Supplements

6 watchers

Kieren May 2011 10:32am, 18 May 2011 3,244 posts	0 Kieren JonnyO & Vrap, I used to be pretty against supplementing anything and getting everything from a balanced diet. If you dig back on some of my older comments you'll see that - I was even against gels in races. However, I have changed my opinion. Even with a balanced diet, if you are training hard I don't think it's possible to get everything you need without supplementing. I believe most people, even with a balanced diet and lots of vegetables, have mineral deficiencies so I think supplementing minerals is worthwhile, Vitamins seem to be easy enough to get from diet alone for most. Protein shakes - I take these but don't think they are necessary. 100ml of milk contains 5g of carbs and 3.4g of protein - a mixture of fast acting whey and slower cassien. It also contains BCCAs to help delivery. I have a power with water that sits in my bag all day - milk is not always practical to this end. Hard training can deplete your vitamin and mineral reserves. For the recreational runner it's probably not an issue. For the twice a day runner, Iron Man etc, supplementing is probably worthwhile -it's easy to deplete iron and magnesium. There are plenty of free diet websites that can track your intake for you with user added food databases to inputting all fields is not required. I use www.myfitnesspal.com . I suppose it's as simple as track what you eat for a couple of months, if you are deficient, supplement. Alice, I used to take glucosamine when training for distance. You need to take about 1500mg glucosamine a day and it can take about 3 weeks to seep into the system according what I have read. Research seems to give mixed reviews to whether it works or not. However, if definately helped my knees when marathon training and feedback from other runners / people I've met with arthritis is generally good. ymmv
Velociraptor May 2011 10:34am, 18 May 2011 15,930 posts	0 Velociraptor Nobody "needs" to take any glucosamine. Ever. The reputable research is not mixed, it's universally negative.
HellsBells May 2011 10:38am, 18 May 2011 7,678 posts	0 HellsBells the supplement industry makes shed loads of dosh for the manufacturers - that is its only benefit
JohnnyO May 2011 10:45am, 18 May 2011 8,444 posts	0 JohnnyO You can believe what you like, but you will need to show me evidence. - and in particular, evidence that doesn't come from the companies selling the supplements, that is. And I concur with the dinosaur's glucosamine comment. I just spent five minutes on Myfitnesspal and was bombarded with adverts for all kinds of food and supplements. The spirit of McKeith lives on.
Alice the Camel May 2011 11:24am, 18 May 2011 356 posts	0 Alice the Camel I wonder why the doctor in the orthopaedic dept of the local hospital prescribed Glucosamine (amongst other stuff....) if the reviews are so negative? I must admit I'm not convinced of it's powers - I've been taking it for about 3 weeks now. I doubt I shall replace this bottle when it's finished.
Kieren May 2011 11:28am, 18 May 2011 3,245 posts	0 Kieren nobody needs to take anything - plenty of people survive on junk food with no fruit or veg, and fizzy drinks all day. I use the iphone app for myfitness pal. However those are the types of ads I would expect just as I get bombarded with races and shoes on running sites. I have to partly agree with Johnny about the stuidies when it comes to supplements. There is a hell of a lot of fud out there - a lot of it from studies commissioned by the the companies that are bringing what ever wonder product to market. For glusocamine I disagree with the dinosaur. Although most research is tending to find no benefit, it is not universally negative. Maybe 70:30 - I did say your mileage might vary. I felt I got a benefit from it and I think a lot of runners have also used it with success. That could of coure be placebo effect or even training adaption but blanket dismissal no. I'm not showing anyone any evidence if I don't have a link to hand. Everyone is perfectly capable of doing their own leg work and using google, british / US medial journal, sport science websites which will also often link the study, books or articles. No offence but my procrastination only stretches are far as me. Looking up stuff for you I would consider work
Velociraptor May 2011 11:34am, 18 May 2011 15,932 posts	0 Velociraptor There is DEFINITELY no good evidence that glucosamine is in any way relevant to mileage. Such evidence as we briefly hoped we had to support using it related to symptomatic established knee osteoarthritis, and to pain relief only, and was one study. I'm slightly surprised too, AtC. Some orthopods in the UK went through a glucosamine and chondroitin phase, but PCT prescribing advisors soon stamped on that and these products are now blacklisted for prescribing by most PCTs in the UK. Not because they're "expensive", but because they're ineffective.
Kieren May 2011 11:49am, 18 May 2011 3,248 posts	0 Kieren I'd imagine they are also unregulated like most other supplements - which probably needs a mention.
heebiejeebie May 2011 5:41pm, 18 May 2011 1,518 posts	0 heebiejeebie JohnnyO - when I go on Myfitnesspal I get bombarded with adverts for chocolate
The_Saint May 2011 5:50pm, 18 May 2011 4,818 posts	0 The_Saint Supplements are going to be regulated soon and the pedlars of them aren't happy about this, here's a link I have provided before which pictorially goes through the evidence base for Snake Oil Supplements informationisbeautiful.net People go on about the evils of "Big Pharma", they are mysteriously silent about "Big Supplement" and "Big Placebo"