My UN Mass Stack

UN Real Gains and Torrent... these two potent powders go together like Tango and Cash.

It's been a week into my stack and I'm getting results already. It's not like I've been keeping tabs on my bodypart dimensions but I know I'm on the right track when I'm getting the right compliments.

I'll review each of these supps sometimes soon...

The Gaspari Stack

I guess that explains it nicely.

What I've got my grubby hands on are sample packs of Gaspari Nutrition products.

Superpump 250 for pre-workout; Sizeon for post-workout and MyoFusion, a protein supplement for anytime.

As I try out this mini-stack, it's probably going to be more of a taste test. Cept' for Superpump 250 maybe... I'll be paying attention to feel if it has any kick.

Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards 2008

With the closure of the Olympia 2008, Bodybuilding.com has released the results for its inaugural Supplement Awards 2008.

There's little change, if any at all from the winners of 2007. In a nutshell,

Overall Supplement Of The Year - Optimum 100% Whey
Brand Of The Year - BSN
Muscle Builder Of The Year - BSN NO-Xplode
Fat Loss Product Of The Year - Nutrex Lipo 6
Protein Powder Of The Year - Optimum 100% Whey
Creatine Product Of The Year - BSN CellMass
Protein Bar Of The Year - Next Detour Bars
New Product Of The Year - MuscleTech Anabolic Halo
New Brand Of The Year - MAP
Nitric Oxide Product Of The Year - BSN NO-Xplode
Glutamine Product Of The Year - SciVation Xtend
Multi-Vitamin Of The Year - Universal Animal Pak
Joint Supplement Of The Year - Universal Animal Flex
Energy Supplement Of The Year - BSN Atro-Phex
Best Labels Of The Year - Universal
Best Ads Of The Year - Gaspari
Tanning Product Of The Year - Pro Tan Instant (hey.. this is no supplement)
Breakout Brand Of The Year - VPX
Weight Gainer Of The Year - BSN True-Mass
RTD Of The Year - CytoSport Muscle Milk RTD

Supplement Awards 2008

Nominations have been cast and voting is now open at bodybuilding.com. Although not a body of authority of any sort, the website has grown to become a trusted resource for anything to do with bodybuilding and fitness. You can bet your top dollar that the supplements that win their respective category is worth every buck. I'll just wait and see.

The Science of Supplements

Perhaps a question all consumers on this side of Earth tend to ask is, "Sure this thing works ah?" or "REAL or not?" in typical Asian flavour combo-ed with an equally skeptical mentality. Especially so if the 'wants' are seemingly a little out of their league - like losing 20 pounds or conversely, gaining 20 pounds. Well, here's one for the haters and non-believers...

Supplements ain't hocus pocus mumbo jumbo concocted in some stonehenge by druids or in Baba Yaga's apothecary o' voodoo mystics obscura. Maybe those 'ubat kuat lelaki' stuff usually advertised on lamp posts or whatever is, but certainly not cutting edge supplements borne from the scientific method.

I should know, having spent my tertiary education on the subject matter of science. Now its not so much about the level of education here... even a lawyer, engineer or architect who've spent thousands in the pursuit of knowledge may not be the wiser. Simply because theirs is a different stream of knowledge. I'll cut to the chase.

Behold. The metabolic pathway chart. This bitch of a chart shows various processes that occurs in the human body. Like how sugars are stored in the liver as glycogen, etc. I remember wrestling with this chart in the examination halls as though I was looking for Aztec ruins during my Cell Metabolism paper. This bible of physiological processes was put together by scientists after the deaths of many rats/mice I'm sure of it. Oh yeah, the one on the left is truncated. The real deal is about 4-5 times the size of that.

Anyway, supplements affect you by targeting certain processes in your body whether it's providing more of a substrate (material used) or by shutting off pathways. For example, understanding muscle activity. Just look at the chart you can see familiar stuff like glutamine, alanine, glucose, etc.

So there you have it. The power of science at work.

Supplements: Luxury or Necessity?

A random thought came to me one day about supplements, hence the title. I've always had the approach that supplements are more of a luxury; something only reserved for those with the spare buck to spend on improving that one aspect of life which truly matters - health. However, I'm getting more and more convinced that supplements are becoming increasingly important. Especially so in the urban setting, where quality of food is restricted by budget (as is the quality of everything else), pollution levels ever increasing and non-stop work-related stress. Top it off with mooring news of food shortages and how the nutritional value of food these days ain't like they used to be due to soil depletion, poor animal husbandry, diseases, etc; and you know it isn't a pretty picture for the one joy of life: eating. Nevermind the joy, most people these days just eat to be satiated. 3 meals a day. 365 days a year. Just eat to live on not conciously minding the quality of food till one day, all that char koey teow screws them over with cardiac arrest 30 years down the road.

Back to the topic. Having had a go at supplements for awhile now, my opinions are:

Pros

1. Convenient. In so many ways. My stomach's a black hole and I can eat every 3-4 hours. Supplements keep the hunger pangs away till I get to solid food.
   
2. Nutritional facts readily available allows for better diet management. I know this is starting to sound serious but honestly, if you give a damn about supplements, then you need to give a damn about this.
3. Concentrated nutrition. Keeping in mind my earlier rants, how much real food does one need to take to get your daily requirements in both macro and micro nutrients? Supplements (good ones) are engineered and laboratory tested to provide as they should.

Cons

1. Price factor. Supps ain't cheap and any decent gym-goer or sportsperson can attest to that. But it's all about being savvy to manage this.
2. Delusions of grandeur. Gotta be wary of products claiming to do this and that. Rome wasn't built in a day and no amount of supplements will make you Mr/Ms Universe tomorrow. Also, it's a good idea to find out what you're gonna put into your body. Some ingredients are meant to illicit a physiological response and if you have any existing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc then you're heading for an early grave.

Well, not too bad in my books. Cons are manageable and pros are justifiable. I would encourage anyone to take supplements provided that they genuinely want to lead a better lifestyle. A couch potato is just that. Forever damned to a life (if you can call it one) of fitting into every crease of the sofa.