Musclebuilding Supplements I Don't Recommend

Beta-Alanine

Supposedly much of Beta-Alanine’s effects come through boosting the synthesis of an intramuscular dipeptide (two amino acids) called carnosine. To function effectively, muscle cells rely on the powerful intracellular buffer carnosine to avoid becoming acidic (low pH) during exercise. If you want your muscles to remain strong and maintain powerful contractions, they need to be in an optimal pH range. If they don’t and the pH drops below that optimal level, you have significantly less strength and fatigue more quickly. You know this is happening when you feel that familiar burn in your muscles (lactic acid building) or even when you’re lifting heavy and reach muscular failure. Muscle pH has dropped and it’s largely a result of an increase in hydrogen ions (H+) which build up when you break down the high energy compound ATP during exercise (ATP is muscle energy). The breakdown of ATP and the subsequent rise in H+ concentrations occurs in all of our energy systems but is most prevalent in an energy system called glycolysis which also produces lactic acid. Lactic acid releases H+ ions, contributing further to the pool of H+ that’s filling your muscles from the breakdown of ATP.

Wouldn’t it be nice to knock out a few more reps? Supposedly Beta-Alaine raises levels of carnosine in our muscles, which buffers lactic acid which hypothetically will allow you to get that extra one or two reps you would normally not be able to do. When excess H+ is released and builds up at a rapid rate from exercise, muscular pH to drops fast. Your body’s natural carnosine levels become overwhelmed and your energy and endurance decline rapidly and your strength suffers.

Carnosine to the rescue right?? BULLSHIT!! I TRIED THIS SUPPLEMENT AND IT DID NOT WORK! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS GARBAGE. I WASTED THREE MONTHS TAKING THIS SUPPLEMENT AND RECEIVED NO RESULTS WHATSOEVER. ALL I GOT OUT OF THIS SUPPLEMENT WAS THAT STRANGE TINGLING FEELING IT FELT LIKE RED FIRE ANTS WERE ALL OVER MY BODY BITING THE HELL OUT OF ME. FEEL FREE TO TRY ITIF YOU LIKE BUT ITS BULLSHIT AND IT DOES NOT WORK!!!

Weight Gain Powders

If you have been thinking about using weight gain powders, consider that you are bet­ter off throwing down a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts which will provide about the same sugar and nutrient intake and calories but at least you will enjoy it more. Yes if you are looking to gain weight and muscle you need to increase your daily calories but please don’t get it from this crap just eat more higher carb foods such as white potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams whole grain pastas and rice. You will get more nutrients and not all the fillers loaded into weight gain powders!!

Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid (building blocks of protein) found in the muscles of the body. In fact, it is the most abundant freeamino acid in our bodies.  Glutamine is classified as a semi-essential amino acid, which means that under normal circumstances the body can manufacture it on its own to meet the physiological demands.

However, there are times that glutamine becomes an essential amino acid due to metabolic stress situations like trauma (including surgical trauma), cancer, burns, and sepsis. Under such conditions, it is important that there is an adequate intake of glutamine to meet the increased demand created by these situations.

With that being said, if you are getting the required protein in your diet as pointed out earlier when we covered how much protein you need daily if you meet this amount you will be getting your daily requirements of glutamine!!! No need to supplement it!!! As noted above unless you have been exposed to some type of trauma such as surgery or cancer glutamine is not needed your body will make what your body requires. It’s a scam I know don’t believe the many people out there who tell you need to supplement it. Believe me I’ve taken this and wasted countless dollars with no results.

L-arginine (Nitric Oxide)

L-arginine was first isolated in 1886. In 1932, scientists learned that L-arginine is needed to create urea, a waste product that is necessary for toxic ammonia to be removed from the body. In 1939, researchers discovered that L-arginine is also needed to make creatine. Arginine is considered a semi-essential amino acid because even though the body normally makes enough of it, supplementation is sometimes needed. For example, people with protein malnutrition, excessive ammonia production, excessive lysine intake, burns, infections, peritoneal dialysis, rapid growth, urea synthesis disorders, or sepsis may not have enough arginine. Symptoms of arginine deficiency include poor wound healing, hair loss, skin rash, constipation, and fatty liver.

Arginine changes into nitric oxide, which causes blood vessel relaxation (vasodilation). Early evidence suggests that arginine may help treat medical conditions that improve with vasodilation, such as chest pain, clogged arteries (called atherosclerosis), coronary artery disease, erectile dysfunction, heart failure, intermittent peripheral vascular disease, and blood vessel swelling that causes headaches (vascular headaches). So with that said, if you are a healthy person and YOU get enough protein in your diet you are getting enough Arginine for your body’s needs!! I’m sure you have seen all those Force Factor ads everywhere pushing this stuff and its quite expensive. TRUST ME DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS IT DOES NOT HELP YOU GAIN ANYMORE MUSCLE THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU DID NOT TAKE IT!!! IT’S A SCAM BUY THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY!!!