1. Should I supplement with creatine?
No. Creatine has mild benefits for short-term repetitive power movements (e.g.
weight lifting). Dozens of studies looking at creatine use for endurance training have
shown no benefit. Looking at how creatine functions in the body, it makes sense (I won’
t go into that).
2. Should I supplement with glucosamine and condroitin?
Glucosamine is somewhat effective for reducing arthritis pain (shown in several
studies) and people have taken this to mean that glucosamine will repair micro-damage
in the joints from exercise. No studies have shown that it reduces micro-damage from
exercise, but it is possible that it does. Since glucosamine is just a sugar, it is not likely
that one could get a negative side effect from taking it (and none have been shown),
but that also means that the body will burn it as fuel just like any other sugar. The vast
majority of glucosamine ingested will be metabolized or will pass out with the urine
(studies show 99% or more is eliminated in these ways). The remaining 1% or less has
to diffuse to the joint (ligaments and cartilage get minimal blood flow...this is part of why
they heal so slowly when they are damaged). Thus, the vast majority of any
glucosamine you take in will not reach its intended target. To a lesser extent this is
true of all supplements (but especially so for those going to areas of low blood flow). If
you decide to try it, my advice is to not take it with food because digestion and the
presence of insulin etc will metabolize more of the glucosamine. If you are not
experiencing any joint stiffness or pain at all you will have no idea if it is working for you
and the whole thing could be a waste of money. If you are experiencing some stiffness
or pain and you do a trial with glucosamine you should know if it is effective within 3 to
6 weeks. That is the time duration of most of the studies done with it thus far. These
studies find that the benefits are too small to reliably measure (half of studies show no
benefit, the other half show mild but measurable benefit) but a few individuals seem to
respond much better than everyone else. There are studies on dogs showing that
arthritis pain was reduced for them (credible work since dogs are unlikely to have a
placebo effect). I would not recommend glucosamine for athletes or someone
exercising in general since its cost is high and does not benefit the majority of people,
but if you are experiencing joint pain and / or stiffness, a trial run may be worth the
effort. Again, do not assume that it is helping unless you feel a benefit in 3-6 weeks.
Condroitin is typically added to glucosamine in supplement products but there is not
enough scientific information available on this compound yet for me to be able to
comment.
3. What do you think of G-push?
G-push is made from galactose, the sugar that pairs up with glucose to make lactose
(dairy sugar). Galactose is absorbed by the liver and converted to glucose that can be
used for fuel by the muscle. Since the liver must convert it first, blood glucose levels
are kept more stable after consuming galactose than if you ingested glucose sugar
directly. If ingested before training, G-push will reduce the insulin spike that other
sugars would give you (see Pre-Training Nutrition # 1). However, insulin release is
suppressed during exercise by adrenalin, so the advantage offered by galactose is
drastically reduced during training unless you only take in calories every half hour or
every hour. In that case (infrequent caloric intake), you are more likely to take in over
100 kcals at once so the advantage of eating galactose (slow conversion and release
as glucose by the liver) is significant. This uses up some of the liver’s energy and
therefore is not optimal. It is better to consume glucose as a complex carbohydrate
(maltodextrin) but to space out its intake evenly throughout training or competition (by
having it diluted into the water you drink). In other words, you need glucose released
steadily into the bloodstream. The question is, are you going to do it by planning your
intake ahead of time (by figuring out how to dilute maltodextrin into the amount of water
you need to replace your sweat losses), or are you going to let the liver do it for you
with galactose (and / or fructose)? Either way, there is an energy cost, but in the case
of the latter, the energy cost is paid during training instead of during its planning.
4. What do you think of Gatorade?
Its electrolyte content is on the money, but its sugar content is high, and the
powdered version contains trans fats (see Fats # 2). Refined complex carbohydrates
(maltodextrin, such as is found in Gu or Hammer Gel) are easier to digest and burn as
fuel during endurance training. For stop-and-go athletics, such as football and soccer,
the sugar probably makes no difference (i.e. Gatorade would work just as well as
maltodextrin so that taste would then become the issue, with Gatorade winning out on
that one).
5. What do you think of Red Bull?
Its ingredients are (essentially) caffeine, taurine, and a precursor of vitamin C.
These ingredients are all fine, may help you, and will be addressed separately.
Clearly, combining Red Bull with alcohol is not so good for training, partying, or
anything else.
