Column 32 | Supplementary Review

ANSWER

No supplement in the world can replace a good diet. In other words: In order for them to really work, a well-founded and sensible diet must be followed. You write that your goal is to build muscle. However, when I look at your data, I would recommend a diet to get rid of body fat - for aesthetic and, above all, health reasons.

I assume that you consume far less than 50 grams of fat per day. This will make it difficult for you to build muscle mass, let alone reduce fat. If your fat intake is low, your body will switch to "low power" and will do everything it can to conserve stored body fat. You can outsmart this protective mechanism by eating healthy plant oils.

Based on your body weight, you should consume at least 80 grams of fat per day. You should primarily use safflower, rapeseed and linseed oil, and saturated fats should be reduced to a maximum of one third of your daily fat intake (27 grams).

If you are trying to lose weight, which I recommend, you should limit your carbohydrate intake and increase the amount of protein in your diet a little to protect your muscles. Once you have optimized your diet and training sufficiently, it is time to use nutritional supplements sensibly, at the right time and in the right dosage.

THE BASICS

First of all, I recommend a good base protein with milk, whey and egg protein, such as PROTEIN 96. You should consume this protein two to three times a day, especially in the evening. It has anti-catabolic properties, especially in the evening, as it supplies the body with protein for several hours. Protein shakes should be consumed every day, not just from Monday to Friday, as you write.

Next, I recommend a proper POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION : This first meal after training is, next to breakfast, the most important meal of the day and should look like this based on your body weight:

Without adequate post-workout nutrition, training success will sooner or later fail. Overtraining and the resulting setbacks are usually the result of a lack of nutrients, especially immediately after training. Immediately after a workout, there is a catabolic state that should be counteracted as quickly as possible with a liquid meal consisting of proteins, carbohydrates and BCAAs. The sooner the PWN is taken, the better, because immediately after training, the body has an increased ability to absorb nutrients, also known as the "anabolic window".

SUPPLEMENT RATING

Now to your list of nutritional supplements: The protein shake is okay. L-carnitine is not necessary in your case. Because before L-CARNITINE CAN MOBILIZE FAT TRANSPORT , the diet must first be adjusted.

According to various studies, glucosamine is of no use. It is not good for building muscle and it is not good for reducing joint pain either, as glucosamine is digested and broken down in the gastrointestinal tract and therefore does not reach the target area, the cartilage tissue. The two aminos a day are a drop in the ocean. Two amino tablets contain about three grams of protein. A portion of meat (about 250 grams), for example, provides 60 grams of protein. It is as if you were eating 12.5 grams of meat, so not even a mouthful.

In order to achieve success with nutritional supplements, the right products must be taken at the right time and in the right amount. I have already given you the basics. If you want to substitute nutritional supplements in addition, I recommend CREATINE X6 (6-component professional creatine for improved absorption) or NOX® #2 for an extreme pump during training. They are not necessary at your current stage and are more for advanced athletes who already have sufficient experience with nutritional supplements.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING SUPPLEMENTS

When choosing a supplement, it is important to distinguish between myth and advertising on the one hand and the truth on the other. Often, the nutritional information is cheated or the protein is diluted with guar gum and low-quality wheat flour. The former is a thickening agent that makes the shake very thick and falsely suggests that a high amount of protein powder has been used. The latter is a low-quality protein that is only partially suitable for building muscle mass.

Statements such as "product XY will help you gain four kilos of muscle in just a few days" should generally be viewed with skepticism - as should advertising messages based on before and after pictures, as almost all of them are not only greatly exaggerated, but simply fictitious.

Caution is advised with protein preparations with 6, 9 or even 12 protein components, as such proteins almost always contain low-quality protein fractions, such as rice or pea protein. These proteins have a low biological value and are therefore poorly utilized by the muscle cells - they are certainly not suitable for building quality muscle.

INTERPRET THE INGREDIENTS LIST CORRECTLY

Correctly interpreting the ingredients list is crucial for the initial rough assessment of the quality of a supplement. Ingredients that are listed at the beginning are contained in the largest quantities in the product. This allows you to separate the wheat from the chaff relatively quickly.

Some suppliers, especially those from the States, cheat here too and instead of listing the individual ingredients, they list a so-called active ingredient complex (to be exposed as a "proprietary blend"), with the individual ingredients listed in brackets. Everything in brackets can be listed arbitrarily and is not legally regulated. This means that the higher-quality ingredients are listed at the front and the lower-quality ones at the back, even though the latter are contained in the highest concentration in the protein product. If you want to play it safe and value transparency, you should only buy products where the ingredients are listed with percentage amounts. This way you know exactly what is included in what quantity and what you are consuming.

You should also avoid products that are highly advertised as having a "steroid-like effect". Such products usually disappear from the market faster than they can establish themselves on it. Often the only goal for the provider is to make a quick buck, not the success of the consumer.