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Supplementation is divided into permanent, which we can use all the time and there are no contraindications to it, and cyclical , which serves us for a certain amount of time, after which we take a break from it. There are many people who do not know how to use supplements correctly and do not have even basic knowledge of what a given supplement affects.
This article is the first part, which contains information and sample doses and advice on basic supplements (protein, carbohydrate-protein and carbohydrate supplements) included in the permanent supplementation. The text may also interest people who already have some knowledge about the use of this type of products. It should be remembered, of course, that a dietary supplement means an addition to it, not a substitute for food products.
What you need to know about continuous supplementation, or a handful of basics
In general, muscle tissue cell renewal is directly related to muscle damage and thus to muscle growth. All elements make up one cycle of phenomena. The whole thing is mainly related to energy and its expenditure processes. A good diet plan guarantees us a constant level of energy adequate to our needs, and the body stores "energy" in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is a sugar that the human body is able to store in larger quantities in the liver and muscles (in small quantities in the brain). The body draws the necessary energy from its glycogen store through biochemical processes, called energy processes. Proteins are also used in these processes, which, when supplied before strength training, are designed to protect muscles from excessive breakdown (anti-catabolic function). In the case of extreme anaerobic exercise (training in the gym), muscle fibers break down and muscle glycogen is depleted.
Of course, without the catabolic phase, muscle-building processes, i.e. anabolism, could not occur. After the training session is over, it is necessary to replenish energy losses, start replenishing glycogen levels and inhibit catabolism, while at the same time activating the building phase. We do this 15 minutes after training, because cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone, secreted at that time, has detoxification capabilities - it cleanses our muscles of toxins accumulated during exercise.
Protein, carbohydrate and carbohydrate-protein supplements.
The human body needs all the nutrients it uses during physical exertion to build muscle, regenerate the body and function optimally. The more it spends, the more it needs. Generally, these supplements can be used continuously, which means they do not require special cyclical use - the most important thing is regularity. They are used to build muscle fibers, create an immunological base, inhibit the breakdown of muscle fibers, regenerate the body, provide energy and regulate the biochemical processes of the body necessary for its functioning.
The group of solid supplements that constitute the basis for supplementation includes:
- carbohydrate supplements,
- carbohydrate and protein supplements,
- protein supplements,
- amino acid complexes.
Carbohydrate supplements are popularly known as Carbo. They contain only sugars as far as the main nutrients are concerned. They are used in particular after training to replenish energy losses and glycogen stores caused by excessive, extreme physical effort. Of course, we take them in accordance with the deficiencies in the diet plan and due to the intensity of training and metabolic type (ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph) and training goal (building muscle mass, reducing adipose tissue, building "dry" muscle mass). For example, you can use a dosage such as:
0.6g carbo x weight of the person taking it [e.g. 0.6g carbo x 80kg weight = 48g carbo per dose]
Another important issue is the dilution of such a supplement, because we mix it in a shaker with water. How can dilution affect the effect and how to use it? As I wrote above, we most often use Carbo after training. In such a case, the dilution should be maintained within 4-8%, and not go lower. A lower dilution value with water (5-6%) is recommended if the exercising person is inclined to use Carbo during training. Why? Well, thanks to this, and not another value of mixing the preparation with water, we will avoid some discomfort related to the digestive processes - the higher the dilution value, the more the supplement "stays" in the stomach. When we exercise, the body does work, so it is more exposed to stomach complications - also then thermal energy is released. In conditions of higher temperature, we tend to use a supplement with a lower concentration, while at low temperatures a higher concentration is recommended. The best Carbo supplements contain different types of carbohydrates to optimally and successively release all the ingredients into the bloodstream - this is about the diversity in the structure of sugars (carbon chain length).
Carbohydrate-protein supplements are preparations popularly called "Gainers", which are usually characterized by a sugar to protein ratio of 4:1. So? For 4g of carbohydrates, there is 1g of protein. They are mainly used during the building of muscle mass and to replenish deficiencies in the diet "quickly" (when we really do not have time to prepare a meal). These preparations do not rely only on the main nutrients. They are also equipped with optimally selected vitamin and mineral complexes. For what purpose? Well, these ingredients mostly act as activators of metabolic processes and thus prepare, for example, proteins to build muscle tissue and others. It often happens that preparations such as creatine or MCT oil are also added to the composition. Why? Well, they increase the energy content of the supplement without adding another dose of sugars and increase the anabolic functions of the agent, giving the body a stimulus and information about a specific effect.
Protein supplements are designed to:
- replenish protein deficiencies in your diet plan,
- inhibit or minimize catabolic processes (anti-catabolic function),
- start the anabolic (building) phase,
- regenerate muscle fibers.
Generally, protein supplements are based on whey. The most popular supplements of this type will be WPC concentrate (whey protein concentrate) and WPI isolate (whey protein isolate). A protein supplement must have an appropriate biological value, or BV. There are also certain dependencies related to this fact. What are they? Namely, the higher the biological value of the protein, the better and in larger quantities it will be properly used by the body, and thus the muscles. Another dependency: the higher the content of exogenous amino acids in proteins, the higher the BV.
