obed7

True.
Another thing when talking about people in the over 50 catagory and what "suppliments" they use, that needs to be taken into consideration, is that a lot of us got into cycling later in life as a result of some health/weight related issue that "forced" us into some type of exercise program. That in itself sort of implies some kind of deficiencies that might need to be compensated for. So, the over 50 bunch may be more inclined to suppliment use than younger age groups. When I started cycling I had multiple things to deal with... diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, high chlorestoral (sp),over weight, and skin cancer....my doctor told me, you are old and fat, I can do nothing about your age, but if you lose weight and exercise you might get older....hence I started cycling. In the beginning it was just hated exercise, that I hated less than the indoor exercise machine, then I grew to love it as I lost weight, got off my diabetes meds, reduced my blood pressure meds....I just look at is as all the money I spend on bikes and related things, is money I am not giving to my doctors.

MinnMan

uh huh, and now you own 4 bikes and....

Such a common story.

obed7

yep, it is a pretty common story, both in the over 50 and clyde sections of the forum.

doctor j

I take a generic 50+ multivitamin for males each day.

About a month ago, I got my annual blood work done.

My doc, a snotty-nose, smart alec, young punk road cyclist wrote "great labs" on it and stuck it in the mail.

So far, so good.

rumrunn6

there is some truth to some vitamins and supplements. my 2 cents: "research research research"

I'm currently an advocate for lemons to fight/prevent gout attacks

good luck! :-)

BlazingPedals

You should be getting regular check-ups, and be taking what your doc recommends based on your bloodwork. In the US, the vitamin and supplement industry is unregulated and the manufacturers make all sorts of claims and recommendations which, if followed, can be unnecessarily expensive.

MinnMan

Just as an aside, when one of my orthopedists told me to go buy vitamin D and Ca supplements, he said, "Don't go to the supermarket, the CVS, or to the vitamin/supplement store. Go to the food co-op and get the organic stuff."

Mind you, this guy is no hippy - he's well in to his 60s and a military doc who just returned from a tour in Afghanistan, with a brush haircut and a penchant for telling stories about his younger days as a boxer.

I have no opinion about what this means regarding where you should buy your supplements or if you should buy them at all. A lot of the stuff they sell in the vitamin/supplement section of my food co-op looks to me like something close to snake oil. But for the vitamin D and calcium, I followed his instructions.

Needles

I'm pretty new here, but I have 20 years experience as an RN, and am a practicing DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine--- acupuncture, Chinese herbal therapy, diet therapy, meditation, Qi Gung, etc.) In general, I recommend never taking diet & nutrition advice from an MD, with a very few exceptions (Dr. Weill,for example.) American MDs get virtually zero education in diet & nutrition. Seriously, the girl in the herbs aisle at Whole Foods is more reliable for diet and herbs., though I wouldn't recommend her for significant problems. Do not misunderstand, if you need an MD, see an MD--- they generally know their stuff. They not only do not know herbs and diet, most of them know nothing about herb/drug interactions, food/drug interactions, or what problems can be effectively addressed with herbs or dietary changes. Some docs are suspicious of your desire to try alternate/complimentary therapy. At any rate, many problems CAN be treated without drugs. My own cholesterol creeped up over the years. It was only around 200, so I refused any medicines, until it hit 210. Applying what I know, I made some changes in diet, and started taking some herbs along with niacin, regularly. In 6 months It was 173. I have treated patients with similar protocols and they have had excellent results. Sometimes the big sticks (drugs) are necessary. Sometimes all you need is a nudge in the right direction.

Carbonfiberboy 

Putting BCAAs in your water bottle ≠ eating meat:
Branched-chain amino acid supplementation attenuates muscle soreness, muscle damage and inflammation during an intensive training program. - PubMed - NCBI

Mr IGH

Just met my new PCP (Primary Care Physician), when I told her I like to under-medicate and eat healthy instead of taking vitamins she said, "We're going to get along fine!"

MinnMan

Interesting, but besides the point. The described study shows that the group who ingested more BCAA had less muscle soreness. It does not demonstrate or test whether the source of their additional BCAAs (e.g., supplements or enhanced dietary intake) makes a difference.

So, for example, perhaps one could get the same effect by eating a lot of turkey....
(e.g., https://www.livestrong.com/article/54...-bodybuilding/).

Carbonfiberboy 

Is that at the caloric rate of 20 cal/5g BCAAs?

I think turkey in my water bottle sounds disgusting, especially so after a few hours on a warm day. Besides, I believe turkey runs ~5g BCAA/lb. lean breast meat, which contains over 600 calories. My usual advice is to only eat back 1/2 calories one expends riding. Eating a pound of turkey before and after doesn't sound that great.

jon c. 

Besides, I often see wild turkeys on my rides and it would make me feel a bit awkward had I just eaten a turkey sandwich.

