Supplements: timing is everything

Almost all bodybuilders take supplements such as protein, creatine and carbohydrates to promote muscle building and speed up recovery. Most take these supplements with breakfast for convenience - the supplements are handy and you're eating anyway. Australian researchers have found that the right timing of supplement intake is important if you want to achieve the greatest possible effect in terms of muscle building, strength and fat loss. Two groups trained with weights for 10 weeks and were given protein, creatine monohydrate and carbohydrate supplements. The average dosage was 32 grams of protein, 34.4 grams of carbohydrates and 5.6 grams of creatine. One group took these supplements in the morning and evening (MA), while the other group took their supplements directly before and after training (VN). The VN group built up more mass, more contractile protein and more strength, recorded a greater increase in the size of the rapidly contracting muscle phases and lost more body fat than the MA group. Taking supplements before and after training is an effective way to maximize training effects. With supplements, timing is just as important as choosing the right supplements. (Medicine Science Sports Exercise, 38:1918-1925, 2006)