Vitamin shop magazin 022014 ir

IR/NR 02/2014

PHOEBE

MCVEY

INTERVIEW

photo Kamil Kosakowski

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The night is the time to regenerate your body. Only then can the body devote the whole energy to biological renewal of all cells.

Not only our mood but also the speed of building the physical condition depends on the quality of sleep.

The black MULTIPACK SPORT NIGHT FORMULA capsule is intended for taking before sleep – it provides the most important mineral ingredients in easily accessible chemical forms. Their supply is very important for maintaining high physical condition and full metabolic balance. Deficiencies of these ingredients may have very serious consequences, leading to a deterioration in the mental and physical condition of the entire organism. An athlete’s body is particularly exposed to their loss. Intense metabolic transformations that cover the demand for energy all day long, lead to depriving the body of such important mineral elements as magnesium, zinc, iron or chromium. That is why it is so important to replenish them. The majority of scientific tests have confirmed that the period before regeneration at night is he best to supple-

ment mineral ingredients. Magnesium in the product has a beneficial influence on the nervous system functions, reducing the sense of fatigue. The product provides an optimum portion of zinc, which is important for men, as it helps maintain the correct level of testosterone in the blood and sexual performance. Moreover, MULTIPACK SPORT NIGHT FORMULA contains ingredients that have a positive impact on the DNA synthesis and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. The night formula of the preparation was completed with natural precursors of serotonin – a hormone whose high level helps the body enter a deep and relaxing sleep, as well as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) – a neurotransmitter demonstrating an impeding action in the nervous system, limiting its excess stimulation.

The day is the time of being active.

Our body produces large quantities of energy to meet the requirements we make it face.

The efficiency of that process determines the level of vital forces but also the rate of adaptation to training loads.

The white MULTIPACK SPORT DAY FORMULA capsule is intended for use during the day and it contains all the necessary vitamins and stimulating concentrated plant extracts. An athlete’s body’s demand for the important regulatory ingredients tend to exceed several times the standards established for non-training persons. An increased supply of the essential vitamins has a fundamental significance for maintaining full capacity of the body. Deficiencies of the important ingredients may lead to weakening of the body and fatigue, resulting in over-training, whose effects are very dangerous. That is why the vitamin formula of the product is based on the latest scientific research concerning nutrition of active people. It contains increased doses of group B vitamins, indispensable

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This is an essential link of the respiratory chain that simultaneously makes side metabolites harmless. The preparation additionally contains Guarana as well as Korean and American ginseng extracts to strengthen its energising action.

THE WORLD AIN ’T IT IS A VERY ME ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBO W AN TO YOUR KNEE AND NASTY PLACE. IT WILL S. SA BE IF YOU LET IT. Y ND KEEP YOU THERE PERMAN AT YOU OU E AS HARD AS LIF , ME OR NOBODY IS GOING T NTLY OH E. IT IS ABOUT HO BUT IT AIN’T ABOUT HOW HA IT W RD FORWARD, HOW HARD YOU CAN GET HIT AND YOU HIT, KE FORWARD. THA MUCH CAN YOU TAKE AND KE EP MOVING EP MOVING T’S HOW WINN ING IS DONE!” ROCKY BALBOA , ROCKY VI

BELIEVE 8

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I got over such thinking really quickly, however, and focused on what I could do. I found the best clinic in Poland, Medical Magnus in Łódź, where even Olympic sportspeople were operated on, and without hesitation, I flew to Poland. The surgery did not bring any problems, but the real difficulty started during rehabilitation. The pain was unbelievable but I had only one goal in my mind – to come back to the stage and to prove to those who left me to my fate, that I would manage, that what doesn’t kill

you, makes you stronger. I particularly wanted to prove it to the head of the ward from Medical Magnus. He must have been in a bad mood during the ward round one day after my operation and “encouraged me” – his patient – saying that I could forget bodybuilding and play golf with my friends.

Well, only 8 months later I was back in shape and took part in the Loaded Cup competition in Denmark. I almost made it to the final and took the seventh place in the category up to 90 kg, weighing 83 kg. The competition in Denmark was held two weeks ago and I still feel the adrenalin rush! The Danish really know how to organise world competitions and the spectators are amazing! The popularity of the competition all over Europe is confirmed by the fact that all tickets for the Saturday final were sold out several weeks before the event. The only Polish PRO contestant, Robert Piotrkowicz, took part in the 2007 competition before he turned professional. Naturally, he won the OPEN category.

I have participated in a number of international events, e.g. Arnold Classic Europe or European Championships, and taken part in pro competitions, but nowhere have I seen such an event preparation! Most importantly, contestants matter most to the organisers and one can feel it all the time. You really feel like participating in this competition! The beginning of the competition was very good for me – I got the first call out with three other contestants, which usually means you are short-listed to the final six, or final four in this case. The first call out gave me wings and self-confidence, I felt amazing and was full of energy despite the following 3 call outs, as I knew I was doing really well. Unfortunately,

after the qualifications it turned out I did not make it to the final six and was ranked 7th, just outside the final six. Nevertheless, I have very good memories of the Loaded Cup and I will surely come back there even better prepared next year.

The reviews I obtained after the competition from my fellow contestants and referees made me feel more self-confident before the forthcoming European Championships. It will be my target competition this season. I will compete in my category – up to 85 kg – and I am sure my form will be even better than it was in Denmark. After all I’ve been through for the last several months, I can say I feel fulfilled to some extent, mainly because I have proven to myself that I can and am able to get over after such a serious injury.

Moreover, I was able to develop my top form and improve the weaker muscles not using too much load, as I was not allowed to do it for the first few months of the rehabilitation.

Afterwards, I had to be really cautious, too.

At this point, I would like to thank my trainer, World Bodybuilding Champion Billy Bourne, , with whom I have been working for several months already. However, I have to admit that my mental approach played the key role, alongside with my faith that nothing is impossible and that you can achieve whatever you want, if you really believe it ... Simply “Believe and Achieve”.

DAWID GELER

FOTO Kamil Kosakowski

O

ver one year ago the quote from Rocky was one of many you can find in the motivators (motivating videos on Youtube). But in mid-August last year, life exposed me to a test that made me demonstrate my faith in myself and test my involvement as well as strive for reaching the goal at any cost. During one of my classes with students I was showing a simple exercise – pulling up on a bar, when I felt my biceps tendons literally tear apart while changing the grip from over-hold into underhold. I broke the attachments in both biceps just within a few seconds. Today I am not able to explain rationally how it could happen; browsing several hundreds of websites I have not managed to find a single case like mine, so you can imagine how unlucky I was!

