Starting a weight gain diet

Racer, just plan meals better.  Like pack up a PB&J for when you need a quick 400kcal meal, just think of what you like to eat and try to bring along something with you.  I keep a case of protein bars in my car for times I can\'t get some food.

Spudz is that you in your avatar?

Maybe, maybe not.

Some call him God.

theoman, do protein bars really work though? I have used protein shakes before and I just can\'t stomach them. I was using a 96% whey isolate (96 g\'s of protein per 100g) which just made me feel sick and bloated. I wasn\'t really seeing any gains without using the shake so I just stopped altogether.

Come Summer Im gonna go hardcore, I just hope I can stick to it. Can you get protein tablets or creatine tablets? Something I don\'t need to taste?

[Titan]

I eat protein bars before lacrosse games. I do notice a difference. I have more energy, run faster and overall more attentive.

here\'s the low down

Most protein bars will have about 300kcal, and 25-30g of protein.  The protein won\'t give you energy (well it can, but only when you have a depletion of carbs and cortisol coverts the protein to glycogen, but I won\'t get into that)  What will give you energy is the simple carbs in most protein bars, there\'s usually about 20-30g of simple sugars in them, and that\'ll give you quick energy.

As for the protein, I use them as a MRP (meal replacment) when I can\'t get ahold of some good whole food.  If you already have a diet where you get adequete amino acids to support cellular synthesis and cell replacement (muscle building and the replacment of dead cells) then the extra protein will be converted into glycogen (the energy for muscles) and if not used it like carbs will be stored in adipose tissue as fat.  So the readers digest version is if you already take in around 1.5-2g of protein per kg of LBM you probably don\'t need much more, thus a protein bar won\'t help you much.....EXCEPT, directly after working out because the simple carbs will stop catabolism (eating of muscle by the body) and will start anabolism.  The protein will help because your body will be in protein synthesis and will be hungry for the amino acids.

Racer, I had the same problem with the protein powder. Ease your body into it. Start with 1 small scoop and gradually take more.

Hey omen,  I\'ve been taking creatine tablets about 2 before practice and 2 before working out. Someone told me to make cycles like 2 weeks with creatine and 1 week without it. You heard of this?

how many grams of creatine per tab?  If your total creatine intake is over 3-5g per day your wasting it.  My Exercise Physisology Profesor gave us a great article on how the body only absorbs about 3-5g per day and the rest is urinated out.

As for cycling;
Creatine is an amino acid that helps replenish Andeosine Triphosphate (ATP) ATP is the immediate energy source for muscle contraction, when your muscle runs out of ATP you reach muscle failure.  So basically creatine gives you about one more rep per exercise, a very important rep.  Your body adapts very well to EVERYTHING, so when it see\'s that you are intaking enough creatine to keep ATP levels high, it slows it\'s own production of creatine.  Cycling keeps your body guessing as to what it should do, so it keeps on producing creatine all the time, and once you stop ingesting creatine it will over compensate by making more than normal.  So if your on creatine for a month come off it for 2 weeks, if on 2months stay off 1 month etc...

K, thanks

EDIT: one more thing, my friend told me it produces testosterone and that it will most likely give me bad side effects. Personally, I don\'t think he has a clue what he is talking about.

He\'s wrong

Creatine Monohydrate goes into your system is passed to the liver where it becomes creatine phosphate, from there it increases ATP (the fuel for muscles) and it fills the muscle with water at the cellular level.  It has zero anabolic effects, the only test level increases you\'ll see will be your natural test levels increasing because of your working out (minor increases)

Creatine Side Effects;
Dehydration
Drink plenty of water, or you\'ll get cramps.  And never take it with a high ascorbic acid drink (orange juice, or citrus fruit juice) or caffiene as both will nullify the creatine.