pre/during workout supplement?

[haider]

Looking for some advice from you learned folk here  

I'm looking for an inexpensive non-caffeinated supplement to sustain my energy levels during a workout. I've been doing full-body workouts 2-3/week due to time constraints and by the time I get to my 3rd 'big' compound exercise I start to feel quite drained. I would like to counteract that using non-sugary drinks (for ex. I don't want to use gatorade).

In the past I've had good success with Xtend, but I'm wondering if you guys know of something that is either better or has better pricing.

Not too keen on spending a lot on supps so I'm really looking for 'best bang for the buck' type of deal. But all suggestions are welcome, thanks!

[Montague]

You may consider trying a decent vitamin B-12 supplement. B-12 plays a strong role in metabolizing food into energy. Personally, I favor a complete B complex because many of the B family vitamins carry benefits, and most multi-vitamins don't contain large amounts of any of them.

B-12 doesn't duplicate the push from caffeine, but it provides a bit more "life" for many users. I use an inexpensive B complex from NOW that has 100 mcg of 12 per serving. I take 1-2 serv/day. I find two noticeable, while one is negligible at best.

The decaf 5-hour Energy shots contain 500 mcg of B-12, which is a hefty dose. They also contain Taurine and some other non-stim ingredients that are popular in many energy drinks. I've never tried the shots, but have gotten good feedback regarding them from people who avoid caffeine.

[haider]

You may consider trying a decent vitamin B-12 supplement. B-12 plays a strong role in metabolizing food into energy. Personally, I favor a complete B complex because many of the B family vitamins carry benefits, and most multi-vitamins don't contain large amounts of any of them.

B-12 doesn't duplicate the push from caffeine, but it provides a bit more "life" for many users. I use an inexpensive B complex from NOW that has 100 mcg of 12 per serving. I take 1-2 serv/day. I find two noticeable, while one is negligible at best.

The decaf 5-hour Energy shots contain 500 mcg of B-12, which is a hefty dose. They also contain Taurine and some other non-stim ingredients that are popular in many energy drinks. I've never tried the shots, but have gotten good feedback regarding them from people who avoid caffeine.

Thanks for your reply, well explained. I never gave much credence to the craze about B vitamins, but I will have to check it out now As for caffeine, its not that i try to avoid it but i'm not really a fan of getting too amped up from a supplement. Doesn't seem natural to do that on a consistent basis.

[Montague]

Thanks for your reply, well explained. I never gave much credence to the craze about B vitamins, but I will have to check it out now As for caffeine, its not that i try to avoid it but i'm not really a fan of getting too amped up from a supplement. Doesn't seem natural to do that on a consistent basis.

You're welcome.
IMO, the B vitamins are not something to use only on certain days, but are most beneficial when made a regular part of the diet. B-6 is crucial for CNS recovery, but is not something you want to only take on training days, for example, since your nervous system works nonstop.

You may want to take a milder B-12 supplement routinely to get and keep it in your system, and then use a "mega-dose" like the 5-hr Energy with its other ingredients prior to training. Try it for a few weeks and see if you notice anything.


Also, increasing water intake in the hours leading up to training does wonders for many people. Hydrated muscles have greater output than dehydrated ones. I've made this recommendation to several people. Some act astonished at how well it works.

While on the topic of hydration, some trainers report increased endurance/stamina with glycerol powder, which draws increased amounts of water into the bloodstream for delivery to muscle tissue rather than being lost through perspiration. These mechanisms may help delay the onset of dehydration and fatigue, which could be considered a performance-boosting effect.

Glycerol powder is relatively inexpensive. I bought a canister several months ago, but have not opened it yet - so, no personal feedback at the moment. Sorry.

[deadz]

You may consider trying a decent vitamin B-12 supplement. B-12 plays a strong role in metabolizing food into energy. Personally, I favor a complete B complex because many of the B family vitamins carry benefits, and most multi-vitamins don't contain large amounts of any of them.

B-12 doesn't duplicate the push from caffeine, but it provides a bit more "life" for many users. I use an inexpensive B complex from NOW that has 100 mcg of 12 per serving. I take 1-2 serv/day. I find two noticeable, while one is negligible at best.

