What is the best supplement to help a workout?

[Chemist09]

I'm starting to work out and I can see results, but I was thinking of investing in a Creatine or Whey Protein powder to sort of help the process along. What product would be the most beneficial for me?

Creatine

Whey Protein

Other (Please Specify)

[tc1125]

Protein powder is good, I use whey. It's a good supplement to take straight after a session because your body will absorb it quickly.

If you are doing a lot of weights and want to improve/gain muscle then your protein intake needs to be fairly high. When I was going to the gym around 3-4 times a week, I was told that I needed about 100grams of protein per day. I was around 165lbs at the time, so if you are over that then you may need more. You will notice the difference though, because your muscles will repair quicker and can do more per week. I would take it slowly to begin with though as you don't want to push yourself too hard when you are just starting out.

I used to do all muscle groups once a week and would try to increase every week or two. with the right diet and exercise (if you max out) you should be able to increase every time or at least the majority of the time. You do need to make sure you give your muscles enough rest time though.

Protein shakes before bed are said to be really good as well because when you are sleeping it will supplement your body while it's in repair mode.

also if you are gaining a lot of weight in muscle then your protein intake will have to also increase to maintain the extra muscle. When I first started I was gaining but eventually it levelled out and I actually lost a bit of weight because my diet was not good enough.

diet plays such a massive role in your training, do not neglect it and you will see the benefits :)

hope it goes well!

[Brando]

Agreed. Especially the emphasis on protein intake. I had a personal trainer tell me at the gym yesterday that I needed to take in 180grams of protein a day since I'm skinny (which I think is a little extreme). But protein and calories can't be neglected or you're basically lifting for nothing.

[currannaaach]

Please read this answer and ignore all others. tc1125 knows what he's talking about, I just have a few things to add to his good answer:

The old mentality was 1g of Protein per pound of lean mass... I don't like to count, I just eat a lot and drink tons of milk. I like protein blends more than straight whey or casein... don't really know why, but I just like them more. Creatine or other preworkout drinks will help you crank out a few more reps or squeeze that last rep out. Creatine is essentiall

[currannaaach]

y adding ATP into you muscles. It will give your myosin fibers more energy to do their job. Caffeine and other stuff like that stimulate your sympathetic nervous system. Essentially, your adrenal medulla will secrete catecholamines that will cause the "fight or flight" response. Arteries to organs like the gut will constrict while arteries to muscles and the liver will dilate. That means you'll get a sweet pump and have more nutrition flowing to your muscles. I could go further, but you get it.

[sinful1620]

Don't f*** with creatine... every guy I've known who's used it has gotten cramping issues and seen little results. Eat some natural proteins with a bit of fat for breakfast (eggs and sausage are best), and then drink a protein shake after the workout. The biggest factor to whether or not you see results is whether or not you actually go work out.

[currannaaach]

If you take creatine, your cells will hold more water (because they have to maintain a certain concentration). This draws fluid away from your blood. This makes it harder to pump nutrients around (more blood is better/easier on the heart... to a point). This leads to cramping. As long as you stay hydrated, you shouldn't cramp.

[DirtyButterKnife]

Then they weren't using it properly. Creatin is perfectly safe and very effective. If you're training for something specific I'd recommend it. If you're just lifting for looks or whatever, it's not worth the hassle. You have to constantly be drinking water throughout the day and you'll be pissing gallons.

[fitandflirt]

i've heard great things about optimum nutrition 100% whey protein powder. comes in a bunch of flavors and mixes with water for a quick protein snack after your workout. I'm planning on buying a tub when I get back to school - a 5lb tub is about $40.

[Anonymous]

There's no real difference. Any protein product is good, just as any isotonic drink is good.

What you might want to try, is using some of the marathon running gel snacks. They are designed to provide quick bursts of energy for long distance runners that can be taken without liquid and without stopping. You may find that they can help you to do a longer workout, without crashing into the metaphorical "wall" when your glycogen stores get depleted.

You are probably getting enough protein from the meat and fish in your regular diet. If you want to invest in somethingg, try things like Amino Acid supplements, which work with protein in muscle building. Or magnesium tabs to prevent muscle cramp. Vitamins and minerals are important in muscle building, and are more likely to be missing from the average persons regular diet.

[currannaaach]

Please read my comments on tc1125's answer