I Don't Feel Any Effect from Supplements

Diet and Nutrition
1

Over past few years, I’ve tried several supplements, such as BCAA, glutamine, complete pre-workout boosters, citrulline malate, beta alanine, fatburners, vitamins, triazole, DIM in resveratrol for gyno, creatine monhydrate and in all cases felt very little effect. Minor exception was beta alanine, which gave me itchiness, but other that that, I didn’t feel any different. I also have harder times to get asleep when taking fatburners.

At the moment, I use this fatburner:
1,3-Dimethylamylamine 30 mgs
Caffeine 200 mgs
Synephrine Hcl 10 mgs
Yohimbine Hcl 10 mgs

Again, effect is minor, but it should be very strong according to user reviews. This is really driving me nuts. How is this possible? Is there any way to improve effectiveness and absorption of supplements?

2

[quote]krneki wrote:
Over past few years, I’ve tried several supplements, such as BCAA, glutamine, complete pre-workout boosters, citrulline malate, beta alanine, fatburners, vitamins, triazole, DIM in resveratrol for gyno, creatine monhydrate and in all cases felt very little effect. Minor exception was beta alanine, which gave me itchiness, but other that that, I didn’t feel any different. I also have harder times to get asleep when taking fatburners.

At the moment, I use this fatburner:
1,3-Dimethylamylamine 30 mgs
Caffeine 200 mgs
Synephrine Hcl 10 mgs
Yohimbine Hcl 10 mgs

Again, effect is minor, but it should be very strong according to user reviews. This is really driving me nuts. How is this possible? Is there any way to improve effectiveness and absorption of supplements?[/quote]

What are you expecting to feel? Many of the things you listed wouldn’t feel anyway. Plenty of people don’t get much from stims…if I can ‘feel’ the stims it ruins my training.

3

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:

What are you expecting to feel? Many of the things you listed wouldn’t feel anyway. Plenty of people don’t get much from stims…if I can ‘feel’ the stims it ruins my training. [/quote]

Isn’t the point of stimulants that you feel it?

OP you are expecting too much from supplements. They won’t give you steroid like gains ldo. Make sure you are in a caloric deficit before even considering fat burners (else they won’t work meh).

4

[quote]krneki wrote:
Over past few years, I’ve tried several supplements, such as BCAA, glutamine, complete pre-workout boosters, citrulline malate, beta alanine, fatburners, vitamins, triazole, DIM in resveratrol for gyno, creatine monhydrate and in all cases felt very little effect.[/quote]
Like the other guys have said, most of those don’t have effects that you’d actually feel, as in “Awesome, I can feel the glutamine kicking in now. Muscle recovery is on like Donkey Kong.”

That’s a somewhat common side effect, and is why most people prefer a time-released formula.

Again, this would be an expected side effect depending on the formula and when during the day you took it.

[quote]At the moment, I use this fatburner:
…
Again, effect is minor, but it should be very strong according to user reviews.[/quote]
When you say the “effect is minor”, you really mean “I’ve documented that I’m losing fat at the same rate now as when I wasn’t taken this fat burning supplement.” Right?

Because people are different, and supplements throw another variable into the mix.

For example, I don’t feel any stimulant effects from HOT-ROX, but I’m fine with that because A - it isn’t an energy booster, it’s a fat burner. And B - I do feel it totally kill my appetite. So I know that, for me, it’s a very effective part of my fat loss plans.

But there’s also the chance that you just were misusing the products. For example, in your mid-20’s, you probably won’t feel much from a Testosterone booster because your natural hormone levels may not have dropped significantly yet. Another example could be using something like citrulline malate, beta alanine, or even BCAAs for just a week or two and expecting to see/feel a difference, when they really “work” by improving the effects of training over time.

Depends on the supplements, your diet, your height, weight, and fat level. Anything from taking them on an empty stomach to taking them at a certain time might help, but it’s a pretty broad question.

5

I just want to make a point that in my experience with many clients trying various supplements there seems to be a group that just quite simply for some unknown reason does not respond to anything.

I on the other hand, notice everything.

If you take in 300-500mg of caffeine and feel nothing, you my friend:

  1. have destroyed your adrenals
  2. are quite simply not absorbing the supplements (this is where I would truly track down perhaps via Poliquin’s Biosignature) which means no matter how good they are they’re just going down the toliet
  3. your diet is complete shit negating any catalyst work/change via your training

I don’t think you’re crazy, I’ve seen this exact case in many people

6

@Alltraps, Can you explain the destroyed your adrenals part more, will they go back to normal if you stop all stims?

7

OP,

You’re very likely suffering from poor digestion. A number of the supplements you listed are dependent on adequate HCL levels within the stomach for adequate absorption. Simply google HCL test or HCL protocol and you will come up with the way to supplement and fix this - I guarantee you’ll see huge changes. If you have any questions about it, please feel free to PM me (I may not check this thread).

However, as touched on by another poster, you may be suffering from some adrenal insufficiency or tolerance build up to these stimulants. I’d suggest taking some time off from them and other sources of stimulants, perhaps up to 3 weeks.

Good luck!

8

[quote]SuperAlienFreak wrote:
@Alltraps, Can you explain the destroyed your adrenals part more, will they go back to normal if you stop all stims?[/quote]

Not Alltraps, but I myself have adrenal insufficiency… Just like every other condition it’ll vary from person to person. Some people recover from just some rest and the ones on the other end of the spectrum need to take hydrocortisone for the rest of their lives.

An AM cortisol test would be a start but a diurnal cortisol kit is best to see your levels through out the day.

9

For starters there is no magical fat burner that is going to make a huge difference. If there was there would be no fat people around since everyone is on it.

Fat burners are best when they supplement an effective plan, a good one might cause you to lose an extra pound or two every 1-3 weeks. Hell the strongest weight loss ingredients arent even in that pill, so im guessing you just read reviews off some website.

For example some people take green tea to help with fat loss. Its very possible that green tea does indeed help you lose weight. However the #s ive seen in studies suggest it might burn an additional 50-100 calories a day (depending on dosage). So you gotta realize that a lot of supplements are like that.

Im gonna strongly suggest that you learn how to read research studies (ie pub med), so that you can better research things before jumping in blindly.

10

Imo supplements result in a 2-3% physique difference at best which is nothing…

if you want to burn some extra cals everyday…go on the stepmill for like 20 mins, and you will get better results than a stimulant based fat burner…

11

[quote]D Public wrote:
Imo supplements result in a 2-3% physique difference at best which is nothing…

if you want to burn some extra cals everyday…go on the stepmill for like 20 mins, and you will get better results than a stimulant based fat burner…
[/quote]
“Fat burners” have there place. IMO these should be taken AFTER your diet and cardio is 100% or there about and you reach plateau. I wouldn’t stay on these too long either.

12

You just don’t train hard enough…