It was a hard moment for me and although I am an incurable optimist by nature, the following thought crossed my mind: “what if it means bodybuilding is over for me?” Both biceps broken – could anything worse have happened to me?

and

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BLESSING AWODIBU

ROAD TO ARNOLD CLASSIC 14

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At this very moment, things are very hard for me, as I am trying to settle down, trying to get a job and I have 4 months left to prepare for the biggest and toughest competition in Europe (Arnold classic). Oh boy.

MONDAY

1. Legs: quads & gluts 2. Legs: hamstrings & calves

TUESDAY

MY TRAINING SCHEDULE

I

do not pray for an easy life, I prayed for the strength to endure a difficult one.

Believe and achieve.

I am living in Dublin 3 months now trying to prepare for the Arnold classic Europe 2014. Moving to Dublin was such a big step for me and a little of a risk, because back in Mayo I had a good job, I was making enough money to support myself but chasing my dream and pursuing my passion had forced me to move to Dublin. ‘’Your dream are always going to be the most important to you than they will be to anybody else, so keep dreaming, keep believing and keep pressing forward.’’(Kai Greene).

So here I am, believing, pressing forward and hopping to achieve.

I firmly believe in frequency, the more often you train a body part, the faster you can deliver growth stimulus and the sooner your muscles will respond. Training your back so hard that its takes the whole week to recover before you can hit it again isn’t as effective as hitting it light first day and then hard three days later.

That’s two back workouts in one week so you essentially doubled your gains.

Twice a day training will allow you to eat more, sleep better and also allows you to focus more on each muscle group therefor you can develop a well-balanced physique. I train twice a day each body part twice a week.

THURSDAY 1. Chest 2. Shoulders

FRIDAY

1. Legs: quads & gluts 2. Legs: hamstrings & calves Back and arms Sunday: Rest

MEAL 1

MY MEAL PLAN

Oats, 3 whole eggs and 4 white

MEAL 2

White rice and chicken

MEAL 3

Protein shake ISOLATE 100, white rice and chicken

MEAL 4

Steak and white rice

MEAL 5

Tilapia fish and white rice

MEAL 6

Chicken and some green veg usually broccoli

MEAL 7

MY SUPPLEMENT STACK

Twice a day training A.KA double your gains allows me to push my muscles to the limit and speed up both recovery and growth. Many people would criticise this type of training, believing it is too much but as long as you are able to recovered quick enough it’s not too much. Twice a day training was popularized

by Arnold when he won his first Mr. Universe.

WEDNESDAY

1. Full back and traps 2. Biceps & triceps

SATURDAY

Before I go any further I must give a big shout out to Noel McPartlin for the big support he gave me, without him giving me a place to stay for my first 2 months in Dublin, I would not be where here right now. Thank you noel and I really appreciate all the support. Also big thanks to all the VITAMIN-SHOP® team and TREC NUTRITION for supporting me; hope I can do you all proud one day.

Right now even though things are not going too good for me, I am still very happy and feel like I am where I need to be. I am weight training twice a day and cardio 3 times a week, first session in the morning after 2 big meals of very high protein and high carbs, second session in the evening. I have been training twice a day for over a year now and I love it.

1. Chest 2. Shoulders

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FOTO Paul Cullen

02/2014

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PAPAJ’S TRAINING SCHOOL DELTOID MUSCLES ARE A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF OUR SILHOUETTE, SINCE THEY PROVIDE IT WITH SIGNIFICANT WIDTH. IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A BODYBUILDING COMPETITION, WHERE 15 CONTESTANTS COME TO THE STAGE. WHO DO YOU THINK WILL ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION FIRST?

T

hose with greatly developed deltoid muscles or those whose shoulders are much narrower? Everybody would like to have beautiful, round, bulbous shoulders but not everybody has. Some people are not so endowed with good genes, while others are not so diligent when training. They make lots of exercising mistakes or neglect some muscle parts considering them as not so important. I used to be one of such persons. I focused very much on various kinds of presses and lateral raises, neglecting the posterior deltoids that stood out from the other muscles after some time. Fortunately, I came back to my senses and at the beginning of my adventure with bodybuilding, I decided to focus very much on the posterior part of my shoulders. The majority of training people do posterior deltoid muscle exercises first, while I started training it at the very beginning, since the posterior part was my priority. After some time I noticed significant changes in the build of my muscles – they became more complete. The referees are very vigilant and notice all silhouette drawbacks, while I cannot afford to fail at a competition due to my training negligence. Now I suppose that my deltoid muscles are quite good. Below you can find some tips on how I worked on them.

l a c i r t e m m y s Please note: Make sure to warm up properly before every training of your shoulders. Shoulder joints are very often subject to injuries that can prevent us from training in a gym even for several months!

BY TOMASZ PAPAJ LECH

My shoulder

training plan

Below I describe a good training plan you can set up based on the presented exercises. If your goal, similarly to mine, is to develop symmetrical shoulders with a great emphasis on the development of the posterior part of the deltoid muscles, you should start your training with this part. Below you can find a plan of the shoulder training that I do now. As you can see, it brings very good results.

1 Bent-over lateral dumbbell raise on incline bench 5 series x 12-15 repeats.

2 Seated dumbbell press 5 sets x 10–12 repetitions 3 Seated lateral dumbbell raise 5 sets x 10–12 repetitions 4 Wide-grip barbell raise along the trunk 5 sets x 8–10 repetitions

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s r e d l u o h s

1

Dumbbell bench press

Correct technique

Sit on a bench with backrest position at right angle. Lift the dumbbells, keeping the elbows aside. Press the dumbbells up but do not lock the arms in the elbow joints, then slowly start lowering the weights to the initial position. The dumbbells have an advantage over a barbell since they provide a greater scope of movements and hence better isolated deltoid muscles.

Mistakes

elbow locking in elbow joints the movement is too short the load is too heavy lack of control over the weights in the eccentric phase (return movement)

Muscles involved in the exercise anterior and lateral deltoid muscle

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2

Standing front barbell press

Correct technique

Stand with your legs slightly apart, one leg positioned a bit forward to maintain better balance. Grip the barbell at the width of your shoulders or a bit more. Try to press the barbell only using your shoulders and arms, not involving the legs, which is a common mistake in this exercise.

