Column 74 | The right supplements

ANSWER

To avoid misunderstandings: Contrary to popular belief, the term "diet" describes a specific way of eating, regardless of whether you want to gain or lose weight. This also applies to the pendulum diet. In this respect, this type of diet is also suitable for building mass. The pendulum diet can be followed twelve months a year. A break is not necessary - I am the best example of this: I have been following this diet for over 15 years, and with great success. With the pendulum diet, you can gain or lose weight, or even maintain your weight.

If you want to lose weight, reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 calories compared to your calorie needs. If, on the other hand, you want to gain weight, increase your intake by the same amount. It is important to vary the amount of calories you consume on training days and non-training days - especially those from carbohydrates. This way, your metabolism will always stay running and will not "go to sleep" - neither during the weight loss phase nor during the building phase.

If you are having trouble calculating your individual calorie needs, I have good news for you, because on the page THE ENERGY BALANCE you will learn step by step how the calorie requirement is made up. With a few simple calculations, you can calculate your calorie balance in no time and can then start the pendulum diet immediately. You can find detailed background information on the pendulum diet on the page THE COMMUTER DIET (AFTER A. FREY) .

ANSWER

What I think you are missing first and foremost is maltodextrin (for example MALTO 95 ). Because without maltodextrin your body can only slowly and incompletely replenish the energy stores depleted during training, which slows down the initiation of the regeneration phase after the workout. Up to about an hour after training there is a state of increased nutrient requirements, also known as the "anabolic window". Therefore, you should drink a shake with maltodextrin and WHEY PROTEIN This gives your muscle cells exactly what they used during training. Based on your body weight, the following amounts are recommended:

80 GRAMS MALTO 95

40 GRAMS TRIPLE WHEY

Only then should you think about other supplements such as BCAAs and vitamin preparations. In fact, I think the most sensible thing is to have an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals, especially magnesium. Unfortunately, our food does not provide enough of these substances that are important for the human organism - especially with regard to physical exertion such as training. Therefore, a product with all the relevant vitamins and minerals (the magnesium is best in citrate form for optimal absorption) is definitely advisable. If your budget allows it, I recommend the following nutritional supplements:

BCAAAS

BCAAs (BRANCHED CHAIN ​​AMINO ACIDS) should be taken 30 minutes before and/or immediately after training to support anabolic metabolic processes.

When taken before training, BCAAs - especially in combination with a protein shake - can act as a buffer and can protect the muscles from the breakdown that can occur due to the high stress during training and especially during subsequent cardio sessions.

MULTI-COMPONENT PROTEIN

A FOUR-COMPONENT PROTEIN, SUCH AS PROTEIN 96 is ideal for providing the muscles with basic protein - both during the day and at night. By taking it before going to bed, the muscle cells are supplied with building materials even while you sleep.

Another very commonly used protein powder is WHEY PROTEIN (ALSO CALLED WHEY PROTEIN . In contrast to PROTEIN 96, whey protein is absorbed very quickly by the body and is used primarily when our muscles have an increased protein requirement that must be met quickly. This is the case in the morning and especially directly after a workout.

GLUTAMINE

GLUTAMINE IS THE MOST COMMON AMINO ACID IN THE HUMAN ORGANISM ? and is also the most consumed. An intensive workout can metabolize up to 40 grams of glutamine. This consumption should be compensated for immediately after training, otherwise the recovery and thus the muscle building phase can be delayed.

Especially if you often struggle with infections and are often tired and worn out after a hard workout, supplementing with glutamine is useful and can work wonders.