No. Creatine has mild benefits for short-term repetitive power movements (e.g.
weight lifting). Dozens of studies looking at creatine use for endurance training have
shown no benefit. Looking at how creatine functions in the body, it makes sense (I won’
t go into that).
2. Should I supplement with glucosamine and condroitin?
Glucosamine is somewhat effective for reducing arthritis pain (shown in several
studies) and people have taken this to mean that glucosamine will repair micro-damage
in the joints from exercise. No studies have shown that it reduces micro-damage from
exercise, but it is possible that it does. Since glucosamine is just a sugar, it is not likely
that one could get a negative side effect from taking it (and none have been shown),
but that also means that the body will burn it as fuel just like any other sugar. The vast
majority of glucosamine ingested will be metabolized or will pass out with the urine
(studies show 99% or more is eliminated in these ways). The remaining 1% or less has
to diffuse to the joint (ligaments and cartilage get minimal blood flow...this is part of why
they heal so slowly when they are damaged). Thus, the vast majority of any
glucosamine you take in will not reach its intended target. To a lesser extent this is
true of all supplements (but especially so for those going to areas of low blood flow). If
you decide to try it, my advice is to not take it with food because digestion and the
presence of insulin etc will metabolize more of the glucosamine. If you are not
experiencing any joint stiffness or pain at all you will have no idea if it is working for you
and the whole thing could be a waste of money. If you are experiencing some stiffness
or pain and you do a trial with glucosamine you should know if it is effective within 3 to
6 weeks. That is the time duration of most of the studies done with it thus far. These
studies find that the benefits are too small to reliably measure (half of studies show no
benefit, the other half show mild but measurable benefit) but a few individuals seem to
respond much better than everyone else. There are studies on dogs showing that
arthritis pain was reduced for them (credible work since dogs are unlikely to have a
placebo effect). I would not recommend glucosamine for athletes or someone
exercising in general since its cost is high and does not benefit the majority of people,
but if you are experiencing joint pain and / or stiffness, a trial run may be worth the
effort. Again, do not assume that it is helping unless you feel a benefit in 3-6 weeks.
Condroitin is typically added to glucosamine in supplement products but there is not
enough scientific information available on this compound yet for me to be able to
comment.
3. What do you think of G-push?
G-push is made from galactose, the sugar that pairs up with glucose to make lactose
(dairy sugar). Galactose is absorbed by the liver and converted to glucose that can be
used for fuel by the muscle. Since the liver must convert it first, blood glucose levels
are kept more stable after consuming galactose than if you ingested glucose sugar
directly. If ingested before training, G-push will reduce the insulin spike that other
sugars would give you (see Pre-Training Nutrition # 1). However, insulin release is
suppressed during exercise by adrenalin, so the advantage offered by galactose is
drastically reduced during training unless you only take in calories every half hour or
every hour. In that case (infrequent caloric intake), you are more likely to take in over
100 kcals at once so the advantage of eating galactose (slow conversion and release
as glucose by the liver) is significant. This uses up some of the liver’s energy and
therefore is not optimal. It is better to consume glucose as a complex carbohydrate
(maltodextrin) but to space out its intake evenly throughout training or competition (by
having it diluted into the water you drink). In other words, you need glucose released
steadily into the bloodstream. The question is, are you going to do it by planning your
intake ahead of time (by figuring out how to dilute maltodextrin into the amount of water
you need to replace your sweat losses), or are you going to let the liver do it for you
with galactose (and / or fructose)? Either way, there is an energy cost, but in the case
of the latter, the energy cost is paid during training instead of during its planning.
4. What do you think of Gatorade?
Its electrolyte content is on the money, but its sugar content is high, and the
powdered version contains trans fats (see Fats # 2). Refined complex carbohydrates
(maltodextrin, such as is found in Gu or Hammer Gel) are easier to digest and burn as
fuel during endurance training. For stop-and-go athletics, such as football and soccer,
the sugar probably makes no difference (i.e. Gatorade would work just as well as
maltodextrin so that taste would then become the issue, with Gatorade winning out on
that one).
5. What do you think of Red Bull?
Its ingredients are (essentially) caffeine, taurine, and a precursor of vitamin C.
These ingredients are all fine, may help you, and will be addressed separately.
Clearly, combining Red Bull with alcohol is not so good for training, partying, or
anything else.
Supplements
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© Clyde F. Wilson