Mistakes

throwing using your legs – by cheating you unnecessarily involve leg muscles, which leads to the deltoid muscles working less in the exercise the load is too heavy – an overly heavy barbell may cause loss of stability and consequently injury of shoulder joints or spine

Muscles involved in the exercise

lateral and anterior part of deltoid muscles

3

Standing lateral raise

Correct technique

Raise the dumbbells laterally when standing. In the initial position the dumbbells are on the sides of the thigh muscles. Perform the movement upwards using only the deltoid muscles, to the height of the top line of the shoulder girdle muscles.

Mistakes

barbell raising above the shoulder line causes unnecessary involvement of the trapezius muscles incorrect position of the palms – if the thumb is higher than the little finger when raising the dumbbells, the work of the anterior part of the deltoid muscles increases, while lateral heads of the shoulders are involved less “swinging” the body when lifting the weight reduces the work of deltoid muscles and increases involvement of auxiliary muscles

Muscles involved in the exercise

lateral and anterior part of deltoid muscles

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4

Wide-grip barbell raise along the trunk

Correct technique

Another very popular exercise that I do for my deltoid muscles is raising a barbell with a wide grip along the trunk. Stand with your trunk leaning slightly forward, hands with the barbell lowered to the maximum but not touching the thighs. From this initial position, start the movement upwards, which is performed only with the shoulder joint and deltoid muscles. When the barbell is in the concentric phase, hold the weight for a fraction of a second and then lower it, trying to maintain control over it.

Mistakes

the load is too heavy which makes it impossible to control the barbell pushing the load from the legs – deltoid muscles are less involved the grip on the barbell is too narrow – trapezius muscles are involved too much while deltoid muscles are involved too little

Muscles involved in the exercise lateral part of deltoid muscles

5

Bent-over lateral dumbbell raise on incline bench Correct technique

Lie down on an incline bench, on your stomach, hands hanging freely with the dumbbells, elbows slightly bent. Start raising the dumbbells, keeping the arms aligned with the shoulders. Hold the weights for a while in the top phase of the movement, trying to keep slight resistance. The load we use in the exercise should not be too heavy.

Mistakes

the load is too heavy, involving other muscles e.g. back failure to lead the dumbbells along the shoulder line, with the movement directed more towards the hips – back muscles are more involved

Muscles involved in the exercise posterior part of deltoid muscles

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CRAIG First off, congratulations on the win at the Spring Classic. It was well deserved. It must be exciting times ahead, but first, can you take us back to how it all started?

PHOEBE I am absolutely thrilled. I’ve really worked so hard and to win and get an overall really makes all the hard work worth it. Well, I got into this sport last year after going to the Spring Classic as a spectator and since then. I’ve been hooked. I wish I had started years ago.

CRAIG So you have a kickboxing background.

Do you think that helped you when it came to the way you train now?

PHOEBE Yes, it definitely helped. I’ve always been a sporty person and before I started bodybuilding I had been doing Kickboxing and Muay-Thai for 3 years, so I had already a good bit of muscle built. I miss it a lot and I’ll definitely incorporate it into my next prep as its great for cardio.

CRAIG With your boyfriend Gerard, not competing this time around, it must have been a little easier or was it not? And how did it go with two of you prepping last year at the same time?

PHOEBE It was very, very hard. I’m not going to lie.

We absolutely killed each other but, I think, it really made us stronger as a couple. We both work and have a 19-month old son so it never gets easier. We just have to be always prepared and have a good routine but it does get overwhelming at times. I try so much to be a superwoman but it’s not possible. I just have to take one day at a time and focus on my goals.

CRAIG You, guys, have a beautiful little boy.

How old is he now? And can you tell us about some of the difficulties, if any, in prepping with a little one around the house?

PHOEBE We have a little boy called Kai and he is 19 months. When I started my prep last session he was only 6 months and I thought this time it would be easier but I was wrong. Ha, ha. He is way more energetic and active but I wouldn’t have it another way.

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He’s a happy healthy little boy and I’m so proud of him.

CRAIG Can you give us some insight into your pre-contest diet and training etc.?

PHOEBE I’ve been prepping for about 12 weeks and it has been a hard prep because I had a surgery in December. I put on a bit too much body fat and with Christmas I was indulging too much. But I’ve my off-season all planned this time round, so I know, I won’t be making the same mistake. When I’m in prep I train 6 days a week and cardio twice a day, 4 to 5 times a week. My diet is strict but this prep I’ve been giving myself a re-feed day once a week and its worked really well for me.

It’s good to shock the metabolism. It keeps you sane when your diet so strict.

CRAIG So you are currently the number one bikini body in the country which, obviously, takes some hours in the gym to sculpt. I run my own gym and see many women want a bikini body but, believe me, they never had to lift any weight. Can you shed some light on this subject for us? Do you train heavy, hard, intense?

PHOEBE I hear this everyday from clients, as I’m a hairdresser and work with women all day, they just can’t seem to get their head around lifting weights. They just think they will turn into a man, but when it’s explained to them, they seem to understand it more. It’s that just Ireland is so far behind with bodybuilding but we’re catching up quick and it’s growing so much. It’s great to see more women getting into the sport.

CRAIG Would you do cardio throughout the year or just during prep?

PHOEBE I think it’s good to keep doing cardio but just reduce the amount. Everybody is

different and some people get away with little or no cardio, but unfortunately, I’m not one of those people. I have to do cardio.

CRAIG Getting back to the stage. The Bikini Class is outgrowing every other class in the bodybuilding show. Why do you think that is?

PHOEBE With the Bikini Class being so new worldwide, I think, some women are still only finding out about it. Internationally, it only started 5 years ago so it’s still so new and great that so many women are getting into it There will definitely have to be a two day show here in Ireland someday. Not just because of the bikini category but because bodybuilding is getting so big here. More and more young people are getting into weights and the healthy lifestyle. It’s so good to see it.

CRAIG With the Europeans up next, you must be excited about the future?

PHOEBE Oh, I’m so excited. I’m also very nervous as the standards are so high at the Europeans. I’m still not 100% happy with how I’m looking. I’m very critical with myself, but I know, I still have two weeks of training to kill before the big day. I never thought that I would have got this far so quick, and I’m hoping, I’ve a long successful future ahead of me.

CRAIG No doubt there will be budding bikini athletes reading this. Can you give them some advice on how to be the next bikini champion?

PHOEBE I have lots of girls mailing me, asking me questions and for tips. I’m only delighted to help. The two things, I can’t stress enough, are: practice posing and your stage presence. It’s so important. So many girls go on stage and then freeze. I know it from my

PHOEBE MCVEY

own experience. I was so nervous at my first show but I didn’t practice posing or my T-walk at all. This time round, I tried to practice as much as I could. I’m trying to do it every day now as it still needs a lot of work and, of course, hair, make up and tan. Always do a trial run before you compete. There’s nothing worse than a bad tan.

