Universal Nutrition Forum

Bodybuilding Supplement Articles

This article was featured in Muscular Development Magazine, November 1996.

To most people, glutamine is just one of the 20 amino acids that are used to make protein. It's not even considered to be an essential amino because the body is capable for making it for itself. However, glutamine may be the single most important amino acid in the body for creating anabolic conditions in the muscle and protecting us from the ravages of overtraining.

It seems almost unbelievable that a single, free amino acid could accomplish so many things in the body. The importance of glutamine is underscored by its sheer abundance. Although every bodily tissue contains glutamine, many human tissues contain very high levels, and it is the most abundant amino acid in muscle and plasma. When something is normally found in large amounts in the body, it is an important function, especially in those tissues that contain the most. The question is, what happens when our bodies are put under stress and these levels of glutamine start to fall? This is exactly what is being asked about the effects of exercise, which can quickly reduce the levels of glutamine in the muscles and plasma.

Glutamine Metabolism

Glutamine is considered to be a nonessential amino acid because it is made by the body and is not absolutely required to be obtained through the diet. Although we do get glutamine in our diets, it is necessary for the body to produce more to meet the vast amounts required.

The major tissue in the body for producing glutamine is muscle. Muscle is capable of combining ammonia and the amino acid glutamate to form glutamine. The production of glutamine in the muscle is so great that it accounts for more than 60% of the free amino acid pool in muscle cells. These large muscle stores also account for most of the body's glutamine reserves, and they can release glutamine into the circulation to maintain plasma levels and provide other tissues with glutamine.

The Effects of Stress on Glutamine

Under normal physiological circumstances the body can produce all the glutamine that it needs. A delicate balance is maintained between tissues that produce and release glutamine and those that depend on it. The reason so many tissues need glutamine is that is had so many functions in the body. It regulates ammonium levels in the tissues, which can be toxic to the body's cells. The ammonium is used to produce glutamine for release into the blood. Here, glutamine is transferred to other tissues to be used for fuel, especially the cells of the immune system. Glutamine is directly involved in the regulation of protein synthesis and breakdown and is a powerful anabolic stimulus. For these reasons, glutamine is perhaps one of the most versatile amino acids in the body.

When the body's physiology is altered by factors, such as stress or disease, its demands for extra glutamine can change drastically. One form of stress that occurs to the body is when a person bodybuild using heavy poundages and intense training. During this training the use of glutamine by other organs of the body increases in response to bodily stress. As a result, plasma gluta mine levels begin to plummet drastically. To replenish these levels, the muscles start to release their glutamine stores into the blood.

Intense exercise also cause the production of lactic acid and ammonium by the muscles. To deal with these toxic products, the production of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia is also increased. this extra glutamine is rapidly transported into the blood to such a degree that plasma glutamine levels begin to rise within five minutes of exercise. As a result, the many tissues that need glutamine, but can't produce it, are provided with ample supplies during the exercise induced stress. The problem is that the muscles are having their intracellular stores depleted in the process.

Intense exercise also cause the release of catabolic hormones, such as corticosteroids. These glucocorticoids also contribute to the depletion of muscle glutamine stores by increasing the release of glutamine from muscle cells. These catabolic steroids can cause glutamine to continue to be release from muscle even after exercise has stopped and the body no longer needs extra supplies. The result is that muscle become severely glutamine depleted.

Glutamine - the Anabolic Stimulator

Glutamine is known to promote anabolic conditions in muscle cells and increase the rate of protein synthesis. It was long thought that glutamine was directly responsible for this anabolic state, but it no seems that glutamine indirectly promotes growth by increasing the hydration state of muscle cells.

The amount of water in cells can change in a matter of minutes, going from being fully hydrated to a state of dehydration. It has been found that the amount of water inside a cell can alter its metabolism, especially protein synthesis and turnover. When cells are swollen with water, this inhibits the breakdown of protein, glycogen and glucose. It also stimulates protein and glycogen synthesis. If a cell becomes dehydrated, it shrinks and immediately goes into a carbolic state that breaks down the muscle's vital proteins.

Experiments have shown that if isolated muscle cells are placed in a solution that contains insulin and amino acids, the insulin drivers the amino acids into the muscle cells and protein synthesis is increase. Protein synthesis can also be increased by placing the cells in pure water, which causes them to swell. Interestingly, when placed in a salt solution, this quickly draws water out of the cells and they rapidly enter a catabolic state. Thus, it appears that cell swelling is necessary for maintaining an anabolic state.

When glutamine levels are high in the muscle cells, this stimulates the entry of other amino acids into the cell. Amino acids cannot directly enter into the muscle cell, but must be carried in by a special transport system. The unique thing about this transport system is that when it allows am amino acid to enter, it also allows sodium to enter A the amino acid and sodium levels increase inside the muscle, this excess sodium causes water to be absorbed across the membrane and the cell swells to an anabolic state.

When glutamine levels are depleted during exercise, this reverses the transport of amino acids and sodium. The cells become dehydrated and enter a catabolic state.

The Role of Glutamine in Overtraining

Men and women who are serious athletes and bodybuilder walk a fine line between being undertrained and overtrained.

Overtraining results when increasing volumes and intensity of training become out of balance with recovery time. Once a person crosses over the line and sets foot in the overtraining zone, from there on out all their hard work and effort will only send their performance spiraling downward. The harder they work, the less their gains.

One reason a person experiences the overtraining syndrome is that they may deplete their bodies of glutamine to the point that they can't recover. As explained above, an intense exercise cycle can deplete the muscles of glutamine. Studies have shown that after such a session, glutamine levels in the muscles bottomed out between 4 to 6 hours post-exercise and took more than 24 hours to fully recover to pre-exercise levels.

It is easy to see that if a person trains intensely each day that they will start depleting their muscles glutamine stores before they have fully recovered from the workout. The result is that each day the amount of muscle glutamine gets a little lower.

Eventually, the muscle go below the critical amount of glutamine needed to sustain a anabolic state and they revert into a long term catabolic state. The more a person works out to try and makes their muscles grow, the more glutamine they use and the greater the catabolic response. Some athletes have suffered from the overtraining syndrome for over two years and have been shown to have low plasma glutamine levels for the entire time. This may be due damage to the muscle's glutamine synthesizing system as a result of it being overtaxed from too much training.

Individuals suffering from overtraining also are more susceptible to disease and infections as a result of lowered immunity. This may be due to the role of glutamine as a primary source of fuel for the cells of the immune system, particularly lymphocytes, macrophages and killer cells. In addition, glutamine is used as precursor in the synthesis of nucleic acids, which are necessary for cell division.

