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2003/08/28, 12:52 PM
I have been taking a whey isolate powder (ISO-Fuse) after a heavy workout (only on w/o days) for quite some time now but lately I have been waking up in the middle of the night with stomach pain that I cannot define as anything I have felt before. So I thought perhaps to switch powders which I did, but the problem is still there. I thought perhaps to switch to Soy but from what I have read on some posts here, it may not be what I am looking for. I am not lactose intolerant so I don't know why this is bugging me now after all this time. I have always been prone to stomach ailments (IBS, ulcers) and I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to a product that would be easier on the system? I do not want to loose the muscles I have worked so hard to gain - and I really find it difficult to obtain the recommended daily amounts of protein by food alone - I need the supplement. Anyone have an answer? help!
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2003/08/28, 01:03 PM
are you sure it is the protein? You state "for quite some time now", and the problem is just starting? Is it possible that there may be another cause? Just asking, seems odd that it took this long to bother you. Anything else new in your diet? The best "troubleshooting" method is to eliminate one thing at a time, and determine what it is that is causing this. If it turns out to be the protien isolate, then the next best thing post workout is a fairly hi GI meal as quickly as possible. Eggwhites are fairly fast absorbing, as is most fish, and with a simple carb like white rice or a baked potato should help.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/08/28, 01:35 PM
I was pretty sure it was the protein BB1fit, because I was only waking on the nights I drank the whey drink. I am wondering if stress has made my system weaker and thus making digestion of the product more difficult, but that just doesn't sound feasible. Although I am by far, no expert in this area. I really want to continue supplementing, but I could sure do without this hassle.
An additional question: Do you think splitting up the amount of the protein supplement (eg. half before working out half after, or something like that would be better for digestion and/or absorption?)
Thanks for your help Ron - always appreciated.
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2003/08/28, 01:47 PM
Recent research has shown that a protein source pre workout(bcaa's), which whey is very high in, can be even more anabolic than the post workout intake. So, in your case especially, this may not be a bad idea, splitting it up before and after. See if it helps.
As far as stress causing your problems. Do not discount it. Not trying to sound like a preacher here, but this is a fact. Try to get a handle on your stress causing environment as soon as possible. Stress prompts the release of a hormonal cascade that is intended to serve as a protection mechanism. The lingering afffects of elevated stress hormones can be linked to many serious health conditions. How you react to stressful situations and events will determine the relative action taken by the body. A higher level of cortisol will be released to wreak havoc based on the severity of your reaction. Best of luck to you, hope this is of some help.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/08/28, 02:22 PM
I don't know how old you are, but sometimes as we get older we develop an intolerance to dairy. I didn't notice a problem until around 40 and it started when I would eat ice cream and progressed from there. I put up with the discomfort for my post workout shake even though I mix it with soy milk, but I do get extreme gas pains and sometimes the dreaded (diarhea) from it. The easiest way to find out is not to drink it for a week and see if there is any difference.
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~Victoria~
...There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.--Beverly Sills
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2003/08/28, 03:06 PM
Thanks for the input Ron - I think I will try the half and half split. Sure hope it works.
Azredhead: Thanks for the input, I did give it up for a week, but continued with dairy products. The pain returned with only upon the return of the protein. it wasn't associated with gas or the other dreaded thing either, thus confusing me.
As to the stress (perhaps I should create a new topic here) Are there any "good/effective" ways to deal with it? I mean, if one cannot rid themselves immediately (or ever) of the factors which cause it, are there any methods that one could suggest that can help lessen the severity? Or make it more bearable? I have found that working out harder has helped somewhat, but only as a band-aid - the problems are still there and will continue to be there. Exhaustion and muscle failure just lets you fall asleep faster. I figure that now I will probably worry about what all this worry will eventually do to me - vicious cycle indeed.
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2003/08/28, 06:27 PM
I'll probably get booed for this, but I'm all for therapy, and meds if needed. Talking to a therapist (a good one) is not only an outlet for you, but they can give you ways to help deal with your particular stressors. I pretty much raised 3 kids on my own, talk about stress. I was always stressed and out of time and pretty much angry at the world. Most of us feel like we should be able to do all the things we want to plus all the things we have to and be able to do it perfectly without asking for help. Don't ask me how we get this way, it just happens. Asking for help and accepting that we can't always do it all is allowed. I wasn't in therapy too long before things started to look better, and I wish someone had put me on this med 20 years ago, my kids would've had a much happier mother. I'm not always walking around with clenched teeth ready to defend myself. Things bother me a lot less and I've learned what things are worth stressing over and what isn't. There are so many things out there that we think we should be able to control, but truly can't. Working out helps, mind relaxation helps, short little get-a-ways help. But having someone to lay it all out there to and not be judged, is a big help. Just having a professional tell me I was normal and could learn how to cope was worth my weight in gold (and that's a lot). So, in closing, am-azon, you are normal! We all are!
