It’s been years since I last really looked into advances in the supplement industry, and along with that, my own priorities have changed since I was younger. So I’m wondering what supplements are really giving people good results in 2021.
I’ve been using Plazma for workouts and competitions, and Brain Candy daily, for years. Both have been essentially since they were introduced to the market. Other than that, I take a supplement for digestion (IBGard). That’s it.
I’m 38 years old, still competing in strongman, but I also care more about longevity, general health, and digestive health in particular, than I did 10 years ago. What do you guys think I should add, if anything?
Also worth noting, I eat a diet that is relatively high in carbs, lower in protein than most lifters. I get a lot of calories from whole foods, but when gaining weight, I’m willing to eat junk food as well to supplement my caloric intake.
Also worth noting, I’m not ‘natural’. So I’m not looking for things like testosterone boosters, that wouldn’t be of use to me.
Joking. I actually use Biotest’s Micellar Curcumin and i’ve been doing a better on the recovery/inflamation front.
I know a lot of people eat/drink Keifer (spelling?) for it’s cultures and macros, might be worth looking into if you haven’t already.
A lot of solid reviews for people using DMAA (the wonder-drug that made Jack3d original so great) as pre workout boosters, I would have more info on it but it has little effect while im taking Adderal. Apparently Stimulant + Stimulant =/= Stimulant^2. The wife has taken it and has glowing reviews about it though.
Was drinking 1 Bang/day and did okay with that, but when i switched to Reigns - i realized that Bangs hinder pre-workout effectiveness. If you need a pick-me-up that does a bit more than coffee, nursing a Reign for a few hours seems to be a good alternative (at least for me).
Dont have much on the PEDs front, but it sounds like you’ve already got it well-covered
I read some promising research about Myostatin Inhibitors and it is probably worth researching yourself if you haven’t already. I took a cycle of YK11 and had some decent results, individual experiences may vary (i haven’t cycled on anything except YK11 1x and RAD140 1x, so take it with a grain of salt).
hahahahaha I’m just being honest. I love both the products, I’ve talked about them in multiple threads on this site over the years. They’re the only two I’ve consistently recommended. Brain Candy, imo, is the best caffeine supplement on the market, period. It’s such a good formula.
Plazma is great because it mixes so thin and it’s easy on my stomach. I like to take in calories throughout my workouts, and there aren’t any other products that work as well for that as Plazma does. It always keeps me feeling good for the duration of a heavy session.
I’ve been interested in this one recently. I’ve wondered if there really is a noticeable difference when taking stuff like this. I used to do fish/flax oil, and I’ve tried a few other various anti inflamatory products and never perceived a benefit. I may give this one a run.
I believe in this, for sure, but I really don’t like it haha. I’ve done kombucha in the past as well, and kimchi, a few other fermented things for digestive health. I wish I enjoyed these more. But I’m more likely to take pre/probiotic supplements at the end of the day. That’s a good one for the list though, especially as I’ve aged. Digestive health is becoming more of a priority every year, nothing works when this is out of whack.
This is a good one, I used to use it regularly. I don’t do pre-workouts anymore though. If I did, I’d probably use a DMAA product. To me, it’s the best pre-workout stim on the market, by a mile. Good call on that. My only stimulant in the gym these days is nose tork before a big lift.
I’ll read up on this, I haven’t done proper research on them yet, although I’m at least familiar with what they are.
I’ve tried so many different things with little to no results. I am interested in hearing more about why you like Plazma @flipcollar. Maybe I should pick some up.
I don’t think you’re going to see anybody surprise you with any powerful suggestions though for two reasons. One, I just don’t believe most supplements are impactful unless you have some kind of natural deficiency. Two, you know more than most already in this subject so there are problably fewer stones unturned.
I’ve taken to supplementing with apple cider vinegar before meals. It’s cheap enough that it’s worth doing.
Once I started using Flameout, I actually felt a reduction in joint pain. It’s now my go to fish oil.
My sleep quality improved immensely when I started taking ElitePro Minerals. Quantity didn’t get better, but I get much deeper and more restorative sleep.
I fell for the hype of fish oil in the past and never saw anything really come to fruition from it. Now they are saying it cant just be “fish oil” and it has to be “omega-3 fish oil” but i dont know if im going to fall for that one again. As far as the Curcumin, i notice a difference but have nothing else to compare it to; i never tried another type of curcumin before.
YK11 (Myostatin Inhibitor) is like a SARM, but it isn’t - the research sounds solid 10/10 IMO but i haven’t found a product out there so profound that i had to have it. I had much better results on RAD140 than YK11, but I likely would have done even better had i been a genious and stacked the two of them lol.
Will keep lurking on this thread as i already see @blshaw@T3hPwnisher in on this.
Nice. I use liquid Carlsons fish oil. Can’t say I notice a difference but between that and Isopure Zero Carb protein thats all I take for over the counter.
Ecdysterone, but only proper products with standardized contents. It is an estrogen beta receptor agonist. May provide some degree of strength and hypertrophy, through this different pathway. But beware of snake oil brands. Also, cheaper than Turkesterone which has even more fakes out there.
Glycerolmonostearate. Old school fluid support for great pumps. It actually works great, but should not be overdosed due to risk of dehydration (read: should be taken with additional water).
Collagen is nothing new, but also works for interstitial gains over a 3 month period at least. Great for joint support also. Inexpensive.
For me protein powder is good. I also like caffeine (a little too much, but I am a believer in it pre workout). I have been thinking of trying beta alanine, for the purpose of perhaps using less caffeine pre workout.
Beta-alanin is one of the few performance enhancing supplements that actually works, and has some scientific support to show. But, you need to use it for a longer period (months) to experience good effects. I find it prevents fatique during sets, it makes hard sets more tolerable. The rash side effect is best prevented by dividing the dosage twice daily, and not overdoing it. Also positive to recognize long-term effects after having stopped using it.
It is what gives the tingles in pre workout, right? I figure, that I can use a bit less caffeine if I have that in there? Still feel amped up, but for not quite as long as with caffeine.
Vega Protein powder
Kirkland brand protein bars
10,000iu vitamin D (reduce to 4000 in summer)
Cordyceps (apparently also a kidney supplement??)
Ashwaghanda- this helps me feel calmer
5-htp - this definitely helps with my mood
Magnesium citrate
Fish oil (Costco brand) . I’ve been experimenting with taking 9capsules a day. Seems to help but could be placebo
Ashwaganda was a game changer for me. Very noticeable reduction in inflammation, which in turn greatly facilitated recovery and enabled me to up the frequency of workouts.
And I second @anna_5588 on 5-HTP for mood and sleep.
Creatine’s the only other “essential” supplement for me.
I use zinc, melatonin, and magnesium bisglycinate at around 8PM. Glycine sometimes (3g).
Wouldn’t maybe some stuff that offsets the potential drawbacks be of assistance here? I remember saw palmetto being written about in the past but since I’m not a user I never dug deep.
I saw the mentions of kefir, kimchi and kombucha. No mention of yoghurt or saurkraut. But I’m guessing you don’t enjoy them either.
