Supplements to Take?

by Andy Georgiou
(Little Falls, NJ)

I bought these four supplements. I would like to learn how I should use them to maximize their potential in helping me build a better body. Kre-ALKALYN 1500, ARGININE ETHYL ESTER, FORCE FACTOR and N.O.-XPLODE

I go to the gym M-F at 6:30 AM.

THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER



Aaron's Answer...

Supplements are the murky underbelly of the gym world, but they can be helpful for putting on muscle. So, lets give you the best results possible from the ones you're taking.


How/When To Take Them

First off, check for the directions on each supplement. This is the stupidly simple approach, but their directions are probably designed to give you the best results.

If you want to get a little more out of them, my limited understanding of nutrition leads me to believe that taking them as part of your post-workout meal or drink would give you the most benefit. This will allow your body to capitalize on the protein and carbohydrates in that meal to build more muscle, which would probably be the optimal time for any muscle-building supplements to be taken - to enhance those muscle building effects.


What Supplements to Take

Supplements are helpful, but keep in mind that they are certainly not necessary for putting on muscle. Creatine is proven beyond a doubt to help add muscle.

There have also been some promising studies with Beta Hydroxy Beta Methylbutyrate (HMB) and L-Glutamine for increasing muscle size and decreasing muscle recovery time. But beyond these, I'm unfamiliar with most of the supplement mixes you mentioned.

If you're lifting heavy, eating enough, and resting then putting on muscle should certainly be doable. The supplements will just accelerate that trend, and shouldn't be used to replace any of those 3 essentials.

I hope this helps!