Synthagen non-responder?

[WinskiG]

Hey BPA,

Let me preface this by saying that virtually nothing I've used over the years have imparted any appreciable ergogenic or general wellness benefits. I get the tingles from beta alanine and some 'dirty' stimulation from caffeine but I personally swear by precisely 0 products because I'm not convinced anything 'works' for me.

To get to the point at hand I'm afraid synthagen hasn't seemed to help me like it has so many other people. My work capacity, pumps, body comp and recovery have not improved after 1 and a half bottles taken at full dose. I'm also taking KA and TQ.
In all fairness I'm not currently running the BluePrint but I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar issues or like creatine there are those that just don't respond for whatever reason. Maybe I'm doing something wrong or some part of my physiology is compromised?

Sorry to dump all this on the boards but this has been a big investment and I feel like the only guy that isn't getting anything from it

[thicketman]

How are you dosing it? Also, what is your diet like?

In my opinion, Synthagen shines when pushing the limit. I have a tendency to experiment and sometimes push myself past that limit, but I like to have a feel for where my boundaries are.

For instance, my goal is fat loss. I'm NOT a bodybuilder not do I ever intend to be. I'm a 36 y/o husband and dad. My goal is to get/stay lean and strong. However, I like to eat and I like to enjoy a weekend pizza and beverage of choice when I want to. So, I fast 3 days/wk to offset the additional calories consumed on the weekend. I just recently realized that this really needs to be done Blueprint style to avoid the pitfalls of overtraining...

If you're running the Blueprint for training, you can see what I did the summer before last (as far as dosing) along with my experience in this thread:

https://bodybuildingsupplements.com/phpB ... c&start=34

At the moment I'm doing something entirely different and I'm about to change it up again. The most notable thing for me at the moment is that I get a subtle sense of nourishment. I'm currently using 4 caps/day before meals. Next week or the week after I will go back to fasting 3 days/wk and will likely dose 3-4 caps pre-bed (I remember this being pleasant). I don't recall ever experiencing any profound ergogenic effects. In my experience, I just feel better which is significant considering the stress I put my body through by "extreme" fasting.

[WinskiG]

Hey, thanks for the thoughtful reply, thicketman. I've consistently been dosing MPS at max dose—5pre, mid, and post workout and 3 pills before breakfast, lunch and dinner on off days. Taking in conjunction with TQ and KA for what its worth.

I calculated my maintenance calories about a month ago and the dietary breakdown was about 3400 calories, ~145g fat, ~260g carbs, ~240g protein. Since then I've tried at up the carbs and ease back slightly on the fat.
This mostly consists of "paleo approved" foods but I eat dairy and occasionally the typical processed foods if I'm with friends.
I've gone very strict paleo for most of a year before this fall and it really didn't wow me.

Work capacity has always been an issue. As well as just feeling well energized. I usually feel better in the late evening than during the morning/afternoon. I usually sleep for about 8-9 hours a night but the quality isn't super.

I'm sure there are some compounding factors at play here that are keeping me from enjoying the benefits of MPS like so many others have but I can't put a finger on it

How are you dosing it? Also, what is your diet like?

In my opinion, Synthagen shines when pushing the limit. I have a tendency to experiment and sometimes push myself past that limit, but I like to have a feel for where my boundaries are.

For instance, my goal is fat loss. I'm NOT a bodybuilder not do I ever intend to be. I'm a 36 y/o husband and dad. My goal is to get/stay lean and strong. However, I like to eat and I like to enjoy a weekend pizza and beverage of choice when I want to. So, I fast 3 days/wk to offset the additional calories consumed on the weekend. I just recently realized that this really needs to be done Blueprint style to avoid the pitfalls of overtraining...

If you're running the Blueprint for training, you can see what I did the summer before last (as far as dosing) along with my experience in this thread:

https://bodybuildingsupplements.com/phpB ... c&start=34

At the moment I'm doing something entirely different and I'm about to change it up again. The most notable thing for me at the moment is that I get a subtle sense of nourishment. I'm currently using 4 caps/day before meals. Next week or the week after I will go back to fasting 3 days/wk and will likely dose 3-4 caps pre-bed (I remember this being pleasant). I don't recall ever experiencing any profound ergogenic effects. In my experience, I just feel better which is significant considering the stress I put my body through by "extreme" fasting.

[thicketman]

It sounds like you might have underlying adrenal issues. Have you had any testing performed to check that?

I've considered getting tested myself. By nature, I'm not a very energetic person either and have experienced some rough bouts of overtraining/stress/fatigue.