The decaf 5-hour Energy shots contain 500 mcg of B-12, which is a hefty dose. They also contain Taurine and some other non-stim ingredients that are popular in many energy drinks. I've never tried the shots, but have gotten good feedback regarding them from people who avoid caffeine.

x2

[MCWAY]

Looking for some advice from you learned folk here  

I'm looking for an inexpensive non-caffeinated supplement to sustain my energy levels during a workout. I've been doing full-body workouts 2-3/week due to time constraints and by the time I get to my 3rd 'big' compound exercise I start to feel quite drained. I would like to counteract that using non-sugary drinks (for ex. I don't want to use gatorade).

In the past I've had good success with Xtend, but I'm wondering if you guys know of something that is either better or has better pricing.

Not too keen on spending a lot on supps so I'm really looking for 'best bang for the buck' type of deal. But all suggestions are welcome, thanks!

That's easy: GNC's Pre-Workout Amino Complex.



Works great, no stimulants, and is cheap (when you get it on clearance and with the Gold Card). The last time I bought it, it costs me only $9 and change.

If you train four times a week like me, this will last at least a month.

[njflex]

That's easy: GNC's Pre-Workout Amino Complex.



Works great, no stimulants, and is cheap (when you get it on clearance and with the Gold Card). The last time I bought it, it costs me only $9 and change.

If you train four times a week like me, this will last at least a month.

yeah,,i do 4x per wk and work my supps same way,other than multi every day...pre i do arginine tabs/creatine powder mono,glycerol combo this is my second time using glycerol trying to see benefit,,jury's is still out..

[njflex]

preworkout supplement. a ouple dbols and efedrina are best.

THATS A GIVEN,,,,LOL..

[Rudee]

Why not just have a meal like a small bowl of oatmeal, or a banana, or a few dates pre-workout?    This is what old school lifters ate pre-workout.  And these guys were doing a lot more volume than the average gym rat is doing nowadays.

[WOOO]

Why not just have a meal like a small bowl of oatmeal, or a banana, or a few dates pre-workout?    This is what old school lifters ate pre-workout.  And these guys were doing a lot more volume than the average gym rat is doing nowadays.

good advice...

food

[Montague]

I'm not debating the effectiveness of food, but the OP is asking about supplements, specifically.

[Purge_WTF]

Three words: Driven Sports Craze.

[MCWAY]

I'm not debating the effectiveness of food, but the OP is asking about supplements, specifically.

Exactly!! Some folks don't quite get that discussing supplements doesn't mean you're doing such, while ignoring diet.

[Donny]

You may consider trying a decent vitamin B-12 supplement. B-12 plays a strong role in metabolizing food into energy. Personally, I favor a complete B complex because many of the B family vitamins carry benefits, and most multi-vitamins don't contain large amounts of any of them.

B-12 doesn't duplicate the push from caffeine, but it provides a bit more "life" for many users. I use an inexpensive B complex from NOW that has 100 mcg of 12 per serving. I take 1-2 serv/day. I find two noticeable, while one is negligible at best.

The decaf 5-hour Energy shots contain 500 mcg of B-12, which is a hefty dose. They also contain Taurine and some other non-stim ingredients that are popular in many energy drinks. I've never tried the shots, but have gotten good feedback regarding them from people who avoid caffeine.

not big on supplements myself but a very intresting post Monty.

[Montague]

Exactly!! Some folks don't quite get that discussing supplements doesn't mean you're doing such, while ignoring diet.

Proper foundational diet is an understood preface when you, I, and many here discuss supplements. Maybe for newer/greener posters (not specifically anyone in this thread, but in general) it is worth mentioning a disclaimer to eliminate such confusion; something to acknowledge that supplements are to be used IN ADDITION to a good diet, NOT in place of it.

not big on supplements myself but a very intresting post Monty.

Unfortunately, so many supplements are garbage for a number of reasons, but there are some worthy of consideration. Ironically, many of the latter are not that popular because they don't get the same sexy marketing as the hype/fad products...which is fine because it keeps the prices down.

Aside from creatine, the majority of even the most useful supplements work "under the radar" so to speak, providing only minor benefit. Natural trainers need every edge they can get and know that, when enough are properly employed, little things add up to BIG things.

[WOOO]

Natural trainers need every edge they can get and know that, when enough are properly employed, little things add up to BIG things.

s'wat she said

[MCWAY]

Proper foundational diet is an understood preface when you, I, and many here discuss supplements. Maybe for newer/greener posters (not specifically anyone in this thread, but in general) it is worth mentioning a disclaimer to eliminate such confusion; something to acknowledge that supplements are to be used IN ADDITION to a good diet, NOT in place of it.




