T Nation

Calcium Conflictions?

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Hey guys,

Sorry about the vagueness, but I remember reading a while ago about how consuming anything with calcium (for instance, milk or whey powder) will result in the calcium interfering with absorbtion of all sorts of stuff, such as ZMA, creatine, etc. I’ve started to look again but can’t really find anything about it. I’m left wondering, because I know a lot of people have creatine as part of their PWO drink, and other stuff that would seem to conflict. I know about “don’t believe everything you read”, so…yeah. Thoughts? Has anyone else heard about the general idea I am talking about?

#2

Yeah, calcium and so on can affect absorption of magnesium, zinc, and some other stuff if I remember correctly. Would be nice to have someone who actually knows about it chime in here =)

#3

If I recall correctly, calcium interferes with the absorption of magnesium, which is necessary for the absorption of zinc. I don’t believe creatine has the same problem.

#4

technically speaking, when taking products that involve the absorption of magnesium and zinc (for instance ZMA products) you should not ingest calcium within 30-45 mins… otherwise it will interfere with the proper intake of the specified ingredients into your system…

if you are taking zma, like me, i would ingest it 70-90 mins before bed, then right on the cusp of going to sleep, i bosh a Metabolic Drive… that way the zma has had all the time it needs for my body to take up the required ingredients…

i would use the same rule for other products. take surge for example, it says that immediately take oafter intense workout, THEN eat a meal to your dietary requirement 1-2 hours after Surge…

what this essentially is saying, (due to the nature of Surge turning your body into the repairing state it needs), give the ingredients time for your body to take them up into where it is most critically needed… then supply your body with its longer term needs, ie good nutritional food intake… this way, in relation to the OP, the calcium intake in any food should not inhibit anything…

#5

also, in relation to ‘dont believe everything you read’ you do need to almost second guess things. for example, your body is the most biologically advanced mechanism ever known, thus it will sort out its own way of doing things! i am certain that at some point your body has taken in something and then also taken something else that interferes with the previous(!). your body will have dealt with it.

when taking a supplement, your giving your body extra, so the nature to control it is obvious, and to provide optimum conditions, only helps your body deal with it! so in effect you can take what you want when you want, it just may not be as effective as if you take with the pre-supposed instruction. what this instruction does not provide, is relativity to the fact that every human body is unique!!!

gotta love nature eh!