I am new to the forum and am so impressed with all the information here, although I am a little overwhelmed. I am trying to be in the best possible shape I can be this year and so have decided that rest, recovery, and diet (some things previously....underlooked) are important.
As I said, however, its all a little overwhelming:
ZMA, fish oil, B12, milk no milk, the Zone, protein, carbs, fat, etc.
I am now following (roughly) the Zone diet, but my question is what are the most important changes to make in terms of supplements. I have been reading a lot of good things about ZMA (and since I am training heavily nicer sleeps would be nice). I have also seen great things about fish oil.
As knowledgeable forum members what would you recommend the best supplements/changes to make in order to optimize my training and athletic health.
Thanks,
Juggies
P.S Keep in mind I am at university so some fiscal understanding would be appreciated
On a tight budget, I think you’ll get the most bang for the buck with a good protein supplement and a multi-vit/min. Direct most of your attention to whole foods and get that part in order. Don’t spend your money on anything else nutrition wise until you’ve taken care of these basics. Otherwise you’ll be wasting your money. Keep it simple.
In terms of a “whole” diet, there are many theories so weigh them up and see what works for you.
Try a few things, it will take a while but as you change you diet you will notice different things like how you feel at training, body composition changes over a number of weeks etc…
good luck, I can tell you the results are there to be had and its lots of fun to do the research and then come out with something at the other end that elicits a positive change in composition and health.
If you are in college, be nice to the fat girls since they can cook great…you don’t have to do anything sexual…just let them take care of your meals…say Monday with Fat Jessica…Tuesday with Huge Hellen…and so on. Pimps rule.
Alright maybe I embelished my budgetary concerns a little bit. Its like someone in another forum said “Why do these kids waste all there money on jeans and clothes, and nothing on their body”
So I’d rather waste the money on my body. So I should start with a good multivitamin and mineral, should I invest in the fish oil, and ZMA?
Also I eat a lot of tuna, salmon, egg whites, cottage cheese, and slices of meat. Do I need to get a protein supplement?
A protein supp is useful post training to improve recovery and top up protein intake. I agree that you shouldnt waste money on “wonder” supps, just stick to a basic multi vit
on the diet front, there is no perfect diet, everyone is different and you have to determine what works best for you
I find 20-30 grams of protein 1 hour before a workout, carbs (gatorade etc) during the workout and another 30 grams of protein immediately afterwards very effective. I also have a shake in the morning (30 grams) when I first wake up and another 1 hour before bed (20 grams)
Otherwise I eat a normal diet with a multivitamin and an extra calcium and b50 complex supplement
I have just gotten some multivitamins, Prolab ZMA, and GNC Body Fish Oil.
Now I am sure the ZMA is the correct formula, but I’m not sure about the fish oil, I know that Clemson is a big supporter of the Sears Fish Oil but want to know if this stuff is alright.
Each Softgel contains:
Fish Body Oil 1000mg
Supplying EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) 180mg
Supplying DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) 120mg
Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopherol) 0.9 IU
90 softgels for $10CAN so not too bad, but just want to make sure I’m taking the right stuff.
Depends how the oil has been processed. Also you would have to take a handful of caps/day (assuming little omega 3’s in the rest of your diet) to hit the recommended 1:1:1 saturated/mono/poly and 2:1 poly omega6/omega3.
Ideally you want a fluid ounce bottle of fish oil. I take flax oil by the desert spoon instead.
