I’ve never gone overboard on supplements, vitamins and minerals before. Besides Gatorade Endurance Formula and a little light Muscle Milk Protein, I’ve never much been into it. In fact, my stomach doesn’t do too well with Protein (whey or soy) at all. Sometimes, it acts like Drano to me. So I go easy on it when I’m not training hard. However, after working out for as long and hard as I have, I clearly realize that I plateau while all the other triathletes seem to continue to evolve their fitness. At least that’s my impression.
I am 41 years old and I continue to believe that I can look better, feel better and perform better if I train better and train smarter. I have noticed that appropriate training like intense speed work outs and proper rest directly affects my speed. But what about supplements? Can they really make a difference for me and for you? They are expensive and confusing, and worst of all, there is no one regulatory body that can help us sort out this mess. We often don’t really know what we are buying when there are 25 different types of Whey Protein powders on the shelf, or 300 different amino acid choices, each one with 100 ingredients in it. It’s been noted in many studies that many vitamins and minerals sold in drug stores, supermarkets, and stores like GNC have very different amounts of the vitamin and minerals contents in them than they report to have on their labels. Sometimes, the difference is so remarkable that there is no active ingredient in what you are ingesting. So why do some continue to pay $50- $200 / month to take something that may be no better than a sugar pill? The answer lies in the studies below and thousands of others that say that these supplements are necessary to achieve the strength, speed, muscle development and fat loss we all need to become better athletes. So although the industry is loosely regulated, there are benefits to supplements according to independent researchers and scientists.
Personally, in the past, I’ve rationalized away taking even a multi-vitamin when in the middle doing huge amounts of training during mid-season. This has not been a terribly good idea. Based on the latest research however, I may think from now on and act much differently this year. Just like my changes in training patterns (going from completely disorganized, hope to get through the race, to much more organized, targeted and structured around all my races for the season) has resulted in better times, better recoveries, and less muscle fatigues, supplements can and will take me to the next level.
Some say supplements and diet are 50% of the equation to becoming a better triathlete. I agree with them. Targeted training is the other 50%, including rest.
The studies:
Scientists and researchers suggest that supplements, vitamins, amino acids, are essential for building strength, recovering from workouts faster and stronger, and avoiding the 3 worse words in triathlon, overtraining, injuries, and sickness (system breakdown or immune system failure leading to sickness). Who wants to get injured or sick two weeks before their “A” race of the season after spending six months training for it? Not me!
So I guess I’ve been lucky so far. I’ve only had one big injury which six months later, I’m still nursing a bit. No big crashes, no broken bones, no missed races and no colds during the season. Thank God.
The research below suggests that I could be faster, stronger and better overall if I mixed in protein, carbohydrates, creatine, glutamine, leucine, among others, more appropriately into my pre and post workout diet. These are all included in the foods we eat everyday, but there is evidence to support that there is not enough of them in a normal healthy diet to give us what we need when we are training hard. Therefore, our muscles don’t develop enough, we plateau, we get fatigued, we don’t recover properly, and we lose our motivation to go longer, harder or faster because it doesn’t give us results. Supplements can help change that for all of us.
Here is what I have learned so far form studies all over the world. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
To ease the pain of having to read hundreds of pages, I have taken out sound-bites for everyone to make it more palatable, and I’ve referenced the study so that those of you who want to can go read the whole thing. Some of the information below is taken from studies quoted in magazines such as Fitness Rx.
