Energy supplement question

[beer]

Is there any product available that can boost your energy that does not use caffeine and is safe to be followed by strenuous aroebic workouts, i.e., does not increase your heart rate?

 

[vi edit]

Gingseng and Valerian root

 

There was this mix drink we used for lacrosse.
It was called "Ultimate Orange".
You can get it at GNC or any other health store.
It was banned in the NCAA.
Gets ya pumped.
But dont drink it fast, just sip

 

[vi edit]

Steer far clear of anything containing ephedrine.

BTW - why do you need something to boost your energy? If you exercise and are still feeling "down", you should first look at your diet and sleeping habits to see if there is something unhealthy with either or both of them.

 

[Azraele]

I thought Valerian was good to make you relax.

As for energy boosters, stick to a healthy diet and a good night's sleep with adequate exercise. If you're still feeling low on energy, see a doc, it could be something more serious.

 

[vi edit]

Well, you're supposed to take valerian root before bed and it's supposed to help you get a good nights sleep which will in turn provide you with more energy

 

[Azraele]

Ohhh thanks for the clarification!

 

[madthumbs]

Gatorade (sugar)
or fruit juice (fructose) -better for aerobic

 

[vi edit]

Other things are too look at what you eat/drink before working out. It's best to wait at least 4 hours after eating before you work out. Also, if I have heavy, protein rich foods, I tend to feel more sluggish when I work out.

Also don't drink anything carbonated...at all. Carbonated drinks, especially pop will just kill your workout. Drink juices or water throughout the day.

 

[bigshooter]

Thermbuterol. It made me bounce off the walls for almost a week until i got used to it. AND NO EPHEDRINE!!
they have it at GNC. Haven't taken it for a few months, but I have noticed lots of advertisements for it all of a sudden.

 

[dcdomain]

I'd stay clear from Ultimate Orange... a couple of wrestler's deaths have been linked to it. One of the guys on my team used to use it... crazy man...

 

[beer]

...and they get your heart rate up and if you take it before strenuous activity, such as a sport, you can have a heart attack...

 

[vi edit]

Ephedrine has been associated with SEVERAL deaths.

 

[RossMAN]

What do you guys know about sleep aides? Most of them are to potent for me they knock me out and make it difficult for me to wake up and leave me groggy during the next morning. All I need is someting to help kick start and get me into sleep mode. I visited my local GNC and the super ultra healthy slender girl with perky, err smile suggested that I try melatonin?

What do you guys know about melatonin as a sleep aide? She said to take one pill a night and it helps the body get into it's natural cycle of sleeping or whatever. If I go there the 2nd Tuesday of the month I can get it for 20% off, so I can get a whole years supply of melatonin for like $24

 

[vi edit]

RossMAN, melatonin is a hormone that your brain secretes to make you sleepy. If you have funky work shifts, or just lowsy sleeping hours, a 5mg pill of melatonin will help make you groggy so you want to fall asleep, and then will help you sleep more soundly once you do.

I worked 3rd shifts every other day for 2 years and had some whack sleeping patterns. I used melatonin to get me used to sleeping during the day and eventually weened myself off of it.

From my experience, there are no side affects short of some dependency on it if you take it heavily and for a long time. I didn't wake up groggly like you normally do from Nyquil or other sleeping medications.

There is no harm in trying it. It's relatively cheap, around $10 for 2 months worth of pills, and there are no side effects. I just suggest that you do not use it every day and try not to use it for an extended amount of time. People are creatures of habit and if you use it every day, day in and day out, you will eventually find yourself unable to sleep without taking it.

 

[Mister T]

aRyll,

I could not have said it better myself. ECA stack is by far the most effective.

Just 1 more thing to add: If you have a pre-existing heart condition, I would avoid it. Ephedrine if not used in excess and resonably, is not dangerous. Sudafed, which contains psuedo-ephedrine works very similarly.

 

[Mister T]

Elemental007,

Try Yohimbe...

One warning, it tends to increase the number of erections you get during the day - no joke.

 

[Moz]

The only thing I take is Creatine ATP by Weider (which you can pick up off the shelf in your local supermarket). Really helps in post workout recovery.

 

[RossMAN]

vi_edit - Thanks for the helpful informative post. Yeah I know about the dependency thing all to well, for a while I was addicted (for lack of a better word) to NyQuil gelcaps but after a few weeks weened myself off of it. Hopefully when I quit my night time part time job I'll be able to adapt a more natural sleeping pattern but I figured that small doses of melatonin would be less harmful if taken more often than sleeping pills.

oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

[steelnewfie]

I agree, ephedrine + caffeine is definitely the best for energy and weight loss... It does raise your heart rate and blood pressure so if you have any existing cardiac problems, do not take it... Otherwise, healthy individuals looking for a boost, follow recommended dosage, start at half dosage, cycle for 2-3 months, then off a month...Works great...

 

[Philip52]

If you're making the ECA stack yourself (i.e. buying Ephedrine and Caffeine separately), you may also want to throw in some aspirin (hence, ECA). Purpose of the aspirin is to thin out the blood. A children's tablet (~80 mg aspirin) with ~20 mg ephedrine and ~200 mg caffeine should be a good stack. Of course, the aspirin is not necessary, as some people say it irritates their stomach.

 

[billandopus]

Last time I checked Ultimate Orange was an Ephedra-based drink possibly mixed in with Caffeine. Been a long time since I saw that stuff. "Gym Tang" was what we called it. It was a Dan Duchaine product who has since passed away - the pre-eminent drug guru of the bodybuilding world for some time ... although this UO product was perfectly legal and worked well too.

Oh, and BTW, vi-edit did you know that many more people die from Aspirin abuse/pretty-much-anything-else-you-can-put-in-this-space than a couple of over-sensationalized cases of extreme Ephedra-abuse?

Let's not contribute to scare-mongering tactics please ... especially when it's not warranted.

 

[syzygy]

there aren't any shortcuts; no one all-powerful energy supplement to boost
a lard butt through the day. the more work you put in, the better the results.
in fact constant work is the only way to reach and sustain good results.

 

[CliffC]

I've seen this Oxydrene at GNC and after speaking with the guy there and going to the site I'd say it'll give you a boost. Worth looking into though.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Try some sublingual B-12