My Sports Nutrition Formula Keeps Me Strong, Healthy and Fit
Apr 23 '02 (Updated Apr 24 '02)
The Bottom Line Talk with your doctor about your specific needs. Make sure you know what you are taking and why.
How to choose a sports nutrition formula? I am taking my best guess in thinking this means how I went about choosing the nutrition formula I use. This is a review redo and when I first wrote it I was using Slim-Fast, which was horrible, in my opinion and was not on my regular protein shake. I now drink a protein shake after my workouts, sometimes it is a brand name, sometimes something I make myself with whey and soy protein.
~I have been taking various vitamins, minerals and supplements for many years now. I have been apprehensive about writing in this whole vitamin area because I am a Certified Personal Trainer and we are taught not to give advice about vitamins and minerals other than recommending a multivitamin a day. I decided to let you know what I take because I have been asked so many times. I will tell you what I take and why. As usual if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
~I will start by telling you what I don’t take and that is what is commonly known as The Stack. (Since the orginal review I did try Hydroxycut which made me sick and I did review.) It is anything with Ephedra, Ma Huang, Caffeine or Aspirin in it. These products are huge sellers. They go under the name of Hydroxycut, as I just mentioned and Anabolic Drive Series made by Met-RX. There are so many now sold right at CVS you don't have to go to a specialty store to buy this concoction.
~It says right on the bottle “Ma Huang, caffeine and synephrine. In normal doses if you are not on any other medications, these may not be harmful. You must check with your doctor before you take anything with Ma Huang or any derivative of it." Ask at the store. The clerk will tell you if it contains anything that could be harmful. If they don’t, they can be in big trouble. I find the stores very honest about these products. You may have a heart condition you don’t know about or be taking a medication you think will be ok with Ephedra. Don’t assume anything.
~I use creatine on and off. I use Femme Advantage, which is made for women and seems to cut down on the bloating that many women experience from the powdered creatine. You do not have to load it. (Take a heavier dose for a few days.) Femme Advantage is only taken on the days I work out also. It is a liquid and a few drops in water before my workout does increase my strength. It is expensive, though. If your goal is to be toned rather than build muscle, don’t waste your money.
~I started on this journey by taking a pack of nutrients made by a former Mr. USA. I knew him (I am not naming him since I do not have his permission to talk about him in this review.) and really liked the combination of nutrients he put together. The box comes with a 30-day supply for about $33.00. What made me stop using it was that I found I was supplementing this "Pak" with other nutrients not in the pack costing me additional money. I also thought after awhile that there were some nutrients in the pack that I may not need, again wasting my money. Some of these are paprika, Juniper Berries and Horsetail Grass. Those three among others are herbal water eliminators (in other words a diuretic.) I drink a gallon of water a day and am in the bathroom constantly. I didn’t need to be in it more. It also contained bee propolis and vegetable fiber among other nutrients for energy. I didn’t think I needed those either. So I dropped the "Pak" and lost a friend.
~Then with my knowledge as a trainer, what I did learn from Mr. USA, readings I did and trial and error, I put together a dozen supplements my husband and I take every day. I follow the recommended daily dosage in each case. I never overload. I do take a couple of supplements my husband doesn’t take and I’ll start with those. For the sake of length I will not go into details about the nutrient itself. I will give you a sentence or two however of each.
~I take Evening Primrose Oil and my husband does not. It’s a source of polyunsaturated fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA). It is an anti-inflammatory. Many, many years ago, the doctors thought I had Multiple Sclerosis. There is some research the EPO helps the myelin in the brain so I take it.
~I also take L-Glutamine and he does not. It helps the immune system and prevents muscle breakdown.
~The most important tablet as I have already said is a multi vitamin. In a recent review I noted that my trustworthy Trader Joe’s brand that I thought was so complete had changed formulas a bit and wasn't as complete as in the past. I thought I would change brands at the time but was in Trader Joe's and bought another large bottle of their multivitamins. These contain: Vitamins A, B-Complex, Niacin (B-3), Pyridoxine (B-6), Cyanocobalamin (B-12), Biotin, C, D, E, Calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, folate and zinc.
~In addition to the Multi-Vitamin, we take in a separate tablet: C, E, Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Flaxseed Oil, Chromium, Ginkgo Biloba and Garlic.
~The approximate cost of this regiment is between $15-$25 per month depending on what is on sale and what is not. Most of our supplements come from Vitamin World. We find this store to have the best prices and as good a quality as anything else I have come across.
~As I noted above we also drink a shake a day made of soy milk, soy and whey protein powders, and sometimes I will throw in powdered egg whites. On occasion we will buy pre-mixed Myoplex which I like a lot.
In order to see why I take what I do, I have already told you what Evening Primrose Oil does and L-Glutamine. Briefly the others which have a significant percentage in the multi vitamin or are taken separately:
A: helps fight infection, good for the skin, bones, kidneys and eyes.
The B’s: helps the nervous system, muscle tone, hair, skin, nails, the digestive system and circulation.
C: helps in healing and in fighting bacterial infections.
D: promotes strong bones, teeth, protects against muscle weakness, helps the heart.
E: helps circulation and promotes normal clotting and healing
Calcium: prevents bone loss, needed for the heart and nerves.
Iron: builds up blood quality
Potassium: needed for muscles, nerves and the heart.
Selenium: helps the immune system, helps regulate metabolic rate.
Zinc: for healing and the development of new cells, reproductive organs and prostrate glands.
Garlic: helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Ginkgo Biloba: helps with memory loss and mental concentration.
Chromium: involved in metabolizing glucose for energy; brings protein where it is needed
Flaxseed Oil: prevents heart disease; anti-cancer
In summary: All these can be found in foods. In addition the above statements and supplements have not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration. They should not be used to treat, cure or prevent any disease in and of themselves, in my opinion and in the opinion of other. Please check expiration dates and keep supplements in a cool place. If you want additional information regarding what foods they are found in, e-mail me. My doctor knows every supplement I take, yours must also.
Some of the specific information about what vitamins and supplements do come from a variety of sources including a VitaminWorld pamphlet, a Muscle & Fitness magazine pull-out and The Nutrition Almanac.
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