I am thinking of adding a 2nd supplement to my list. Currently i have a weight gain powder, a multi vitamin...

i was thinking of creatine, but figure amino acid seems a better choice.

Has any of you used amino acid in your gym supplement?

Does it help in gym? Your thoughts on amino acid and how should 1 use them?

Amino Acid plays an essential role in metabolism. Cut things short, it helps you build muscles and some claim that it prevents a trainee from going catabolic. A good BCAA product would be Scivation Xtend. But it isn't that affordable if you have a tight budget that is but looking at your supplement stack, I bet you wouldn't have any.

Keep in mind that Whey has BCAA in it Though some may dispute the fact that we need additional BCAA , if it works for you, you should go on. We are all made differently.

I think a few of the forumers around have tried BCAAs . They'll probably stop by this thread soon enough.

This post has been edited by shanecross: Apr 30 2009, 12:36 AM

actually scivation xtend is not that expensive, the smaller one cost about RM80-RM100 and can last you for 1 month. For me personally, it does help in recovery. I am not sure whether its my imagination, but after taking xtend, my muscles become harder!

I have also taken creatine, and I noticed that my weight has increased (probably due to water retention). In terms of recovery, i haven't noticed much difference. If you want to buy creatine, then I suggest getting Universal Nutrition(UN) Creatine. Price is about RM120 (for the 1000g) which can last you for about 3 or 4 months.

This post has been edited by jags: Apr 30 2009, 01:01 AM

Since you are on weight gainer I would suggest you creatine instead because first it will help for better absorption of the protein, sec it will give you faster recovery and also add a little of strength. You are not dieting yet so no need to worry about being in catabolic state. Just get a simple Creatine Mono and you see some gains with in 1 to 2 weeks time.

Amino acids are basically broken down protein to the most basic form.
Nice to have but if you're getting enough protein, there's no rush to get it now.

I would get creatine first, then amino acids/BCAA/EAA later.
BTW, chicken essence is a good source of amino acids. You can pop 1-2 bottles a week.

But the essence of chicken, they are nasty as hell.

My advice to TS. Stick to your whey. BCAA can wait. Get the basics in first. Get your training regime right etc.

Brand's chicken essence taste good... Only get to drink it during exam period XD.

Creatine? Really?

I kept getting nagged by some doctors telling me it might be "water retention" & that there's "none-repsondent" % bla x3...

So u guys r saying that to gian weight i should ditch the amino for creatine?

Brand Chicken? Noted on that! XD

Brand's Chicken essence are expensive stuff. But not much more than what gym rats spend on gym fees and supplements. =P

Yeah, creatine will make your body hold more water, and there are some non-responders. But you'll never know if you don't try it out. Not that it's dangerous. It'll be good for strength gains too.

erm... so the weight gain is water retention from creatine then...

i was hoping for something more on a physical bulk though...

I was told that the amino is good... BUT the doctor friend said "no point since we only can take so much... plus those supps are more for COMBATATIVE body builders..."

So now i wanna ask... What makes us "absorb" more protein? & some how i dont know what to think about his point that supps r ONLY for serious body builders. :-/

Creatine helps you get stronger
Get stronger=Get Bigger


a lot of people who train here are enthusiasts but we take supplements anyway
for most people its a better option because
1) with the right whey, u actually save money on meals
2) you don't have to cook all ur meals, less time consuming

i think it would be better if you were to start of with the basics, whey, creatine, fishoil, multivit and perhaps creatine
see how that works and then maybe consider amino acids.
Because its definitely not something you would need right now seeing as most whey protein powders have BCAAs in them to begin with
Heck, you could use that money to buy more quality food in your diet
this may not sound like the best advice ever, but its best you find out for yourself
set up a good diet, and try going 1g per pound of body weight. I know a lot of guys who dont follow this because they end up
with really bad gas and camping in the toilet if they do, so yeah, trial and error, do what works for you

take every advice with a pinch of salt, including the doctors when it comes to training

Thanks for the advice It really helped (even after being salted) XD

fish oil? <--- kindly advice. U guys buy like what? cod liver oil like that or r there any other "forms" to get them? Coz i honestly dont eat alot of fish everyday neh

So i guess amino acid is very much a "later /additional" supp. Got it!

Fish oil, capsule form. I usually get Biolife's fish oil from just about any pharmacy. But hey, lyn's garagesales is a goldmine, you can get a lot of your supplements there at a cheaper price

Fish oil is a good source of healthy fats + it has numerous health benefits. Protein itself won't be good enough if you're not getting in healthy fats

This post has been edited by JIB-89: May 1 2009, 02:15 AM

i got my whey protein yesterday and yeah noticed the BCAA in the content too! thanks guys!

hopefully will see the effects soon.

will save my $ for another supp ... goin to do more research on creatine