Fifty Plus (50+) - Time for supplements?

I know I could post this on Training and Nutrition, but I especially wanted the input of the people on the 50+ forum.

I'm wondering if there would be any value to start taking some kind of supplement, and if so, what. As I've gotten older, and before I returned to cycling, I got less and less flexible, overweight, etc. Now I'm cycling and feeling better, particularly when I'm on the bike, and I've lost 15-20 pounds (depends on the day!).

That said, my body hurts almost all the time. Not from cycling, but from aging, I suppose. It hurts to bend over, it hurts to pick up something, it kills me to raise myself out of the bathtub or off the couch. My right forearm or perhaps elbow seems weak, when I pick something as light as a large book there are pains (but not with my left hand).

My lower back pain problem has returned after several years, and I'm addressing it with stretches, and I'm using an exercise ball as well. But my spine -- you can hear it make LOTS of noise up and down when I change from a laying to a standing position (or when I'm laying in the tub and about to climb out). It's like you can hear each vertebrae moving around.

I have some joint pain, some skeletal pain. I just wonder if there is something I can be taking to help with any of this. Vitamins? Dried eyes of newt? Chinese herbs? Placebos?

I probably should see a doctor but my experience when I've gone in the past is he'll say yes, you're getting older, and you're going to have these aches and pains. So why see him at all? D'oh!

Any suggestions for this sad sack?

I have never taken any form of supplement(or drug for that matter) that was not prescribed by a Doctor.

I may use an Isotonic supplement in my drink, and I do believe this works on energy, and I do increase my salt intake before and during the hot weather rides, but that is it.

I get sprains, and take a general anaelgesic for them. (Aspirin) Bad muscle pulls might get a heat rub, and I have always found that heat/ Frozen bag of peas help with localised pain.

Apart from that I will not take the chance that some new wonder pill will help me increase muscle power and so make me stronger. I bet there are a few athletes around that wished they had followed that regime aswell.

Yeah- I do sometimes feel old, my back hurts, my legs aren't as solid as I would like, but same as you- all the doctor says is that "It is an age thing so take a bit more exercise".

I would like to get my overweight- pompous doctor out with me on a Sunday morning to see if I am doing enough exercise, but She probably won't be able to squeeze into XXXXL lycra shorts to be able to ride a bike, not that I would like to see her trying either.

No I am sorry but I am adamant on this. If I can't buy it a the local supermarket, or if the doctor does not prescribe it- I don't use it.

Gee,

I have taken various supplements over the years but can't say is they have really changed
anything.....for me. The best thing I ever did to combat aging was to take a Yoga class.
With a good instructor who was slow and emphasized(sp) 'Held Poses' over calisthenics it
worked miracles for me. At first I felt like a 'bull in a china shop', but after a couple of months
I was much more flexible and was able to get out of bed much more quickly in the morning,
and being in a room full of babes in tights isn't bad either.


LastPlace

Check out the "relaxant for stiff muscles" thread.

IMO, sounds like you might benefit from trying yoga.

I'm with you Stapfam. I don't like to take things even if a Doctor prescribes them. I try to get off as soon as possible. Recently, I have begun with Lipitor to reduce the cholesterol count. As far as I am concerning when I am tested again at the end of Nov. and it is down I am coming off the medication. At that point I will just attempt to maintain the lower rate through biking and diet.

I'm possibly the least flexible person in the universe. Standard stretches seem to cause injury to me moreso than prevent them. Recently, I ordered some yoga DVD's off of Amazon and have to say so far so good. I can't assume most of the positions yet, even the beginner ones, but I'm noticing less muscular-skeletal aches and pains and my range of motion is improving drastically...for me.

Obviously, I can't tell if this would relieve your situation, but if I can finally touch my toes effortlessly and sustain the hold for a while, it will be like a personal renaissance.

Not there yet, but optimistic.

OK - I'm obviously the odd man out, but I **do** take supplements (mostly on my wife's insistance), and (though I wouldn't admit it to her) the supplements **do** seem to help!

For the past decade and a half, I'd been plagued by intermittent neck pain from a bulged disc. The pain would come once or twice a month and was so bad that unless I took the narcotics prescribed by my sports medicine doctor, I'd have to go to the hospital.

I've been taking a glucosamine-chondroitin (sp?) supplement and a daily dose of calcium with vitamin D, a daily dose of potassium, and a daily dose of magnesium.

Since I've been taking the supplements regularly, I've **rarely** had to resort to the pain killers! My neck attacks are less frequent and less severe.

To increase strength, I've been working out with dumbbells on a daily basis. This keeps my upper body strength up.

I also stretch before my daily ride (and should probably stretch more).

I'm remarkably pain-free considering the abuse my body has taken over the past half century plus. I believe that the supplements have helped. By the way - take the calcium + vitamin D at a different meal than the other minerals - the combo will prevent absorption of one or the other.

Best of luck, Gary!

Thanks Far Horizon,

I do take many of those suppliments as well, although I only knew first hand that the glucosamine and chondroitin seemed to work on my knees. I take both with MSM in Move Free everyday. I also take fish oil because my wife told me that it's not only good for the heart, but for skeletal problems as well.

