Shock Therapy and Storm

My son is 17 yrs old and a QB in high school. He is into lifting more then most QB's his age. Has taken creatine monohydrate in the past and it worked great. Had surgery last winter to repair labrum tear and several months after surgery went back on creatine and he thought creatine did not work as well after surgery for whatever reason. I am looking at switching him to (pre-workout) Shock Therapy and Storm for post-workout. Anyone had good or bad experinces with either of these two? Side effects? I also like the fact that Shock has anitoxidants in it. He normally takes monhydrate right from the spoon with a gulp of gatorade. Do these two products I have listed have to be mixed or can they be taken straight from a spoon? Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

My son is 17 yrs old and a QB in high school. He is into lifting more then most QB's his age. Has taken creatine monohydrate in the past and it worked great. Had surgery last winter to repair labrum tear and several months after surgery went back on creatine and he thought creatine did not work as well after surgery for whatever reason. I am looking at switching him to (pre-workout) Shock Therapy and Storm for post-workout. Anyone had good or bad experinces with either of these two? Side effects? I also like the fact that Shock has anitoxidants in it. He normally takes monhydrate right from the spoon with a gulp of gatorade. Do these two products I have listed have to be mixed or can they be taken straight from a spoon? Thanks in advance!

There are differences between different brands of creatine monohydrate, so that could explain the lack of results the second time around. It could also be that his training program was not as effective as the initial program or he was making gains for another reason. Creatine enables you to lift more weight but is not a supplement that will automatically make drastic improvements without an effective training program and diet.

I have recently tested samples of Shock Therapy and Storm, and do not believe that they would be the best option for your needs. For an athlete the most important objective when training in the gym is to get bigger and stronger. A product like Shock Therapy may help you to get a good 'pump' but that does not build muscle or strength. Storm is a bit better as it is a creatine product that contains some beta-alanine, but it utilizes less effective forms of creatine and the beta-alanine is under dosed. It also is not a good pre-workout recovery formula as it has no protein or carbohydrates.

There are a number of athletes here including myself who have made great gains with a stack of creatine (creapure creatine monohydrate) and beta-alanine (lactic acid buffer). This product also contains HMB for recovery and immune support. For post-workout nutrition you will want a balance of high quality protein and lower glycemic carbohydrates.

Your Son would see much better gains from a stack like this:

Results- Everyday, Pre-workout (Creatine / Beta Alanine / HMB)
Opticen - Post-workout recovery, additional shakes as needed to meet calorie and protein goals.

You can pick up both of these products here: www.atlargenutrition.com

Results is currenlty on sale but if it does not fit with your budget then you can pick up a 3 month (100 servings) supply of creatine for less than $15 from the same site.

These products are simple, proven, quality supplements that will give your Son the kind of support that he needs to make progress in the gym.

If you would like I would be happy to help him with his diet and training program as well.

When he was taking creatine mono he was taking it pre-workout and then using muscle juice (love the amount of calories/carbs/protein) for post workout which usually resulted in him having a shake 2-3 hours after workout before bed. Two years ago he added 20 pounds of body weight and his max on everything went way up in 4 months with this combo. I'm thinking maybe I will have him go back to this again...or at least try it for 8 weeks. Before I had him on creatine for 8 weeks on and 2-3 weeks off. He is very careful how much heavy lifting he does in the shoulders...he knows he can't get tight. We have a great strength coach at our school for him to turn to if he wants to add more in his workout. Coach played in the NFL and has been a strength coach at the college level.

Why not give Results a try? You said that your son was taking creatine ppre workout and Tom is suggesting a product with creatine PLUS some other things that would help your son. I am currently taking Results and have seen better...er, results than just taking creatine alone.

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

When he was taking creatine mono he was taking it pre-workout and then using muscle juice (love the amount of calories/carbs/protein) for post workout which usually resulted in him having a shake 2-3 hours after workout before bed. Two years ago he added 20 pounds of body weight and his max on everything went way up in 4 months with this combo. I'm thinking maybe I will have him go back to this again...or at least try it for 8 weeks. Before I had him on creatine for 8 weeks on and 2-3 weeks off. He is very careful how much heavy lifting he does in the shoulders...he knows he can't get tight. We have a great strength coach at our school for him to turn to if he wants to add more in his workout. Coach played in the NFL and has been a strength coach at the college level.

Having a good strength coach can be a great resource for a young athlete. This is especially true if your Son has had shoulder problems in the past.

Does he do any shoulder pre-hab work such as face pulls or band seperations?

With regard to supplements/nutrition, drinking your post-workout shake 2-3 hours after training is not an effective protocol. Your hormone levels are elevated immediately after training and that is a great window for a high protein food source or protein shake to help aid in recovery. It is also important to include carbohydrates for glycogen replenishment and nutrient uptake.

