# COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING - POWERLIFTING - ATHLETICS & SPORTS > COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING Q & A >  Niacin used for Vascularity

## BIG R

Hey sports fans.............I've got a question on Niacin. I've seen other competitors use Niacin for a vascular effect on stage. Has any one out there done this or practice this method when show time comes? I'd like to know just how much needs to be taken for this effect and how long it will last me.


6 days left, :EEK!:  

Big R

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## PWROF2

Yeah, we use Niacin (B3) by Twinlab over here. Dosage varies on your sensitivity but I have found about 6 to 7 tabs roughly half an hour before your final pump up. Body goes on fire and your eyes feel like they are frying but you do get some huge vascularity. Practice using before the show i.e. before you do posing practise.

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## BIG R

PWROF2

Hey, how many mg's are in the TWINLAB verion of your NIACIN? I've got 100mg tabs.

Big R

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## PWROF2

yeah same bro, 100 caps @ 100mg's each.

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## BIG R

Thank you PWROF2. I'm looking FWD to do Battle. You gave me a bigger gun!

BIG R

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## PWROF2

You using potasium tabs to stop the cramp as well as glycerol mixed with pineapple juice?

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## BIG R

I'm using the potassium tabs in anticipation of the dehydration. Niacin cramps you? New info to me. I am not using glycerol and the pineapple juice. What are the significance of these two? I have never hear of them used.

Big R.

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## Dr. Derek

I have took niacin in the past, but It does not work for me just makes me miserably hot, which with everything else at a show thats all a person needs is to feel like they are on fire. As for the cramps I have never experienced cramping while taking niacin, however if I cramp I use a cap full of maylox.

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## MIKE_XXL

I am with Dr.D on this one, Niacin is usless if you ask me, makes you red and hot and that's about it...as for cramping, it's caused by electolyte unbalance, not just lack of potassium, so need to replace magnesium as well as sodium, all three play a big role in the hydration state of the body, and a proper balance must be achived to avoid cramping...however i do not know how to succesfuly achive that at this point...XXL

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## BIG R

I did a dry run on 600mg (6tabs) Niacin yesterday. I timed 20 minutes until my showed sighnes of a reaction. I went through a warm up session with pure dumbells (took about another 20min) before going through my manditory poses and 90sec routene. Here is how it went

20 mins felt a itchy feeling on my neck.
40 minutes total: As I warmed up I felt the itchy feeling go to both of my arms...
50 minutes total: doing routene my whole body was under attack fom the itchies.....However I was feeling hot sweating and visable MORE VASCULAR. Thank God that is all I wanted to see MORE VEINS. What was cool was that I got SOOOOOOOO red that I was actually a shade darker than I was when I cam into the gym 30mins earlier. 

1 hour: Still Very Vascular. Blood vessles were very dialated on the surface of my skin. felt like a heat wave hit me. As I walked to the car the sun actually hurt. I felt the rays of the sun more intense with the Niacin flush. I was that sensitive. I got the effect I wanted and it lasted a little over one hour. 

I sure as hell do not want to try 700mg of Niacin. 600mg really changed my life for that hour. I want any edge I can get over the next guy. The Niacin made me look like I was a bit more fired up about the whole thing. I did not want to relax at all. I think that is a good thing. I'll get all of the rest I need AFTER the show.

Thanks DD and XXL I appreciate the input as well. It means a lot to me.

Peace 
Big R

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## PWROF2

Big R, I know niacin works for some and not for others but your experience sounds on par as mine except the burn wore off faster. I only pump up about five minutes before I go on stage so that I don't flatten out too soon. The Glycerol and P juice are taken 15mins before I pump and (I admit I was told to do this by a pro BB'er and I have no factual evidence) it is meant to suck the last bit of water away from the skin and make the muscle belly fuller. Truth be told it tastes real sickly but I have won every comp since I started it and I am scared to stop in case it was the edge I needed!
Potasium tabs are for the cramp and I take them with a drink called Cytomax which is an electrolyte carb drink. It contains lactate which is also meant to stop cramp.
All of this info is just my personal opinion, it works for me so may be of use to others if they want to try.
Good Luck for the comp, looking forward to the pictures.

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## BIG R

PWROF2

That sounds like a good Idea! Can I have the breakdown of you Glycerol-p-juice cocktail. 15 before showdown, huh? I think I will go for it. Let me know the details in the drinks prep.

Thanks 
Big R

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## Keightly

I'm pretty ripped but i am not really a vieny person, at moderate does how long can niacin be taken for?

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## toopowerful4u

Im bumping this back to the top. Lemme get this straight

Glycerol and pineapple juice will pull water away from surface and into muscles? How much do you mix of each?

How much potassium do you take?

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## saboudian

bump, i'm planning my precontest diet right now, and i'd like to see some more info about this.

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## jamie

Ibroprophen will neurtalize this burning feeling. It will be like you never took the Niacin. But the key is the ratio. If you are taking 300mg of Niacin, then you need to take 600mg of ibroprophen. Your troubles are over.

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## saboudian

I doubt 300mg of niacin would be enough. IMO i wouldn't even mess with the stuff.