Unfortunately, so many supplements are garbage for a number of reasons, but there are some worthy of consideration. Ironically, many of the latter are not that popular because they don't get the same sexy marketing as the hype/fad products...which is fine because it keeps the prices down.

Aside from creatine, the majority of even the most useful supplements work "under the radar" so to speak, providing only minor benefit. Natural trainers need every edge they can get and know that, when enough are properly employed, little things add up to BIG things.

Even with creatine, there are limits. The first time you load with it, you'll fall in love, thinking you've found the Holy Grail. I sure did: 7 lb. in one week; 12 lb in two and a half weeks, using Phosphagen HP.

Suffice it to say, I have NOT replicated those results since then. That's why I call creatine the "crack" of sports nutrition supplements.

[Montague]

Even with creatine, there are limits. The first time you load with it, you'll fall in love, thinking you've found the Holy Grail. I sure did: 7 lb. in one week; 12 lb in two and a half weeks, using Phosphagen HP.

Suffice it to say, I have NOT replicated those results since then. That's why I call creatine the "crack" of sports nutrition supplements.

Kind of the law of diminishing returns in the sports nutrition workd. Many folks report the same thing. I still see results with it, but they're not as dramatic and take longer to see. I don't "load," so it may take a while longer to build up in my system. I still like it enough to use, though.

I buy plain old monohydrate and use it with dextrose. Low carb trainers may prefer to use whey for the desired insulin spike.


Muscle-Tech used to include a low dose of creatine in their Nitrotech protein powder. They didn't try to hide it, either. It was right there on the label; I think about 2 grams per serving. Users gained "creatine weight" and thought it was muscle.

[njflex]

Kind of the law of diminishing returns in the sports nutrition workd. Many folks report the same thing. I still see results with it, but they're not as dramatic and take longer to see. I don't "load," so it may take a while longer to build up in my system. I still like it enough to use, though.

I buy plain old monohydrate and use it with dextrose. Low carb trainers may prefer to use whey for the desired insulin spike.


Muscle-Tech used to include a low dose of creatine in their Nitrotech protein powder. They didn't try to hide it, either. It was right there on the label; I think about 2 grams per serving. Users gained "creatine weight" and thought it was muscle.

WELL SAID,I USED IT MONO DURING TRAINING DAYS ESPECIALLY HEAVY DAYS 'LEGS'HELPS KEEP SOME FULLNESS I MIGHT GET A PLACEBO BUMP IN REPPAGE,,,ORIGINAL VERSIONS 1ST TIME USAGE WAS GREAT NO DOUBT,,I LIKE ARGININE GOOD VEIN PUMPER AND LIKE I SAID GLYCEROL I USE ON TRAINING DAYS TOO,,

[Montague]

WELL SAID,I USED IT MONO DURING TRAINING DAYS ESPECIALLY HEAVY DAYS 'LEGS'HELPS KEEP SOME FULLNESS I MIGHT GET A PLACEBO BUMP IN REPPAGE,,,ORIGINAL VERSIONS 1ST TIME USAGE WAS GREAT NO DOUBT,,I LIKE ARGININE GOOD VEIN PUMPER AND LIKE I SAID GLYCEROL I USE ON TRAINING DAYS TOO,,

Yep. Creatine serves other functions, too, like supporting ATP levels and facilitating protein synthesis inside muscles.

My only gripe with Arginine is that it attenuates the growth hormone response to exercise, which will interfere with natural trainers trying to optimize their circulating hGH levels through specific exercise, diet, and supplementation.

[MCWAY]

Kind of the law of diminishing returns in the sports nutrition workd. Many folks report the same thing. I still see results with it, but they're not as dramatic and take longer to see. I don't "load," so it may take a while longer to build up in my system. I still like it enough to use, though.

I buy plain old monohydrate and use it with dextrose. Low carb trainers may prefer to use whey for the desired insulin spike.


Muscle-Tech used to include a low dose of creatine in their Nitrotech protein powder. They didn't try to hide it, either. It was right there on the label; I think about 2 grams per serving. Users gained "creatine weight" and thought it was muscle.

Regular creatine used to cost $60 for a 300-gram bottle. I remember when Cell-Tech came to the market. MuscleTech's old product, Creatine 6000-ES, dropped in price, to the point where I could get that for as little as $12.

[wild willie]

good advice...

food

agreed!