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Topic of the Week- When does supplement intake become excessive?

A

Admin

Administrator. Graeme
Staff member
Sure it is good to have a variety of supplements available to you, but how does one know when they've gone overboard?We are bombarded with all these supplements on the market that "help" build nuscle , stuff we don't get enough off in our diet , we have Multivitamins, flax oil, fish oil, creatine, protein, amino acids, BCAA's, caffeine, antioxidants the list goes on


With the amound of pills that we are "meant " to be taking we would be walking around rattling like a spray can

When does supplement intake become excessive?


When should one realize that they should cut back on supplements?
Are there any dangers associated with over supplementation?

Have you ever gone overboard with supplements?
 
The first question I ask is; is it good to have a vast variety of supplements available?

We know that HARD exercise stimulates growth and that sound nutrition and sleep ensure that this process is accomplished, as to how quick this accomplished between workouts, will supplements or do supplements have a impact and if it does how much, which of course differ from one person to another.

For the lifting hobbyist which most of us are I do think that supplements will only play a very minor role, one would need to ask the question, how much does this contribute versus the money I outlay?
Is more better? How do we measure this.

What I do know is that supplements are a multi billion dollar industry.

The argument; "it helps me recover faster" is a concept I do not understand.

As for the question, how much is too much?
How do I know when I'm over supplementing?

I'd have to go with my beliefs systems;
Experience
Logic
Intuition
And faith.
 
I have wondered the same thing:confused:

Where does it stop.

I don't believe protein is a supplement as such, I consider it 'food'

If protein was considered a supplement then eggs, steak, chicken,milk etc etc would all be supplements.
 
I'll start this on off. Now I'm not against supplementation by any means, but in all honesty supplements are not necessary. No need to spend the money on something that is not necessary.

With that said, because there can be dietary deficiencies certain things should be used to 'supplement' the diet. For example -

If a particular person has little fish intake and lacks adequate EFA intake, then Fish Oils will be beneficial in that sense. FYI Flaxseed oil is pointless, we can not convert the EFA's in flaxseed oil effectively. In the same vein, vegetable intake for vitamin and mineral intake may or may not warrant a multi-vitamin.

If you struggle to eat enough protein dense food types or want to cut down on food prep/costs, then adding a protein powder will be beneficial from that point of view. It should be looked at as a 'food' supplement.

For exercise performance, Creatine, Beta Alanine, Caffeine and L-Tyrosine are the only nutrients that have compelling and credible data that suggests functional benefits (in human subjects) of supplementation. Though they certainly are not essentials by any means from a body composition point of view.

IMO, any further 'bodybuilding' supplementation is unnecessary. There is a lack of credible evidence supporting most other 'ingredients' (for example BCAA's) and the the supporting/positive data on most of the 'ingredients' are in subjects that are DEFICIENT from a dietary point of view or other factors (for example studies done on rats) that have not barring on human physiology.

For dangers of over-supplementation, if the diet is deficient long term supplementation is require for optimal and essential functioning (protein intake,EFA's,V&M's). There will be more dangers of NOT CONSUMING those essential nutrients for long term health. Stimulant base 'supplements' are certainly not a long term product that should be used. CNS down-grade only causes a number of other hormonal problems and the like.

It becomes excessive when people are thinking they 'need' unnecessary or un-beneficial.


Just my 2 cents :)
 
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AndyMitchell said:
What I do know is that supplements are a multi billion dollar industry.

The argument; "it helps me recover faster" is a concept I do not understand.

.
Click to expand...
That is correct Andy. People don't seem to understand that if it does that, they are DEFICIENT in protein. The 'protein/Amino acid' product is increasing their OVERALL protein intake and they person in question could simply just get the same amount of protein from eating more food. If the product makes it easier to INCREASE their protein intake, well that's fine but the supplement is not the 'magic' powder etc.
 
when people post their supplement plan and every meal has $30 worth of supplements in it
 
I wonder how many people actually stick to a strict supplement plan, i know i last about 8 days then just either forget or cbf.
 
"Stimulant base 'supplements' are certainly not a long term product that should be used. CNS down-grade only causes a number of other hormonal problems and the like."

Max,

Could you comment a litlle further on CNS down grade??? I assume you are reffering to the Central Nervous System....

Would be interested to hear your thoughts on what effects short term versus long term usage will have on a person?

DMAA is possibly the culprit here? Or is Caffiene also problematic???
 
Q: When does supplement intake become excessive?
A: When you read too much t-nation! :)

On a serious note, I too would like to hear Max's thoughts on CNS downgrade. I train early morning and the pre-workout supps (with stims) have helped, so I'd be interested to learn more about CNS down grade.
 
If you don't know exactly why you're taking something and can justify why you're using it then I would call it "excessive"

Dx7ol.jpg
 
NS & M75, I'll give you a quick run down and keep it as simple as possible becuase it can get very 'technical'.

Yes I was referring to Central Nervous System. Over stimulation can cause general CNS functional downgrade. Meaning it simply does not function at optimum levels.

Look at it like this, when you first take a 'stimulant' it blows your mind. Then over time (if used regularly) it 'wears' off and you need to take more to get the 'same' effect. It is not that people get 'used' to it, it is simply that CNS function has suffered a downgrade. The fact that the CNS requires more 'stimulation' to function at the desired level. It may not be 'noticeable' in day to day life function for some people, yet others may show greater symptoms. Fatigue, change in sleep quality and amounts, general energy levels etc.

CNS function is a controlling factor in all human processes. So from a even just a purely body composition point of view two things that come to mind are protein synthesis and testosterone production. You get a downgrade in CNS function you also effectively get a downgrade in testosterone production and protein synthesis. The 2 main factors that training 'stimulates' on it's own! So I look at it as nearly defeating the purpose of training. Yes I realise that maybe a little over the top, but it takes away from your end results.

Typically caffeine is generally ok for long term use and in decent amounts (150-250mg a day is fine for most people). It is only when it is taken in excess can it have negative effects on CNS function. Something I normally don't focus on and can be taken daily without much problem.

Then there is the DMMA factor. The only structural difference between methylhexanamine and amphetamine is that methylhexanamine lacks the phenyl or benzene ring which is present in all phenethylamine derivatives, including all amphetamines, containing only 4 of the 6 carbons of the phenyl ring. The difference between geranamine and propylhexedrine is that is lacks two carbons that create a cyclohexyl ring in propylhexedrine and a methyl group on the amine group. Despite these differences, it has a similar mode of action, being a stimulant and having norepinephrinergic effects. Now that is an 'ingredient' that I do not suggest any of my clients use as it can cause larger and more profound negative effects in shorter periods of time. Daily intake is something I certainly would not suggest.

I hope that helps explain things :)

Your Stressed Out Nervous System May be Causing Your Blood Pressure to Rise

Nervous System - Human Brain | Buzzle.com

The autonomic nervous system

Testosterone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Protein biosynthesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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Well- Max, I started reading but by the time I got to the second line I found myself scratching out my eyes, just sayin...
 
Are you using Wikipedia as reference for real or as a joke to see it nobody notices?

I've been an on again/off again stim taker and I build up a tolerance very quickly, I have been off pre-workouts for months now and within 2 weeks I am already up to 6 heaped scoops of the Bulk Nutrients product, I think I'm going to have to just go without for much longer and only take it when I really need a lift.

It can't be good for you.
 
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