Craig Finally thanks for giving us your time for this interview. Is there anyone you would like to thank before we sign off?

PHOEBE I would like to say a huge thank you to my coach Dawid Geler. He’s seen me in the gym one day and said I had great potential and that fuelled me to compete. Without his help and guidance, I wouldn’t have had any of this. I’m so grateful for everything he has done and I also need to say a huge thank you to my boyfriend Gerard, who really is a wonderful man, for putting up with me. I can get a little crazy on my diet and he is always there to calm me down and keep me focused. For all his p.t sessions he’s done with me, even though, I was cursing him through them all. Ha, ha. Thank you to my amazing sponsors: Titan Nutrition for supporting me through my whole prep and fueling my muscles and to all the staff and gym buddies in the Galway city gym. Without that place I would have never even started lifting weights.

So, thanks for being such an awesome place to train.

Last, but not least, I’d like to thank all my amazing family and friends and my little boy Kai for all being so supportive and understanding through this whole thing. Without family and friends you have nothing, so I am truly blessed.

PHOTO Michał Dzikowski Kamil Kosakowski

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a sportsperson’s lifestyle Many people treat a diet as an unpleasant necessity.

We find it hard to implement motivating slogans such as “eat clean, train dirty” into our lives. In the case of extreme reduction we tend to complain about the yo-yo effect, which actually never occurs when using properly balanced alimentary systems. What is a diet then? Simply speaking, it is a nutrition procedure that is supposed to help us reach the established goals.

Finally, diet means controlling the quantity and quality of the consumed food and not a punishment you have to suffer to later come back to your old eating sins. If you treat a diet as a 30-day programme, you can be sure to come back to the previous size within several weeks and you will not fit into most of your clothes. The diet makes a sportsperson’s lifestyle and the secret is to suit it well to the individual needs.

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M

any of us associate a diet with a periodical procedure and meticulous calculation of every gramme of nutritional macro-ingredients. It is not only about the weight-losing time and sculpting of the muscles. We implement extreme feeding solutions to gain mass and strength, and to lose weight. We eat loads of protein, calculate doses of fatty acids and carbohydrates and then forget it and go into extremes – from an obsessive nutritive approach involving quick building of the mass or draconian reduction of the fatty tissue to a complete lack of control over the food consumed and devouring anything you can find around. However, it is enough to maintain common sense and follow only several rules of good nutrition. There are two groups to be blamed for the poor state of affairs: people who misunderstand certain aspects of a good diet and those who develop new diets and consciously or subconsciously contribute to the phenomenon. You can find the following statement in the book by Michel Montignac – the author of the glycaemic diet: “Montignac’s method is not a diet in the traditional sense. Following a diet, we eat a reduced number of products, that is why the diet duration has to be limited” – such a comparison of a nutritive system based mainly on eating food with a low glycaemic index is unfavourable for the very definition of a diet, and the only kind of a diet that has to be followed for a specific (and short) period of time, is a hypocaloric diet, providing less energy than necessary to maintain a healthy and slim figure, with no risk to suffer from metabolic complications.

CONSEQUENCES OF A WRONG DIET A metabolic breakdown makes one of the most common side effects of following extreme and short-term nutritional solutions. What is it? Let me explain it. One can say that fat burning is quite an easy thing, isn’t it? According to the common dietary knowledge, it is enough to eat appropriate quantities of protein, fats and carbohydrates and exercise to burn more calories than you consume. Unfortunately it tends to happen that the metabolism is disturbed so much that it is impossible to burn any fat without starving and doing aerobic exercise for hours. The human body does not like rapid changes applying to many aspects of its functioning and when we get below a certain calorie level or quantity of fatty tissue, the body will defend itself to prevent their further loss. Some of the results of the battle include alternate increase and decrease of appetite, reduction of libido, level of energy and metabolism rate – it all makes fat burning more difficult.

Most probably you also know someone who suffers from a metabolic breakdown. Think for

a while – this must be a person who follows a very rigorous diet, does a lot of aerobic exercise and does not lose weight. They have reduced their metabolism so much that they have to literally starve to slim down. Therefore, I would define a metabolic breakdown as a situation when one is not able to burn fat following a diet with a sensibly reduced number of calories.

According to the rule “better prevent than cure” it is naturally better to observe some elementary principles intended to prevent us from falling into a metabolic breakdown.

It is usually caused by several factors, with maintaining a very low-calorie diet for a long time being probably the most important one. It reduces the metabolic rate, in particular when combined with low-intensity aerobic training.

Research revealed that a sudden reduction in the number of consumed calories combined with such exercise reduces the metabolic rate, even if dry muscle mass is maintained. The following question arises then: how many fitness club clients made an overnight decision to reduce their fatty tissue? How many more persons are there who on Thursday feed their body at the calorie level of 3600 kcal to reduce it to only 1800 kcal on Friday? You will easily point out at least ten such examples in your training room.

Another common mistake is increasing calorie supply too fast after a reducing diet, which does not let the body restore the appropriate metabolic rate and results in a sudden increase in the fatty tissue volume in the body. It is nothing else than a typical yo-yo effect, caused by periods of alternately too low and too high quantity of supplied calories. As a result, many people have to stop eating completely to burn further fat deposits. The body simply does not take the signal as a recovery of the metabolic level where it could use excess calories as means for anabolic processes within the muscle tissue. Quite to the contrary, it regards it as a nutritive super bonus that should be quickly deposited as reserve material – fatty tissue. The situation can be compared to extremely dry, cracked soil (body supplied with low-calorie food) being poured with water. The water instantly penetrates into the deeper layers (fatty tissue), still leaving the surface cracked (unchanged and still reduced metabolic level).

What is the message of this paragraph, then? A sportsperson does not have to run with a calculator, scales and boxes with rice and boiled chicken – common sense and following proven rules are usually enough.

LONGLASTING DIET Many popular diets are based on assumptions not confirmed by scientific research and involve quitting some types of food or limiting the consumption of carbohydrates. They can help reduce weight for a short time but they are impossible to follow for a long period. Most people do not feel like giving up on their fa-

vourite food, no matter whether it is chocolate, bread or cheese, so no diet drastically reducing their consumption will work for a long time.

