Finding Strength
“You get more blood to your muscles. I had a Nox drink before this. I can feel my chest now. It’s bigger.”
20 minutes previously, with over 200kg of metal held firmly above his chest, the 2010 winner of the UK National Amateur Bodybuilder’s Association competition was training his now heaving pectorals. With an on-season weight of over 250lbs, in which he considers himself to be in “ripped to the bollocks mode,” plus over 10 years of competitive experience under his belt, Stuart Garrington, owner of Ebor Fitness Gym in Fulford, is a serious contender for the Mr Universe title.
Afterwards, as he sips on his post-workout recovery drink, I ask him about a relatively new product on the supplement scene called the Pre-Workout Shake, an impressively complex cocktail of stimulants and proprietary blends. At first glance the supplement company’s sales pitch certainly seems convincing enough. Pictures depicting renowned bodybuilders almost bursting with muscle provide an appropriate background for the bold claims all over the packaging, apparently backed up by studies and testimonials of remarkable efficacy from professional bodybuilders. They are now more popular than ever: the UK supplement industry alone grew almost 50 per cent between 2004 and 2009.
“I take it for the energy. I know it’s got its benefits of delivering increased nutrients to the muscle you’re training and stuff like that but that’s not the main reason. Sometimes I’m training five times a day when I’m coming up to a show – three cardio sessions and a couple of weights sessions as well. I can’t even move without getting a scoop of Nox”.
Nox is short for Nitric Oxide. In the body, Nitric Oxide acts to open up the blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood to the muscle and delivering more of the good stuff like sugar and oxygen. Rick Miller, a UK registered dietician, agrees that improvements in blood flow are definitely of benefit to the athlete.
But in a recent study, researchers tested three dietary supplements containing a common concoction of pre-workout ingredients and found the increase in blood flow to be ‘negligible.’ In fact, the supplements didn’t register any increase in the body’s Nitric Oxide levels. Although previous research has indeed suggested a positive effect, this is often when injected straight into the vein at dosages as high as 20-30 grams – an entirely different league to the dosages found in supplements that are taken orally. In addition, there is even some evidence to suggest Nitric Oxide results in the formation of Peroxynitrate, a very harmful chemical.
But some in the bodybuilding community think otherwise. As Stuart tells me, “I’m talking to those guys at the top level of bodybuilding. They’re very knowledgeable and they’re trying things out and that’s more important to me than the science and stuff behind it. Just testing it. Seeing if it works. You read up on it, of course – you read packets and websites. You don’t just start chucking anything into your body when you don’t know what it does.”
In one particularly audacious claim, a supplement manufacturer, Gaspari, claims on its website, that its product, SuperPump 250, would cause ‘astronomical’ increases in muscle mass. Long hours in the gym? Apparently not, for they claim that one workout, one dose, is sufficient to benefit from up to a “947 per cent greater increase in lean mass.” Rick is cynical of companies’ aims. “Since consumers are easily swayed by ‘scientific proof’ and continue to buy the product, manufacturers will continue to sell it in this way.”
Taking a closer look at this study reveals that the actual lean mass increase experienced by the subjects taking 2-3 scoops of SuperPump 250 over a month was the somewhat less astronomical 2.1 per cent. Whether this is worth the £40 price tag, roughly a month’s supply, is of course up to the buyer. To Stuart, it is essential and easily comparable to buying a sports drink each time he trains. To others, perhaps not. “You need a base really. Getting the basics of training – getting the movements right. These supplements are designed to take you to the next level but if you don’t have the foundation right you’re not going to be able to push on. I’m talking six months to a year before you need to start looking into it. Take it before and sure you’ll get a better pump, but what’s the point? You’re gonna get a pump on anyway.”
As Rick points out, “There are some genuine performance-enhancing aids contained in some formulas that can benefit performance to varying extents. There is definitely strong evidence to suggest that Creatine, Beta-Alanine, Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) and even Caffeine aid performance in certain cases.”
