I went down to the local mall and next to the store I was going to was a GNC (General Nutrition Center). I thought back to when I was 21 years old, six foot tall and 150 lbs. I was just skin and bones back then and I wanted to gain weight, well muscle bulk, and so their consultant (read: salesman) loaded me up on protein shakes and bars and a saving card and this and that and $150 later, I left the store.
Fifteen years and many pounds later, I find myself doing the opposite. Well, I haven’t got suckered any by any of their pitches as I didn’t walk into the store this time.
But I’m wondering if any of those supplements are any good. Or is all just snakeoil?
I come down on the snake oil side, but to be scientific, we first have to get specific regarding any particular compound you are talking about. Anything in particular?
BTW, I recently lost about twenty pounds by the simple expedient of eating fewer calories than I burn (about 2400 per day at my height-6’2"). I once saw an infomercial for some piece of exercise equipment Cher was pimping and she made the point that if it came in a bottle, everyone would have a great body.
FWIW,
Rob
Sorry, I figured that would be problematic as they sell such a wide variety of, for lack of a better term, “supplements”.
Protein powders, colon cleansers, multi-vitamins, thermogenics, memory support, etc. It all seems to be pretty much b.s. Nothing that proper diet and exercise couldn’t be sufficient for. I guess the best way to approach it is: Are there any products that they sell that aren’t bogus?
Will they make you thin and smart? I doubt it, but I don’t have the evidence handy to back it up. Frankly, I feel the same way about GNC that some people feel about large Wall Street firms.
Rob
There is a certain amount of snake oil, yes. Colon cleansing certainly falls in that camp.
However, some supplements are known to have effects if dosed and used properly (e.g. creatine). Protein powders in particular are useful for people on high-protein diets. As a pescetarian, I swear by them; I don’t want to eat that much fish because of mercury, and having an easy source of protein handy has been useful to me. Unless you’re a bodybuilder, though, you probably don’t need to worry all that much about which protein blend you’re using, except to make sure it’s not one of those loaded-with-sugar concoctions. They try to send you home with whey, casein, and others – which is frankly overkill for amateurs who are going to take a scoop a day or so.
They do not work in a vacuum, of course. If you want to gain muscle, you need to work out. Some supplements (not all) can help you to a moderate degree, but you still ultimately need to put those little tears in the muscles so the body rebuilds them.
I do, however, get one of the same brands GNC sells at half the price online. I’d never pay their rates. Better than Max Muscle, though ($80+ for a tub of protein powder?!)
They’ll certainly make your wallet lighter, since GNC’s prices are MUCH higher than just about any other source, local or online.
I get protein and such from Bulk Nutrition, and vitamins, minerals etc. from a local drugstore or supermarket.
Heh. My ex was 6’2" and 135, and consumed everything possible to gain weight, plus working out. The only result was that his muscles became more defined (from the exercise), but not larger . . . plus a huge hole in his wallet. My current partner has the same build but is 8" taller . . . and we are both happy with the way he is.