Sooner or later everybody will be tempted to taste the forbidden foodstuffs, will quit the diet and come back to the previous weight following a wrong diet. Regardless of the sport we do, the established goal and food preferences, we have to make several simple steps. Long-term weight control has to involve implementing simple but permanent modifications of our diet and introducing physical activity to our everyday routine. The dietary programme has to contain all kinds of food, in particular foods that: satisfy the appetiteare rich in complex carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index contain moderate quantities of protein are rich in fibre and contain a lot of water The secret factor determining the success of the diet is the sense of satiation and satisfaction with the consumed meal. It seems trivial but the cause of failure in many diets is the fact that they are too strict, do not satisfy hunger and have very poor taste due to almost a complete lack of carriers of taste, such as salty, sweet, greasy and their combination, e.g. salty and greasy ribs. No matter whether you want to lose weight, improve your performance or build muscle mass, you have to choose food that is not only nutritive and tasty but also satisfies hunger. A diet that is too restrictive and deprived of carbohydrates to the maximum is to blame for failure and snacking, as the body wants to replenish the level of sugar in the blood. If you are hungry after a meal, you are more likely to eat a snack or eat more than you should next time. On the other hand, choosing more stomach-filling food, i.e. food that is nutritious and better satisfies hunger, you will discover that you are able to fill your stomach consuming the appropriate number of calories and maintaining the required proportions of nutritive macro-ingredients, such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The sense of satiation and satisfaction resulting from eating tasty meals will make following a diet much easier.

DIETARY KNOWHOW We are not all equivalents of Jamie Oliver in sports. The knowledge of how to prepare delicious meals and to properly balance a sportsperson’s diet is a great skill. How should we select food to compose healthy, tasty and interesting meals? Many people will claim that it is completely contrary to the term of “dietetic food”. Specialised magazines and posts published in social media by bodybuilders give us the impression that a dietetic meal means a bland breast of chicken boiled in unsalted water, served with al dente brown rice and fresh vegetables sprinkled with olive oil. You can’t be more wrong! There are several rules of designing a healthy and tasty diet:

BY JAKUB MAURICZ, mauricz.com www.vitaminshop.ie

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CARE FOR THE TASTE OF YOUR FOOD BASE YOUR DIET ON LOWPROCESSED FOOD

The less processed and richer in fibre the carbohydrates are, the more stable the rate of energy release and sense of satiation. When making a selection, pay attention to the kind of cereal – it is best to eliminate wheat products and replace them with amaranth and rye. Wheat grains contain lots of gluten, which may lead to a development of celiac disease, a troublesome intestinal disorder.

Wholemeal rye flour and bread and pasta made from this kind of flour, oat and rye flakes, buckwheat groats, brown rice, Basmati and parboiled rice, sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetables make the basic sources of carbohydrates to be found in a balanced diet.

Consumption of food from this group will provide us with carbohydrates with a complex index that we can use along the day – a mixture of the simple and complex ones (e.g. porridge with fruit) in the morning, fruit as the source of sugar to replenish glycogen after training, and complex carbohydrates (cereals) during the day to maintain constant level of glycaemia. When selecting fats, let us focus on non-refined lipids such as butter, avocado, egg yolks, nuts and seeds as well as virgin plant oils. Such a combination of food will ensure a proper ratio of saturated fatty acids to single unsaturated fatty acids, will help control inflammations and will not contain trans fats, whose consumption has been linked to the metabolic syndrome – a disease leading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiac disease, and consequently to death.

Such fats can be found in many processed products such as hard margarines, yoghurt fillers, puff pastry, crumble etc. In the case of protein-rich food it is best to select lean sources, which will help you better control the consumption of fat all day long. It is also good to provide protein of plant origin, containing valuable nutraceuticals, anti-oxidants and fibre that animal products do not contain. The main cause of resigning from eating these products is that they contain saturated fats, technological fillers of dubious origin and salt whose amount in a single portion can make for as much as 75% of our daily demand for sodium

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Low-processed foodstuffs mentioned in item 1 are definitely healthy and nutritive, but their taste requires improvement. It does not always entail supplying extra calories such as sugar or fat. There are many combinations that can render excellent taste sensations and fully preserve the nutritive value. A sample combination covers the fatty and sweet taste of smoked salmon and fresh pineapple snacks. Skewers of prawns and avocado will provide a fatty aftertaste that will satisfy our taste buds. Adding a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom and dried fruit to pancakes and cereals with whey protein makes a perfect example of how you can make your meal more varied. Natural taste enhancers also include: xylitol (birch sugar, a polyol recommended to people with insulin resistance), carob (molasses and breadfruit powder), lovage (making the salty taste stronger), spices and herbs (cinnamon, cardamom, rosemary, caraway and herbes de Provence) and aromatic plants such as garlic, onion, pepper, courgette etc.

MAKE YOUR MEALS WELLBALANCED Both the pre- and post-training meals should contain large quantities of carbohydrates and proteins in the case of sports with sprinter adaptation, such as weighttraining, MMA, BJJ, running and swimming sprints. The main focus of endurance adaptation is on the supply of carbohydrates whose share in he diet may be up to 70% of the daily amount of calories. Endurance athletes have such a high demand for carbohydrates, that they should be present in every meal, together with polyunsaturated fatty acids (plant oils, nuts, fatty fish). Endurance athletes should consume ca 1.2 g of protein per kilogramme of the proper body weight, so a bar being an equivalent of a meal – BOOSTER from TREC – served with a breast of chicken and several eggs should cover the entire daily demand for building material in the form of protein. The most important rule for balancing a sportsperson’s meals is to compensate for energy losses caused by training and constant regeneration. It is necessary to calculate the TM (total metabolism), using the following formula:

TM = BM x PAI BM = basic metabolism, correct body weight x 24 for men and muscular women, x 22 for slim women PAI = physical activity index, amounting to 1.5 – 2.4 for the majority of active people However, the calculation does not release us from the obligation to listen to our body. If you lack motivation for physical exercise and feel tired quickly, try increasing the quantity of carbohydrates in your diet, even taking supplements, if you cannot eat more cereals and fruit.

