Posts by slydriver52

Ronald Cox96 said:Wait... $360? Last time I checked, you could grab 5 pounds for $570. That doesn't add up. ☕

Don't be naive enough to buy your supplements locally. You’re just paying massive markups for the privilege.

Ronald Cox96 said:Is that Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard actually worth the money?

How much cash are we talking about? If you're looking at roughly $40, then yeah, it's worth it.
The flavors are elite, it mixes perfectly, and you're getting BCAA and glutamine in the mix too.

Thomas Cook54 said:Look, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but MuscleTech products are absolute garbage. I’m basing this on my own experience and the countless horror stories I see online. I know plenty of people who dealt with issues after using their creatine. Personally, I once bought their whey out of pure ignorance; the taste was revolting, and I eventually realized the quality was just as pathetic. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they're the cheapest option on the shelf. Also, your question is a bit vague—😕what exactly are you trying to mix?

What's your take on MVP?

Ronald Miller57 said:I wasn't bringing up the gym just for the sake of it.
I’ve been hitting the fitness center since I was 16, and now I’m well over double that age.
Back in my college days, I actually worked as a strength and conditioning coach.
So, when it comes to targeted muscle group training, I have a fair amount of experience under my belt. . . .
These days, I’m just doing enough to maintain the physique I’ve built up over the years.

To be blunt, it strikes me as odd that you can't manage even thirty minutes of continuous swimming if you're consistently hitting the gym and getting in the pool three or four times a month.
I used to swim for about an hour at a steady pace, though I'm more of a weightlifter than a competitive swimmer. It sounds like your technique is likely the issue here.
What kind of routine are you running, and how many days a week are you hitting the weights?

Ronald Miller57 said:After listening to endless bits of advice and hearing various perspectives from everyone from casual weekend warriors to serious athletes, I’ve decided to bring my eternal dilemma—or rather, my trilemma—to this forum;

For over a decade now, I've been a recreational runner, a cyclist, and I hit the pool about three or four times a month.

During running season, I go out several times a week for sessions ranging from 6-5.0 miles, sometimes hitting 10, 13, or even more, depending on how I'm feeling. In the winter, I stick to once a week, provided the temperature doesn't drop too far below freezing.

I cycle year-round, whether it's just running errands and racking up about 12 miles or going on long recreational rides for 6, 8, or more hours where I cover 100-93 miles miles in a day.

And then there's the swimming... that's where the wall is. Assuming my cardio is actually sufficient, I struggle to clear two to two and a half lengths of an Olympic-sized pool before I'm forced to stop and catch my breath. I consider myself a decent swimmer, but clearly, my breathing technique is shot. It leads me to a logical question: am I actually incapable of breathing while swimming, or do I simply not know how to swim at all? What the hell is going on?

The issue is obvious if you spend all your time running and cycling without ever stepping into a gym to work on upper body strength—specifically the shoulders and back. I'm talking about someone who swims a few times a month or is just starting out.
That’s only half the battle; the other half is poor technique and improper breathing.
Hit the weights for your shoulders, back, and other upper body groups using sets of 20-30 repetitions to build a foundation for swimming. Why 20-30 reps?
Because that builds muscular endurance, which is the absolute requirement for long-distance swimming.

briskjackal5 said:You aren't a real player.
You're out here eating oatmeal instead of drinking high-quality whey straight from the USA.
When you actually reach the level where you're swapping milk for protein powder, then you'll be qualified to join this conversation.

-Steve

Ha! That was good!🙂

Jonathan James7 said:What kind of chemical junk is even in corn products?
My point is that most of this powder consists of long-chain polymers. That’s a far cry from the cheap maltodextrin you find at a local grocery store. That stuff is processed so heavily it can barely be classified as a complex carbohydrate; the molecular bonds are so broken that digestion practically starts in your mouth. By the time it actually hits your stomach, those chains have already completely disintegrated.

Isn't that just Waxy maize?
It's fine to use, but you need to know where to draw the line. You have to view supplements as exactly that—supplements. They aren't meant to be a total replacement for actual, real food.

