Look, I'm not a chemist but my understanding is that basically your body doesn't know the difference. Where does protein come from anyway? Milk, egg whites and meat, right? So basically that is what you're getting, only at outrageous prices. There is also a lot of dispute over how much you need anyway. Medical research has shown that more than a base amount just gets pissed out anyway, but the supplement industry argues that these studies were on average people, not body builders who were subjecting their muscles to high intensity training.
4 hours a day is a waste of time. If you work out more than 3 or 4 times a week (and more than a couple of hours each day), your body gets used to it and the muscles stop hurting/growing. I personally work out 3 times a week about 1.5 hours each time. Used to do it for 2 hours, but it's hard to make that time nowadays.
Exactly. Never took anything and bench 405 (weigh only 173). Seriously. Oh, yeah, I did take aminoacids when I was a kid .
i started getting a lot of muscle cramps from creatine in weird places, such as a muscle on the top of my hand, a muscle near the shin (not the normal calf muscle) etc, etc. just make sure you drink lots of water with it. beyond what people say, it works, but not to the degree people think, and it is not bad for you, as it's found naturally in meats and such. of course, too much of anything isn't good for you, so use the normal recommended dosing. that said, you'll get better results by going on a good high protein low fat/carb diet, then maybe throw in a couple teaspoons of creatine a day. as far as lifting goes, i'm on my second bout of tendinitis in my elbows from lifting and am quite frustrated. now i'm thinking the initial diagnosis a couple years ago was misdiagnosed and it might be structural. took a month off and just got back in there. if the persistent discomfort comes back again, i might have to look into getting an MRI or something. kinda sux.
As Tony Siragousa (sp?), retired all-pro Ravens Lineman, used to say, "A lot of guys look like Tarzan but play like Jane!"