DO NOT BECOME OBSESSED WITH YOUR DIET, GIVE YOURSELF SOME REST Sometimes our appearance deteriorates as a result of overtraining. In such cases tightening the screw of training even harder and following a more restrictive diet makes the final nail in the coffin. Sometimes it is better to quit a diet for a week or two, eat our favourite food and have more mental relax. The same applies to eating out. Don’t bite your nails if you are not able to find dietetic food on the menu. Ask the waiter whether they can serve you grilled meat instead of meat in breadcrumbs and substitute potato chips or potato rounds with rice or grouts. Planning your shopping and trips in advance is one of the ways to stay healthy and fit all year round. Then you have full control over the contents of your fridge and you can prepare the food to take with you when travelling or staying in another place. I keep my diet healthy by always taking with me some raisins, oat flakes, cinnamon, almonds and whey protein – ULTIMATE PROTEIN from TREC, whenever I travel. You will easily find milk or water everywhere and preparing such cereals you will give your body everything it needs.

DO NOT QUIT EATING YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD Including moderate quantities of your favourite food or snack in your diet will make it easier to follow the selected dietary regime. When you are aware that every day you can eat a small portion of your favourite dish, you will no longer think about the forbidden products and will avoid temptations. That is why you should include your favourite chocolate or ice-cream in your diet, remembering that you can only eat them in very small quantities, preferably with the morning or post-training meal, when the metabolism and absorption of nutritive macroingredients are the highest.

TAKE SUPPLEMENTS SUMMARY Sometimes it is hard to eat out or eat the food you prepared at home. You can then use hydro-gels containing carbohydrate mixtures – CARBO FULL GEL from TREC – or carbohydrate supplements packed as single portions, e.g. MAX CARB or VITARGO ELECTRO-ENERGY. Snack bars substituting a meal – BOOSTER – or carbohydrate-protein supplements are also useful. The complete range of TREC products includes handy bottles with a single portion of HARD MASS or sachets with MAGNUM 8000. You can always have them on you and eat in emergency situations to avoid starving the body. Amino acid complexes such as AMINO 4500 also make a good solution, as they can be used as a perfect supplementation of less valuable meals.

Regardless of the sports discipline, a human body needs carbohydrates and some proteins. The greater the muscle workload for strengthening and building their mass, the more proteins the body needs. Appropriate quantities of carbohydrates make the common denominator for all sports. By efficient balancing of meals and following the abovementioned rules, you can stay in a good shape all year round, make training progress and enjoy tasty food. The conviction that being on a diet means sacrifices of eating tasteless meals is a thing of the past. If you are not able to eat a healthy meal, use diet supplements. Many supplements – despite their bodybuilding-related names – can well substitute meals for all sportspeople, including runners, basketball players, fitness instructors and fans of outdoor sports. Healthy nutrition is essential in all sports.

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„When you feel that you would rather have a nap that train hard, you need something that will make you right as rain – pre-training preparation!”

These are typical advertising slogans of pre-training supplements that owe their popularity to efficient action and instant stimulation.

Is a pre-training product that gives you a „kick” always better than one whose action is not so evident before training?

This class of supplements makes a tough nut to crack for many sportspeople. The majority of them misclassifies the quality of this kind of stacks only for the achieved pseudo-narcotic condition. Are they right, though?

PREWORKOUT

W

e sometimes have bad days when we lack motivation and energy, which hinders our training achievements.

There are a number of ingredients that can impede fatigue of the central nervous system or increase the level of glycaemia, but it is not commonly known how to combine them and at what doses to achieve the right effect – first of all an increase in exercise intensity. Some of you might be shocked to learn that not everybody needs a pre-training supplement with a complex composition. It happens that all you need is a certain amount of caffeine, tyrosine and quickly assimilated carbohydrates in a form of a supplement, which guarantees an almost instant transport of the components to the blood circulation. ADRENALINE GEL from TREC makes a perfect example. The most important aspects to be considered while selecting the right pre-training preparation include: training experience and the goal – developing strength and weight, concentration and

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endurance. Most teenagers fascinated with supplements intentionally choose too strong formulas. They think that the stronger the ‘kick’, the better the training. Unfortunately, it tends to be quite the opposite. Accumulation of substances that stimulate the nervous system very strongly leads to a kind of burning of the synapses. Naturally, we feel excellent while doing physical exercise, we do not experience fatigue but rather a sense of euphoria similar to an adrenalin rush, and the training is really pleasant. Problems come later, when the body has to cope with the upset balance caused by training several times more intensely than usually. Then, we experience side effects similar to those of people getting over an amphetamine bender – permanent fatigue, lack of strength to do even the simplest activities and other negative effects related to a significantly increased level of cortisol in the blood. Additionally, there are inflammations that afflict the body due to muscle injuries and they actually can hardly be called micro-injuries. That is why training experience is so important, as it takes years for a sportsperson to learn their regeneration capacity – what exercise intensity and

volume increases stimulation of anabolism to the highest extent, and what leads to overtraining. Intuition and experience tell one what pre-training product they should use in the regeneration or preparation for training and what to take during intensification or a microcycle requiring an increased supply of energy to perform more demanding exercise than normally. Beginners generally need only a small dose of stimulants, e.g. a combination of caffeine with tyrosine, as well as BCAA eliminating fatigue of the central nervous system (CAFFEINE 200 PLUS + BCAA X-TANK from TREC). A beginner’s body will react very well even to a low dose, providing appropriate training stimulation that the organism will be able to cope with during regeneration.

The training goal makes another aspect, which is equally or even more important than experience. Let me explain it using a simple example: in the lead I asked the following question – is a supplement that strongly stimulates the brain function better than one that does not cause the euphoric effect? Let us now consider whether a sportsperson training for a half-marathon needs more of a “drug-induced high”

PRODUCT and muscle pump, or a stable sugar level in the blood, impeding fatigue of the central nervous system and blocking the increasing acidification. I suppose most of you have bet on the latter. Every sports discipline, training microcycle and kind of adaptation we are subject to during physical exercise have a significant impact on the demand of our body. Although such guidelines as building muscle mass and strength as well as improved concentration have a common denominator being a combination of methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline) as nitrogen oxide boosters (L-arginine, citrulline and their salts, ViNitrox® or inorganic nitrates) to stimulate the training intensity and pump, in the case of martial arts, endurance or team sports the situation is completely different. The results we want to achieve have confusingly similar names but the kind and dose of the ingredients vary significantly. We want to achieve the following goals training the abovementioned groups:

STIMULATION OF THE CEN TRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM – by using L-tyrosine, caffeine, taurine, synephrine

and ginseng you will develop training motivation and improve coordination, which matters particularly when training in the morning,

DELAYED FATIGUE – quickly assimilated carbohydrates such as glucose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin or Vitargo® will delay the rate of muscle glycogen consumption and will help you train longer and more intensely, OPTIMISATION OF METABOLIC PROCESSES AND INCREASING THE LEVEL OF STRENGTH AND ENERGY – it is possible due to creatine, citrulline malate, inosine and group B vitamins,

IMPEDING OF MUSCLE ACIDIFI CATION – owing to a combination of hydrochloride and ethyl ester of creatine, betaalanine or carnosine.

