This page has a listing of different kinds of supplements on the market today. I have split them up by ranking their effectiveness. There are brief descriptions of each supplement. I also try to list a few popular brand names of each supplement to help you in your purchasing choices.  You will be able to find links to most of these companies on my links page.

However, I must first remind everyone of one thing. "Supplements" are just that. They only supplement your diet, they do not MAKE your diet. You need to eat at least 5-6 meals daily to keep a steady flow of protein going to your body. Along with that, remember to drink at least a gallon of water daily outside of your workouts.

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Necessary Supplements - Optional Supplements - Supplement Flops - Top of Page

Necessary Supplements

Proven supplements that will definitely help everyone and may be necessary.

Protein: Okay, I know this is basic, but it can't hurt to be listed for the beginners. Protein is the most important thing to supplement your diet with. Protein is what rebuilds you muscles after your workouts tear the muscle fibers up. You can use either protein powder or meal replacement drinks. You should get at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. (I try to get 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight.) I use Pro Performance whey protein.
Brands: Any reputable company. Whey protein is the best.

L-glutamine: An important amino acid. It is very good for recovery from workouts. Many European hospitals use L-glutamine to aid patients recovering from surgery. Also helps with cell volumization. You can sometimes get a good dose of this from meal replacement drinks; remember to check the labels.

Multi Vitamins: Again, this is basic, yet sometimes overlooked.  Vitamins are an important part of all diets for either active or inactive people.
Brands: GNC Mega Men works great for a good price.

Fish Oils & Flax Seed Oil: These are like vitamins, they for general health. They should be taken on a regular basis. These oils are a great source for your Omega fatty acids. Essential fatty acids cannot be made by the body, therefore must be consumed from a food source (trout, salmon) or supplements. Essential fatty acids decrease serum cholesterol and increase HDL (good cholesterol).
Brands: GNC Fish Body Oil Capsules and GNC Natural Brand Flaxseed Oil.

Necessary Supplements - Optional Supplements - Supplement Flops - Top of Page

Optional Supplements

Supplements that are not necessary, but work well for many people. I recommend only taking these if you have the extra money to buy them.

ZMA:  ZMA is a combination of the minerals zinc and magnesium.  Rigorous exercise and stress result in significant losses of these two minerals.  A deficiency in these minerals can have a significant effect on strength and endurance.

Zinc  is an anabolic element.  Therefore it promotes healing, tissue repair and muscle growth.  It also increases the effect of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1, growth hormone and testosterone which are extremely important muscle growth.  Zinc is also required for many of the enzymes that prevent lactic acid buildup.

Magnesium helps with oxygen delivery to muscle tissue.  It promotes muscle strength, endurance and relaxation.  It also activates enzymes necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids.

The body releases the most growth hormone approximately 90 minutes after going to sleep.  Since ZMA increases the effect of growth hormone, it is recommended you take it 30-60 minutes before going to bed.
Brands:  Twinlab ZMA Fuel, Cytodyne Technologies Z-Mass PM.

Melatonin:  Need some help getting good, restful sleep?  Try some melatonin.  The pineal gland in our brain controls our sleep/wake cycle (the circadian rhythm).  This gland secretes minute amounts of the hormone, melatonin, at night in response to darkness.  Supplementing with melatonin will help you fall asleep and keep you in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep longer.  This will ensure better rest at night.  I take a 3mg tablet one hour before going to bed.  Smaller individuals may want to start with only 1mg tablets and only move up the dosages if needed.

Ribose: Ribose is a supplement that is new to a lot bodybuilders.  The concept of ribose is comparable to creatine monohydrate (see below).  Ribose is a carbohydrate that cells use to turn nutrients into ATP, which is your major energy source for high intensity exercise.  Your ATP levels are lowered when your cells require more oxygen than they are supplied.  In this state, called anoxia, the cells cannot use as much ATP and the extra is lost into the blood stream. Therefore, potential energy is wasted.  Supplementing with ribose means the cells can produce and use more ATP, hence you have more energy and faster recovery.  
Currently, the focus seems to be using ribose in conjunction with creatine monohydrate.  With these two supplements together, your cells can keep energy levels raised dramatically during intense exercise.
Ribose can be purchased in powder or capsule form.  Usually, it is better to use the powder as it is easier for the body to uptake and use.  Also, powder forms of supplements are usually more cost effective.
Brands:  Many companies are just starting to advertise and sell Ribose supplements, only time will tell which companies have a good product.

Creatine Monohydrate: "methylguanido-acetic acid" I consider this optional because it is not necessary.  Some people don't like the effects of holding more water and the occasional stomach distress. Creatine helps with strength in short-term, high-intensity exercise. Creatine is taken up by the muscle cells where it is turned into creatine phosphate and stored until it is used to produce chemical energy called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The more creatine in your cells, the more ATP can be made for more energy. Creatine also makes your cells volumize a lot more than normal. This gives you a pumped feeling. But it also means you need to drink lots of water to supply those cells sucking up all that H2O. You should take it with grape juice because high glycemic drinks help transport it to your muscles.
You can also find effervescent creatine. This is creatine monohydrate "with fizz". The effervescent properties are to help in your body's uptake of the creatine. This is to keep it from settling in your stomach and being wasted.  Effervescent creatine requires no loading phase and causes less, if any, stomach distress.
Brands: Any reputable company. EAS Phosphagen HP, Muscletech Celltech, GEN for effervescent creatine.

19 Norandrostenedione: Some believe this prohormone does nothing. I feel good while doing a cycle of this. When ingested, it turns into nandrolone. Nandrolone is the base substance for a popular steroid known as "Deca". It is legal right now, but it will make you fail drug tests. You will just have to try this to see if it works for you.
Brands: Prolab's 19Nor5diol, Muscletech's Nortesten

DHEA: A substance made naturally by your body, but starts to taper off with age. Your peak production ends at about 24. Supplementing with DHEA boosts your testosterone levels. DHEA seems aimed at older people to help raise their testosterone levels.

HMB: "beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate" A metabolite of the amino acid leucine. Helps build muscle and burn fat in response to intense exercise.

Necessary Supplements - Optional Supplements - Supplement Flops - Top of Page

Supplement Flops

Supplements that I have found to be worthless. I do not recommend wasting any money on these.

Androstenedione: Precursor to testosterone. Boosts your testosterone levels to help strength. However, I do not believe that it is as good as 19 Norandrostenedione. I received no benefit from this at all.

Vanadyl Sulfate: Vanadyl Sulfate is supposed to  mimic insulin. Insulin is used by the body to turn glucose (a sugar substance made from the starches and sugars we eat) into energy. This is supposed to help shuttle nutrients to your muscles.  I have never seen good reviews for Vanadyl Sulfate.

Necessary Supplements - Optional Supplements - Supplement Flops - Top of Page

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Looking for information on a supplement I haven't listed? Go to NutritionalSupplements.com to see comments and experiences from people just like yourself about all different supplements.