vitamins

[runnerr]

what is the best vitamin to take for energy; I seem to feel run down. It might be the 18 mile long runs along with the other training for a fall marathon. any ideas. vitamins for an older athlete?


hank,


Bob

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

There is no convincing evidence that, under anything resembling normal lifestyle, supplemental vitamins provide any benefit as long as a diverse, balanced diet is consumed. Extreme weight loss and training episodes can bring on a state of malnutrition, in which case vitamins are a partial solution but this is truly unusual.

Rarely, things like sprue and other illnesses can cause a deficiency of a specific vitamin (B12 in this case) which can be helped by supplements. Vitamin D3 and calcium in low-sun exposure populations provide another example.

I have no issue with a multivitamin as insurance against a questionable diet. I also believe there are likely micronutrients which are only found in food (not vitamin pills) which may be beneficial but the science surrounding that is murky.

Fatigue based on a vitamin deficiency is rare and would likely only be found in the presence of some other illness. A good diet is best.

Hope that helps.

 

[runnerr]

Thank you I always enjoy reading and respect your input. What you said reminds me of the answer Bill Rodgers (marathon runner of the 60's) gave when ask if he took vitamins, "there is no proof that they ad anything to ones performance but if they do and my competition is taking them I don't want to give them an advantage."


Thank again,


Bob

 

[statsman]

If you are training quite a bit and feeling a bit run down, I would be more concerned about mineral loss through perspiration than I would about needing the extra vitamins.

 

[HFWR]

what is the best vitamin to take for energy; I seem to feel run down. It might be the 18 mile long runs along with the other training for a fall marathon. any ideas. vitamins for an older athlete?


hank,


Bob

You may be over-training. You need the once-weekly long run, but might need more rest/recovery time. Also, those long runs require a fair number of calories for fuel.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I take a multi-vitamin and have considered taking magnesium, but instead upped my spinach intake. All the research I've read leads me to the same conclusions as Rich.

I think you need to review your training schedule and watch for overtraining and calorie burn, like HFWR says.

 

[Bestwifeever]

A little off topic, I have been reading a LOT about Vitamin D (not for energy, but for a lot of other reasons) and have been taking it every day when I remember to actually get it out of the bottle :

Two studies cite need for more Vitamin D | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/12/2008

Rich and others, any opinion?

 

[FinanceDude]

The answer may be in your training schedule, if you PM I might be able to help. I have run 5 marathons and 150 road races in my life, so I know a little about running..........

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

A little off topic, I have been reading a LOT about Vitamin D (not for energy, but for a lot of other reasons) and have been taking it every day when I remember to actually get it out of the bottle :

Two studies cite need for more Vitamin D | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/12/2008

Rich and others, any opinion?

See if your doctor agrees that D3 can be good for anyone at risk for osteopenia/osteoporosis (female, on steroids, older, fair complexion, sedentary, smoker and other risks) along with a gram or so of calcium carbonate. Careful if you have kidney stones, though.

 

[haha]

A little off topic, I have been reading a LOT about Vitamin D (not for energy, but for a lot of other reasons) and have been taking it every day when I remember to actually get it out of the bottle :

Two studies cite need for more Vitamin D | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/12/2008

Rich and others, any opinion?

Very interesting link, thank you Bestwife.

In the other report, researchers tracked 13,331 American adults ages 20 and older whose Vitamin D levels were recorded as part of a national survey between 1988 and 1994. Their analysis, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that people whose Vitamin D levels at the time of the physical fell into the sample's lowest quartile were 26 percent more likely to die from all causes over the following nine years than were those in the highest quartile.

I plan to look this study up and see the raw numbers. I would like to know how many died out of how many subjects in each group, what the implied dose-response was, and a few other things.

But at first glance, these appear to be very strong results. Over 13,000 people, tested and classified prior to the study, and followed for 9 years. And the endpoint- you die or you don't -is unambiguous and the most important issue.