It is thought that adequate amounts of metabolic intermediates for building key molecules are needed to allow a rapid response when immune cells are faced with a challenge. During periods of immunological assaults, glutamine metabolism is increased to support the rapid cell division, protein synthesis and the production of antibodies and cytokines. These immune cells rely on the plasma to supple them with adequate supplies of glutamine. If these supplies are not met by the plasma, which is ultimately provided by the muscles, the immune cells cannot mobilize to defend the body against an infection of disease. Thus, low glutamine levels severely impair the immune system.

Don't Forget the Glutamine

Because intense exercise can severely deplete the muscles of glutamine and the overtraining syndrome may be the result from the progressive and prolonged loss of glutamine, it is imperative to conserve the muscle's glutamine stores. Previously it has been suggested that glutamine was broken down to glutamate in the stomach and that oral supplementation was of no benefit. Now reports show that oral glutamine is a safe and effective means of providing supplemental free glutamine to the body. Oral glutamine has been shown to reduce the loss of glutamine from muscles and help them maintain their reserves during a variety of catabolic conditions.

For this reasons, it makes sense to take a glutamine supplement that provides the free from of this amino prior to intense exercise. This will raise plasma glutamine levels and prevent the depletion of muscle glutamine stores. After exercise, a high quality protein carbohydrate supplement should be taken within 30 minutes to aid in recovery. The protein will provide amino acids, especially glutamine, and the carbohydrate will boost insulin levels, which will help transport these amino acids to the muscle.

As the amino acids are transported into muscle, they will also promote water uptake to keep the muscles hydrated. This superhydrated state will prevent the muscles from entering into a catabolic state and promote anabolic growth. Because glutamine stores are not depleted, recovery time will be shorted and there is less chance that one will become the victim of the overtraining syndrome due to progressive loss of glutamine stores.

Glutamine may be considered to be a nonessential amino acid for the normal individual because the body has the ability to make it, this there is not a great a need to acquire it in the diet. However, for the elite centurions of the bodybuilding community who use iron to forge a better body, glutamine can be considered to be a "conditionally essential" amino acid. It is conditional essential because intense weight training pushes the body to use glutamine in such vast amounts that it cannot be produced fast enough and thus causes temporary and eventually long term deficiencies.

Therefore, keep in mind that glutamine is one of the most important amino acids in the body and may be the single most important amino acid supplement for the bodybuilder.

This article was featured in Flex Magazine, June 1995 issue. For more information on how to subscribe to Flex, please take a look at our Magazine section. The information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of healthcare professionals.

The following is a list of supplements, all of which are supported in the scientific literature relating to supplementation. Flex Magazine's recommendation is that they are worth considering if you want to maximize your bodybuilding efforts. These supplements are not only cool, but effective.

Creatine Monohydrate

This substance is without question one of the biggest advances in bodybuilding supplements in the past 10 years. Significant weight gains are frequently reported after utilizing creatine monohydrate in 20 grams per day amounts for seven to 14 days.

For some individuals, however, such high creatine doses are not tolerable either physically or financially. Fortunately, recent data show that lower amounts of creatine monohydrate can have a beneficial effect on growth. Bob Fritz and Thomas Fahey, PhD, have completed field tests that indicate that doses of creatine as low as six grams per day increase nitrogen retention. While 20 gram doses may be required to increase sprint performance, smaller amounts may be adequate to support increases in muscle protein synthesis, growth and strength, albeit at a slower rate.

Vanadyl

Vanadyl's ability to mitigate insulin resistance and improve carbohydrate utilization efficiency may be indirectly responsible for the results of field studies (again by Fahey and Fritz) that demonstrate that vanadyl increases nitrogen retention in bodybuilders and other strength athletes.

Vanadyl's effects on insulin resistance make it a prime candidate for athletes who are exposed to lengthy training sessions that often result in overtraining. For these applications, vanadyl may not only improve carbohydrate utilization efficiency but also lower catabolic hormones such as cortisol that tend to rise after overtraining.

Vanadium (IV), however, has a newer form that is considered safer than vanadyl sulfate. Bis vanadium, Bis (maltolato) oxovanadium (IV). This substance has been shown to have a greater margin of safety over its close relative, vanadul sulfate, due to its improved absorption and decreased tissue accumulation.

In addition to bodybuilders, other athletes, including football players, may also benefit from supplementation advances such as vanadium and creatine. Maintaining bodyweight and strength throughout an entire season can mean the difference between not only winning or losing but staying healthy.

Mahuang

This is another supplement that produces noticeable ergogenic and anticatabolic effects when taken as mahuang extracts containing various amounts of ephedrine isomers. The most potent of the active isomers is 1-ephedrine and is responsible for increased muscle contraction strength, endurance, thermogenesis and lipolysis, and decreased muscle protein degradation.

In addition to ergogenic effects that benefit resistance training, mahuang also facilitates fat loss without loss of lean mass by helping to maintain metabolic rate and thyroid function, both very important to any long term fat loss program.

Ephedrine effects and margin of safety are strongly supported in scientific literature. Although there are contraindications, such as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, mahuang can be taken in small enough doses to improve tolerance and increase its margin of safety in those individuals who may initially be highly sensitive to its effects.

Leucine

This is one of the most important amino acids for hard training bodybuilders. Leucine and the other branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), isoleucine and valine, escape liver metabolism and can directly and significantly influence muscle protein metabolism. Dietary leucine serves as a substrate for muscle metabolism during periods of cellular energy depletion, thereby sparing critical contractile and enzyme muscle protein from degradation to supply leucine requirements.

Because leucine contributes to glutamine synthesis, taking supplemental leucine before and after intense training and between meals can help to normalize glutamine levels in both the serum and muscle, thereby promoting anticatabolic muscle metabolism as well as supporting immune function.

Ketoisocaporate (KIC)

KIC is another very important nutrient capable of producing significant anabolic effects. KIC is the branched chain keto acid of leucine, and it occurs naturally in muscle and liver metabolism. Unlike leucine, however, dietary KIC affects the liver to a greater extent than muscle tissue. Eighty percent of dietary KIC is taken up by the liver, where it decreases the catabolism of amino acids.

