What's new

Supplements

theBlob

Bokeh master
Sep 28, 2011
3,014
1,715
Where is the cheapest place to get protein powder or other goodies. Basically I keep losing weight.

Anyway if you have any recommendations for muscle building stuff. Post it up!
 
Depends whether losing weight is a bad thing. Are you trying to build muscle for a specific sport? Might not be a diet thing but an exercise thing. Generally eat good healthy food and do weights and you'll build muscle. I gather from your posts you are just doing a lot of general riding, that won't build muscle so much but it will lean you down. Wish I had your problem. What specific exercises are you doing?
 
Are you losing muscle mass? Or fat? You may want to start by seeing a sports physician and getting a full BMI scan done. They do them at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym. Besides that, just make sure you are getting plenty of low GI carbs before and during your workout. And I'd suggest some High 5 (or similar) recovery supplement. Or - quite a few people just use chocolate soy milk with some added protein powder and other goodies. My current favorite:

1/2 l low fat milk or soy milk
1 bananna
150gr (or so) low fat yohgurt
couple tablespoons chocolate powder
half cup of Acai / Mango Juice
Blend it and drink it.

Sometimes I add in a couple tablespoons of non-whey protein - I get this at BIC Camera (5th floor) it's cheap.

If you want to get some muscle bulking - then try a couple weeks of creatine. But typically it's a temporary supplement and effects quickly resolve over time.

Before you ride try to get a decent meal in as well. Museli with Yoghurt and the ubiquitous Banana can't be beat. Add extra wheat germ and sunflower seeds to boost the glutamine and b complex vitamins.

Also - eat more often during the day. Get into a snack habit. Bananas , apples, yoghurt, cold cooked chicken breast, etc. If you're working out hard enough to lose weight from your muscles and BMI is dropping below 20 you need to eat more.

A good rule of thumb is to eat 50kcal per KG a day. So - if you weigh 70kg, you'll need to be hitting around 3500kcal a day to keep even. Assuming you are excercising at a strenuous level for at least 2hr. Athletes will typically go on a low energy diet a couple weeks before the event to artifically starve the body, then reload it a week prior the event . However, the protein amounts will be kept at sufficient level to provide sufficient amino acids. A good guideline here is about 15gr protein for every 10kg bodyeight. So - again using your 70kg as reference - about 105gr of protein. Going back to our friend the Chicken Breast - it has about 30gr usable protein. So - you could eat 3 Chicken breasts a day and have sufficient protein intake. Or 3 cups of Soy Milk is about the same. Anymore and nothing really happens.
 
As others have mentioned its all about what you are trying to do.

Im a qualified sports nutritionist so I can possibly shed a little light on the subject. Shot me over a PM and we can discuss this in deep detail.
 
Yeah - actually James could do a complete hydration requirement / power / etc baseline. Then you'd be able to know exactly what's required for nutrition rather than shooting into the dark. Which reminds me, I need to get that done myself pretty soon as I'm fully recovered from the Chairman's Revenge.
 
I use iherb.com for whey protein and other goodies -- energy bars, gels, chews, creatine, honey, vitamins, etc. It's much cheaper than buying the stuff in Japan.

I think it's based in California, and the stuff ships out fast. I usually receive my goods within five days of placing an order. Deliveries are via Yamato or DHL, you have a choice.

Good luck!

Deej
 
bodybuilding.com also has every supplement you can think of at decent prices, and will ship here usually within a week.
 
Or just go to your local super-market and buy yourself some fresh veg, skimmed milk and fish/ skinless chicken All the vitamins and protein you will need or can use.
 
Or just go to your local super-market and buy yourself some fresh veg, skimmed milk and fish/ skinless chicken All the vitamins and protein you will need or can use.

He's asking about supplements. And maybe, like me, he doesn't eat meat. In which case whey protein is kinda handy.
 
Thanks for that advice guys. I have ordered some stuff protein goodies.
 
Tofu and beans...:). You should be able to get your needs from food without resulting to "overpriced baby formula". Sorry, they are always giving samples at my gym and Ive never tried one that didnt taste yuck!
 
^ what zenbiker said.

Beans are a great source of protein and fibre.

Lentils are easy to cook as they lack the indigestible sugars of certain other legumes that give you gas unless soaked in water first.

Amongst soy bean products, fermented ones like natto and miso are the healthiest.

I think a lot of people use supplements trying to make up for a poor basic diet. It doesn't work that way. They should be considered only after the basic diet is sound.
 
I think a lot of people use supplements trying to make up for a poor basic diet. It doesn't work that way. They should be considered only after the basic diet is sound.