Explosive Training For Better Gains in Mass and Strength…
“Combining creatine supplements and intense training will maximize muscle CP levels and allow you to train harder and make better gains. Include some intense, explosive training in your workouts to increase muscle CP levels and you will make better gains in muscle mass and strength (Medicine Science Sports Exercise, 39: 1949, 1959, 2007)
Creatine Fights Post Exercise Inflammation…
“Muscle damage and inflammation are particularly bad following prolonged, high-intensity competitions such as triathlons and marathons. A Brazilian study found that creatine supplementation (20 grams per day for five days) before a triathlon reduced the inflammatory response following the competition compared to a carbohydrate placebo (fake creatine). Creatine supplements improve the cell energy supplies by increasing creatine phosphate levels. This might reduce muscle cell death associated with extreme inflammation caused by competing in strenuous, prolonged athletic competitions such as triathlons. (Amino Acids, in press; published online October 4, 2007)
Creatine-Protein-Carb Supplement Boosts Muscle Mass in Trained Athletes…
Some people respond to creatine, while others do not. Other studies found that protein-carbohydrate supplements administered before or after training also increase muscle mass and promote protein synthesis. The effects of creatine and protein-carbohydrate supplements might be additive. Australian researchers found that experienced weight trained athletes who took a protein (whey) + carbohydrate + creatine monohydrate supplement increased fat-free weight, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, contractile protein content and lifting strength (repetition maximum lifts) more than a protein-carbohydrate supplement…A supplement containing creatine, protein and carbohydrate promotes muscle mass and strength in trained athletes. (Medicine Science Sports Exercise, 39, 1960-1968, 2007)
Whey Protein Cuts Appetite…
“Whey protein supplements promote satiety (feeling of fullness) and prevent overeating…One reason may be that the amino acids that make up protein s are converted to blood sugar in the liver, which maintains a steady flow of nutrients to the brain. A study from the University of California, Davis, showed that whey protein increases the secretion of appetite-controlling hormones such as cholecystokinin. (Physiology & Behavior, in press, published online October 2007)
Glutamine Blocks Fat Storage…
Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body and is very important for energy metabolism and immune system function. Supplementing glutamine may promote fat loss…This means that glutamine makes it more difficult to store fat and easier for the body to use fat as fuel…Long-term use of supplemental glutamine could have a significant effect on body composition because it promotes fat oxidation and inhibits fat storage. (Diabetologia, 58:1949-1959, 2007)
Glutamine Boost the Immune System…
Glutamine is an amino acid that becomes depleted when you overtrain. Taking glutamine supplements may help boost the immune system and prevent colds and flu. The evidence is not ironclad…However, the supplements are cheap and appear harmless, so you might consider them if heavy training makes you get more colds and flus than normal. (Amino Acids, in press, published online October 2007)
Pre- And Post-Exercise Feeding Boost Muscle Mass…
One of the most important discoveries in sports nutrition in the last 100 years was that pre- and post-exercise feeding promotes recovery, increases muscle mass and strength and prevents injury…Dr. Jose Antonio from the International Society of Sports Nutrition reported that consuming 25 grams of protein before and after exercise was superior to feeding carbohydrates for enhancing muscle fiber size and improving exercise performance. He concluded that consuming protein or a combination of protein plus carbohydrate is important for enhancing the adaptive response to exercise (Strength Conditioning Journal, 29: 78-79, 2007)
Carbs Will Give You The Will to Continue Intense Exercise…
British researchers showed that drinking a carbohydrate beverage during prolonged, intermittent, high-intensity exercise reduced the perception of effort compared to an artificially sweetened beverage in 17 male soccer players. The athletes showed increased persistence and focus when consuming carbohydrates. Weight training workouts should be high intensity and intermittent, so guys who pump the iron would benefit from drinking carbohydrate beverages during intense training (Scandinavian Journal Medicine Science Sports, 17: 6056-610, 2007)
NOTE: Whey Protein is derived from milk, therefore, people who are allergic to milk or lactose intolerant (two different things) may experience discomfort, bloating, or excessive flatulence when consuming Whey protein. If you are in this camp, try different types of whey proteins (Isolates, concentrates), try varied amounts, try different consumption rates, and try digestive enzymes or lactaid. All should help. If all else fails, switch proteins to Soy, Rice, or others.
And for the nay-sayers…
…As the above evidence hopefully makes clear, the claim that whey is superior to casein for building muscle is simply not valid.
The study performed by Boirie et al. (1997) found evidence to suggest that casein is superior to whey for promoting a positive protein balance. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will build muscle any better than whey, or a chicken breast meat, for that matter.
Protein supplement ads and articles frequently cite Biological Value (BV) numbers (e.g., 104 and sometimes even higher) for whey as evidence for its superiority; however, these BV values were derived from studies on hair- and feather-covered animals that require more of the sulfur-containing amino acids that whey is rich in. These results do NOT apply to humans.