The immediate obvious effect of dietary KIC is that it reduces urine urea nitrogen retention, the long term effect of which could be increased muscle mass.
Alpha-Ketoglutarate

The salts of alpha-ketoglutarate (calcium, magnesium and potassium) have been demonstrated to increase muscle glutamine stores in severely catabolic hospital patients to a greater degree tan leucine. Alpha - ketoglutarate is utilized in the Krebs cycle and provides the carbon skeleton for a portion of glutamine synthesis. The combination of leucine and salts of alpha - ketoglutarate can provide invaluable support for both muscle metabolism and immune function during periods of physical stress.

The combination of KIC, leucine (or BCAA supplements high in leucine) and salts of alpha - ketoglutarate can produce measurable anabolic effects. The strong anticatabolic effects produced by the combination of KIC, alpha - ketoglutarate and leucine can limit the use of amino acids for energy and promote the use of fatty acids, resulting in deceased urine-urea nitrogen.

it's reasonable to assume that this combination of nutrients could eventually lead to increased lean mass and decreased bodyfat, provided that appropriate diet and training procedures are followed.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is a clear improvement over other sources of protein for athletes. Previously, egg protein (especially egg white) was considered the best protein for bodybuilders. However, while egg protein does possess a very high ratio of essential to nonessential amino acids, its ratio of BCAAs to essentials is not as good. Due to the fact that BCAAs, especially leucine, are utilized to a great degree during intense training, resupplying them is very important. Because whey protein is very high in leucine, containing almost twice as much as egg protein, whey becomes a better choice for athletes.

Beta-Ecdysterone

This is a plant sterol that has been shown to increase muscle deposition in rats at a comparable level to Dianabol. Also, in field studies by Fahey and Fritz, 30 mg of beta - ecdysterone were shown to improve nitrogen balance in weight trained athletes. However, it was found that protein with a high biological value (BV) was found to be a very important if not critical component of this equation.

Hydroxycritic Acid (HCA)

Though not a thermogenic agent, HCA interferes with hepatic triglyceride synthesis by inhibiting citrate lyase. The rationale of incorporating HCA in a diet regimen is that it limits carbohydrate conversion to fat. When citrate lyase is inhibited, serum glucose levels remain higher, depressing appetite. HCA may also contribute to an increase in liver glycogen that may facilitate longer periods of anabolism by maintaining serum glucose, which, in turn, can reduce release of catabolic stress hormones.

Ornithune alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG)

Once hailed as the most anabolic of supplements, OKG has not produced the effects of the supplements listed earlier in well nourished athletes. However, there is no question that OKG decreases nitrogen loss and limits muscle wasting during severe illness.

Every athlete has experienced periods in which an illness has produced training setbacks. Part of the problem during illness is that sufficient calories and protein can't be consumed, thus resulting in loss of muscle protein.

OKG may provide significant relief during periods of illness by protecting stores of muscle protein. This is because of OKG's effects on intramuscular glutamine stores. The loss of intramuscular stores of glutamine during trauma, illness or stress leads to an increase in muscle protein degradation. Subsequent to a variety of stressors, which includes caloric restriction, glutamine is released from the muscle to support to metabolism of tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract and immune system.

The alpha-ketoglutarate portion of OKG provides the carbon skeleton for glutamine synthesis, while it is believed that ornithine slows the production of urea, resulting in higher and more stable serum levels of glutamine.

Because maintenance of immune function is dependent on glutamine, adequate serum levels of glutamine are important for optimal immune response and timely recovery. Consequently, taking gram amounts of OKG during illness not only limits muscle wasting but also supports immune response, facilitating a quicker recovery.

OKG may be effective in conditions of overtraining as well. Overtraining can readily occur after months of relentless workouts. The importance of adequate nutrition and stress reduction in limiting the loss of bodyweight as well as injury cannot be understated. Adding recommended maintenance amounts of OKG to a bodybuilder's diet may go a long way toward stabilizing muscle mass and limiting injuries linked to loss of strength and bodyweight.

Why do so many bodybuilders know so little about amino acids and protein, the differences in their form and the best times to ingest them? With nothing less that optimal muscle growth at stake, time invested in a little research can pay big dividends - both in terms of physical size and dollars saved.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and muscle tissue. All types of physiological processes relating to sport - energy, recovery, muscle / strength gains and fat loss, as well as mood and brain function - are intimately and critically linked to amino acids. It's no wonder amino acids have become major players in athletes' supplementation, especially among bodybuilders.

What are Amino Acids?

The 23 or so amino acids are the molecular building blocks of proteins. According to one accepted classification, 9 are termed indispensable amino acids (IAA, sometimes called essential), meaning that they must be supplied from some food or supplement source; the others, which used to be classified simply as nonessential, are now more correctly termed dispensable amino acids (DAA) or conditionally indispensable, based on the body's ability to synthesize them from other amino acids.

You may not give it much thought when you sink your teeth into a chicken breast (or lentil stew), but the content and balance of amino acids, particularly the ratio of IAA to DAA, is what determines the body and health building value of a protein food or supplement. But that isn't all that matters.

In addition to being influenced by the carbohydrates, fats and total calories associated with it, protein quality is related to the amount of the specific aminos within both the IAA and DAA categories (for example, the amount of glutamine and branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs - leucine, isoleucine and valine). While the amount of IAAs are generally of greater importance, the DAAs are also significant because they're synthesized too slowly to support maximum growth. Even if a source has a perfect amino acid profile for a given individual and lifestyle, another important factor - to what extent these acids are actually delivered to the tissues when needed - must be considered. That, in turn, raises the issues of digestion, absorption, actual bioavailability and the potential value of supplementation.

What is Bioavailability?

Eating quality food is the most common way to get amino acids into the diet, especially high protein foods like lean meats and nonfat dairy products. Even some vegetables and legumes can offer high levels of most amino acids. For serious athletes and those on the run, protein powders and pure free form amino acids provide a convenient and effective means to supplement dietary needs.

Why would people pay relatively large sums of money for only a few grams of pure cheaply? Because of bioavailability.

Bioavailability gauges the extent to which an administered substance reaches its site of action or utilization in the body. Bioavailability is thus a measure of the efficiency of delivery - how much of what is ingested is actually used for its intended purpose.

Conceivably, two diets could contain exactly the same amount of particular amino acids (the same amino acid profile) but have significant differences in their absorption. A number of factors affect amino acid bioavailability (see Factors Affecting Amino Acid Bioavailability.

The most reliable way to deliver specific amino acids is to administer the particular amino acids themselves. The most bioavailable source for oral use is powdered free form amino acids.

