T Nation

One Large Meal Plus Supplements

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Hey guys, not sure if anyone has an answer to this but I figured I’d give it a shot. So I’m basically doing intermittent fasting and eating only one large meal, my second meal usually only being a protein bar or shake just to meet my protein macros for the day, or something small at the end of my eating window. My supplements include:
Vitamin D 5000iu
Magnesium 200mg
Zinc 30mg
CoQ10 50-100mg
Vitamin C 1000mg
Fish oil 4g
B12 1000mcg
Turmeric 500mg
1tbsp dry or 4tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup broccoli sprouts
I consider those last two supplements because I eat them daily for specific reasons.

Now here’s my question, I consume all of this with my main meal. Is there any down side to this? Interactions between supplements, supplement timing, or any reason why this is a bad strategy? I do it mostly for convenience and I figured many of these would be better absorbed with food. The only thing outside of this is another 200mg magnesium I take before bed to help with sleep.
Not earth shattering I know, I’m just trying to dial everything in to get the most out of my nutrition and training, so thanks for any input!

#2

I can’t say that it’s a bad strategy because I don’t have any science to back it up. However, the way I’ve always viewed supps is that they’d do more when you’re running on an empty stomach. For some reason I feel like my body would be more eager to absorb whatever I’m ingesting when my stomach is empty, but that’s 100% speculation

#3

If it’s working for you and you’re strong and jacked keep it up. But from what I can see It sounds like you’re trying to fix crappy eating habits with supplements.

#4

What gave the impression of crappy eating habits? The intermittent fasting? I actually eat only whole organic/grass fed foods, nothing processed, haven’t eaten fast food in years and rarely drink alcohol. Most everything I eat is home made, including fermented foods and kefir. I track my macros and calories daily. My apologies if my question wasn’t clear, I didn’t want to run too long on the post so I didn’t include my diet in detail since the question pertained to supplements. I’m not trying to fix a bad diet with supplements, just enhance it, and I want to make sure I’m utilizing the supplements in the best way.

#5

Bit off topic but how bigs the meal and how do you finish all that in one sitting lol? Pics of monster meal would be nice

1 Like
#6

Is not buffet style big lol, I’m only eating 2000 calories on non training days so it adds up quick. So for example yesterday was ground pork and rice with cabbage and butter, whole milk kefir, 4g fish oil and a protein bar. Voila, 2000 calories.

#7

Having done this type of diet in the past, my issue has always been whether the benefits of the fasting period are offset by the ‘overloading’ from the eating period.

I appreciate you are only on 2,000 kcals a day, which actually isn’t a huge amount of energy over the space of, say, 4 hours. My own biggest issue was usually around trying to stop eating. This often culminated in gastric distress, making you happy to fast most of the next day before feeling sufficiently empty enough to embark on the same ‘overload’ again in the evening.

But going back to you opening post, I think there is so much debate about the efficacy of supplements in general that it doesn’t matter hugely when you take them. In the absence of blood work, it gets quite difficult to determine if you have any deficiencies. So perhaps fat soluble can be taken with meals and others, e.g. vit C, taken at other times? As I said, I doubt it matters that much.

#8

Yes I guess I’m leaning that way also, ill just keep doing what I’m doing and see how it plays out. Thanks for the replies.

#9

You are correct. There are some supps and medications that absorb better on an empty stomach, but they’re in the minority.

Really, it probably won’t matter all that much.