fitness supplements, am i taking enough?

[Datboileg]

so i've been lifting heavy for 4 years now, and it's about time i "step my game up" so far i've been only taking whey protein (actually started 5 months ago, before i was eating whole foods, and i have to say, my gainz doubled since i started taking 4 scoops of whey/day, i was definitely protein deficent)


i would like to take some supplements to possibly boost performance and muscle mass, possibly testosterone, and aid in recovery time etc.

this is what i bought:

multivitamin (which contains vitamin D and zinc which may lead to a increase in testosterone)

ASHWAGANDHA (there is lots on evidence on it's the ability to boost testosterone and enhance performance while reducing stress and anxiety)

citrulline Malate <---- this one i bought and i'm not sure of, the research is a bit mixed, i'd like someone to weigh in with your experiences

Beta-Alanine <----- this one i recently ordered but i'm not gonna buy another bag of, there is no conclusive research that proves it helps with anything.




are the supplements i'm taking worth it for someone like me who is trying to go as far as i can naturally? or am i wasting my money??

is there any other supplements backed up by research worth looking in to?

[SuffolkPunch]

I personally would only take creatine, vit D, EPA/DHA and protein powder. Your needs may vary but finding unbiased views on what the science actually says is hard, this is one website I rate:

https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/

CM and BA seem to apply more to endurance training.

[Datboileg]

I personally would only take creatine, vit D, EPA/DHA and protein powder. Your needs may vary but finding unbiased views on what the science actually says is hard, this is one website I rate:

https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/

CM and BA seem to apply more to endurance training.

epa/dha work tho? i wasn't able to find much about it when it comes to fitness benefits other than research that claims that it "may" help (but 99% of supplements "may" help)

also, are different types of protein powder worth it? slow release etc, i just always went with the best deal..

[SuffolkPunch]

epa/dha work tho? i wasn't able to find much about it when it comes to fitness benefits other than research that claims that it "may" help (but 99% of supplements "may" help)

also, are different types of protein powder worth it? slow release etc, i just always went with the best deal..

EPA/DHA is mainly for health - but of course you need to be in good health as a basis for training and hypertrophy. If you eat a lot of oily fish, you don't need supplementation.

Release speed of protein is much overhyped. The problem is that absorbtion rates are usually measured in fasted subjects - all that goes out the window if you eat some food with it - or even within a few hours before or after. And there is no reason to suppose it matters that much. If you want to know more, read this page:
https://www.nutritiontactics.com/mea...ein-synthesis/

[Datboileg]

EPA/DHA is mainly for health - but of course you need to be in good health as a basis for training and hypertrophy. If you eat a lot of oily fish, you don't need supplementation.

Release speed of protein is much overhyped. The problem is that absorbtion rates are usually measured in fasted subjects - all that goes out the window if you eat some food with it - or even within a few hours before or after. And there is no reason to suppose it matters that much. If you want to know more, read this page:
https://www.nutritiontactics.com/mea...ein-synthesis/

i don't really eat a lot of fish, but walnuts have lots of omega 3 right? is plant-based omega 3's as good as fish ones? i only really eat fried fish/ raw tuna and salmon, but i don't eat enough to gett my omega 3s only from that

[SuffolkPunch]

It's pretty hard to get EPA/DHA from plant sources. Some (like flax seeds) have ALAs which convert into EPA/DHA but the conversion rate is poor. There is no real substitute unfortunately. I don't like fish so I face the same issue.

[TolerantLactose]

Beta-Alanine <----- this one i recently ordered but i'm not gonna buy another bag of, there is no conclusive research that proves it helps with anything.

It may help with exertions of 45-75s in duration, like sports where there are bursts of activity and lulls. Not as useful for resistance training where most sets are less than 30s.

[Datboileg]

It may help with exertions of 45-75s in duration, like sports where there are bursts of activity and lulls. Not as useful for resistance training where most sets are less than 30s.

what do you think about citrulline Malate and ASHWAGANDHA .


the research is pretty convincing..