A singular (unbonded) amino acids can specifically elevate its level in the general circulation within 15 minutes, making it readily available for metabolism at the site where it's needed. Hence, for example, the recommendation to use BCAAs before, during and after training both to prevent central / mental fatigue, as well as to provide a source of energy to help prevent muscle protein catabolism and to speed recuperation.

Applications to Bodybuilding

Muscle tissue will grow in the presence of a number of factors, including exercise, hormones (growth hormone, insulin, testosterone and thyroid) and nutrients. Nutrition science has advanced to the point where athletes who supplement with free form amino acids can get IAAs, high in BCAA content, to the muscles much more effectively.

The key is the window of opportunity that occurs immediately after exercise, when the muscle is especially receptive to nutrients and the blood flow to the exercised muscles remains high. The solution to optimizing recovery and growth in this case could include eating a small meal composed of protein with both simple and complex carbohydrates.

This isn't the current high tech approach, however. For one, if you trained hard, chances are - even if a convenient and light, nutritious meal was readily available - you wouldn't feel like eating. More important, a high protein meal won't put significant levels of amino acids into your bloodstream until a couple of hours after you eat it, especially if blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract has been diminished by a hard training session. The bottom line: Even if you eat the right foods soon after training, the nutrients will arrive at the muscle too late to take full advantage of the window of opportunity.

Directed Amino Acids

Supplement manufacturers recognized the potential value of free-form amino use was limited by their expense and a relative lack of convincing supportive research for a number of years, their popularity has recently increased dramatically. Prepackaged workout and recovery drinks containing hydrolyzed (predigested) proteins and often some free-form amino acids now fill gym refrigerators. Capsules and powdered free-form amino acids, although still somewhat expensive, are likewise being used by increasing numbers of top amateur and professional athletes.

The value of free-form amino acids is first and foremost that they don't require digestion. The term 'free-form' means exactly that: They are free of chemical bonds to other molecules and so move quickly through the stomach and into the small intestine, where they're rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Upon absorption, amino acids are processed by the liver. When you eat a steak, for example, only relatively few amino acids escape the metabolic actions of the liver. Yet the liver can process only so many at one time, and taking a dose of 3-4 grams of rapidly absorbed amino acids exceeds the liver's capacity, resulting in the aminos being directed to the tissues that require them, such as muscle in the case of bodybuilder recovering from training. Thus, the concept of 'directed amino acids'.

While sound in theory, does it work in practice? As early as 1990, the Bulgarian national weightlifting team began trials to determine if free-form amino acids were a boost to muscular growth. The work was so successful that part of the study was replicated on the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Since then, top bodybuilders and powerlifters around the world today - including Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, and 'Mr. Powerlifting' Ed Coan - have benefited from this new research.

Amino Acids for Energy

Many misconceptions exist about the muscle contraction and the use of energy substrates during heavy during heavy, high-intensity weight training. When you're engaged in a repetitive power workout, a substantial portion of your energy comes from noncarbohydrate sources. When muscle contracts, it uses its stores of adenosine triphosphate (ATP, a substance vital to the energy processes of all living cells) for the first few seconds. The compound used to immediately replenish these stores is creatine phosphate (CP). The recent explosion of creatine supplements in the market attests to its value to hard training bodybuilders and other strength / power athletes.

CP is made from three amino acids: arginine, methionine and glycine. To keep CP and ATP levels high, these amino acids must be elevated in the bloodstream. Traditionally, these proteins have been supplied by foods in the diet. Elevating levels of these amino acids or of CP with conventional foods takes a great deal of time (for digestion) and isn't specific, typically providing levels of fats and carbohydrates that may or may not be desired. The use of free-form amino acids, alone and in combination with creatine supplements, can provide directed source of energy for power and growth.

Amino Acids & Fat Loss

In fat loss, two major processes must occur: 1) the mobilization and circulation of stored fats in the body must increase; and 2) fats must be transported and converted to energy at the powerhouse site of cells, the mitochondria. Several nutrients can assist in the conversion of fat to energy, including lipotropic agents such as choline, inositol and the IAA methionine which, in sufficient quantities, can help improve the transport and metabolism of fat.

Supplementation with complete IAA mixtures, BCAAs and glutamine can also help keep calorie and food volume down while providing targeted support directly to the muscles, liver and immune systems so critical to optimizing body composition.

Reducing Muscle Catabolism

The human body has the innate ability to break down muscle tissue for use as an energy source during heavy exercise. This muscle catabolism can cause muscle soreness, shrinkage of muscle tissue and may even lead to injury.

This enemy to bodybuilders is part of a process known as gluconeogenosis, which means producing or generating glucose from noncarbohydrate sources. The part of this reaction that of importance to bodybuilders is known as the glucose - alanine cycle, in which BCAAs are stripped from the muscle tissue and parts of them are converted to the amino acid alanine, which is transported to the liver and converted into glucose.

If you consume supplemental BCAA's. the body does not have to break down muscle tissue to derive extra energy. A study conducted recently at the School of Human Biology, University of Guelph, Onterio, Canada, confirmed that the use of BCAA's (up to 4 grams) during and after exercise can result in a significant reduction of muscle breakdown during exercise.

In addition to BCAAs, arginine is another amino acid that may benefit bodybuilders. Though it did not live up to its early hype, which touted the amino acid's ability to raise growth hormone level, new data indicate that arginine - in large but safe and affordable doses - may be able to raise GH levels by up to 1,000%.

Free-Form vs. Di & Tripeptides

The form an amino acid takes has been a confusing subject for a number of years, partly because of research that demonstrated superior absorption of purified di- and tripeptides fragments. Di- and tripeptides are simply two and three amino acid molecules bound together, respectively, as opposed to the single molecules of free-form amino acids.

The fact is, pure, powdered free-form amino acids are absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream and are available to the tissues very quickly. The problem with pure di- and tripeptides isn't their bioavailability but 3Ü available to consumers. Moreover, hydrolyzed proteins such as whey and lactalbumin are not necessarily good sources of di- and tripeptides. They generally contain very few of these amino acid combinations, and what few they have may get lost in the general wash of longer chain peptides contained in these hydrolysates.

So while pure di- and tripeptides are efficient in their ability to be absorbed into the bloodstream, pure free-form amino acids are equal or superior for bodybuilders and other athletes and more important, are as close as your nearest health food store.

Factors Affecting Amino Acid Bioavailability

How fat you eat a protein source and the length of time it takes for the digested amino acids to be available for use by the body are determined by a number of factors, which include:

# Cooking - Amino acids are more or less sensitive to heat. For example, arginine is extremely stable and will decompose only if exposed to sustained temperatures about 470 degrees F. Carnitine decomposes at temperatures of 284 F. Cooking, in addition to killing micro-organisms, makes the long spiral polypeptide chains unwind, causing the amino acid to become more exposed when it reaches the digestive system.