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## jamie

Whatever is enough for you is up to you. I am only trying to neutralize the burn. If you need to take in more niacin it doesn't matter, but for every 100mg of niacin you need to take in 200mg of ibroprophen to stop the itching, burning and redness that will happen when taking niacin. so 600mg of niacin will need 1200mg of ibro.

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## BIG R

thats a whole lot of Ibuprofin for the Niacin.....Looks like I will not be needing to do so for another 2 months.

Big R

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## jamie

Big R I learned this while in the military from people who smoked pot and had to be tested. But you don't want to be on fire and all red in front of your commander. So these guys took the niacin and the ibro. right before being tested and no signs of taking it and they passed the test. They were smoking up until the day before being tested and passed.

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## wrstlr69sdnl

bump good info bros

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## BIG R

DAM!! All of those good uses and all I wanted to do was look more vascular........Learn something new everyday. Thanks for the info Jaime.


Hey do you ever see the Maryland Muscle Machine there? I know that he owns a gym and trains for the Big O every year.


R

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## Sicilian30

A friend of mine who used to compete swore that drinking several glasses of red wine before a show made him very vascular. Anyone have any experience on this?
He also used to pig out the night before competition, pizza, pasta etc. this guy swore by these two techniques and must have worked the guy won a few competitions.

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## BIG R

Sicilian,

I had a friend that used gin to get a more vasular appearance.....only thing was he always DRANK TOO MUCH!!! If you use diahretics and then apply drinking on top of that you are asking for trouble. My poor friend PUKED ALL NIGHT LONG! I was just telling him not to do it again but he never believes me. I always sleep like a baby after the competitions......no more stress.

Peace
R

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## depdaddy

have freind who does shows..he states he uses niacin and some red wine as well...i was having problems earlier on cycle dick seemed to look much smaller(hard on wasnt a good)..he suggested trying the niacin..worked great hung like a soldier 20-30 minutes after i took it...500mg no itching or fire at all..company i bought was Spring Valley from Wal-Mart..it states flush free on labelmaybe this one will work for you..did notice large amount of vascularity

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## Captainutrition

Bump for the info on how much of the Gyl and P juice to take. I've 3 weeks till show time.

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## BIG R

Captian,

The Idea of the glycerol P-juice combo is not mine, it belonged to PWRofTWO. I also think that in the preparation of the whole thing you can get glycerol juice from GNC now....so you dont have to worry about talking to a chemist. Here is what he PM'ed me on the break down:

Big R,
ok here's what I do:
Get pure Glycerol from a chemist and mix 6 tablespoons with 200mls of unsweetened p - juice. Take as soon as you wake up on comp day and again prior to pump up approx. 15mins before you go on stage. I then wash my mouth out with the Cytomax drink.
For diuretics I use Taraxatone in the week leading up to comp and a half tab furisamide (sp?) the night before if I am still holding.
In the morning before I go to weigh in and register I go for a walk to clear the head and get blood through my legs but once I have gone backstage and stretched I lie on the floor with my les elevated to get the blood out. After I have been tanned up I stand around and watch the others and try to pysch them out by standing behind them as they pose in the mirrors. Arnold S was the man backstage when he used to talk the others into losing before they even got out there. My prep gyt will liase with the backstage marshal to make sure he knows exactly when I am going on and to ensure I am pumping up just before the call goes out to get ready. You want to be pumping like mad right up to the time you step on stage. The others will have been pumping up for at least 15mins before I even start and they will be flat by the time they get on stage. Once I am on stage I make sure to look at the judges not the crowd and smile like I am not straining my guts out! Convince the judges that you are the only choice for first place. Stall your pose to ensure you are the last to hit the pose. That way judges are seeing you last and remembering your pose as the best.
You prpbably know all this stuff but if any of it helps then more power to you.
Best of luck.



Big R
 :Strong Smiley:

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## Captainutrition

Thanks BIG R. I'll check into it.

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## roidmanraging

Just competed last weekend and took 3rd at the light heavies. I was coming in a bit heavy and tried screwing with my carbs too much. I went completely flat about two days out from contest. Watched every vein in my body disappear. 

Most of my clients react best off of 600mg's of niacin about 2 hours before stage time. I'm usually really vascular naturally and niacin didn't do anything for my flat body. My legs smoothed over a bit as well. Not the separation I was seeing two days before. 

I also have a red wine and glycerol cocktail about 15minutes before going on stage. I also down as much honey as i can tolerate without water. Started my pump up with 10 minutes to go. This USUALLY has my skin tight and my vascularity absolutely sick. It did tighten my skin, but still no veins. 

It's easy to dial someone in when you don't have emotion attached to it. When you are doing it for yourself you start second guessing everything you know and screw up a perfectly laid out plan. It's okay, 3rd ain't too bad. I do plan on winning the class and overall next year.

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## BIG R

Ragin',

Oh man do I know that story all to well. I live that experience my second competition. I was flat, but hard as HELL!!! I was so pist that my vascularity was practically non-existant but by the night show I was able to make some of it come out. I just was too concerned about my condition and went a bit overboard like you wrote also. Your a heavy, huh? Dam hard class to win.,,,,,,,,,,,it always seems like a superfreak comes from nowhere in that class. You got PICS?

Big R

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