Training & Nutrition - Supplementing

I have a question for you athletes. Do you use multi viatmin supplements? I was wondering what you guys thought about the whole dietary supplement thing.

Assuming I can be considered an "athlete": I take a multivitamin (Centrum). I am mildly skeptical that there is any great benefit. But I'm also skeptical that there's any great harm, so my thoughts are that it's okay for me. YMMV.

Yeah, you don't have to be Lance. Just someone who rides regularly for exercise.

I've had some amazing experience boosting my B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. After crunching numbers I was amazed at how deficient I was and it explained a lot of my fatigue, sleeplessness, and yes - moodiness. A multivitamin is not a magic pill that will give you everything in its proper amount, and eating "healthy" usually will not either. The food we eat now is highly deficient in the vitamins we evolved to require for optimum health (cows and chickens are not supposed to eat pellets or other animals, and veggies are not supposed to be covered in pesticides). Humans are not supposed to exist on white flour and sugar either. Add in physical, environmental, and job related stresses and we're even more in the nutritional hole. When our bodies aren't getting what they need to function, the most subtle things go out of whack.

There are several books out there that can guide you towards what you should be getting, but you should also see a nutritionist to make sure you are balanced and don't overdose on too much of a "good thing".

You can go to fitday.com and enter in all the food you eat for a week or two. Then you can get a report that tells you a daily average of the nutrients you take in, and what you are short on. For example, I discovered that I did real well except for slight shortages in vitimins A, D, E, and K; also the minerals magnesium and zinc. I figured I'm really getting enough vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) because I'm outdoors so much. Then I found out which foods supplied the other missing nutrients and started eating more of them.

Problem solved without supplements.

I totally agree that you should try to get your nutrients from real food and FitDay is a good source to start tracking that. I should have qualified that I have several food allergies and a disease that makes me susceptible to fatigue, so using supplements when I can't get them from my diet is good for me. I don't want to rely on pills my whole life, but until I can find a way to fit my requirements into my limited diet, they are good. People who do not have the time or resources (travel, job, etc) to get their nutrient requirements on a daily basis may also benefit.

Note to all: they are called supplements, not replacements.

One more thing and then I'll shut up. You should not base your nutritional intake solely on the RDA, which can grossly underestimate how much of a nutrient you need. Ex. the RDA recommends only half of the calcium that I should get and 1/3 of the B vitamins. Each individual has particular needs, esp during times of illness or stress. See a health care professional for your particular needs.

Food Allergies...?

Celiac?
sounds familliar.

Dairy and wheat allergies, but luckily not full celiac. Then I can't do soy because of my Hashimotos thyroiditis. Soy isn't the cute innocent bean everyone makes it out to be.

Then I can't do soy because of my Hashimotos thyroiditis. Soy isn't the cute innocent bean everyone makes it out to be.

Why pick on soy, it's not the only goitrogenic food. ???

Because soy is shoved down everyone's throat as being the perfect food: protein, vegetarian, dairy substitute, multi-textural, skin cream, etc. And it's been scientifically proven again and again to negatively effect the thyroid and hormones in general, but american marketing ignores science in favor of getting people on their money-making bandwagon.

I've had some amazing experience boosting my B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. After crunching numbers I was amazed at how deficient I was and it explained a lot of my fatigue, sleeplessness, and yes - moodiness. A multivitamin is not a magic pill that will give you everything in its proper amount, and eating "healthy" usually will not either. The food we eat now is highly deficient in the vitamins we evolved to require for optimum health (cows and chickens are not supposed to eat pellets or other animals, and veggies are not supposed to be covered in pesticides). Humans are not supposed to exist on white flour and sugar either. Add in physical, environmental, and job related stresses and we're even more in the nutritional hole. When our bodies aren't getting what they need to function, the most subtle things go out of whack.

There are several books out there that can guide you towards what you should be getting, but you should also see a nutritionist to make sure you are balanced and don't overdose on too much of a "good thing".
Always wondered if all these things are wrong how do you scientifically (not one person, please) explain that life expectancies have almost doubled in the last 100 years... anyone want to tackle that??

Look at the avaerage age people die. For instance, if death certificates of 1900 say that most people were dying at 35, and you compared those to 2000 and most people were dying at 75 then it's safe to say life expectancy has doubled.