It seems that irrespective of whether the shakes are used in the right way, it is counterproductive unless implemented in a sensible routine. Jamie* is a student in Halifax College, and is just about to graduate. “I go to the gym a lot and have quite a heavy routine in order to cope with the stress of finals coming up. I do take shakes, but I have started getting really hench on my shoulders and my legs just couldn’t keep up. I didn’t really have time, money or any particular will to look into exactly what workout would sort me out and make me look more in proportion.”
The website and magazine Men’s Health promotes workouts alongside high protein diets and different supplement brands to try. Whilst there is much less of a niche carved by the supplement market within women’s fitness, it seems even if people don’t know what the active ingredients are, the image and the lifestyle sold alongside the supplements are important.
Whatever image is lusted after, is the branding backed by science? SuperPump 250 has over 40 ingredients plus the ‘proprietary blend.’ Each scoop contains twenty times your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B12. Why? A recent study on Vitamin B12 supplementation showed that in a pill given to healthy people, only about 0.02% was actually absorbed.
Sean Carmody, medical student and Ireland international rugby player, is sceptical. “I’ve taken NO Xplode myself, and I did notice a huge energy boost (which is to be expected from all of the caffeine, taurine and sugar in it). However, I’m not sure if it is worth the extortionate price, or if it is more effective than ProPlus combined with an energy drink like Lucozade.”
A number of commonly marketed additional ingredients have failed to convince the scientific community too. According to a study that compiled data on over 250 substances commonly found in gym supplements, only two had data to support their ability to increase lean mass and strength. Rick tells me that most ingredients can be purchased separately rather than as part of a combined formula in order to side-step consuming the ‘proprietary blends’.
In the UK, a variety of Acts dating back to 1968 help to prevent manufacturers from making false claims about their products. Despite this, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is currently in the process of fining and potentially even imprisoning individuals who sell supplements with false claims to their efficacy. “For many, it is only a matter of time before they are investigated and removed,” says Rick.
But despite the inconclusive scientific evidence, a variety of casual gym-goers continue to spend considerable amounts of money on supplements and shakes.
“For me it’s all about the recovery time. If I don’t have a shake after a hard workout I’ll be stiff for three days. It completely throws my workout schedule out of sync. I mean I’m no gym monkey, I just like to keep myself in shape – even without stiffness it’s hard enough to motivate myself to go to the gym three times a week.”
It’s possible that Jack*, a first year student in James College, represents the views of many users of these products. As long as your student budget can bear the strain of what is essentially quite an expensive luxury, then, even without the full force of the benefits thrust at the consumer in the advertisements’ bold claims, the psychological boost alone may be worth it.
Pete*, a second year student, has a similar opinion: “I use them to speed up recovery times, especially if I’ve been doing a muscle-building session. While you could get the same amount of protein from an omelette or some such, in protein shakes, the protein gets into your blood stream much quicker due to how they’re designed and this of course hastens your recovery.” When quizzed on the nature of the latest products on the market Pete is clear on where he stands. “I only use neat protein ones, rather than ones containing Glucose or Creatine – because I don’t trust what they could do to my body. We’ve haven’t had them long enough to know what the long term effects are.”
“You don’t just start chucking anything into your body when you don’t know what it does”
High protein foods – think fish and meat – are generally expensive. Unless you are a great devotee of lentils and pulses, protein shakes might possibly provide good value per gram of protein consumed, especially if it’s getting into your blood quicker.
But all these products are marketed as ‘supplements’, not ‘substitutes.’ It is important to remember no pre or post-workout shake can replace a healthy and balanced diet. And although many would respect the resolve and drive in crafting the kind of body necessary to compete at the top level of bodybuilding (last week even saw Stuart commenting on Twitter that he’d had three marriage proposals at his last show), it might be an idea to exercise a few brain cells too when deciding how much weight to give the claims made by the supplements industry. M
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