Coming up with a chart that describes all the supplements on the market was a daunting task as there are so many products and different reasons for taking them.
After much research I put together this product guide and supplement pyramid to help you make a sensible choice on your supplement purchases, not wasting money by using the incorrect combinations, or using the wrong product. We understand that economics is a real concern when choosing your supplement plan, so I placed them in order of importance with the products at the lower lever of the pyramid being your first choice. These products will have the greatest impact of results.
I’m sure you are familiar with the government’s food pyramid, with the foods you should eat the most of at the bottom, like breads and cereals while foods you should eat the least of like fat, oils and sweets at the top. My supplement pyramid is based on a similar concept. The products/foods at the lower lever should be consumed 1st before the products on the upper levels. The choice of product for each level was based on the impact a product will have on results for example, if you had a supplement budget, you wouldn’t buy Xplode before you bought a multi-vitamin (Opti-Vit), even though it may seem more appealing, lacking in any essential nutrient will severely affect your results. Or buying Anabolic Testostack, but your protein intake is insufficient. If you don’t have enough protein, additional nutrients will not help. In most cases the most glamorous products like Xplode receive the most advertising space and will have more appeal, but something as boring as a multi-vitamin may offer far more benefit.
Level One :(Basics)
Beginner-less than 6 months experience)
Protein, Carbs, Essential nutrients and fats, Exercise and a positive attitude
As a beginner, you need to get the basics right before you can progress through the pyramid. Included in this level are foods, specific products and activities that are vital to your success and will have a major impact on results.
Protein
Although the importance of protein is often overstated, not having enough of it will severely affect results. In fact you will lose muscle. Based on scientific research, you need at least 2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. You may hear of some bodybuilders eating more, but that is based on personal preference and not science. Once the body’s protein needs are met, the additional protein will be stored as fat or used as energy.
Choice of Protein
Your choice of protein also affects your protein requirements. Using lower quality proteins like soy, rice and beans may require a higher protein intake. The highest quality protein is whey.
Carbohydrates, Fruits and Vegetables
Carbs have received so much bad press over the years. Nevertheless, carbs is still your principle source of energy and is vital to boosting performance. A recent (Bergman, J Hermansen, L Hultman, E Saltin, B 188) shows a 225% increase in performance over subjects on a low carb diet. Workout intensity and volume is directly related to the amount of available glycogen you’ve stored. Sluggish workouts result in insufficient stimulus for muscle growth. Research shows at least 3g per kg of bodyweight is needed for optimal performance.
Types of Carbs
It is important to choose carb sources of good quality keeping simple sugars and sweets to an absolute minimum.
Essential Nutrients and Fats
It is virtually impossible to get all the essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and essential fats from food alone, this is a medical fact. The AMA (American Medical Association) has recommended that each adult should take one multi vitamin a day. People supplement to overcome dietary shortcomings. Diets can be deficient due to numerous conditions:
- Insufficient food intake
- Increased nutritional needs that are not met by food alone
- Lack of essential food grouping
- Low body fat maintenance
- Inability to define the perfect diet by professional and the general population
- Unknown variable of actual nutrient content of food.
Vitamins, minerals and essential fats are involved in 1000’s of reactions in the body and being deficient in any single nutrient can over time severely affect your health.
Muscle Science Products that fall in to this category:
Grow
Grow has been added to this lower level because it supplies all the essential nutrients needed to build muscle, including additional calories. It includes high quality protein, carbs and calories. Grow can be used as a pre or post workout drink or anytime during the day as a meal supplement.
Opti-Vit and Opti-EFA
Muscle Sciences Opti-Vit and Opti-EFA supplies all the essential nutrients and fats the body needs to stave off disease and function optimally.
Level Two: (Increase muscle/aid recovery)
Intermediate- 6 months to 1 year experience
Level 2 goes beyond just food and supplies well researched products that will have a major impact on your results. Although food will supply the bulk of your nutrition, during times of intense training, restricted food intake, and the idea of supplying quick nutrients at critical times as in immediately after your workout, food is sub-optimal. After training you have a 45 minute window to replenish nutrients used. Studies show a 600% increase in protein synthesis (muscle growth) with a post workout drink including carbs, protein, vitamins and certain amino acids. Food takes 3-4 hours before its available as nutrition and cannot supply the nutrition in ideal ratios as supplements can. This is probably supplements greatest benefit…. Nutrients without calories at ideal times and in ideal rations.
Muscle Science Products that fall into this category:
Creatine, BetaGain, Creatine Supreme, No Power, Muscle Defense, Glutamine
Creatine based products:
Creatine is by far the most popular sports supplement in the world and the results from using it are quiet spectacular. Studies show increases in muscle and strength up to 100% over a placebo. Creatine is definitely a must for anyone serious about muscle growth.
