It goes without saying that a good diet is key to good health. As a fan of fitness and dieting, I'm always interested in reading about how professionals train and what diet supplements they take post workouts and, for triathletes, what they ingest during races.
So in addition to a well balanced diet, I was wondering what dietary supplements you guys take (if any). When I was marathon training, I drank undiluted Gatorade during runs with Gu every 4 miles and drank Muscle Milk for post-workout recovery. Other people preferred drinking Accelerade, eating Powerbars or Sports Beans, etc. but they didn't seem to do it for me. Because I sweat a lot I also found out that I needed to take in a lot of salt to prevent dehydration. (Dehydration, by the way, sucks big time!)
Even though I've long put off running because of bum knees, I find that Muscle Milk still works well for post workout swims and weight training. It helps to reduce muscle fatigue - if I don't drink it I will be sore.
We all have our own preferences, so I hope this doesn't turn into a flame thread. It's just interesting to hear what you guys are using for diet supplements.
Former Member
I've read in Rip Esselstyn's book "The Engine 2 Diet", that fish oils are considered by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to be potential risks and are "highly unstable molecules that can break down and release dangerous, disease causing free radicals"
I don't agree with that statement. Do they have any research to back it up?
I've started drinking coconut water for more potasssium and I'm going to start using a product called "Leg Cramps" with quinine because I'm so prone to calf cramps.
There is no proof that quinine works, and it is not without side effects. I would stay away from it.
There is no proof that quinine works, and it is not without side effects. I would stay away from it.
I think the "side effects" come from the gin, not the quinine...
Multi-vitamin and extra vitamin D daily.
Coffee in the morning, and water the rest of the day.
I have started to drink G2 during workouts to fuel my body.
Sometimes after an especially hard workout (or after an adult beverage or two) I drink the Endurox recovery. Its not as disgusting as some of the other stuff that I have tried.
I told my friends to never let me become the person at the doctor's office that has a separate page of all of the medications and supplements I take.
Interesting that so many people are taking fish oil. I don't think I've ever even heard of it before reading this thread! .
I've been a member on a board for body weight exercises for years. Most members are into boxing and Martial Arts.
Fish oil seems to be the most common supplement they pretty much all take.
.
finally, whether I want to or not, 2 glasses of good red wine :rolleyes: in the evening.
Lol..why is that?
That is both funny and a really good idea.
I have a swim friend who used to take a double dose of Accelerade the morning after imbibing adult beverages.
I take fish oil, flax seed oil and Vitamin B. I've started drinking coconut water for more potasssium and I'm going to start using a product called "Leg Cramps" with quinine because I'm so prone to calf cramps. I use endurox/Balance bars for convenience or else throw whey protein and flax seed oil into fruit smoothies. My doc recommended flax seed for dry eyes.
Vitamin B is apparently contra-indicated if one has sleep issues though ...
Sometimes after an especially hard workout (or after an adult beverage or two) I drink the Endurox recovery. Its not as disgusting as some of the other stuff that I have tried.
That is both funny and a really good idea.
I have a swim friend who used to take a double dose of Accelerade the morning after imbibing adult beverages.
I think before going to bed would be even better. There is no reason that restoring hydration and electrolytes needs to wait until the morning, and probably a little late if you want to get a practice in :)
Interesting that so many people are taking fish oil. I don't think I've ever even heard of it before reading this thread! What are its purported benefits?
Here is my experience.
Though my LDL and total cholesterol levels are great, I have perennially very low HDL levels in my blood -- not helped at all by exercise levels -- and sometimes have trouble with high triglyceride levels. My doctor attributes both to genetics given my family medical history (though I also have a sweet tooth I struggle to control at times) and has me on Lipitor mostly to boost HDL. I get tested several times a year to ensure my dosage level is correct; my HDL still is not high.
I heard that fish oil was good for this and tried it for quite some time; I would rather fish oil than a prescription drug (I didn't stop taking the Lipitor during this time, however). Alas, there was no affect on test results that I noticed, so I stopped. I subsequently asked my doctor about it and he basically said my body just doesn't know what to do with the stuff. YMMV.
i get my fish oil from sardines.
This is a good point. There does not seem to be any medical dispute that you need only a small amount of omega-3's, so if you eat fatty fish like sardines or salmon, no need for fish oil. If you don't eat anything that naturally contains omega-3s or is fortified, then fish oil might be a benefit.
