Cycling supplements

[Joe Hart]

Again more stuff from the Soviet Training book. They recommend cycling supplements, because to you take them all the time your body will adapt to them and you won't get good use of them. So what do you all think? Also is there any benefit to adaptogens (ginseng stuff like that)

[Greg Everett]

Depends on the supplement; cycling a multivitamin would be like cycling vegetables. But cycling creatine and the like is smart. I've been cycling caffeine too.

[Jaime Steele]

Gregg how do you cycle your caffeine? I've just started having some before each workout and do notice a big difference, especially after a hard day at work.

[joe waguespack]

I've heard that if you take oral supplements with grapefruit juice that it enhances and prolongs the effects. Has anyone heard of this? Would this reduce the need to cycle off , by extending the effectiveness of the supp.?

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Jaime Steele

Gregg how do you cycle your caffeine? I've just started having some before each workout and do notice a big difference, especially after a hard day at work.

your body will build up a tolerance...and then you will need more and more....not a good thing. Use it only on your workout days you need it (esp for those that want to do fasted cardio/metcons...it will boost fat burning). Take weekends off or just lessen the amount you have.

[Ari Kestler]

Originally Posted by joe waguespack

I've heard that if you take oral supplements with grapefruit juice that it enhances and prolongs the effects. Has anyone heard of this? Would this reduce the need to cycle off , by extending the effectiveness of the supp.?

What you are referring to is the fact that compounds in grapefruit juice inhibit one subclass of the cytochrome p450 enzyme in your liver. This system is primarily responsible for drug metabolism. Inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down drugs leads to increased bioavailability of said drug and theoretically increased effects...on the flip side you would have something like St. John's wart, which is an inducer of the enzyme system, so it speeds up metabolism...I've heard of some troubling reports about women on birth control who also take st. john's wart....hello baby.

So what you've heard is great in theory and possible, but I'm skeptical of it actually working by chasing your supplements with grapefruit juice.

[Jaime Steele]

Thanks for the advice Mike. I'll be careful with it then!

[Greg Everett]

Jaime -

To add to what Mike said, I do it basically randomly except in cases of upcoming competition. So if I have a meet coming up, I want to go the week prior with little to no caffeine to help reduce any adrenal fatigue I've accumulated. Then the day of, I can use it and get a better response with less, plus I'll be more recovered. The rest of the time, I just kind of wing it and will take a week off here and there when I feel like I need it.

[Garrett Smith]

In these times of economic challenges, I've been throwing around the recommendation of taking supplements every other day. Cuts the cost in half while still taking them on a "regular" basis and induces some kind of intermittency in their dosing.

[Derek Simonds]

And here I thought this thread was for us two wheeled aficionados. Hmm. I always thought that the Soviets cycled something a little harder than caffeine.