What muscle building supplements / drinks ?

I may be new to Tri's but I have lifted weights for almost 20 years and have tried almost all of the supplements out there.  Creatine is supposed to help improve recovery time and have some gains in how much one can lift.  Be carefull with this product, it can cause some cramping at first.  Drink plenty of fluids.  Honestly I didn't see to many gains.  Protein is a must for gaining muscle.  The usual rule for mass gain is to take in roughly 1.5 to 2 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.  Whey is a great all around protein.  I like pro performance of GNC brand.  The chocolate and cookies and cream are about as good as I have had.  I recommend staying away from anything like Banana split.  Now days they have supplements for everything.  Honestly I feel a good protein rich diet with a good multi-vitamin and protein shakes are your best bet.  Pick up a copy of any Muscle and Fitness.  They have good beginner workouts and plenty of diet and recipes in them.  Hope this helps.  It's only my opinion.

Okay, so let's just start off at the base: amino acids are what make up protein.

I have not used creatin, but I believe it adds water to cells in the muscle, and is much better for explosiveness/plyometrics/weightlifting/wrestling. As I said before, I haven't used it but have heard that once you stop using it, you loose all the gains. As for its legality in competing, absolutely. It is a natural substance, and is found in many different foods.

Whey protein is a form of protein that is easily broken down by your body and can be absorbed very quickly. It's great for a post-workout recovery drink for that reason.

Soy protein is just the protein found in soy, concentrated.

I use a protien shake after my workout that contains whey and casein protiens, to build lean muscle. Quite honestly, I don't know how well it works b/c I have not had my BMI taken. I feel less sore the next day, but that could be a placebo affect.

EDIT: I use the Met-RX Protein Plus... b/c I found it at Trader Joe's, and it wasn't too expensive. And I don't need super high quality protein. Oh, and it tastes pretty good as a smoothie with the chocolate powder + a banana. And some carbs and extra vitamins and minerals from the banana make it a great recovery drink.

Edited by Kickback 2009-08-18 3:13 PM

I'm new to tri's but i've also been on the crossfit/mma scene for quite awhile and if you want a specific brand or product here is what I use and have excellent results.

1. Pre workout - MRI Black Powder
2. Intra and Post workout - MRI W.A.R.
3. GNC aminos (both the 1800 and the 1000) every morning
4. On really rough workout days i will supp creatine with the GNC Amplified creatine 189 about an hour before my workout.

sounds like a lot but its really simple, the pre workout stuff increases your body's ability to do what it does naturally by a significant percentage, and the rest is just added fuel for the additional capacity. thats about as simple as i can make it!

I workout with a trainer who has done a bunch of body building competitions.  We use Ultimate Muscle Protein by Beverly International.  Different types of proteins in it that are released at different times.