On Supplements By Alexander Fedorov I realize how one could assume that I may be somewhat partial and unable to be objective, considering the fact that I do have a contract with Universal Nutrition. But, to be completely honest, I started to use their products years before I became acquainted with the company personally. Universal Nutrition always had an allure due to its constant innovation and commitment to quality. In general, it is difficult to imagine a successful athlete nowadays who doesn't use some sort of nutritional supplementation, especially in those sports where strength and stamina are crucial. Remember, however, they are supplements, meaning they are to be used “in addition to” a proper diet. They are not miracle potions. It may seem somewhat surprising, but I do not expect any direct, significant effect from the use of supplements. At this level I am no longer so naïve. I know that real progress comes from persistent work in the gym. The role of supplements is to support my training, not produce results on their own. There are several Universal products that are constantly present in my daily nutritional regimen. These include creatine, glutamine, and amino acid complexes such as Animal Nitro and Amino Tech. Vitamin products like Daily Formula, Animal Pak and additional vitamins C and E are also old standbys. Not to mention the obvious: boatloads of protein powder and BCAAs. The last one deserves special mention. BCAAs are really tremendous as a support supplement. They are one of those select few supplements that I can literally feel when I use them. BCAAs, from products such as BCAA Stack and BCAA 2000, help me to handle heavier weights and to recover more quickly after training. The body of the serious, elite or professional athlete differs greatly from that of the ordinary person. Those in the trenches know exactly of what I speak. The athlete's body demands so much more--recommended allowances be damned. Even regarding suggested dosages, the bigger and more advanced you become and the harder you train, the more you need. I add creatine and glutamine to my post-training protein shake instead of taking them separately. It seems to me based on my own personal self experimentation that it works better this way. By the way, I know it may be amusing to some of you, but I first started to take glutamine a couple of months ago. I know that it has long been very popular among weightlifters and it is considered almost essential for bodybuilders, but for whatever reason, I had never gotten around to adding it to my program. This is proof that no matter how advanced you are there is always something different to try and always new frontiers to explore. The best advice I can give regarding supplements is to always experiment. Be your own lab rat. As a bodybuilder you know well how easily the human body adapts to training stress. That's why experienced trainers always make sure to regularly change their routine. In my opinion, the same approach should be taken to nutrition programs. Eventually the human organism gets used to a particular combination of amino acids and vitamins and responds less dramatically to these nutrients. Simply taking more in this situation will not necessarily help, and could potentially be harmful. In conclusion, constantly implement change in your supplement regimen--a task made quite easy by the variety of the Universal Nutrition product catalog. Switching things up with your diet will cause your physique explode with new growth. Be strong and healthy.