# Physical nature of the food, whether solid, liquid, powder or tablet; whether and to what extent chemically predigested and the type and amounts of binders, fillers and other nutritive and non-nutritive materials.

# Status of the digestive system - Genetics, age, overall health and specific diseases and illnesses.

# Metabolism or utilization by the intestine before absorption - such as occurs with glutamine.

# Metabolism or utilization in the liver before transfer to the general circulation - For maximal directed effects, amino acids should be taken on an empty stomach and in a dosage that enables significant quantities to reach the target tissues.

Amino Acid Form Comparison & Usage Guide

Form Function/Value Pros Cons Recommended Usage
Free-Form Does not require digestion; small amounts quickly absorbed into bloodstream. Nutrients absorbed into bloodstream quickly, available to muscle or other tissues; helps prevent muscle catabolism. Relatively expensive. For example, glutamine: 3-5 grams, 1-5 times per day before or between meals; same for mixture of IAAs.
Hydrolyzed Predigestion speeds entry into digestive system, but often contains longer chains that must be broken down. Whey and lactalbumin are examples. Predigestion speeds absorption Contains longer chains, which must be broken before being absorbed into bloodstream. For maximum mass . strength gains or during periods of high stress or gastrointestinal problems: 20-30 grams, 1-3 times per day; for optimal health maintenance: 20 grams once per day.
Branched Chain Aids in the formation of alanine from glucose during exercise as well as glutamine from glucose and alphaketo glutarate. Can be converted into energy to prevent muscle catabolism. Relatively expensive form of energy for muscle action. During hard training: 4-5 grams 2-5 times per day, especially before and after training. Optimal ratio for normal use is 2:1:1 (leucine : isoleucine : valine), although higher leucine content immediately before and after exercise is okay.
Di-Tripeptides Two or three molecule amino acids that are quickly digested. Depending on conditions, may significantly increase nitrogen retention. Short chains for moderately fast digestion and absorption. Cost, availability, taste, osmolality. Usually found in highest quality hydrolyzed protein supplements (see doses above).

The Amino Acid Guide

There are three types of amino acids; the indispensable amino acids, the conditionally dispensable amino acids, and the dispensable amino acids. Indispensable amino acids, also called essential amino acids, must be supplied to the body from food or supplements. Conditionally dispensable amino acids are based on the body's ability to actually synthesize them from other amino acids. Dispensable amino acids, also called nonessential amino acids, can be synthesized by the body from other amino acids. Here is the amino acid guide and their benefits.

The Indispensable Amino acids

Isoleucine

* A branched chain amino acid readily taken up and used for energy by muscle tissue.
* Used to prevent muscle wasting in debilitated individuals
* Essential in the formation of hemoglobin

Leucine

* A branched chain amino acid used as a source of energy
* Helps reduce muscle protein breakdown
* Modulates uptake of neurotransmitter precursors by the brain as well as the release of enkephalins, which inhibit the passage of pain signals into the nervous system.
* Promotes healing of skin and broken bones.

Valine

* A branched chain amino acid
* Not processed by the liver; rather actively taken up by muscle
* Influences brain uptake of other neurotransmitter precursors (trptophan, phenylalanine and tryosine).

Histadine

* One of the major ultraviolet absorbing compounds in the skin
* Important in the production of red and white blood cells; used in the treatment of anemia
* Used in the treatment of allergic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and digestive ulcers.

Lysine

* Low levels can slow protein synthesis, affecting muscle and connective tissue
* Inhibits viruses; used in the treatment of herpes simplex
* Lysine and Vitamin C together form L-carnitine, a biochemical that enables muscle tissue to use oxygen more efficiently, delaying fatigue
* Aids bone growth by helping form collagen, the fibrous protein that makes up bone, cartilage and other connective tissue.

Methionine

* Precursor of cystine and creatine
* May increase antioxidant levels (glutathione) and reduce blood cholesterol levels.
* Helps remove toxic wastes from the liver and assists in the regeneration of liver and kidney tissue

Phenylalanine

* The major precursor of tyrosine
* Enhances learning, memory, mood and alertness
* Used in the treatment of some types of depression
* Is a major element in the production of collagen
* Suppresses appetite

Threonine

* One of the amino detoxifers
* Helps prevent fatty buildup in the liver
* Important component of collagen
* Generally low in vegetarians

Tryptophan

* Precursor of key neurotransmitter serotonin, which exerts a calming effect
* Stimulates the release of growth hormones
* Free form of this amino acid is unavailable in the U.S.
* It is only available in natural food sources

Conditionally Dispensable Amino Acids

Arginine

* Can increase secretion of insulin, glucagon, growth hormones
* Aids in injury rehabilitation, formation of collagen and immune system stimulation.
* Precursor of creatine, gamma amino butric acid (GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain)
* May increase sperm count and T-lymphocyte response

Cysteine

* Detoxifies harmful chemicals in combination with L-aspartic acid and L-citruline
* Helps prevent damage from alcohol and tobacco use
* Stimulates white blood cell activity

Tyrosine

* Precursor of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, as well as thyroid and growth hormones and melanin (the pigment responsible for skin and hair color).
* Elevates mood

Dispensable Amino Acids

Alanine

* Major component of connective tissue
* Key intermediate in the glucose alanine cycle, which allows muscles and other tissues to derive energy from amino acids
* Helps build up the immune system

Aspartic Acid

* Helps convert carbohydrates into muscle energy
* Builds immune system immunoglobulins and antibodies
* Reduces ammonia levels after exercises

Cystine

* Contributes to strong connective4e tissue and tissue antioxidant actions
* Aids in healing processes, stimulates white blood cell activity and helps diminish pain from inflammation
* Essential for the formation of skin and hair

Glutamic Acid

* A major precursor of glutamine, proline, ornothine, arginine, glutathione, and GABA
* A potential source of energy
* Important in brain metabolism and metabolism of other amino acids.

Glutamine

* Most abundant amino acid
* Plays a key role in immune system functions
* An important source of energy, especially for kidneys and intestines during caloric restrictions.
* A brain fuel that is an aid to memory and a stimulant to intelligence and concentration

Glycine

* Aids in the manufacture of other amino acids and is a part of the structure of hemoglobin and cytochromes (enzymes involved in energy production)
* Has a calming effect and is sometimes used to treat manic depressive and aggressive individuals
* Produces glucagon, which mobilizes glycogen
* Can inhibit sugar cravings

Ornithine

* May help increase growth hormone secretion in high doses
* Aids in immune and liver function
* Promotes healing

Proline

* A major component in the formation of connective tissue and heart muscle
* Readily mobilized for muscular energy
* Major constituent of collagen

Serine

* Important in cells' energy production
* Aids memory and nervous system function
* Helps builds up immune system by producing immuno-globulins and antibodies

Taurine

* Aids in the absorption and elimination of fats
* May act as a neurotransmitter in some areas of the brain and retina

10 Biggest Nutritional
Mistakes of Bodybuilders
By Marty Gallagher

This article was featured in Muscle & Fitness, December 1995 issue. This is a view on what are the biggest mistakes that bodybuilders do in terms of nutrition.

Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, remarked in 1965 'Bodybuilding is 90% nutrition.' Shawn Ray in 1993 echoed the sentiment: 'The weights, the gym, the training, I can do that part in my sleep; it's fun and relatively easy. It's the other stuff, the dieting and supplementing, that demands the discipline.' If success is any measure, Shawn knoweth that of which he speaketh. Top professional bodybuilders weight, measure, quantify and chart every bite they put into their mouths.

Does the grass roots trainer need to go to that level of dedication and exactitude? To maximize gains, yes. Perhaps not to the degree the elite go to, but nutrition is a key ingredient in bodybuilding success. So take a hint. Without a scientific nutrition program, bodybuilding devolves into plan weight training, which is a hell of a lot further down athletic evolution. As Robby Robinson once observed 'Nutrition is everything'.

Taoist monks in search of spiritual enlightenment have a method for obtaining nirvana called Wu Wei, the Negative Way. In the system of Wu Wei, adherents obtain enlightenment through negation. Rather than try to define the enlightened truth, they identify all that is false. After doing so, they are left with that which is true. Hidden within the science that encapsulates modern bodybuilding nutrition, we have the equivalent of Wu Wei. We can acquire nutritional truth through the identification of that which is false. Identifying the false sheds light on its opposite, the truth. Here are the top 10 false moves of bodybuilding nutrition and their implied opposites.

1. Eating Too Much

We all know the biology. Excess calories are stored as bodyfat. For overeating to be at the top of the nutritional false move list is no mistake. Building muscle is the number one goal of bodybuilding and bodyfat is the bodybuilder's number one enemy. What's the sense of working an impressive set of muscles requiring much blood, sweat and tears, if it's obscured by a layer of lard? May I suggest the obvious? If you are overweight, eat less. The simple act on consuming less food will cause you to lose weight. Be aware, however, that if you eat less but retain your current food profile, you will just construct a miniature version of your old self. Less of the same will shrink you, but your proportion of muscle to bodyfat will stay the same. The end result? You look like your old self, just pounds lighter. Truly sensational physical transformation lies in losing bodyfat while maintaining muscle. To achieve true nutritional nirvana, building muscle while simultaneously losing bodyfat, we need to practice nutrient based dieting.

To lose fat and retain muscle, besides doing aerobic exercise, you need to eat precise amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. You need to become nutrient conscious. Read the labels on the food you eat. What is the consensus on achieving metabolic nirvana? To hang on to muscle, you need protein and lots of it. To maintain energy and fuel growth you need quality cards. To shed the fat blanket and keep the muscle, to effect the physical transformation you seek, you need lots of quality nutrients, but not in excess. You tread the razor's edge between enough and too much. Everyone is different. Experiment and monitor.

2. Eating Too Little

Undereating is as bad as overeating. Physiologically, it's impossible to build muscle if your diet lacks proper nutrients. Ample amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and yes, even fat are necessary to build muscle. The trick is balance, you need enough high quality food to grow muscle. Yet even the finest muscle fuel will be stored as fat if taken in excess. One key strategy is to confine your eating to 'clean fuel', nutritionally dense foods with little or no fat and sugar. And you need to eat plenty of them. A serious weight trainer who additionally performs regular cardiovascular work will need to the extra nutrients to cope with the additional metabolic demands.

3. Insufficient Protein

The fact remains: Protein is the single most important nutrient for muscle regeneration and building. The trick is to use only lean protein. Protein and fat usually coexist in food sources. Meat, fish, fowl, dairy, these primary sources all can have much fat content. In the old days, we did not worry about such inconveniences. As a result, heavy protein consumers developed nasty clogged arteries and astronomical cholesterol rates. The fault wasn't in the protein, but the fat attached to the protein.

Nowadays, we hardcore weight trainers confine our protein to nonfat or low fat sources. Skim milk, egg whites, fish, skinless fowl, flank steak, and of course that staple of weight training, protein powder. These foods represent powerful, clean protein sources. Start by ingesting 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. To stay anabolic, divide the total intake into 4-8 equal portions and eat these low fat protein sources at regular intervals throughout the day.

4. Failing to Cook for Yourself

Meal preparation is a critical skill. To be truly successful as a bodybuilder, you should be able to prepare your own food. Nutritionally sound foods eaten throughout the day are necessary to obtain anabolism. Most male bodybuilders (and more than a few female ones) do not cook. Big mistake. Why depend on mom, your spouse, restaurants or fast food joints for the endless succession of small, nutritious feedings required to mount a serious bodybuilder effort?

Not only do you have to come to grips with cooking, but you have to develop a wide and inventive repertoire of dishes and meals. Otherwise you are locked into the equivalent of prison chow. Jail house cuisine is bland, unimaginative, tasteless. Kinda like the clean foods we bodybuilders choose to contend with day in, day out.

You need a lot of imagination to deal with clean food. Tuna and egg white need not be dull. How do the ignorant become enlightened? Comb the magazines. Read low fat cook books. Assemble your ingredients, set aside some time and have at it. Plus, you'll impress the heck out of your mom when you serve her a low fat gourmet feast some fine Sunday.

5. Not keeping a Nutrition Log

As cumbersome as it might sound, the muscle elite keep daily records of what they consume and when they consume it. They write it all down in a log. This allows them to keep a running tally of their nutritional progress. They establish a long term game plan and keep daily tabs on food and supplement consumption. Tracking results, identifying trends, finding what works, discarding what doesn't, a log becomes your nutritional report card. You can make truly accurate assessments and implement intelligent corrective action when you base your adjustments on factual data and objective analysis. Otherwise it degenerates into wishful thinking and self-delusion.