Around four months I was under tremendous stress at work, I wasn't sleeping well, and as I stated earlier I was really pushing my diet. After I crashed one Saturday evening around 7pm when my wife wanted to spend some time with me, I realized something had to change. My adrenals were shot.

I began to read accounts on different web sites about caffeine-free lifestyles and was intrigued. So, I quit consuming caffeine. Instantly my sleep was better. Also, my anxiety levels dropped significantly. Caffeine withdrawal is no fun (I was drinking 3 cups of coffee a day). The first month was brutal. The second month was better and it has subtly progressed even more since then. I bring this up because many people are not getting the rest they need and they mask their fatigue with sugar and caffeine which further deepens the fatigue cycle...it becomes a downward spiral.

Another thing I've used in the past is candle staring. Rob Regish gets the credit for bringing this to my attention. Candle staring is a form of meditation that quiets the mind. If you frequently have racing thoughts, this could help you greatly. Multitasking is a lie. Those that appear to be good at it are focusing on one item at a time and have the ability to rapidly switch back and forth between tasks with full concentration. Candle staring helps silence the mind so that multiple tasks are not overwhelming. It teaches your mind to quickly dissect what needs to be done into simple achievable straight-forward tasks. Because of this relaxed focused state, anxiety and worry flee. I just started candle staring again yesterday.

One last thing, I started a nightly supplement regimen of melatonin, zinc, and magnesium which has further helped my sleep.

The details are here:
https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2011/01 ... c-for.html

I'm not sure if any of this will help you, but I can't see how implementing any of these things would hurt.

[WinskiG]

Hey, thanks so much, man. All good info for sure. I've never heard of candle staring but I can imagine how that would be very relaxing and therapeutic. I know that I get a very calming experience when I chill by a fire in the winter months.

I've been working with a naturopath for a while now and I haven't really seen any improvements in my issues but it's been nice to systematically explore some areas in a less shot-gunny approach than I usually do and get some lab work done too.

I had some mildly elevated cortisol values as of this summer but nothing alarming (my testosterone was actually very high). I worked on my gut health for a while and it's nice to confirm that I don't have small intestinal bacterial overgrown at least but my stomach acid is very low so I'm working on that and am also currently looking into some diabetes-esque screening to see how my HgA1c, blood sugar/insulin and B12 and vit D status are doing which might be relevant to my low energy.

My sleep is a lot better than it's been in the past, particularly college a few years back and I do indeed take the ZMM stack as per suppversity and try to go to bed consistently early but I still often have trouble falling asleep and without fail will get up at least once during the night.

I guess in the end I feel like it's entirely reasonable that I'm not going to be a poster child for synthagen but I was hoping that it might be a missing nutritional/supplemental link that would at least push me in the right direction.

[BrainSquirt]

WinskiG

Have you ever tested MPS before extended 'aerobic' / heart rate and wind intensive work ?

Just curious,

Thanks.

brainsquirt

[WinskiG]

I can't say I have, Brain. I'm ashamed to say I haven't really done cardio for cardios sake in months. I got wrapped up in the dogma that cardio was counterproductive for ectomorphs but perhaps my shying away from it is part of my problem.

I'd say I have pretty terrible endurance overall. A few months ago I tried doing sprint work and it was pathetic. I quickly tank on body weight exercises too. I can at least exceed body weight in the big lifts but I can't even do 40 push ups or maintain a consistent rep scheme from set to set on pullups for instance.

WinskiG

Have you ever tested MPS before extended 'aerobic' / heart rate and wind intensive work ?

Just curious,

Thanks.

brainsquirt

[thicketman]

If you're interested in building endurance, check out the Maffetone method. It's focus is building your cardio base through low intensity training.

[WinskiG]

Hey, thanks man. His "Big Book of Health and Fitness" looks excellent.

For now I'm going to see how the introduction of 3.0's various forms of cardio and conditioning treat me.

If you're interested in building endurance, check out the Maffetone method. It's focus is building your cardio base through low intensity training.

[RobRegish]

MPS non-responders are RARE, but they do exist.

My best guess is that you were coming off a bulk, or otherwise had levels of cellular energy pools that were already "topped off"?

[WinskiG]

I've been fattening up a little bit in the past few months so maybe you're onto something regarding the bulk. It just seems weird that I'm taking in enough calories to expand my waistline yet a boost in recovery, energy levels and lean mass gains aren't readily apparent.

Just gotta plug away I guess. Monday starts my first feast workout so I'll aim to put it all into maximizing a very different workout regimen and see how I respond.

MPS non-responders are RARE, but they do exist.

My best guess is that you were coming off a bulk, or otherwise had levels of cellular energy pools that were already "topped off"?