MinnMan

There's something wrong with the numbers in that Livestrong article I posted. It says that a portion of turkey is 1 lb and has 123 calories. There's no way that is right. So I wouldn't argue the details of that information. The point is that there's no demonstrated advantage in getting particular nutrients via supplements as compared to diet. If you *want* your nutrients in your water bottle, that's fine, but the study you posted doesn't prove that you need to have it in a drink or during exercise or in a packaged material.

Again, I'm sure that some supplements are beneficial, and I take some vitamins (for example), but for me personally the lesson is chiefly that I should try my best to eat a healthy balanced diet, rather than eat without thought and depending instead on supplements.

doctor j

Not only disgusting, but perhaps physically impossible. How would one get a turkey into one's water bottle?

icyclist 

My problem with supplements is that I don't know what's in them. There's no regulation, no official testing.

Do I take them? Occasionally I'll take a fish oil tablet if I'm not eating fish a couple of times a week. Mostly, I try to eat healthy meals and exercise, with some of it in the sun.

To the OP, I don't think I have seen much discussion about supplements on the forums I read on this website.

Carbonfiberboy 

The problem is that the BF search engine is mostly useless. Try googling "supplements site:https://www.bikeforums.net/training-nutrition/" of course without the quotes. There ya go.

It is sad that there's no product testing. Of course many, many people use the popular supplements from major brands and have opinions about whether or not they do what they're supposed to. Thus there is some responsibility shown by the major brands to produce pure high quality material.

There's also the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) testing. No brand can afford to have an athlete using their products fail a WADA test. At least one has a pretty good idea what's not in a product.

Matariki

+100

osco53

I enjoy eating, I eat right, love the taste of good foods, Vitamin's have no taste, are often full of sugar to make you feel good.

I take my vitamin/supplement money and spend it on good food. GOOD FOODS cost money. I'm 56 I feel 30...

I beat arthritis with a mountain bike and water.
I beat two herniated disks with exercise and water.
I beat high blood pressure and bad cholesterol with proper diet, exercise and water.
I got my weight and body fat Index in the sweet spot with my bikes and proper diet, exercise and water.

Vitamins, supplements, really ? Your Kidding right ? ,,,


Of course for people who stress about life or work too much or don't get enough rest or eat poorly,,
Vitamin's and supplement's may be the only way you can survive....

peterws

Definitely a difference between the american health service and the British!
Went to see the nurse for a good test. Here, us oldies were encouraged to have regular tests, without having to bother the Quack. So I go in to see him. A good looking young Scot with an Edinburgh accent. Designed to wind up the English, and he did. To perfection.
Yes?
I'm here for a blood test.
Why?
Because I asked for one.
Who sent you?
I did.
How am I to know what to test for?
You test for general conditions commensurate with the age and records of the patient, which you have in front of you.

peterws

Can't do that without a doctors authority.

He was looking at me unnervingly all the time.

Things have changed in my country.

Rowan

I have to chuckle at this. 50c a week doesn't do much in upgrading my food.

And I am almost 60, but still work a physically heavy-duty, five-day-a-week job. The colour of my urine is my personal test for the uptake of Vitamin B in particular.

I also learned on long-distance rides -- that's three 1200, two 1000, three or four 600 and 400 and innumerable 200s and centuries that Vitamin B is a pretty important vitamin for me, and lack of it manifests itself in a sore tongue and the onset of mouth ulcers.

I also take glucosamine and I've noted when I go off it, my knee and hip and finger joints start to become painful. And I seem to have a deficiency in magnesium, so I take a supplement to counter missed heartbeats.

Much is made about people who eat a good diet don't need vitamins. I would have thought that venturing outside this forum into, say, the Clydesdale and Athenas forum, or the Training and Nutrition forum would indicate that there are many people who don't have a balanced diet, especially those who rely on fast food and restaurants and processed packaged food to provide their nutrition. Anyone who engages in a physical activity might also be in deficit in regard to the need for vitamins.

I eat a pretty good diet these days -- a fair bit of fruit, quite a lot of vegetables, fish, whole grains...

rootboy 

Chain? Hell, I don't waste it on my chain. I drink it.

rydabent

While im sure that genetics are 80% or more of it, I have taken a vitamin and mineral pill most of my life. Im 77, never been in a hospital, and could easily pass for being in my late 50s. I ride approx 2500 miles a year which quite probably helps a great deal also.

Little Darwin

I tend to take a multi-vitamin pretty regularly, and now I am rethinking it.

I just heard about a study (and I haven't researched further yet) that followed people on an exercise regimen to research the the impact of antioxidants. Two groups were studied, one with placebos, and the other with vitamin E and C supplementation.

The study claims to have shown that the cellular markers usually associated with the benefits of antioxidants were actually more pronounced on the cells of those who were not taking the supplements.

So, in effect, if it is confirmed with other studies etc, taking supplemental C and E can actually hinder your body from doing what the vitamins were traditionally suggested to improve. What I heard seemed to indicate it was for people who were exercising, so I am not sure if studies have shown different results for the more sedentary.

I eat poorly sometimes, but I have always felt that the best answer is a good healthy diet instead of supplementation... For me the supplementation comes in when I know I am not eating right.