Muscle Defence/Glutamine
The speed of muscle growth is directly related to your ability to recover from workouts. Muscle defense (BCAA) and glutamine have shown to dramatically speed up recovery and reduce exercise induced muscle damage. It’s a must for any intense training athlete.
Optimum Anabolic
Optimum Anabolic has been placed in level 2 because of the addition of Creatine to the formula. Optimum Anabolic is a good all rounder, supplying high quality Protein and Carbs with added Creatine, Glutamine, Vitamins, essential fats and Branched Chain Aminos. An intense athlete may need to take additional Creatine, glutamine and branch chain aminos, supplied separately. Optimum Anabolic can be used as a Pre or Post Workout Drink or as a meal supplement during the day.
Level 3 (Boosting Performance and Testosterone)
Advanced-more than 1 years training experience
Level 3 is considered an advanced level. Level 3 includes products that boost workout intensity, volume and testosterone, creating the ideal training and hormonal environment for growth.
Muscle Science products that fall into this category are:
No Pump, Xplode/ Xplode NRG, Anabolic Testo Stack, ZMA, Methoxy Sterone, Tribulus
No Pump, Xplode/Xplode NRG
These products will definitely boost workout intensity and volume. Supplying Creatine, Caffeine, Arginine, Taurine, Glucoronolactone and others in combination, all performance boosters in their own right, will definitely raise your workout intensity to a new level. If you require a ‘pick me up’ or need to train at high intensity, Xplode products will definitely get the job done.
Testosterone Boosters (Anabolic Testo-Stack, ZMA, Methoxy Sterone, Tribulus):
The physiological environment conducive to optimal muscle gain is a high testosterone (anabolic hormone) to cortisol (catabolic hormone) ratio. The above testosterone boosters have shown to boost testosterone levels which are usually suppressed in trained athletes. Unfortunately some people resort to the use of illegal anabolic steroids to boost testosterone. The products mentioned above, although not as effective as anabolic steroids, will definitely increase testosterone levels to a point on increased muscle growth.
Level 4
(Competition)
Maximum potential during high level competition involves exploiting all available resources within healthful guidelines. Competitive athletes’ nutritional needs are very different to the average off season athlete. The body is placed under severe mental and physical stress. This requires additional products to support the competitive athlete.
Muscle Science Products that fall into this category are:
Whey Supreme, Perfect Protein, Vitamin C, Ripped EFX, Ripped Hardcore
Whey Supreme, Perfect Protein:
During competition athletes are forced to reduce calories and protein in an effort to lose body fat. In order to keep protein intake as high as possible with the least amount of calories, athletes use whey protein; it has the highest biological value of all proteins. This means you get more protein for fewer calories, an obvious choice for competitive athletes.
Vitamin C (Opti-C)
Vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis, enhances carnitine biosynthesis and works to minimize free radical damage, especially under high stress conditions, something high level athletes have a lot of. At higher doses, 500-2000 mgs/d, Vitamin C may reduce exercise induced oxidation changes, muscle soreness and damage. Additionally, in high physically stressed subjects Vitamin C supplementation significantly decreased the incidence and duration of colds. Vitamin C is therefore commonly used by competitive athletes.
Ripped EFX/Hardcore
During competition caloric intake needs to be lower than expenditure. Since an athlete needs to keep calories as high as possible, but still allowing for fat loss to occur, athletes look to other means of increasing energy expenditure without adding additional exercise. Specific ingredients in Ripped EFX/Hardcore have the ability to increase energy expenditure alone. Ripped EFX/Hardcore would be an obvious choice for any competitive athlete.
Summary:
This article should help you choose the correct supplements based on your fitness level as well as economics. With so many products on the market, it is difficult to decide what to take.
Level One includes good nutrition, exercise and a positive attitude. Most good meal replacement products/protein powders fall into this category as they are food in a powder form. It is very easy to make a case for meal replacements, protein bars and shakes because they are food. Vitamins, minerals and essential fats also fall into this category because they come from food. As I mentioned, taking a multi-vitamin and essential fat supplement is good insurance against deficiencies.
Level Two starts with the addition of some well researched products that will have a major impact on results. Creatine, Glutamine and Branch Chain Aminos have been around for over a decade and have proven themselves in the lab as well as the gym. You can’t go wrong with these products.
At Level Three we start pushing the envelope a little and try to maximize all mechanisms for growth. Boosting testosterone and workout intensity is something an advanced athlete would be trying to achieve.
Level Four is competition time. As mentioned, the nutritional needs of a competitive athlete are far different to an off-season athlete. The body is placed under severe mental and physical stress. Maximum potential during high level competition involves exploiting all available resources within healthful guidelines. This requires additional products to support the competitive athlete.
Conclusion:
The next time you purchase a supplement, decide on your fitness level, look at the products potential benefit and see if it fits in your supplement stack.
Sample Supplement Stack:
