Category — Amino Acids

Everybody has their own theories and methods when it comes to supplements. What they use, how much of it, and when is all based on personal experience and research. The key is to find out what works best for you. Because what might help me lose body fat, may not be what helps you.

Dr. Howard LeWine (M.D) from Harvard Medical School wrote an article a few weeks ago in which he outlines how vitamin and protein supplements are not necessarily beneficial and there is little evidence to support those claims. Now, I’m not a doctor and I’m not questioning Dr. LeWine’s credibility because I’m quite sure he can backup any of the arguments he has made. However, there’s something about being a highly conditioned athlete and knowing the limitations and needs of your own body.

For instance, a person looking to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass needs high amounts of B-vitamins to sustain energy and convert food into energy. As Dr. LeWine says:

During exercise, more than the usual amounts of B vitamins are needed. These include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid. Enriched cereals and whole-grain carbohydrates combined with some lean meats will satisfy the needs of even the extreme athlete.

The only problem with that is when you’re trying to lose body fat and gain lean muscle you’re not going to rely on cereal and carbohydrates to sustain your energy. You’re going to limit the amount of carbohydrates (especially cereal because most of it is processed anyway) and concentrate on a high protein diet. That’s why supplementing with B-vitamins could be a good idea. The same is true for protein. You’re not going to comsume all of your protein by way of meat and nuts — if you do you’d be putting your health at risk. Instead, you supplement with protein powder and meal replacement shakes.

Don’t get me wrong, Dr. LeWine makes a lot of good points and even credits creatine as to having some value:

Creatine is the one amino acid that may have some athletic benefit. It contributes to rapid energy production and may enhance power or speed bursts that require short periods of anaerobic activity. It does not build muscle or increase endurance, and it can result in water retention. Long-term effects are unknown.

As I have discussed in previous posts, Kre-Alkalyn is the new generation of creatine. It’s a buffered type of creatine that is better absorbed in the body and doesn’t force you to retain water.

It’s true that many supplements are bogus because they don’t have to be approved by the FDA, but there are many good ones out there from reliable companies. So be sure to do your research before picking one. I agree with Dr. LeWine’s overall point that you should get the majority of your nutrition from food and not from supplements. However, there are cases when supplementing is beneficial. Especially cases where an individual is trying to lose weight and gain muscle.

You’ve just worked hard at the gym and come home ready to cook something up for dinner. You know you need some protein to go along with those vegetables, but what kind? There are many choices but only a handful pack the muscle building compounds your body needs to recover.

So, let’s break down the 3 most practical meats: chicken, turkey, and beef and look at the benefits each provides.

Chicken: I like to go with prepackaged breast cutlets because they are the easiest to prepare and contain little or no added ingredients. One average size 3 ounce breast will set you back only 142 calories. It also contains about 3 grams of fat and 26 grams of muscle buliding protein. Chicken breasts are probably the most prevalent meat you can find (in restaurants or grocery stores) and are always a popular choice among athletes and bodybuilders for their excellent protein to fat ratio.

Turkey: The best selection here is ground turkey breast. You can cook some up on the stove top and add veggies and whatever else you like. Turkey contains high amounts of niacin and B-6 and is an excellent source of selenium. A single 4 ounce serving of ground turkey contains 120 calories and just 1 gram of fat while packing 28 grams of protein.

Beef: While it may be the best tasting of the 3, it has the highest fat content. Even 95% lean ground beef contains 5.6 grams of fat (half of it being saturated) and 155 calories per 4 ounce serving. It’s okay to have beef once in a while but try not to make it a staple of your diet. When you do eat it, make sure it’s lean ground which contains the least amount of saturated fat. Ground beef does contain 24 grams of protein per serving and is an excellent source creatine.

With so many bottled supplements out there claiming you can get ripped or lean in weeks by just using their product, it’s hard to weed out the useful ones from the duds. However, there is one supplement that’s gaining popularity that can help you in your quest to get jacked. L- Carnitine.

L-Carnitine is an amino acid produced naturally in your body, albeit very sparingly. It helps to oxidize fatty acids (it helps break them down into energy). Beef, nuts, and legumes are all natural sources of L-Carnitine. However, the best way to ensure you’re getting enough is to supplement.

For someone who exercises regularly, eats a balanced diet, and is looking to gain lean muscle mass and burn fat 1.5 – 2 grams of L-Carnitine daily will suffice.

You can find it at most drugstores and healthfood stores.

Any protein, whether it be whey, casein, or soy is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle.  However, that’s where the similarities end. Here’s a brief description of the differences between the 3 main types of protein:

Whey – This protein absorbs the fastest and contains the most concentration of amino acids. Consumption is ideal immediately after a workout or activity to replenish the muscles.

Casein - This protein derives from milk and has the highest amount of glutamine (the most abundant amino acid found in your muscles).

Soy – A product of soybeans, it is considered the “complete protein” because it provides all of the essential amino acids and isoflavones (which may help reduce cholesterol).

Ideally, an athlete or someone looking to increase muscle mass should get an equal amount of protein from each source and strive for at least 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day.