I suppose that reading this section you have understood why pre-training supplements have become so popular over the years

and why their composition has developed.

Once, diet supplements used to be associated with strength sports such as bodybuilding. Although many bodybuilders used pretraining products, they were not normally considered to help you move mountains.

Nowadays the awareness of the need to supplement your body when doing any sports has helped develop formulas that do not stimulate the central nervous system to burn the synapses, but result in products which impede fatigue, improve endurance and optimise metabolic processes to achieve increased capacity. Advanced technologies have contributed to the development of new forms of supplements, e.g. liquid, concentrated shots or innovative hydrogels that are easy to use and guarantee quick absorption since they do not crystallise in the stomach and are quickly transported from the intestines to the blood circulation. I definitely recommend to you the latest ACTION LINE from TREC, which contains supplements in a form of hydrogels, shots and liquid concentrates, offering a wide range of products to select from according to individual needs.

JAKUB MAURICZ mauricz.com

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GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations LARGININE – I particularly recommend it in a form of alpha-ketoglutarate, malate or hydrochloride as these ingredients make the most common components of pre-training preparations being nitrogen oxide boosters. Why? They simply do their job and when based on the highest quality material they ensure the maximum blood flow to the muscles that receive the necessary nutrients and the muscle fibres are filled with oxygen to the maximum. Increased supplies of oxygen to the muscles have a positive impact on the production of red blood cells and help strengthen the walls of the fibres, which leads to the body looking solid and with visible veins, which is desired at bodybuilding competitions.

AAKG LARGININE ALPHAKE TOGLUTARATE – it is a salt composed of L-arginine amino acid and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Products containing AAKG effectively increase the level of anabolic hormones and metabolites of amino acids, including insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Moreover, AAKG has an anti-catabolic action and assists in protein synthesis, which results in muscle growth.

Test results also indicate that L-arginine taken together with carbohydrates may help start regeneration. During one of the tests, the training participants were administered a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-arginine product 1, 2 and 3 hours after the training. The supplements contained 1 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of the exercising person’s body weight. The observed level of glycogen increase in the muscles during a four-hour regeneration period after training was much faster in the sportspeople who had taken the carbohydrate-arginine mixture. The researchers attributed the results to the arginine capacity to increase bioavailability of glucose, resulting in its greater amounts being transformed into glycogen and stored in the muscles. With regard to the above, I recommend using NO boosters with carbohydrates both before training to strengthen the muscle pump and directly after training to increase bioavailability of glucose.

In some persons iNOS enzymes are very active and after a short period of taking supplements containing L-arginine they become resistant to it. The phenomenon is fairly rare. The action of iNOS limits nitrogen oxide synthesis by increasing production of ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine). However, modern preparations (not the ones based only on standard L-arginine) contain ingredients combating ADMA. They include citrulline, L-norvalin, agmatine as well ketoisocaproic salts of arginine and citrulline. By impeding the process, L-arginine degradation and production of nitrogen oxide are not reduced even when used for a long time. Pre-training prepa-

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rations based on arginine are mainly dedicated for bodybuilders but considering that arginine impacts glycogen resynthesis, they can be used as post-training supplementation by sportspersons struggling with endurance adaptation. I particularly recommend NITROBOLON and NITROBOLON II in this category of supplements.

BETAALANINE – assists in increasing the level of carnosine in the muscles, which reduces their fatigue after training. Research has demonstrated that it can improve the body performance by blocking muscle acidification that increases under a physical effort as a result of ATP hydrolysis and by increasing dry body weight.

Scientific evidence indicates that beta-alanine and various forms of creatine have a synergic action and maintain the maximum power of the muscles. It has also been proven that betaalanine increases the explosive strength, dry muscle mass and increases the level of anaerobic and aerobic endurance. BETA-ALANINE 700 from TREC is a supplement containing betaalanine of pharmaceutical quality. That is why I recommend the product to anybody doing sports from typical sprint disciplines, through to mixed and endurance sports. CARNOTRIX with its carefully composed formula will also be perfect, as it is a combination of beta-alanine power with the best nitrogen oxide boosters – L-arginine malate and citrulline malate.

GLYCEROL MONOSTEARATE – it occurs naturally in the body as a side product of lipid decomposition. When it makes an ingredient of a pre-training product, it is absorbed and increases the concentration of liquids in the blood and tissues. The body maintains the concentration at a constant level, so water absorbed by glycerol is not removed until additional glycerol is not excreted by the kidneys or decomposed.

Taking it in a form of a supplement instantly increases hydration of the body and improves assimilation of simultaneously taken supplements.

As a result, nutritive substances are absorbed faster when you need them most. Pre-training supplementation with glycerol monostearate results in extreme muscle charge due to strong retention of water. It can also be used in martial arts between weighing and fighting, when a period of a few to more than ten hours can help regain the body weight lost due to earlier dehydration. The content of beta-alanine and glycerol monostearate makes CARNOTRIX from TREC a perfect combination to charge your body with energy before a fight. Naturally, you have to remember to drink sufficient quantities of liquids.

CREATINE – the proven and well-known creatine is one of the most important supplements available on the market. Taking it, most of us may hope for measurable benefits. It has been

GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations proven that it increases the power and size of muscles in sportspeople, it helps reduce muscle catabolism and buffers acidification of the body by “devouring” hydronium ions (H+) formed as a result of ATP hydrolysis. It acts in synergy with beta-alanine. In the case of endurance sports and martial arts we have to focus on the forms of creatine that minimise water retention – creatine hydrochloride, creatine ethyl ester and creatine malate. These creatine forms help maintain a high level of energy with potential weight control before a competition. I definitely recommend CREA9 XTREME and CM3 from TREC.

BCAA – branched-chain amino acids: L-valine, L-leucine and L-isoleucine. Reducing the number of consumed calories has a catabolic impact on the muscle tissue due to many reasons. The more slender you become, the greater the chance to lose the muscle mass since the body will try to maintain homeostasis by retaining the remaining fat deposits. In order to make up for the energy deficit caused by a reducing diet, the body will start to use the muscle mass.

