In part 2 of this series, "Fallacies of Supplements," I am going to squash 4 more fallacies. I am going to start by letting you know the best ingredient to help you get the best pump, and then we will discuss why each fat burner is different. After that we will move on to how glutamine really helps you, and finally, we will finish with protein shakes and how they are not a replacement for whole food sources of protein. Let's get this started.

1. L-Arginine Is One Of The Best Precursors For Nitric Oxide


For the past 5-10 years the big craze in the supplement industry has been pre-workouts and their ability to give you that crazy rush of energy and endurance to last the entire workout, otherwise called the pump. Nothing feels better than the pump.

Even the greatest bodybuilder of all time, Arnold, was quoted as saying that the pump is like having sex. Getting a pump is caused basically by your body forcing as much blood in one area as possible in order to get a tight, hard feeling in a specific muscle group.

What helps produce this pump? This was the question brought too many boardrooms of supplement companies, and what followed were tons of Nitric Oxide (NO) based products with the main ingredient being L-Arginine. The only problem is that many of these products missed the boat!


Nitric Oxide increases blood flow and is a byproduct of plasma levels of L-Arginine in the human body. So, you would think that if you loaded up a supplement with L-Arginine, it would do the trick. This is the mistake that many companies have made. The problem is that increasing levels of Plasma L-Arginine is much more effective when taking citrulline malate than L-Arginine itself.
  • Research suggests that citrulline malate may increase plasma and L-Arginine levels more than when taking the same doses of L-Arginine itself. This might be due to the fact that the body has a hard time absorbing L-Arginine..
    So the next time you are looking to a product to help with your pump during your workout, look no further than the king of all NO Ingredients, citrulline malate.



2. All Fat Burners Are The Same



  • If pre-workout supplements are the leader in the supplement industry, fat burners are a very close second. At the beginning of each year everyone is looking to lose those 10 to 15 pounds or more that was put on during the holiday season.
    The first thing you might do do is get a gym membership, and then it's off to Bodybuilding.com to find the hottest fat burner on the market. Here is the problem though: everyone has different needs when it comes to a fat burner. Below, I will explain the 5 different kinds of fat burners and what you can expect from them as well as the ingredients they include.


    • Thermogenic: This type of fat burner is meant to increase your internal body temperature which increases your resting heart rate. You might experience a warming of the body when taking a thermogenic fat burner. The main ingredients in thermogenic fat burners are caffeine, yohimbe, and synepherine HCL.




    • Carb Blockers: The main ingredient in many carb blockers is white kidney bean extract. This binds to the carbohydrates you consume and doesn't let the body digest the carbohydrates.




    • Fat Blockers: The main ingredient in the fat blockers is chitosan. These products work similarly to the carb blockers, as chitosan binds to fat when fat is consumed and doesn't let the body digest the fat.




    • Appetite Suppressants: The hardest aspect of dieting for many people is fighting cravings. Cheating on a diet can ruin your chances of getting a six pack for summer. The ingredient hoodia helps to suppress your appetite and is effective for many people in helping them with their diet cravings.




    • Thyroid Regulators: Your thyroid maintains regulation of your metabolism and energy levels. When your thyroid is not working properly you can experience a slowing of metabolism and fatigue; this is common with older adults. If you are experiencing these symptoms, a thyroid regulator could be the perfect fat burner for you. The main ingredients in many thyroid regulators are guggulsterone and forskolin.




    • Stress Hormone Blocker: I like to call it the "Anti-Bodybuilder Hormone". Basically, your body releases this hormone to keep you average or at equilibrium. Workout too hard, diet too hard, perform intense cardio, or anything that puts a stress on your body, even if the end result is a positive change, your body will release this stress hormone to combat any progress you can make.

    It is a good thing that these products have been created. These supplements support healthy stress levels and give you the ability to make those changes. The main ingredient in most products is phosphatidylserine.
    As you can see from the list above, there are many different kinds of fat burners out there. Choose the one that benefits your needs to help you get the best results, but always remember, without a clean diet and solid workout/cardio program these fat burners will not help you.

3. Glutamine Is A Muscle-Building Supplement



  • Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body. This amino acid should find its way into your supplement stack one way or another. Alongside creatine, I believe that glutamine is a must for all hard working athletes and weight lifters. In the past 5 years their have been many new supplements coming out that include glutamine.
    Pre-workouts, intra-workouts and post-workout all seem to include this wonderful ingredient. With all the new products that have come out, plenty of marketing lingo has skewed the real benefits of glutamine. The advertisements would make you believe that glutamine has some kind of muscle-uilding attributes to it. I am here to clear that all up.
    Glutamine is mainly used by your immune system to keep it working normally. Whenever you hit the gym you are putting a stress on your body and immune system. A strong immune system is critical for all weightlifters that are going to hit the gym hard. When your immune system is weak from either malnutrition or overtraining, you are at risk of getting sick.
    Many of the companies out there will make you think that glutamine helps you directly with muscle building, but as you have found out it helps with your ability to recover from a hard training session, which in the end will help with muscle building. Consume about 10 grams of Glutamine a day in 5 gram doses at a time.

4. Meal Replacements Are The Same As Whole Food Meals



  • With the invention of many of the low to zero calorie sweeteners on the market, more companies in the supplement industry seem to be coming out with tastier protein powders and meal replacement shakes. There are upsides and down-sides to this. The up side is that protein shakes now taste amazing. You don't have to pinch your nose and gulp down some tasteless powder. Some shakes taste so good that you think you are drinking a milk shake. With that being said, the down side is a byproduct of the shakes tasting so good.
    Now that there are so many protein shakes and meal replacement shakes that taste so good, many lifters and bodybuilder rely on these as meals throughout the day. I have heard of some guys taking upwards of 4 and 5 shakes a day with only 1-2 whole food meals. These protein shakes and meal replacement shakes are a supplement, and as all supplements, they should be used alongside a quality diet of whole foods.
    Plain and simple, shakes are a great way to get your protein in a convenient and now tasty way. For the hard working adult or the high school/college student, shakes give you the ability to hit your protein requirement, but if you are looking for the best results, try to make the majority of your meals come from whole food sources.

Conclusion

There you go, 4 more Fallacies made clear. This supplement industry is a crazy one, but if you are willing to learn and increase your knowledge by using the resources here on Bodybuilding.com, you will be able to benefit the most from each and every one of the supplements out there.