Lifting + supplements?

cebiginalaska

Hello. I am going to be taking a weight lifting class this fall at school...

don't have equipment here cost too much to order and ship to rural Alaska. It has been about 8 or 9 years since I lifted heavy weights and I was wondering if it is worth it to get supplements while trying to lose weight?

The BCAA's, Creatine, "Dessicated Liver", Amino Acid Formulas, Vitamins, Minerals, EFA's and all that other stuff.
I am for sure getting a whey protein supplement that I am going to have before the lifting class and maybe a casein protein supplement but I am on the edge for the casein... on non-lifting days will try to rely on real meat / food for the protein intake while I am at school.

ChrisLindsay9

My $.02 would be to pick up some creatine (creatine monohydrate, to be specific). It's pretty inexpensive and there's tons of research that conclude it is beneficial for strength training.

And whey protein is a must for AFTER lifting. You can have some before, but it might be a bit heavy in the stomach. I typically would consume more of a simple carb nutrition before weight training. But definitely consume at least 12-15g of protein immediately after lifting.

I consume a scoop of casein before bed, but if you're on a tight budget - it's not essential. Regarding BCAAs, if you're eating a lot of protein already, then you probably won't need the BCAAs. With the exception of if you're doing your strength training on a fasted stomach. I have read anecdotally that people who train on a fasted stomach will consume BCAAs during their workout to help preserve muscle mass.

And I have no knowledge/opinion on the other supplements you mentioned.

Good luck to you!

phjorg1

Generally no suppliments are needed with a proper diet.

Again so this sinks in. with a proper diet, EVERY supplement offers ZERO benefit. This is a perfect example of how effective marketing makes something totally pointless seem like it's needed..

That said, since tracking every little last thing is dam hard and very diet restricting, there are a few exceptions so you can have a catch all.

Creatine, protein powder, multi vitamin and fish oil. Taking these frees up your diet a lot and is relatively cheap. Anything else however is pretty much a waste.

AJ_G

My $.02 would be to pick up some creatine (creatine monohydrate, to be specific). It's pretty inexpensive and there's tons of research that conclude it is beneficial for strength training.

And whey protein is a must for AFTER lifting. You can have some before, but it might be a bit heavy in the stomach. I typically would consume more of a simple carb nutrition before weight training. But definitely consume at least 12-15g of protein immediately after lifting.

I consume a scoop of casein before bed, but if you're on a tight budget - it's not essential. Regarding BCAAs, if you're eating a lot of protein already, then you probably won't need the BCAAs. With the exception of if you're doing your strength training on a fasted stomach. I have read anecdotally that people who train on a fasted stomach will consume BCAAs during their workout to help preserve muscle mass.

And I have no knowledge/opinion on the other supplements you mentioned.

Good luck to you!

This is nonsense...there is no scientific evidence of a post workout nutrient window. You do not need to consume any amount of whey protein immediately after lifting, just go home and eat a regular meal when you have the time. Nutrient timing and meal timing are largely irrelevant. As far as supplements, I agree that creatine monohydrate is a good idea, it's cheap, and there is no downside. An omega 3 fatty acid supplement like fish oil is very beneficial, and a multivitamin is a good idea. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, the kirkland brand daily multi that they sell at costco is USP verified and it's cheap so that's a good option. As far as drinking Casein before you go to bed, that's completely unnecessary, most people do it because they think they'll go catabolic in their sleep and it will hurt muscle growth, but it's complete and utter nonsense. All that matters is the total calories you eat throughout the day, and that you hit correct strength training macros by the end of the day, doesn't matter if you get all your calories in one big meal or in 6 small meals, same effect. BCAAs aren't necessary unless you are lifting in a fasted state like first thing in the morning before you eat, then they can be beneficial.

cebiginalaska

Thanks for your responses. I will look into adding some BCAA's, creatine, vitamins and a omega-3 fish oil supplement. I tried one omega-3 fish oil supplement for a couple of months but didn't know if it was helping any... just excising not lifting.

Strength training is going to be on fasted stomach that is why I am planning on having the whey before my workout and possibly after until I can get to breakfast. Breakfast doesn't open until after my strength training class starts.

Right now my protein consumption is pathetic but will definitely pick up after I get to campus. I read that casein may "help people recover from the workout faster" but I don't if that is reliable or even worth it because of my budget...

tedrickp

Generally no suppliments are needed with a proper diet.

Again so this sinks in. with a proper diet, EVERY supplement offers ZERO benefit. This is a perfect example of how effective marketing makes something totally pointless seem like it's needed..

Getting enough Creatine to be saturated would be pretty tough unless you like a lot of raw meat...

That said - a great place for any supplement question is examine.com

AJ_G

Thanks for your responses. I will look into adding some BCAA's, creatine, vitamins and a omega-3 fish oil supplement. I tried one omega-3 fish oil supplement for a couple of months but didn't know if it was helping any... just excising not lifting.

Strength training is going to be on fasted stomach that is why I am planning on having the whey before my workout and possibly after until I can get to breakfast. Breakfast doesn't open until after my strength training class starts.

Right now my protein consumption is pathetic but will definitely pick up after I get to campus. I read that casein may "help people recover from the workout faster" but I don't if that is reliable or even worth it because of my budget...

This is completely false, not sure where you heard it. Casein is actually a slow digesting protein that takes upwards of 6 hours to digest where as whey protein is digested usually in under 2 hours. Like I said before though, neither of them are necessary as long as you are hitting your protein goal with whole food. Make sure you're eating a minimum of 0.82g of protein per pound of body fat. Good luck