At the cellular level it involves intensification of protein synthesis to release amino acids from the muscles to use them as a fuel and to reduce protein synthesis so as not to lose energy. Taking BCAA may increase dry muscle mass, improve strength, performance and reduce damage to the muscle cells. Positive results of supplementation with this substance in the case of protein decomposition and synthesis are not the only advantages of taking it during a reducing diet. It can also improve the training intensity, eliminate fatigue and sense of apathy. BCAA competes with L-tryptophan (a proteinogenic amino acid) to enter the brain. L-tryptophan can be transformed in the brain into a neurotransmitter – serotonin. The level of serotonin increases during

physical exercise, which can increase the sense of fatigue and simultaneously reduce intensity of the training. BCAA supplementation can reduce the level of L-tryptophan getting into the brain and decrease the level of the produced serotonin, which will help you work harder and longer. Only a few grams of the substance before and during training, as well as between meals on non-training days, may optimise anabolism of muscle proteins. Since it is necessary to take BCAA during training, I definitely recommend BCAA TURBO JET, characterised by excellent solubility and quick action, and for persons requiring greater stimulation – BCAA X-TANK. I recommend smaller tablets – ANABOLIC BCAA SYSTEM or SUPER BCAA SYSTEM capsules to beginners and sportspeople who do not need such high doses as bodybuilders, as they do other sports disciplines. Both preparations additionally contain taurine and vitamin B6.

When selecting active substances you have to remember that a combination of several ingredients tends to have a stronger action than when they are used separately. It is a synergy effect.

Ready-made stacks have an advantage over the individually made ones in that their composition is much more complex and their formulas are reserved, which guarantees the desired effect.

Naturally, there are dodgy companies that develop the formulas intuitively and the ratios of the substances are not tested or supported by scientific evidence. Moreover, many formulas contain large quantities of stimulants, such as geranium extract (DMAA) banned in the European Union.

It causes an extreme exhaustion of the nervous system and the commonly known sense of a “come-down” after training. Additionally, as a result of combining many supplement components we can experience an action antago-

nistic to the intended one, as it happens when taking too high a dose of caffeine not correlated with nitrogen oxide boosters. S.A.W. makes an example of a perfectly optimised formula.

It is a number 1 pre-training stack based only on safe, tested and approved ingredients. It comes in several forms – powder to make a drink, concentrated shot, capsule and now it is also available as gel made in the HYDRO GEL technology.

In it, you will not find any illegal boosters, drugs or substances listed in the register of WADA doping substances, as happens in the case of many products from overseas available on the Polish market. S.A.W. is a concentrated stack without unnecessary fillers with a very strong stimulating action, whose action can be adapted to the individual needs of the body and training characteristics, starting with the basic 5 g portion (45 ml of liquid shot, 4 capsules or 45 g of gel) and increasing it gradually. 10 g of the product is usually optimum for sportspeople with several years of training experience (equivalent of 90 ml of the drink, 8 capsules or 90 g of gel). Most importantly, S.A.W. does not only mean stimulation and a strong muscle pump. The product contains a high dose of beta-alanine and a large portion of creatine, which is often missing in many preparations. That is how the muscles get all they need for intense work. Moreover, the product not only helps increase the intensity of training but it also reinforces the effects, leading to a sustainable development of the muscle mass and strength.

NITROBOLON makes another family of products worth recommending. They are multi-purpose pre-training stacks intended for amateur and professional sportspeople. They have been tested by thousands of enthusiasts of strength sports and fitness, and have already become iconic. You can choose either NITROBOLON capsules or NITROBOLON II with quickly ab-

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GUIDE on ingredients of pre-training preparations sorbed maltodextrins in a form of a powder with extended formula. They are typical creatine stacks that do not contain caffeine, and that is why they can be used even in late afternoon – not everybody trains in the morning. NITROBOLON ENERGIZER is a bit stronger and it gives you a real energy “kick”, which is important before harder training sessions. It contains special stimulating ingredients, pure isomaltulose (quickly absorbed disaccharide) and anti-catabolic compounds. TREC also offers a prefect product for endurance sportspeople and endurance and strength athletes – VITARGO ACTIVE FIRE combining the best carbohydrates in the world and creatine malate, L-thyrosin, taurin, caffeine, BCAA amino acids, group B vitamins and plant NO boosters. The perfect pre-training formula not only helps increase muscle strength at training but also their resistance to long-term training load.

DIY pre-training supplements

Among the consumers of pre-training supplements there are persons with an investigative approach to the biochemistry of alimentation and prefer to pick and mix the ingredients themselves.

That is how they are able to strictly control the quantities of individual components and avoid the ones that are inefficient for them as a result of individual reaction of the body. A combination of the right supplements, e.g.

AAKG MEGA HARDCORE + CM3 + BETA-ALANINE 700 + TYROSINE 600+ + CAFFEINE 200 + BCAA X-TANK + TAURINE 900 from TREC means components of excellent quality and the set is very economical – it will suffice for 2–3 months of training. Taking single supplements makes a perfect solution to replenish the necessary ingredients in the diet and to stimulate and increase other training parameters, depending on the needs – you can either add or reduce the amount of the ingredient without changing the ratio of other components, as it normally happens when you take a ready-made formula in a form of a powder or capsules.

Pre-training preparations not only for bodybuilders

In the previous part of the article I have mentioned the role of individual ingredients but examples of stacks dedicated to various sports can still be a mystery. Below, you will find a short manual on supplementation. See how easily you can modify the action of various products combining them in different ways, depending on the sport you do and the result you want to achieve.

BODYBUILDING CREA9 XTREME + S.A.W. + BETA-ALANINE 700 + BCAA X-TANK ENDURANCE SPORTS CARNOTRIX + VITARGO ACTIVE FIRE + EXTREME LONG ENERGY GEL + BETA-ALANINE 700 MARTIAL ARTS S.A.W. + BCAA TURBO JET or CARNOTRIX + BCAA X-TANK Naturally, you have to select the portion size according to the training and weight needs, remembering the growing synergy effect when taking several products. You can freely modify the doses, e.g. most fighters recommend the combination of 5 g of S.A.W. with 3 CARNOTRIX tablets. It provides them with the necessary strength and endurance but not the muscle pump.

Summary Using pre-training supplements may help achieve the assumed training goals, in particular when we have to help our body to replenish the fuel in a form of carbohydrates, to boost it to work or simply to motivate it during intense work and sleepless nights. Remember that by taking appropriate blends suited to your individual needs you can improve your performance and mask any drawbacks of your diet. According to the proverb “all that glitters is not gold” one can say that not every pre-training supplement is supposed to cause a pseudo-narcotic euphoria – remember that before buying a product.

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