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Creatine - Learn More Best taken 1/2 hour or so BEFORE a workout and again RIGHT after a workout. What I do is take a creatine/juice/protein drink about a half hour before a workout and than another shake right after. This "bracketing" technique helps set up an anabolic (muscle-building) state for your muscles and helps prevent muscle breakdown from a workout (catabolism). Other than these 2 opportune times, you can add another creatine serving or two any time throughout the day. I usually recommend 25 to 30 grams of creatine on a loading phase and 10-20 grams a day on a maintenance phase.

Glutamine - Learn More Definitely take glutamine right before bed. This is where the overwhelming research shows the value of glutamine raising growth hormone levels significantly by taking 5 grams before bed. Also, another great time is upon waking, when your muscles have been without significant nutrition for up to 6-8 hours. Another good time for glutamine is about a half hour or hour after working out. This helps in the recovery/recuperation process from demanding workouts. So, creatine definitely before and after your workout and glutamine right before bed and right upon waking.

The best times to take ANY protein drink or protein supplements are as follows. I've listed them in order of importance, so based upon what you can afford, start at the top of the list and work down. When Should You Take It? The most important time is right after a workout. Your muscles are like a sponge and need instant nutrition for muscle recovery and growth. Right before bed. You're about to sleep for 6 to 8 hours. That's a long time without protein. Could you imagine going throughout your day (when awake) not eating 6 to 8 hours? Right before bed is important. Right upon waking. Same thing, you've just gone 6 to 8 hours without proper nutrition. Your body needs protein quick. Half hour before a workout. This sets up the "anabolic window" before your workout and provides your muscles with adequate nutrition so that the effects of weight training (weight training breaks down muscle-called catabolic) are not as severe.

In a world that is obsessed with losing weight - you are interested in gaining weight!

People predispositioned to skinniness are commonly referred to as "hard gainers." This is the cool way to label your scrawny frame despite the fact that your body turns into a Number 2 pencil when you wear yellow!

n the skinny guy's defense, the reality is that you have been cursed with traits like Lamborghini-type metabolism, giraffe like limbs, and the strength of a senior citizen. You have to fight with every bone in your body to do something about your small frame and to keep up to your male buddies who seem to grow muscle just by sneezing - those muscle freaks piss me off just as much you!

When you think about protein supplementation, the number one type that is discussed the most is Whey Protein. It comes from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, whey protein is separated out. Protein can be found in a variety of foods -mainly meats, such as fish, beef, and chicken.

Casein Protein This is probably the second most discussed in bodybuilding circles of how well it works when it comes to slow digesting and long lasting protein.

Casein is an extremely slow digesting and rich protein source that continues to feed your muscles long after whey proteins have dropped off.

Teens often lack the maturity level to be aware of the issues that are causing their feelings of stress.

School is the number one source of stress for teens according to a poll conducted by the Associated Press

Stress comes from homework demands, after school activities and over scheduling

Glucose, which is transported by your bloodstream to organs and tissues after eating carbohydrates, provides an essential source of energy for both your muscles and brain when working out. As energy and glucose needs to increase with exercise, it's important to eat enough carbohydrates in order to fuel your workouts. Having low blood glucose levels during exercise harms performance and can lead to physical and mental fatigue, sometimes resulting in weakness, dizziness and hypoglycemia. Glucose also prevents the body from using protein for energy.

When glucose isn't needed for immediate energy, the body stores it as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle. Glycogen stores are especially important when working out, as the body's energy demands may exceed the amount supplied by glucose in the bloodstream after prolonged exercise or when exercising with insufficient carbohydrate intake. According to Iowa State University, during low-intensity workouts, glycogen stores can be used to increase glucose levels in the bloodstream for as long as 90 minutes -- whereas during high-intensity exercise, glycogen stores provide energy for only about 20 minutes. Active people therefore need to replenish glucose regularly by eating plenty of carbohydrates. However, in less-active people with adequate glycogen stores, additional glucose is stored as fat.

A carbohydrate-loading diet, also called a carb-loading diet, is a strategy to increase the amount of fuel stored in your muscles to improve athletic performance. Carbohydrate loading generally involves greatly increasing the amount of carbohydrates you eat several days before a high-intensity endurance athletic event.

Your muscles normally store only small amounts of glycogen — enough to support you during recreational exercise activities. If you exercise intensely for more than 90 minutes, your muscles may run out of glycogen. At that point, you may start to become fatigued, and your performance may suffer.

But with carbohydrate loading, you may be able to store up enough energy in your muscles to give you the stamina to make it through longer endurance events without overwhelming fatigue

Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images Active people involved in resistance training regularly take protein supplements to promote muscle strength, enhance muscle recovery and gain muscle size, as acknowledged in an article by Robert R Wolfe in the August 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

An effective protein supplement used before or after working out should contain the nine essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body. The optimum combination of amino acids renders them "complete proteins." These are protein supplements derived from animal or dairy sources.

Writing in Bodybuilding.com, bodybuilder Hugo Rivera categorizes five types of protein used in supplements according to their bio-availability value--ability of the body to assimilate and use protein.

Q: Is Creatine a Steroid?

A:  I would like to dispel this myth by giving you the definition of what an anabolic steroid is.  These  are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone.  Creatine, as you will see below is not.  Basically anyone who says this should immediately be labeled a gymbecile. 

Q: What is Creatine?

Participants in this ongoing study were five healthy students on the Stanford University men’s and women’s swimming teams

For the first two weeks of the study, the students maintained their usual sleep-wake pattern

The athletes then extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for six to seven weeks.

Colleges are starting to wake up to how sleep deprivation cuts into the academic and athletic performance of their students.

All-nighters have become a habit in higher education, but a handful of small new studies

Sleep experts say the amount of sleep each person needs is largely dependent on the individual: Some people can get by with only five or six hours. The National Sleep Foundation says adults need seven to nine hours a night.

Packing an hour worth of fitness into 20-30 minutes can be done

Choose a cardio activity that you enjoy such as running, or biking

Do a short warm-up session to get the blood pumping and muscles warmed up