Amino acids are the components of which proteins are built, while exogenous amino acids are those that the body cannot synthesize on its own and must be supplied with food or supplements. A good WPI is characterized by a negligible content of carbohydrates and lactose - even fat should be in such a supplement no more than 1%.
WPC concentrates, on the other hand, already contain certain amounts of the above-mentioned ingredients, which isolate cannot afford in its composition. We use this type of protein complexes, for example, after training, to stop the destructive phase (catabolism) and activate the anabolic (building) phase. There are also protein supplements based on egg albumin and casein. They are typically used at night due to the long period of absorption by the body (casein protein: 6-8h, albumins: 4-6h). At night, the body is particularly vulnerable to catabolism, because it is in a state of so-called night hunger, so you have to resort to a solution that will allow you to feed muscle cells throughout this time - casein proteins and albumins. The so-called Protein Matrixes have also been very popular for some time, i.e. supplements containing different protein fractions, and therefore also absorbing differently - some proteins are activated and absorbed almost immediately, while others reach this state only later. For example, the dosage can be used:
0.4g of protein supplement x weight of the person taking it [e.g. 0.4g of supplement x 80kg of weight = 32g of supplement per dose
A special type of protein supplements is the group based on plant proteins - soy proteins . These preparations are used less frequently than the above-mentioned ones, although they also have their supporters. They decide to use them for various reasons - allergic problems, their own resolutions, etc. Unfortunately, supplements based on this type of protein are not full-value and have a much lower biological value (about 75), but they take longer to absorb than albumin or casein. The lack of value results from the fact that plant proteins do not have a high content or a full pool of exogenous amino acids. Their advantage is their low price, but the cost of energy used by the body to digest and absorb proteins from the supplement is disproportionately high. Some people may notice stomach problems that may occur after regular use of the product. Why? Most often, in addition to protein, the composition includes such sugars as stachyose and raffinose. What does it mean? Well, unlike carbohydrates contained in supplements based on animal proteins, they ferment in the large intestine, not the small intestine - the human body does not have enzymes in the digestive juice responsible for stachyose and raffinose. Soy proteins are a good addition, but should not be considered a base for protein support.
Amino acids - what, when, why?
Amino acids are the ingredients that build proteins. As you can probably see, they are essential for building muscle tissue, because proteins are the building material of muscles. Their content and quantity determine the full value of proteins (amino acid profile, amino acid pool). Of course, when the body receives a dose of them, it manages them much faster than in the case of proteins, because it does not have to reduce them to a simpler form - their functions are therefore similar to those of a protein supplement. Amino acids can be divided into:
- endogenous,
- exogenous,
- all day,
- branched.
Endogenous are those that the body can produce on its own within its own scope - of course, we also supply them with food. Exogenous are extremely important components, because the human body is not able to synthesize these components "on its own" - they must therefore be supplied from the outside (food, supplements).
All-day amino acids , also known as simple amino acids, are a complex preparation containing many amino acids - both endogenous and exogenous (in smaller quantities). They can be safely used when we need a very fast anti-catabolic or anabolic reaction - just like protein supplements are classified as permanent supplementation. Therefore, due to their functions, they improve the nitrogen balance, and their excess will not cause significant disturbances in the human body's systemic economy. When is it good to take them? In the morning, after waking up - inhibition of night catabolism and protection against its possibility resulting from an insufficient anti-catabolic preparation taken at night (of course, it can also be a food product). In the evening, before going to bed - counteracting the processes that destroy protein structures chemically and mechanically. Before and after training - post-exercise catabolism and better pre-training balance.
Branched-chain amino acids are a popular complex of complex amino acids (mostly exogenous) known as BCAA (Branched Chained Amino Acid). The most important substances in these complexes are: leucine, valine, isoleucine. The first of them is a great anti-catabolic - mainly due to its derivative, ketoleucine, which effectively limits the effects of cortisol. Additionally, it facilitates the absorption of other amino acids. Valine, on the other hand, supports the regeneration of tissues (including protein structures) and regulates nitrogen metabolism, maintaining the CO2 balance in the body. Isoleucine is responsible for conditioning blood sugar levels and supports energy-generating processes. It supports the production of hemoglobin and is a component of muscle proteins. Combined in a complex, they work synergistically. What is the basic demand for these amino acids? As follows:
- L-leucine – 1.1g
- L-isoleucine – 0.7g
- L-valine – 0.8g
It should also be mentioned that the proportion of 1.1:0.7:0.8 [g] is extremely important in this case. The daily dose is about 5-50g, so optimally you can take about 25g - of course this is just a conventional assumption.
In addition, it can be mentioned that they significantly affect health in a positive sense, and therefore improve the functioning of the immune system. Studies conducted by centers such as Food Science and Human Nutrition, or the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition have shown that people taking, for example, a BCAA supplement, are as much as 33% less likely to get colds.
Janusz Ziolkowski
Editor-in-Chief of BodyBuilding Magazine
