Supplements review by a cientific journal

[markintosh]

Edit: I meant scientific! Now must look like a dumbass

Hey everyone, since the supplementation industry is full of bull****, I found these reviews from the British Journal of Sports Medicine very interesting, I'll make some hightlights:

Results of the IOC Cologne Study continue to be confirmed, illustrating that the issue of contamination is still around. In 2007, HFL Sport Science (a WADA-experienced laboratory, part of the Quotient Bioscience group) in the UK analysed 58 supplements purchased through standard retail outlets in the USA. They found that 25% were contaminated with prohibited steroids and 11% were contaminated with prohibited stimulants (personal communication, Catherine Judkins, HFL Sport Science). In 2008, HFL Sport Science followed this up with the analysis of 152 products purchased from standard retail outlets in the UK and found that over 10% were contaminated with steroids and/or stimulants (personal communication, Catherine Judkins, HFL Sport Science).

I'm sure some people will take this as good news.

Recent research suggests that the timing of the intake of protein related to exercise may be more important than the total amount of protein consumed in a day. In the case of resistance training, an intake of approximately 20–25 g of a high quality protein source in the hour after exercise appears to produce the maximum rate of protein synthesis.

No surprise here, perhaps the only catch is that going over 30g of protein post-workout is actually counter-productive.

Effects of arginine supplementation on strength gains during training may be related to the naturally occurring level of arginine. Beneficial effects of arginine supplementation on muscle strength may be minimal in young, healthy men who are already eating plenty of protein.

Not much people supplement on arginine, but good to know.

Androstenedione (C19H26O2), a precursor to testosterone, was marketed as a natural alternative to anabolic steroids, and was purported to raise blood testosterone levels and promote muscle size and strength. Current research does not support the efficacy of this supplement. In young men, 100–200 mg androstenedione taken once does not increase blood testosterone levels or stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and 100 mg androstenedione three times a day for 8 weeks or twice a day for 12 weeks does not augment gains in muscle size and strength during resistance training.

Worth ****.

By replacing sugars in products, intense sweeteners can potentially aid control of energy intake and weight, but the extent of any benefit would appear to be dependent on the context of use.3 Additionally, aspartame reduces appetite independent of its sweet taste by a physiological action which is currently unknown.4 Aspartame, and other intense sweeteners, are used in sport drinks to allow adjustment of nutrient profile and tonicity, while maintaining a pleasant level of sweetness. The flavour and sweetness of such products are important for motivating consumption, and thereby achieving desired levels of hydration and nutrient intake.

The article goes on that Aspartame is generally safe.

Research has been directed towards supplementing dietary L-carnitine to improve exercise performance. However, neither oral (2–6 g/day for 1 day to 4 months) nor intravenous (up to 65 mg/kg) L-carnitine administration per se has been found to alter fuel metabolism during exercise or, more importantly, increase muscle carnitine content in humans.20 22 24 Despite this, L-carnitine feeding as a tool to promote apparent fat loss remains the foundation of a multimillion dollar dietary supplement industry in the present day.

Hearing the sound of heads exploding.

First, caffeine appears to exert positive effects on exercise capacity (prolonging the duration for which exercise of a given intensity can be maintained) over a diverse range of protocols including prolonged submaximal exercise (>90 min), sustained high-intensity work (20–60 min) and short duration supra-maximal exercise (1–5 min) (for reviews, see Graham1 and Spriet2).Of course, athletes are more interested in the effects of caffeine in trained individuals on measurements of sports ‘performance’. A much smaller number of studies in laboratory and field conditions (for review, see Burke3) show that caffeine supplementation is likely to be beneficial across a range of sports including endurance events, ‘stop and go’ events (eg, team and racquet sports) and sports involving sustained high-intensity activity lasting from 1–60 min (eg, swimming, rowing, middle and distance running races). The direct effects on single events involving strength and power such as lifts, throws and sprints are unclear.3

Kinda expected. Caffeine will get you in the mood to lift weights and go through the motions, but your max weight will remain the same.


You can sign up for a free 60 day account to check out these articles and a bunch of other intresting stuff.

http://bjsm.bmj.com/

[westside24]

aaa

To the OP. I'm not really a supplement guy but I do on occasion find creatine and protein supplements useful.

To say that illegal steroids are in these is just silly. It's a myth that has been perpetrated over the years and has been disproven over and over again.

You are posting unfounded things that simply aren't true. Some what what you shared is true, some is not.

No one is going to waste expensive gear to lace cheap bodybuilding supplements with it. Not only that, if they did such a thing and tried to sell them in the US, the company would be immediately shut down by the FDA.

[EliteLift]

Originally Posted by .V.

To the OP. I'm not really a supplement guy but I do on occasion find creatine and protein supplements useful.

To say that illegal steroids are in these is just silly. It's a myth that has been perpetrated over the years and has been disproven over and over again.

You are posting unfounded things that simply aren't true. Some what what you shared is true, some is not.

No one is going to waste expensive gear to lace cheap bodybuilding supplements with it. Not only that, if they did such a thing and tried to sell them in the US, the company would be immediately shut down by the FDA.

I couldn't agree more. more than half of what I read just anoyed the heck out of me!

Well I disagree with most of it but ya know... it's a free forum and one is free to post what they want within reason.

I've heard the protein thing several times before and to a point I actually agree. Remember if we consume too much, the excess is just converted to glucose then later to fat storage. But the question is, "how much is too much?" That will vary based on the individual's needs.

Androstendione? Why even bring this up? It was once a supplement but now it's a schedule 3 drug just like prescription narcotics. If one wants to go with schedule 3's why not just use testosterone?

Or better still...if doing it illegally as one would likely have to do with andro...just get something with a horse or a cow on the label?

Or, best of all, just leave it alone if you don't have to have it.