By the way, good tip on the calcium. I never knew that about not mixing it with vitamin D at the same meal.

Just wanted to add that Move Free seems to be most beneficial for me personally, although I've mostly used it for my knees, but that it took around three months for it to start kicking in.

...By the way, good tip on the calcium. I never knew that about not mixing it with vitamin D at the same meal.

The calcium and vitamin D are together in the same tablet - they compliment each other. The magnesium/potassium are also complimentary. Magnesium and calcium together though are verboten!

I have been taking a multi vitamin, an extra vitamin C, glucosamine-chondroitan, and fish oil daily for over a year, and I have not felt this good, physically, in 15 years. Of course, biking regularly and swimming two nights a week has helped too. Between the exercise and cutting out caffiene and dark liquids, I've lost about 20 pounds, too.

BOY, with a thread title like this in the 50+ forum, I thought this would be one wild thread !!!!! ;)

I would look first to cleaning up your diet. Lose the sugar and the caffeine and see if you feel any better. Then you can move on to more veggies, less meat. But I have found trying to change too many things at one time doesn't work.

I have a DVD for stretching (AM PM Stretch) and have found it to contain many yoga positions. If I remember right it was about 20 dollars.

Do you suffer from any allergies? My husband has found that a teaspoon a day of local honey has eliminated his allergies. But it has to be local to you not any honey that you buy in the store.

Now do I follow this advice? .... I try

I take the 50+ vitamins and fish oil pills. I took glucosamine for the better part of the year, but it never seemed to help my arthritis, so I dropped it.

Besides my bike riding, I needed specific exercises to help my back (degenerative discs). It's been about a year and a half since I bought the "Healthy Abs and Back" video from the University of Michigan Medical School Spine Program, and I still do the exercises. I really think they have helped. I had done some of these exercises way back when I had physical therapy for my back, but I would have never thought that my cratered back would let me do this many exercises to stretch and strenghten my back and trunk. The video is just $11, including shipping, and I highly recommend it. You can find it at: http://www.med.umich.edu/pmr/spine/video.htm.

glucosamine-chondroitan
After taking this for three weeks my knees quieted down somewhat from the snap, crackle, popping. I take 1/3 the dosage, i.e. one tablet a day.

Have you had a complete physical recently?

hi im 52 :D :D :D :D :D

[QUOTE=p8rider]Recently, I have begun with Lipitor to reduce the cholesterol count. As far as I am concerning when I am tested again at the end of Nov. and it is down I am coming off the medication.QUOTE]

As soon as you stop the Lipitor your cholesterol will return to the pre-Lipitor levels within 3 to 6 months. Some studies even show that going off statins can cause a dangerous cholesterol "spike". This remains the subject of debate. There are other ways to lower cholesterol in addition to a strict diet. Statins are an easy way to bring down levels and keep them there without much risk (to most people).

I have been on and off and have been tested regularly. If you don't have symptoms (sore muscles, abnormal levels of CK) it's no biggie to be on them, assuming there is a good reaosn to be on them in the first place.

My supplement of choice was holding off a 30 something 160 lb litespeed rider for about 10 miles on Saturday. He finally got me on a 90 degree turn going over a bridge. While I was working to keep him off my rear wheel my knees, my back and even my recently trashed shoulder felt like they were 21 ! The endorphins produced in a ride beat any pain killer known to man ! Unfortunately my 55 year old brain would not let me taske that corner any faster than about 15 mph. The hills were coming up so he would have dropped me anyway but man that was enough of a supplemnt to keep me going therest of the year !

I'm glad you seem to be feeling better! I've had quite a bit of experience with various forms of exercize, so I'll pass along some of my experiences, FWIW. I ride my bike about 75% of the time, but I think it's beneficial to overall fitness to mix in some other activities.

I take supplements to help repair the damage I did to my body with years of the wrong lifestyle. But I don't know how much they help with aches and pains. Unfortunately, although cycling is relatively low impact, it does take some toll on aging bodies. Also, any repetetive motion, like pedalling, can lead to more strain on certain muscles and joints.

Instead of cycling all the time, I do some form of cross training one or two days a week. Try a weight bearing cardio exercize, like walking, running, aerobics, tennis, golf, dancing once in a while to help increase bone density. They say men need to worry about that too. Something for the upper body is a good switch, too. That would be cardio activities like rowing and swimming, for example.

Weight lifting is important too. The muscles support the bones and joints, so if they are stronger, you might hurt less. A good trainer or physical therapist can advise on exercizes that won't make things worse. Weight lifting is said to help with bone density too.

I also agree with those who suggested yoga to help with flexibility. Stretching can be good too. Even martial arts can help you get more flexible, and it's pretty fun. I hope you find some of my ideas to be useful.

You might also want to rethink your DF bike. The riding position can aggravate lots of different areas of the old body. Switching to a LWB recumbent got rid of; Low back pain, neck & shoulder pain, crotch pain and wrist & forearm pain. LWB recumbents work with the bod instead of against it. It's Zen, in its own way. Food for thought. bk