Coach Chris' TOP 9 Supplements to Take and How!
After working as a manager at Nutrition Warehouse for a number of years, who better to ask about the correct dosages for supplementations than this man, Chris.
Chris is a walking encyclopedia on all things nutrition and training. He would literally stay up for hours through the night, going through scientific reviews, studies and websites on everything to do with this industry.
It is no suprise now with how intelligent he is on this area.
Here is his top 9 list of supplements and how to take them.
*Stay tuned, as we will be getting in to this list specifically on the benefits and what they do.
Protein powder
Implementing higher protein amounts when hungry, or instead of having a cheat meal or re-feed increasing intake may promote greater fat loss without adding extra carb back into your plan.
Also 1 tablespoon with every meal could promote greater muscle and better recovery
How much- I believe minimum requirement would be 30 g of protein per meal
Post workout 30 – 50g
if you are wanting to build more muscle you would be on the higher end of this.
Creatine monohydrate
Taking creatine 5grams preworkout and 5 grams post work is the most common method or 5 gms daily could be used on non-training days.
If you are wanting to get even more of an advantage with this supplement I would recommend “5 x a day for 3 days the go off for 3 then repeat regardless of training (you also can get better absorption adding this to a small serve of protein powder would give you the best absorption)
Example for 3 days
5g breakfast
5g lunch
5g preworkout
5g post workout
5g inside the first hour of training.
Omega 3
Essential fatty acids are (lipids) these are best consumed with food to help with nutrient transporting and bioavailability of EFA’s to enhance their effectiveness.
The only issue when consuming EPA and DHA to achieve the benefits, the correct ratio are needed. We actually require more EPA than DHA, much more. An effective clinical dose is at least 2-grams (2,000miligrams) of EPA per day. Consider that your average fish oil capsule serving (2-4 capsules) only contains about 180milligrams of EPA. Look for the highest potency EPA you can find. If not, you’ll be swallowing a lot of pills each day.
Green supplement
Best had with meals to boost the nutritional value of the meal
Remember Greens supplements are not a replacement for eating fruits and vegetables. The additional antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals is what you are looking for as these days you can’t guarantee the quality of food that you are consuming and how much nutrients are actually in the food you consume.
Glutamine
For intestinal health I would recommend on an empty stomach for better repair with any more stress to affected areas of your gut.
Glutamine should be taken during times of intense metabolic stress such as intense exercise training, calorie restriction and illness.
Also technically it’s a brain stimulate so I would avoid it before bed as some people have noted that it may keep them awake.
When on a low carb diet or calorie restriction L-glutamine can be used during the day and post workout to regenerate muscle glycogen simular to carbohydrates with less insulin response
Alpha-lapoic acid
ALA appears to be absorbed via transporter-related means, and despite being inherently fat-soluble it does not require dietary fatty acids to be absorbed from the gut. ALA supplementation can be taken in a fasted state with any meals could be slightly more effective with meals that have higher carbohydrate in them.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) tends to be in the range of 200-600mg with any issues of gastrointestinal and flushing sensations.
Consuming with your pre and post workout protocol can maximize the uptake into the muscle to provide even greater performance and recovery.
N-Acetyl cysteine
200mg to 800mg is recommended dosages can be higher but I wouldn’t recommend higher as higher dosages around 2000mg and above can be counterproductive and can create cell damage.
Starting on a lower does and building up is recommended as to due to your body holding toxins this may cause you to feel sick as your body is trying to remove toxins.
Taken pre exercise can promote vasodilation and also boost cognitive function for better performance.
NAC can cause a slight stimulant effect if you are sensitive to stimulants you might not want to take this at night before bed
Gamma-Aminobutyric acid
Taken before sleep or before a workout, GABA is shown to increase circulating GH levels by as much as 500%. A dose of GABA prior to resistance training exercise is shown to increase circulating bioactive GH levels great.
How much?
GABA is normally taken in the range between 2g to 5 Gms per serve
Technically a sedative and promotes relaxation, sometimes I find that it sometimes can keep me awake if I take this too far away from bed, as for me I notice it can promote greater blood flow if taken before a workout, also my core temperature increases after a serve and it can promote shortness of breath and a tingling sensation for a few minutes then it passes, also having better and longer sleep is also linked to lower body fat levels and a reduction in.
Pre/probiotic
I’d recommend taking pre and probiotic as far away from meals as possible, try taking them upon wakening and also right before bed this will give them more chance to be effective and not killed off by higher levels of stomach acid which increases stomach PH levels when its meal time.
Remember that to be effective, probiotics must be alive when consumed. If taking probiotic supplements, take care to protect them from heat, dampness and air, and refrigerate them, if required.