Jonathan James7 said:What’s even the point of adding maltodextrin to whey?

I could go on about this, but I can't be bothered. Even though maltodextrin is a polysaccharide, it has a high GI, so maybe that's why they toss it into whey—but I'm no expert, so I can't say for certain. Honestly, companies throw just about anything into these powders; you end up with a product that's barely 60-70% actual whey, with the rest being nothing but fillers.

Jonathan James7 said:Give me a break. You eat 100 grams of oats and end up producing five cubic meters of crap.😁
You try loading up on water or chewing them thoroughly, or even eating them dry only to chug water later, and you still end up right back where you started.
Plus, it’s a guarantee you’ll be bloated and poisoning your system with all those fermentation byproducts.
You can take all the enzymes you want, but it won't help.
Basically, it's garbage food. I have zero intention of shitting like a horse every single day just to get 100 grams of carbs.

Look, that's your call, your choice. It doesn't mean oats are objectively bad; it just means they don't work for you personally. For me, they are an excellent source of carbs and fiber, plus they pack a B-complex.

briskjackal5 said:I’m also not buying what slydriver52 is selling regarding using maltodextrin as a sweetener.

-Steve

I never stated that maltodextrin was being used as a sweetener. ☕

Jonathan James7 said:Look, this whole "no pain, no gain" thing is pure garbage...
I have zero interest in correcting a pile of nonsense like this...

Kid, your communication skills are stuck at an elementary school level.
If you don't have actual arguments, then shut up and stop posting.

Alex Barnes8 said:I initially thought about posting this in the Health section, but it seems like the enthusiasts here are more likely to actually read up on things, study the science, and provide meaningful answers to specific questions.
To be clear, I’m not talking about structural ugliness; I mean that exhausted, haggard look that comes from a lifestyle of stress and poor habits.
The usual suspects: heavy dark circles under the eyes, pale or grayish skin (plus various other dermatological issues), dull hair and eyes, cellulite, and looking much older and more depleted than I actually am.
I want someone to explain the actual mechanics of what happens inside the body when we live like this. For instance, how does a bad diet lead to those massive under-eye bags? What is the physiological impact on the liver, kidneys, and so on? Where do hormones fit into this equation? And what exactly is the biological payoff of regular exercise in reversing this?
The reality is that I’ve had an incredibly stressful year (and honestly, the one before wasn't much better🙄), and I simply didn't have the time, the willpower, or the mental bandwidth to prioritize nutrition or exercise. My diet consisted of way too many sweets and processed carbs, I lived on coffee and Coke, I constantly skipped my greens, almost completely ignored fruit, barely moved, and eventually, insomnia finished me off. The result is everything I just listed, plus a crushing sense of exhaustion and total depletion of energy.
That last part is what’s killing me most. How do I stop feeling—and frankly, looking—so completely "wasted"?
I need advice. What is the fastest way to "reset" and get moving again? If you were in my shoes, where would you start? Which specific foods should be the first thing hitting my plate? 😁
I’ve noticed on other threads that there are people here who actually understand biology and physiology, so go ahead—break it down for me. 😉

Take this question to your primary care physician.
Cortisol is the main culprit here. It spikes when the body is under constant stress.

Jonathan James7 said:Well, it’s clearly stated in the ad.

There are different varieties out there: concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate.
You have options that are neutral and those loaded with sweeteners.
Why on earth would anyone add maltodextrin as a sweetener to whey? It doesn't even taste sweet; this isn't a mass gainer.
Show me this "whey" you're talking about that uses maltodextrin as a sweetener. I'd love to see it.🤣
That’s what some old-school bodybuilder told me.😁 And honestly, some people claim milk is pure garbage that just makes you fat. Beyond that, it's notoriously hard for adults to digest. Basically, it’s not the whey causing the bloating—it's the damn milk.
If you want to be happy, just drink hydrolysate with water and cut out the milk entirely.
The reason is simple: it absorbs much faster when mixed with water.

