Would it be of added benefit to consume a multivitamin with a postworkout shake?
I’ve done this for a while. Well, usually I take them before I workout, so all those nutrients are there for the body to use when it’s needed. It makes a lot of sense, and I can’t think of a reason not to.
I doubt there would be any difference between taking it before, during, or after, though.
Right~
Since I workout at approximately the same time each day (after 8:00pm) I take my multivitamin pack after I get home from the gym with my postworkout shake.
On non lifting, workout days (rugby practice, throwing practice) I take them after the workout as well.
I have been taking Universal’s Animal Pak for a little over 4 months and have seen great improvement in my over all health and recovery time.
Sprout
Is your reasoning for taking vitamins after your workout the same as why you drink P + C – greater uptake by a needy system?
RSU,
Yep, that’s what I would think. I see it as a better time to take your multi vs. some arbitrary time during the day, for example morning.
As the most nutrient bankrupt meal, it makes sense to take a multi with the PWO shake. In his book, Udo Erasmus says that when sugar is eaten, because it is lacking in nutrients, it robs the body’s stores of vitamins and minerals instead. Berardi, meanwhile, does not tell us to take our multis at a specific time @
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/qa/afc/afc_dec062002.htm
I wouldn’t recommend it.
Recoba,
Aha, that is an excellent point. I forgot that most people consume Surge or a Surge-like beverage after training. Highly refined sugars such as this does require external nutrients to use it. These external nutrients come from the body’s nutrient stores if it is consumed alone. If you take a good vitamin with the sugar, then it should help reduce the use of the body’s nutrient stores.
Loopfit, why not?
MRBP and Reb. - I read your posts but am unclear if you’re saying that taking the multi would help combat the nutrient robbing effect of sugars or if it would be useless because of the nutrient robbing effect of sugars. Sorry for the confusion.
RSU,
The former.
It’s all about action/reaction protocols. This is also why you should avoid or at least minimize anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofin if you are trying to put on muscle, same goes for fish oils.
I’m with loopfit - well somewhat
I take the Multi 45-30 Mins pre-training so the nutrients are available in the blood stream.
I then take 1grm Vit C and 400 UI Vit E with PWO shake.
The Anti-Ox post workout should be faster and easily absorbed without compettion for receptors.
The anti-oxidants taken directly postworkout might interfere with the anabolic response of muscle damage. After training, the body works overtime to repair muscle damage. This is very anabolic and leads to new muscle growth. When anti-oxidants are added post workout, it minimizes the need for the body to repair the damage done, thus it minimizes the anabolic response mechanism. That’s just a simple to understand definition of what I mean. Same thing with inflammation. Inflammation of muscle is very anabolic because the body is forced to repair it better than it was before. Using anti-inflammatories such as fish oils will minimize this anabolic response because the body will not send out a repair mechanism because it doesn’t sense the need to. This is why some people recommend high intake of saturated fat when bulking. Saturated fat contains arachidonic acid, which is highly flammatory. Not good for joint pain and such, but good for adding muscle. There’s even a supplement from Molecular Nutrition called X-Factor which is basically arachidonic acid, which is used as an anabolic aid.
Would you recommend omega-6’s to increase muscle gain? How about beating muscles with a clubell?
John Berardi said in one of his articles (going on memory here) that post-workout was the ideal time to take anti-oxidants. I believe he said absorbtion was better then.
Also, I think if you take Surge, wouldn’t the insulin surge help shuttle the anti-oxidants where they were needed most?
BB,
One would think so. Due to the heightened sensitivity and utilization of everything, I would argue that post-workout is the best time for almost any supplement. For example, fish oil or cod liver oil would be good in the one hour post-workout window, as well as any vitamin/mineral/antioxidant supplement. Vitamins and minerals are important for the anabolic process, so it is an ideal time. Especially in the presence of highly refined post-workout nutrition.
I would also highly recommend vegetable juicing post-workout.
Often people worry about the increase in glycemic index when you juice, but drinking it post-workout solves this issue.