You also do not need to cycle creatine, and do not need to load creatine (you did not mention this but assume that you may be loading if you are doing shorter cycles). The standard protocol for creatine is 3-5 grams daily with no need to cycle or taper the dosing. Some individuals with high body mass or muscle mass may need a slightly higher dose.

I know taking the shake that long after his workout is not the best but he added more weight when he started taking it right before bed. Body weight is always something he is fighting. 6'1 and 165 lbs. When he was in sports therapy, post surgery, they had him doing alot of band work and he continued most of the band work even after he was finished with therapy...but I don't know all of the specifics on the bands. Yea, we have cycled before. After doing more research in the past 24 hours I think I will have him at least try "results". I appreciate the responses! also-trying to get a 17 yr old to have those extra two meals/snacks a day is a killer especially during school hours or in between classes. He likes the cliff builders but he has a hard time eating anything other then lunch between 8am-2pm

dextrose, Creapure creatine monohydrate, B-Alanine, and HMB....so I guess for us it comes down to...do we pay $12 for creatine monohydrate at GNC for 100 servings or do I pay $35 for 30 servings of results. Keeping in mind that he would be also getting the added supplements in results.

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

I know taking the shake that long after his workout is not the best but he added more weight when he started taking it right before bed. Body weight is always something he is fighting. 6'1 and 165 lbs. When he was in sports therapy, post surgery, they had him doing alot of band work and he continued most of the band work even after he was finished with therapy...but I don't know all of the specifics on the bands. Yea, we have cycled before. After doing more research in the past 24 hours I think I will have him at least try "results". I appreciate the responses!

Before bed is a great time to drink a shake, and so is post-workout - so you had a bit of a catch 22 situation there. What I would do is drink the shake immediately post-workout since whey protein digests quickly. Before bed he can eat a can of tuna, some cottage cheese, or have a glass of milk if he is trying to put on size. This will give him some slower digesting proteins to fuel his body while he sleeps.

I think that he will be very pleased with Results, in general most people see strength/strength endurance increases in 2-3 weeks and are able to start seeing mass gains within the first month.

Tom, does "results" have to be mixed with juice or gatorade or can it be taken from a spoon followed by gatorade? Thx

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

dextrose, Creapure creatine monohydrate, B-Alanine, and HMB....so I guess for us it comes down to...do we pay $12 for creatine monohydrate at GNC for 100 servings or do I pay $35 for 30 servings of results. Keeping in mind that he would be also getting the added supplements in results.

Remember that Results uses Creapure (not just standard creatine monohydrate), MTI HMB, and a high potency beta-alanine. It would be tough to purchase all three of these components for less than $50, and then you would have to buy some dextrose and flavoring (something like gatorade powder, which is also somewhat costly).

The Beta-Alanine and HMB are what make this product superior to just creatine alone, and creapure creatine is the highest potency form available. The $12 creatine at GNC is likely just a micronized creatine product from Asia and many large supplement manufactuers have upgraded to creapure creatine because it has guaranteed potency through HPLC testing (Companies like Optimum Nutrition, ISS, ProLab, Atlarge, etc.).

You can get 100 servings of Creapure Creatine for $14.50 from AtLarge, but if you want the best strength/size product then Results is your solution.

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

Tom, does "results" have to be mixed with juice or gatorade or can it be taken from a spoon followed by gatorade? Thx

Results already has a transport system, you do not need the juice or gatorade.

Thx...I'm sure he will prefer to take it straight up and get it over with.

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

Thx...I'm sure he will prefer to take it straight up and get it over with.

I actually sip mine slowly on the way to the gym or in the morning with breakfast. Most people like the flavoring of the Orange and if you wanted to make it a little bit more sweet you could just add a couple of splenda packets.

It is good to see what you came online to do research and are asking questions before just purchasing something. There was a recent incident on another board where a 17-18 year old was drinking pre-workout stimulants and he went out drinking one night, and ended up in the hospital with some heart problems. His father had no idea that there were some very potent stimulants in the product, in fact that particular supplement is now banned in Canada (Jack3d).

Thanks Tom! As a parent I think it is only right to do as much research as possible. Our school test the athletes every year, which is great, so we want to make sure we understand what he is taking. He is a junior and this offseason is the most important from a recruiting standpoint so giving him a little extra push should help along with a TON of hard work.

"I actually sip mine slowly on the way to the gym or in the morning with breakfast."

What do you mix it with when sipping it?

Originally Posted by hawkeyegb

"I actually sip mine slowly on the way to the gym or in the morning with breakfast."

What do you mix it with when sipping it?

I like to mix it with 24-32 oz of water then drink it over the course of about 30 minutes. In the past I have also mixed results (orange) with a scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Chugging any kind of carbohydrate drink can lead to upset stomach and this also helps to moderate some of the 'tingles' that you get from the beta-alanine.