Well of course. And a lot of people use supplements wisely and benefit greatly from them.

Deej
 
To add on this a lot of people just hit the stores and buy bags of suppliments they don't actually need, which in actual fact can be harmful to your body - just like overloading on anything else.

One of the things I always suggest is to get a blood test - find out if you are lacking certain basics first.

There is a huge misconception that your body will just excreate what you don't need but unfortunately this is untrue, your kidneys and liver can take a real beating.

Also I notice everyone is telling Theblob to start packing protien, actually I would disagree with this advice and recommend that he starts loading carbs. The guy is constantly hungry and is losing weight, regardless if he is taking protien everyday 3 times a day he is going to be burning that muscle as fuel if he has limited Glycogen and Glucose to burn.

But really at the end of the day unless with have a detailed profile of his biometrics and blood works any advice on what he needs to take is just stabbing in the dark - but rapid weightloss would indicate that he really needs to start increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates in his daily diet.
 
Also I notice everyone is telling Theblob to start packing protien, actually I would disagree with this advice and recommend that he starts loading carbs. The guy is constantly hungry and is losing weight, regardless if he is taking protien everyday 3 times a day he is going to be burning that muscle as fuel if he has limited Glycogen and Glucose to burn.

But really at the end of the day unless with have a detailed profile of his biometrics and blood works any advice on what he needs to take is just stabbing in the dark - but rapid weightloss would indicate that he really needs to start increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates in his daily diet.

I would second this and go for carbohydrates ahead of protein. Remember, what you are trying to do is not `lose weight`, rather than `gain weight`, and i think that focus has led you astray. Remember, excess protein is, i think, the least likely candidate for all the obese people you see (well obviously we`re not talking Japan here ;) though the kids do seem to be getting porkier)
 
I think overall the key is just to 'eat smart'. Understand the components and what they do for your body. Almost all supplements have the same stuff and the human body is pretty tolerant as to what you give it. Ratios need not be <that> precise. I like some of the pre-prepared supplements simply as it's less hassle (not better) than making my own. FE is totally correct here - you generally need WAY MORE carbohydrate than protein when doing long cardio intensive workouts. Personally I'm a big fan of:

1) Muesli - combined oats, seeds, raisins, dates . You probably can't get a better pre-ride meal. Mixed with some lo fat milk or soy milk and you have given yourself the magic carb - protein ratio. I've had the habit of eating a bowl before riding since I can remember. And it was very common amongst ALL the team riders I've ever encountered, North America and Europe.

2) As FE also wisely advises. ABC - Always Be Consuming. One of the key points of 'training' is also 'consuming'. Training your body to consume on the fly. You HAVE TO EAT AND DRINK! So, set a schedule and DO IT. You should be going through at least 1 waterbottle per hour (if not more) and at least 1 banana per hour (equiv). At first you'll feel nauseated , bloated and maybe heavy. But once your body becomes accustomed to this habit you'll reap the benefits of being able to ride hard and long. Don't take 'lunch breaks' - that simply turns off your energy system and starts to divert your blood more to digestive effort - then you have to crank everything back up when you get on the bike again. 10min max 'conbini' break to refuel your pockets or potty break. As a group, you can easily soft pedal a refreshment section. No reason the whole ride has to be a sufferfest. If you've ever ridden a stage race you'll know what I mean. They don't call it a 'feed zone' for nothing. You pick up your musette and snack away for a few minutes with basically a neutral group.

3) Post ride refuel. Get food back into your body as soon as you can. Even a light meal of mainly carbs and some protein to aid recovery will be fine. Then relax and eat again a couple hours later. I think alot of the TRI crowd swear by Chocolate Milk. I'm craving a blueberry milkshake right now. And maybe add a couple tbsp of brewer's yeast, wheat germ and some whey protein.
 
I have been trying to keep eating throughout my riding, although I am still not doing anything over 100km. It has been beneficial to do this it makes riding more enjoyable and means I can also enjoy my post ride day without feeling like I need to keep eating and drinking and never getting full

As far as Carbs go I may be lacking, but I would be suprised, I eat half a loaf of freshly baked bread for breakfast, often pasta or ramen for lunch, and noodles rice, or pasta for dinner every night?

I think I will get my blood tested, and maybe look a bit closer at what is going on.

Do I need to go somewhere special for his or will the local GP be able to do it?

I think I am seeing what kind of riding I am gravitating too, with my schedule and commitments it is the shorter high intensity riding. So I want to build explosive strength over all day endurance.
 
Back
Top Bottom