So begin by assembling data. The truly complete nutritional log lists date, time, food type, and carb, fat, sugar, sodium, protein and caloric content. Body stats are notated along with short descriptive phrases on the athlete's general condition. Drawn up in column format, the comprehensive notation of a meal takes about two minutes. And you'll find that the purchases of a food nutritional value book (available at any bookstore) will be of a great help. Did I hear you say what a hassle? It could be worse. Thomas Jefferson wrote down every financial transaction he made in his adult life and he lived to be 83.

6. Too Much Fat & Sugar

The twin demons of nutrition. Fat is calorically the densest of all nutrients, with nine calories per gram. Fat is hard to digest and is the body's preferred storage material. Though a certain amount of fat is needed for brain and other bodily functions, the little that's required is easily acquired through regular low fat eating.

Excess sugar is easily converted to fat once in the body. Buyer beware: A food may be advertised as low fat and still be loaded with sugar. Taken in excess, this sugar can be quickly converted to fat. Quite a few a few of the sports drinks and nutritional sports bars are loaded with sugar. Limit fat intake to roughly 15% of your total caloric consumption.

7. Not Drinking Enough Water

As we know, the body is 67% water, and we should drink lots of water throughout the day. Water courses throughout the body's plumbing; downing copious amounts throughout the day keeps the pipes clean as chrome. So flush the system continually and regularly, regenerating muscle cells through water replenishment. Drink 10 eight ounce glasses of water a day.

8. Lacking Positive Nitrogen Balance

Positive nitrogen balance is the physiological state in which muscular growth is possible. How to achieve it? Take in a fresh supply of muscle building nutrients every 2-3 hours. The human body works most efficiently when given small feedings at regular intervals throughout the day. These evenly spaced feedings should be composed of high quality protein and carbohydrates.

How can you eat every 2-3 hours when faced with the rigors of a job, family and real world responsibilities? A nutritious sports bar and a glass of skim milk can supply 50 grams of protein and 50-100 grams of carbohydrates. How long does it take to eat a sandwich? Or drink a protein shake? How about a piece of fruit and a chicken breast? You get the idea. This ties into food preparation; pack clean food snacks and graze throughout the day. When an athlete is in positive nitrogen balance, the body is ready, willing and able to grow.

9. Lacking Food Balance in Meals

Imbalance is rampant in this off kilter world. Food consumption is no exception. Balanced eating as defined by some nutritionists is not quite the same as balanced eating as defined by the muscle elite. The optimal feeding, according to the elite, is a skillful blending of lean protein, starcvhy and fibrous carbohydrates, minuscule amounts of fat and no sugar. The proportional divisions vary depending upon individual characteristics. Some folks are carb sensitive and need to keep starchy carbs to a minimum, otherwise they blow up like cartoon characters who've swallowed an air hose. Others thrive on a diet heavy on potatoes and rice with no ill effects.

How you metabolize food is as individual as your hair color or height. You need to determine how foods affect you. Rule of thumb for proportional balance: 50% calories from carbs, 35% from protein and 15% from fat. This is a good starting point, and careful monitoring once on this 50-35-15 regimen will dictate any necessary adjustments. The goal is building muscle and reducing bodyfat. How do you achieve a real world balance with traveling around with a scale, calorie book, and calculator? At each meal, fill 50% of your plate with carbohydrates. Half of these should be dense, starchy carbs (rice, potatoes) and half should be fibrous carbs (broccoli, green beans, lettuce, etc.). The other half of the dinner plate should consist of lean protein (skinless chicken, turkey, fish, etc.). Don't worry about the 15% fat... it's there!

10. Ignoring Supplementation

We all have little holes and shortcomings in our diets, and supplements help us round them out. All elite athletes use supplements. The expense, hassle and confusion of diet supplementing scares off some trainers. Big mistake. State with a prepackaged multipak. In addition, a quality protein powder, a high grade carbohydrate powder, and a big supply if beef liver tabs will do wonders for your recuperation, training, and physique.

The Carb Rules
By Chris Aceto

This article was featured in Flex Magazine, March 1999. This is a view on the eleven helpful hints about carbs: the good, the bad and the bizarre. Chris Aceto write a number of articles. To order Chris' book, 'Everything You Need to Know about Fat Loss', call him at (207) 934-7812.

If you ask 20 bodybuilders about carb intake, you will likely get 20 different theories. Suffice it to say, there is a wide variety of opinion on how to manipulate carbs properly to either gain mass or lose fat. To get a handle on this controversial subject, I have compiled a list of facts, tips and suggestions to allow you to gain mass without adding unwanted fat.

1. Eat Complex Carbs

Carbohydrates should comprise the bulk of your daily caloric intake because they form muscle glycogen - the fuel for arduous training sessions. Focus on unprocessed complex carbohydrates like yams, potatoes, whole grain breads, oatmeal and brown rice. Why? These natural complex carbs are made of long chains of sugar and are digested very slowly. Slow burning carbs promoted consistent blood sugar levels, which help to offset fatigue while promoting the release of insulin - the body's principal anabolic hormone. Men can project daily carb intake, in grams (g) by multiplying their bodyweight by three; women should multiply bodyweight by two. For example, a 200 pound man should consume 600g of carbs daily, while a 125 pound woman should consume 250g.

2. Eat Fiber

Benefits of fiber include making muscle tissue more responsive to anabolism by improving sugar and amino acid uptake, and aiding in muscle glycogen formation and growth. Beans and oatmeal are two excellent sources of fiber.

3. Stagger your Carb Intake

Divide your carb meals into six distinct servings throughout the day. This divide and conquer approach stimulates a steady release of insulin to create an anabolic (muscle building) state. If you eat too many carbs in one sitting, the net effect is that fat-storing enzymes kick into high hear and you lose than lean and hard look.

4. Eat Simple Carbs After Training

Honey, sugar and refined foods such as white bread and white rice - typical simple carbs - are digested quickly and easily. The resulting insulin spike is a double edged sword, however. After training, it can prevent muscle catabolism while promoting anabolism. If you have not been working out, the intake of simple carbs can stimulate fat storage.

5. East More Carbs After Training

This edict is the corollary to tip #4. A high carb intake at your post training meal will have less chance of being stored as fat, as carbs must replenish depleted glycogen levels before they gain the ability to stimulate fat storage. Eat about 25% of your daily carbs at this meal.

