2 part ? 1-L-glutamine & CLA; 2-HGH

[southieboy]

I was just reading a recent Men's Health issue and actor Ryan Reynolds completely transformed his body for a movie. When asked about supplements he said he used...

Creatine
Whey
Mulitvitamin
(all of which I'm using)

and he also used
L-glutamine
and
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

My first question is have any of the members here used he latter two and seen results?

My second question. A guy at my gym was extolling the virtues of Homeopathic Growth Hormone. Has anyone tried this?
My instincts tell me that it's bunk. The gym guy buffed out pretty quickly (and on the short side) so I was thinking the HomoeoGH had a sort of placebo effect on him.

Thanks,
southieboy

[Buffling]

I'm just starting on L-glutamine supplementation, but it's in combination with my first-ever creatine cycle... so in addition to the fact that it's Too Early To Tell, the positive effects may be inseparable from those of the creatine.

If you're taking whey, you're probably already getting some extra glutamine... check the label of the protein brand you're using. Your regular diet is also probably a very good source of glutamine... it's just that people who make supplements want you to believe that having even more of it will help with exercise recovery, and minimize muscle tissue breakdown. If you dig, you will find research findings that support this claim.

I take CLA all the time. I classify it alongside my daily vitamin, just as I do my omega-3 supplement (I don't eat fish -- long story). The theory with CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is that it regulates the way your body handles fat (how it is stored, how it is burned, etc.) and so it can help you with fat loss. It's NOT a miracle supplement, by any stretch, and it is said that it only works when combined with regular exercise.

Personally, my ever-gradual reduction in body fat has been slow, and it's almost impossible for me to state that CLA has been a key factor in my progress. Some people swear by it. Since it's relatively cheap, I just buy it at the same time that I get my multivitamin and omega-3, and then I don't think about it anymore.

You can probably tell from my tone that I'm not hot on most supplements. I swear by:

Whey
Multivitamin

... and have only recently given in to the creatine thing just 'cuz I wanted to see what all the hype is about. As it happens, the L-glutamine was tossed in as a bonus by my local supplement shop when I bought the creatine.

If Ryan Reynolds disagrees vehemently with my point of view, please send him to my home so we can end the debate with a friendly wrestling match. Thank you.