M (20)

JUNE 2016 MUSCLE & FITNESS 109

BIG GAINS SUPPS

MJ’s NUTRITIPS

Available From Chemist Warehouse for $29.99 each

Are protein

powders

necessary?

The case for why you need whey

PROTEIN IS A NECESSITY to build muscle and repair

muscle breakdown post workout. The majority of your daily

protein should come from whole foods. But protein

powders provide an easy and tasty way to fill nutritional

gaps. Whey protein isolate mixed with water or milk post

workout digests much faster than food proteins, ensuring

your muscles can begin the repair process immediately.

Whey is one of the richest sources of BCAAs, which

include the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and

valine. These bad boys have been shown to be absolutely

critical for muscle growth, and even for energy during

workouts. Whey protein also contains biologically active

protein microfractions and various growth factors. These

provide antioxidant benefits, boost immune function and

enhance muscle recovery and growth. But probably the

most critical factor that puts whey protein miles ahead of

other forms of protein is digestion rate. Whey digests very

rapidly. In fewer than 30 minutes it can fast-track a good

portion of its aminos to your muscles, and that rapid

delivery of amino acids to muscle cells has

been shown to be important for pu

muscle growth.

MATHEW JONES BSc

(Nutrition, Exercise Science)

shing

have declined due to modern farming practices. In addition,
hard training depletes stores of vitamins and minerals.
Choose one that contains the full spectrum of vitamins and
minerals and provides 100% of the daily value of most.
Dose: take one dose with food twice a day.

FISH OIL
Fish oil supplements containing the essential omega-3 fatty
acids EPA and DHA reduce the risk of heart disease and
stroke, prevent muscle breakdown, help regenerate and
grow muscle, enhance joint tissue rebuilding and encourage
fat loss. Eating fatty fish like salmon several times a week
may provide all the omega-3s you need, but concerns about
levels of mercury in fish have caused many to cut back fish.
Dose: each day, take 2-6 grams in two divided doses with food.

OLD-TIMER STACK
This is for the gym veteran who is also a supp newbie. This
stack includes whey protein, a multivitamin/mineral, fish oil,
creatine, glutamine and arginine. The only thing missing is
HMB. Most research supports the effectiveness of HMB in
beginning lifters, but the gains seem to be less impressive
with experienced trainees. However, some anecdotal
evidence suggests that when HMB is taken in higher doses,
it’s very effective even in highly trained lifters. We suggest
sticking with this stack for a few months before adding HMB
so you can better gauge how effective it is for you.

THE TRUE BEGINNER STACK
For those of you just beginning a lifting program who want
to start stacking supplements right away, this one is for
you. It includes HMB as well as a multivitamin/ mineral, whey
protein and arginine. The most surprising part of this stack
may be what’s not included: creatine isn’t present because
you’ll make significant gains in your first six months of training
anyway; use it when your gains have slowed and you want
a boost in size and strength. You won’t find glutamine, either,
because your training intensity likely isn’t high enough to
deplete your muscles of this critical amino acid. Nor will you
take fish oil at this time: while it protects joints and enhances
their healing, as well as prevents muscle breakdown, you’re
probably not lifting heavy enough yet to warrant its use.

SUPPLEMENT Dose

Whey protein 20g pre-workout 20-40g post-workout

Creatine 3-5g pre- and post-workout

Arginine 3-5g morning, pre-workout and before bed

Glutamine 2-3g* in the morning, pre- and post-workout and before bed

Multivitamin/mineral 1 dose with breakfast and dinner

Fish oil 1-3g with breakfast and lunch

• Work up to 5g over several weeks.

OLD-TIMER STACK