6. Eat a Carb-loaded Breakfast

Besides the post training meal, breakfast is the other golden time to ingest carbs, because blood sugar and muscle glycogen levels are low from your overnight fast. Your body must replenish these levels before stimulating the fat storing machinery in the body.

7. Use Supplements to Assist Carbs with Insulin Utilization

Chromium, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin E and Alpha Lipoic Acid all increase a muscle's ability to use insulin. Supplement your breakfast with 200 micrograms of Chromium, four grams of Omega-3s and 100 milligrams of Alpha Lipoic Acid.

8. Minimize Fruit Intake

Though low in calories and rich in vitamins, fruit is problematic for dieting bodybuilders for one reason: it contains fructose, a simple sugar, which is converted into glycogen in the liver. There, it can be readily used as a building block for fat synthesis.

9. Avoid carbs after hours

Unless you are blessed with a superfast metabolism, you should forget about eating baked potatoes late at night. Late night carbs interfere with the release of growth hormone and promote fat storage while you sleep.

10. Mix carbs and protein in the same meal

Combining carbs and proteins minimizes the risk of carbs being stored as fat. Eating protein with carbs facilitates the transport of amino acids from protein foods into the muscles to trigger new growth.

11. Rotate carbs for fat loss

Bodybuilders who rotate their carb intake tend to lose more fat than bodybuilders who maintain a steady flow of carbs while dieting. For example, instead of eating 600g of carbs every day (the typical daily total for a 200 pound bodybuilder), try varying the volume of intake. Eat 50% fewer carbs (300g) for two days, then the standard 600g for the next two days, then 50% more (900g) for the next two days, The total carb intake is the same, but this schedule works because it lowers muscle glycogen in the first stage (promoting fat loss), and then increases insulin levels (ensuring no loss of muscle) on the final two days. Carb rotation gives you the best of both worlds: decreased fat with no loss of muscle.

Wow there is some great information there,cheers venom. Do you have any articles on beta alanine. I've read one in the Sep 2007 issue of md and one or two others online but i've also heard a lot of mixed views about it. Personally I think it looks like a really good supplement, something on par with creatine and glutamine

The 10 Biggest Mistakes you can make with you Bodybuilding Diet
By Chris Aceto

This article was featured in Flex Magazine, July 1997 issue. For more information on how to subscribe to Flex, please take a look at our Magazine section.

Success leaves clues. Ask any top professionals, including bodybuilders, "How can I maximize my progress?" and the best answer will delineate not only the right steps to take but also the pitfalls to avoid.

My goal is to share with you the nutrition lessons I've learned through developing eating regimens for several top bodybuilders, some of whom are now in the professional ranks. My hope is that these tips will allow you to correct any flaws in your nutrition program and hence maximize your progress. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid if you want to fulfill your bodybuilding potential.

1. Dieting impatiently

Many bodybuilders jump from one diet to another without ever giving the initial program enough time to work. It takes at least three weeks for your body to adapt to dietary modifications. If you start a high carb, moderate protein, low fat diet with reduced calories, and your goal is to lose fat, expect to notice visible changes after approximately 21 days. Don't anticipate immediate changes in your physique.

2. Failing to Accurately track calories

Be sure to count not only calories but carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well. Because they don't keep a record of what they're eating, many bodybuilders don't lose fat at the rate they expect, while others fail to gain weight. Don't make the mistake of miscalculating your calorie intake. Successful bodybuilders keep precise records; they don't guess or estimate. Consult the Nutrition Almanac or a comparable source for food values and buy a scale.

3. Eating haphazardly

Whether you're trying to lose fat or add lean body mass, consistency is key, and sporadic eating is anathema to making progress. If you're a hardgainer or you have a difficult time getting ripped, the five times a day meal plan is best. This approach (a meal every two or three hours) inhibits storage of fat and increases lean body mass by enhancing nutrient absorption.

4. Depending on the scale to gauge progress

Don't depend solely on the scale to fine tune your diet. When bodybuilders try to add size, they often become discouraged when their bodyweight doesn't increase rapidly. They frequently jump the gun by adding too many calories to accelerate their progress. Similarly, precontest competitors striving to get down in size sometimes subtract too many calories. While the scale and other measuring devices like bodyfat calipers are effective tools, it's better to rely on photos and an unbiased eye to measure your progress. After all, bodybuilding is a visual sport. If you look leaner and fuller, then your fat loss diet is probably working - even if the scale and bodyfat calipers don't agree.

5. Overeating (especially carbohydrates)

Athletes who try to add mass often go overboard and eat an excessive number of calories, which are then converted into bodyfat. Then there are bodybuilders who eat a very low fat diet but still gain too many bodyfat because of an extremely high intake of carbohydrates. Sure, carbs are required for hard training, and they aid in recovery, But once the body absorbs what it needs, the excess will be quickly deposited as fat.

6. Failing to personalize your bodybuilding diet.

There's nothing wrong with learning from what the pro bodybuilders do. However, Dorian Yate's diet is vastly different from Nasser El Sonbaty's. What they have in common is an individualized, or customized approach. Dorian's diet might not work for Nasser's, and vice versa. Maintaining detailed records of what you eat and how you react to those foods can help you customize a diet that's ideal for your needs.

7. Viewing supplements as a magic bullet

Some bodybuilders try to shed fat by taking carnitine and chromium, yet they fail to initiate the fat burning process by lowering their caloric consumption. Others use creatine, glutamine or branched chain amino acids to beef up, but fail to consume enough calories and proteins to stimulate a positive nitrogen balance. Supplements work to enhance a nutrition program, not to make up for poor planning and nutritional mistakes.

8. Becoming a slave to canned tuna

To be successful, you have to eat the right way all the time. I've known athletes who burn out from the boredom of eating nothing but plain chicken breasts and tuna straight out of the can. Laura Creavalle's cookbook, The Lite Lifestyle, contains 150 fat free and sugar free recipes designed for precontest bodybuilders. These recipes allow you to stick with your eating program for the long haul, which produces substantive results.

9. Eliminating all Fat

Cutting fat from your diet is helpful in controlling total caloric intake, but removing fat completely from your diet and relying exclusively on very low fat or fat free proteins like turkey, fish and protein powders can lead to a decrease in fat metabolism and/or retard growth. A low fat diet that includes essential fatty acids found in meat, chicken and fish is useful in promoting optimal recovery growth and fat metabolism.

10. Making enormous changes all at once

When adding or subtracting calories from your diet, try to make very small incremental changes to allow your body to adapt these dietary manipulations. Severe reductions in calories will cause the body to hoard fat; an abundant increase will stimulate fat storage.