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~Victoria~
...There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.--Beverly Sills
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2003/08/28, 09:32 PM
azredhead, you may be right, but some things to consider first....Exercise is the no.1 stress buster. Physiologically exercise counters cortisol with anabolic hormones such as testosterone that will improve your quality of life.. Case in point, a simple 20 min. walk does wonders. So, intense activity is great, but it must be properly balanced with your individual ability to recover to avoid OVERTRAINING. When facing stressful situations you must reduce your overall volume of training to you will find yourself severly overtrained. Any method used to accelerate recovery will be great. Some simple tools are massage, hot tubs, stretching, palates, yoga, other relaxation techniques and supplements. Meditation activities can help. I guess maybe I am saying don't make your fitness program another stressful part of your life. It should be enjoyable. May be time to drop back a bit. Don't stress out over small issues like I didn't have a good workout, etc. Some supps can help, Omega 3 fatty acids and other dietary fat products, Vit. C (2-3 gr. perday), Kava Kava, and Valerian is excellent for relaxation. Hope this helps. Good luck again.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/08/29, 02:03 PM
azredhead, I truly appreciate your insightful advice and I am pleased that medication helped to alleviate your problem, but to tell the truth, I don't think I can or will ever go this "med" route. It is my strong belief that precisely how antidepressants work to treat depression remains very speculative. Scientists know antidepressants can influence brain activity and thus can change the activity of certain nerve cells and influence brain activity, and also, research suggests these work to make one feel better, but again, it is speculative. I need hard facts with no speculation. And, antidepressants don't cure depression, they can only help one achieve remission. So thus another band-aid to cover a problem that still exists (in my humble opinion). Sorry for running on at the mouth. I do agree on the point that therapy can be beneficial, but (stubborn, proud) me has never been very comfortable discussing my problems with a stranger. But I will take it into consideration if I feel it necessary in the future. thanks again :)
bb1fit: Thanks yet again for the advice, I do not think I am at the point of over training, but I will keep a closer eye on myself - especially when these negative outside sources affect me. I do stick religiously to the advanced program (with glutes and abs add-ons) the FT program designed for me here and don't do a lot of other additional exercises after I complete it. I also look forward to each and every workout and it is definitely not another source of stress (although I admit to feeling a bit peaved at myself when I skip my abs/chest/whatever). I do have another question(s) though (sorry, they just keep coming)Is the program I just described too much during stressful periods? and (another) Should one reduce the amount of weight used per exercise during these times of stress in order to avoid over training? I totally enjoy/look forward to progressively bumping up my weights as a challenge to myself and would find it disappointing if I was having to "settle" with slower gains.
I do think I will try the massage therapy to accelerate recovery - this one sounds beneficial and almost decadent! I am assuming I can get valerian or kava kava at the local health food store?
Thank you both yet again :) It helps just to know you guys are out here trying to help me (not a real eloquent statement, but true :)
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2003/08/29, 09:36 PM
You will have to be the judge if the current program you are on is too much during stressful times. One thing to be aware of, stress in itself, whether just from lack of sleep or other things, produces cortisol, which puts you in a catabolic state. So training on top of this can really intensify this, because training hard in itself is catabolic. A good recovery method is needed, this is where a simple carb like dextrose/malto and protein supplement can immediately stop that cortisol. Insulin is cortisol's enemy, so insulin is needed here quickly for recovery. Then sip some of your mixture for the next 45 min. or so to level insulin and blood sugars out for the day.
Valerian root and Kava Kava can both be found in health food stores. They sell a valerian tea, it is kind of nasty, but very good for relaxation. The capsules work well too. I used to do a cup of valerian root tea before bed every evening. Reknowned as a relaxing herb.
Good luck to you, keep your head up, and fight that stress. Be strong, keep up the good training, and try the recovery method I spoke of. You need to shut off the cortisol as quickly as possible.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/09/04, 10:26 AM
Thanks again and again Ron. I realize that since I returned the gym just a little over a year ago, I haven't paid very close attention to my post training requirements. I fully intend to now.
I did a search and found a website you had suggested to another person: re: the protein factory. Regretably I was not able to access this site, but really liked the idea of specifically designed supplement mixes based on individual needs. Are there any other sites like this?
I was thinking that maybe post workout I should eat 1/2(?) cup grapes (insulin) before sipping my protein shake. But where do I find dextrose/malto? Is enough of this ingested through natural food sources or is a supplement more feasible? I was also wondering if I should be taking glutamine on a regular basis also...?
Wow. Seems like the questions keep coming. Perhaps if anyone knows of a good book that covers the aforementioned material in greater depth they could make a suggestion?
Thanks again :)
Lana
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2003/09/04, 10:45 AM
Use www.proteincustomizer.com. Even better! And great prices! PF had a very bad thing happen with quality not being up to what they said, and have not handled it well. PC is great, I ordered from them yesterday.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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