I even cut oats out of my diet because they're total trash—they leave you bloated, gassy, and constantly running to the bathroom.
But there is a perfect substitute for that. I just ordered a unique product from the US that's unlike anything else on the market; only one company in the States even produces it. It’s a complex carbohydrate.
We're talking long-chain polysaccharides that digest over a two-hour window to provide sustained energy. This isn't like that "cheap" maltodextrin that hits your system the second you swallow it; these are specialized long-chain polymers.

I take this twice a day, and I don't even need to touch oats. I don't have to deal with the bathroom situation every single day just to waste 100 grams of useless complex carbs.

For instance, Gaspari Nutrition Intra Pro
MuscleTech Nitro-Tech
And so on...
But it's never used as a sweetener, and I never claimed maltodextrin was being used as one!
Even at Twinlab, they actually use fructose.

Kevin Bishop5 said:So, what's next? Are you going to claim that hitting the restroom every single day is somehow toxic? As far as I'm concerned, regular digestion is a sign of health, not a disease. Personally, I eat oats and it doesn't affect me at all. Maybe you just have some kind of oat allergy or intolerance.

It’s not an allergy or an intolerance; it’s a garbage diet. The guy clearly polished off half a pound of oats and now he’s acting shocked that he’s bloated and glued to the toilet.
I’ve gone even harder on the oats myself, but only because it’s the easiest thing to whip up when my nutrition is slipping. At least I don't complain about the gas or the frequent bathroom trips, because I actually know exactly why it's happening.

wiredpilot30 said:Don't you dare touch my milk.🙂

Over the next five years, The Crew in gyms everywhere is going to be obsessing over milk and mixing it with whey and casein blends—something that was considered heresy until very recently.😬

People love to peddle these myths about whey, acting like it’s some magical substance and the only thing that actually "builds muscle," all without using a single brain cell to actually research or learn anything new. That’s why we’re stuck with a sea of clones who are completely lost; they just grab whey whenever they want to lose weight, get stronger, go for a run, or head to bed... they have no clue what they're doing anymore.
The most ridiculous trend is the "slow-release whey" hack using milk. You see people constantly mixing milk with their whey before bed, thinking they've somehow engineered a slow-digesting substitute for casein.🤦

I am living for the day when people finally realize that whey isn't a magic pill for size and that milk isn't the enemy. It used to be albumin, now it's whey... hopefully, in the future, it'll just be common sense and the realization that you simply need to consume various proteins throughout the day, without all the nonsense and mandatory glucose-heavy junk from Walmart.🤦

👍

Some people will never get it.

Jonathan James7 said:Well, it’s right there in the ad.

There are different varieties out there: concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate.
You can get it plain or sweetened. That’s the choice.
Why bother adding maltodextrin as a sweetener in whey? It doesn't even provide much flavor, and at that point, you might as well just be drinking a gainer.
Where’s that whey you were talking about? The one using maltodextrin as a sweetener? Show me the label. 🤣

That’s exactly what my old bodybuilding mentor told me.😁 Some people claim milk is pure garbage that’ll just leave you feeling greasy. They argue it's nearly impossible for adults to digest properly. Essentially, they're saying the bloating isn't caused by your whey—it's caused by shitty milk.
Stick to hydrolyzed protein and water if you actually want results. Ditch the milk entirely.
That's exactly why—it absorbs much faster when you mix it with water.

I’ve completely cut oats from my diet. They're absolute garbage—all they do is cause bloating and leave you feeling like a walking biohazard. Not worth the digestive mess.
There is an excellent alternative for that. I just placed an order from the US for a product that is truly one-of-a-kind; it’s the only one of its kind on the market, manufactured by a single specialized firm right here in America. It features a complex UH formula.
We’re talking about long-chain polysaccharides here. These things digest over a solid two-hour window, providing a steady, sustained stream of energy. This isn't that cheap maltodextrin garbage that spikes your system and leaves you crashing the second it hits your stomach; we're dealing with specialized, long-chain polymers designed for endurance.