I wonder if they were able to correct for age and racial differences in the various blood level groupings? Overall I would expect that Africans and older people. and sick people of all races would have lower blood levels of Vit D.

Ha

 

[Sarah in SC]

Vitamin D is also affected by latitude, of course.
Lower levels are more common in Scandinavian countries and the northern US.
I drink 4 oz of fortified milk each day but I also stick my head out the window a lot to be sure I'm getting enough...

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thanks, Rich, for the input. Besides the cited article it seems I am reading about vitamin D all over the place now.

I'm imagining Sarah sticking her head out the window for about five minutes an hour The neighbors are saying, "There she goes again! She needs a new hobby."

I know as a kid in the 50s I got plenty of D from the sun with bare legs all year and bare arms in the summer (had to wear skirts to school, played outside all day, every day as everyone else did in those days), not to mention a big glass of milk at every meal. I'll stick my head out the window too now!

 

[Marquette]

I take a multivitamin. It turns my pee a funny color. Because of that, I'd say I'm getting my money's worth.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Rich might tell you different, Marquette--what some docs call that is expensive urine!
But I take a multivitamin too, so I'm in the same, er, boat.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I take a multivitamin. It turns my pee a funny color. Because of that, I'd say I'm getting my money's worth.

Thanks for sharing.

Your kidneys are doing a good job of excreting waste products. If you are seeking foul urine, asparagus would be cheaper and better for you.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Hey Rich, I've heard that some people don't have that reaction to asparagus.
Maybe we need a poll?

 

[ladypatriot]

Thanks for sharing.

Your kidneys are doing a good job of excreting waste products. If you are seeking foul urine, asparagus would be cheaper and better for you.

It's true...about the urine. I know....TMI.

Love asparagus, though...stir-fried until tender-crisp.

 

[Alan]

I'm imagining Sarah sticking her head out the window for about five minutes an hour The neighbors are saying, "There she goes again! She needs a new hobby."

I pictured her sticking her head out of the window of the car. (The flapping tongue should burn off a few calaroies as well.)

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Hey I knew asparagus pee would come up again!

 

[Marquette]

Hey Rich, I've heard that some people don't have that reaction to asparagus.
Maybe we need a poll?

I've heard that asparagus doesn't just affect your urine but I don't want to chance anything by finding out so I only have it once in a while.

I do the D3 thing also but mainly because I'm a computer nerd and I live in Minnesota.

 

[tmm99]

Vitamin-B complex generally gives you more energy (probably B-12 does it, but I've been told it's best to take all B's instead of one kind so it won't cause imbalance.)

I now take Vitamin-C after strenuous exercise. Vit-C doesn't give me extra energy. I do this only because I used to catch colds after strenuous exercise (especially when I overdid it - till exhaustion).

I just found this below:

Vitamin E, vitamin C, and exercise. [Am J Clin Nutr. 2000] - PubMed Result

Maybe I should start taking Vitamin E also...

tmm

 

[Olav23]

After a bunch of research, I settled on the "Source Naturals Life Force Multiple". It was one of the highest rated (and priced within reason) as far as bio-availability in a book called "Comparative Book of Nutritional Supplements" or something similar.

I generally get it from vitacost. Get the one without Iron, and make sure to get the tablets instead of the capsules. The tabs are 2x per day, vs the 4x per day capsules, so it is more cost effective and less to remember.

I consider it "fire insurance" and find that it does give me more energy, expensive urine or not.

Source Naturals Life Force Multiple No Iron -- 180 Tablets - www.Vitacost.com

$30 for a 3 month supply does not seem outlandish to me. You could probably get a Sam's or Costco brand for a bit cheaper, but it is one thing I don't skimp too badly on.

My wife takes the with-iron version and gets colds and flus a lot less often now (I rarely get sick either way, luckily!), and we ride the germ-ridden subway in NYC twice a day!