl ester and not just creatine monohydrate (someone mentioned the diff. before), and because it's so low in calories (40 per serving). However, some people argue that creatine doesn't get absorbed as well by your body unless you have a big insulin spike, so I've been using Muscletech's CellTech Hardcore. (Man, they have stupid names for these products) It has 75 grams of dextrose per serving, which I have to be cautious with, since I'm prone to hypoglycemia.
Nevertheless, since I started using creatine again, I can't tell a difference - at all. My roommate swears by it, but he buys into the marketing a lot also, and the pseudo-science in the 4-page advertisements these companies have. He's always buying the latest and "greatest" supplements. Some people really respond to creatine, though. I just don't.
So why do I still have creatine? Well, a guy I know has a girlfriend that manages the local GNC, so... I kinda have the hookup. People return products all the time, or products get damaged in shipping or stocking, and it ends up in my kitchen. Once I get through the supply I have, though, I'm not taking anymore.
PROTEINProtein is the best, most essential supplement, by far. Work out consistently, your body will need more protein to repair the muscles that you've been tearing apart than your normal diet can provide. It's the cheapest way to get what you need. About a gram of protein per day per lb of body weight is good for you. I use GNC's Mega Isolate whey protein. It has less calories than their regular protein and less cholesterol.
There are different types of proteins, btw. Casein, whey, egg, soy... soy has estrogenic tendencies for a lot of people after continued use, so I've stayed away from it. I've heard egg is the most easily absorbed by your body, but you are a walking stink bomb if you take it. Soy is the only vegetable protein that has all the essential amino acids. I've never heard much about casein... but whey is cheap, and is really easily absorbed by your body. I've heard it's absorbed in about 30 minutes. A lot of whey proteins are sold with BCAAs (Branch chain amino acids) added, so that the protein is synthesized in your body efficiently.
Those are the two major supplements out there. If you need to know more about other supplements, post a reply on here. Bodybuilding.com is a good resource as is wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodybuilding_supplementsCurrently, I am taking:
- GNC Mega Isolate Whey protein
- Muscletech CellTech
- BSN NO Xplode (this is awesome when you first try it)
- GNC L-Glutamine capsules
For dinner each night (really two separate meals, one around 6:30PM and one around 10PM) I try to eat about a pound of dead animal, one way or another. Lean (93/7) ground beef, lean (93/7) ground turkey, tuna, or turkey breast.