Take this twice a day and you can skip those damn oats entirely. Why bother eating through 100 grams of complex carbs just to spend half your morning sitting on the toilet processing useless filler?

Cutting oats out of your diet just to make room for some supplements from the USA is incredibly shortsighted. And calling oats "trash"? Please. That’s just plain ignorant.
Have you considered that the oats might be the reason you're hitting the restroom so often? They’re packed with fiber.
You’re probably one of those people who fails to grasp that supplements are just that—supplements. For your information, consuming maltodextrin over a sustained period provides actual energy. It’s a polysaccharide with low osmolality, which stands in stark contrast to something like the highly processed glucose used around here—a monosaccharide with high osmolality.
Because of its low osmolarity, it absorbs faster and gets stored directly in the muscles as glycogen.

Jonathan James7 said:Well, it’s right there in the ad.

There are different varieties: concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate.
You've got neutral versions—plain—and ones with sweeteners.
Why on earth would anyone add maltodextrin as a sweetener to whey if it doesn't actually provide sweetness? That's what gainers are for.
Show me this specific whey that uses maltodextrin as a sweetener. I'd love to see it. 🤣
That's what some old-school bodybuilder told me.😁 And some people claim milk is total garbage that just makes you fat. Besides, it's notoriously hard for adults to digest. Basically, it's not the whey bloating you; it's the crappy milk.
If you want to be happy, just drink hydrolysate with water and cut out the milk entirely.
The reason is simple: it absorbs much faster when mixed with water.

I even cut oats out of my diet because they're absolute trash—they leave you bloated, gassy, and constantly running to the bathroom.
There is a perfect substitute for that, though. I just ordered a unique product from the US that is unlike anything else on the market; only one company in the States produces it. It's complex carbohydrates.
We're talking long-chain polysaccharides that digest over the course of two hours, providing steady energy. This isn't like that "cheap" maltodextrin that hits your system the second you swallow it; these are specialized long-chain polymers.

I take that twice a day, and I don't even have to touch those oats or deal with the constant need to rush to the restroom just to flush out 100 grams of useless complex carbs.

Where did I ever state that maltodextrin is used as a sweetener?🤦

Jonathan James7 said:What flavor are we even talking about? It’s neutral. And you're bringing up black dextrose and sucrose? Most whey products rely on sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame-K, or sucralose. That stuff isn't exactly ideal.
You don't get bloated from whey. Not unless you're buying absolute garbage from Scietec.
If you're dealing with bloating, try this: take two scoops of pure MVP ISO Muscle 100 Hydrolyzed with water, drink it, and let me know if you still feel bloated. You won't. That's because these are pure whey peptides. But high quality comes with a price tag.
Also, whey is typically mixed with water, not milk.

Where exactly does it say that this whey is neutral?😕
There are all sorts of different whey proteins out there. Some brands toss in dextrose or maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that doesn't actually taste sweet).
And please, explain why whey is "typically" mixed with water instead of milk?
Everything you wrote regarding those sweeteners stands.

William Roberts56 said:I'm going with the isolate. Thanks for the tip on where to pick it up. 👍

Once you've tried it, please report back here with your thoughts, but keep it objective—no blatant advertising. Pay close attention to the powder consistency, how well it dissolves in milk, and the flavor profile (if it’s cloyingly sweet, it likely has an excessive amount of sucrose or dextrose, which is a red flag). Most importantly, watch out for any bloating after you drink it.

Jonathan James7 said:The moment you start looking for "cheap," your options basically vanish.

You could grab some concentrate from MyProtein on their site.
A 5 kg bag $167is probably the most cost-effective protein option out there, and the quality holds up fine enough.
That is, if the guy isn't too busy placing an order for a friend in Canada and having it shipped over to the US. Myprotein.com won't ship to the US. Those foolish Brits can thrive without our business for all I care.

If you're going to advertise this blatantly, do it through a private message instead of posting it here. Admin, please delete this thread.