scuba and thermogenics?

hey gang,

I'm in the midst of my Divemaster Cert, with IDC in less than a month and am finding myself to be thoroughly exhausted from the hours underwater.

I went into the local supplement store and their recommendation was almost exclusively to look into thermogenics (fat burners). They couldn't give me any advice on how that would affect me at depth so I'm hoping someone on here can shed some light on the subject. The all-knowing google left me disappointed.

I'm not necessarily looking for the fat burning principles though like most I could probably stand to shed a few lbs. Green Tea just isn't enough for me and I don't have the time or the energy to eat as often as I should to keep my energy up the old fashioned way.

Any help you can offer will be much appreciated!

I don't get it.

Did they actually recommend fat-burning supplements as a short term help against exhaustion? How does that make any sense?

Personally, I'd try pastas with plenty of cheese, more sleep, and - if I don't have time for either - gatorade and energy gels. Loose the weight later. But I'm old fashioned.

protein bars are another option....

Eat well, stay hydrated and breath EAN (not proven but lots of us seem to feel we have more energy).

do you know what ingredients are in the product they are trying to sell you?
For example common ingredients are ephedrine, caffine & aspirin (eca stack) I wouldn't want to dive while taking it. Other ingredients are basically snake oils. I've taken eca stacks before and they leave you with your heart racing and feeling edgy, not feelings I'd want underwater. If you are are obsessed with bodybuilding or fitness that's another thing.. take your supplements and go to the gym to burn the energy off.

Google the individual ingredients for example ephedrine increases blood pressure... is a risk you are willing to take underwater..do you know your existing blood pressure? I do, I'm 90/60 so do I want a product to make it higher when diving? Is your blood pressure already high? Would making it higher be a bad thing for you?

One thing causing your fatique is that you are suddenly alot more physically active than you've might been before...you are using up your iron levels to carry oxygen in your blood. Salus Floravit liquid iron is what I take when I'm lagging. Look at your overall diet and nutrition, rest and hydration before going for the quick fix.

scuba and thermogenics? A great question, and it almost sounds like a planted question from someone waiting for me to promote my product. At the risk of shameless self promotion I will go ahead and chime in.

We recently launched a new supplemental product specifically designed to deal with this dive scenario. We use a special blend of vitamins, amino acids, electrolytes and adaptogens to help offset exactly what you have described. You can go to our website - Diver's D\Lyte | Performance Hydration Drink for Scuba Divers

There you will find a product overview and how to get yourself some. If you have questions feel free to ping me here and I be happy to go into more detail.

John Dooley

You want hydration ... drink fresh water.

Thanks everyone for replying so quickly!!! You've confirmed what I suspected already, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being unnecessarily overcautious. I'm usually around 4 or 5L of water consumed and have been on iron supplements for most of my adult life. I think it likely is just waiting out the period where my body adjusts to the new routine.

Thanks John - have opened the link in a new window......if curiosity killed the cat, I'm using up one of the 9 lives!

Again, I really appreciate the input. Thank you for taking the time.

Iron supplements raises a potential red flag to me. Why are you taking iron supplements? Do you have a low hematocrit?

Glad to hear you found the answers. Happy Diving!