Vitamin Supplements
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It is easy to forget about vitamin supplements with all of the talk about protein, creatine, and prohormones. Without getting sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals your body won’t be able to function at its top ability. This is just one reason why supplementing vitamins is a great idea.
This page will provide you with information about the Top 10 vitamin supplements and minerals most bodybuilders supplement and how each vitamin is used by your body. Also, there are links to more information about the vitamin supplements.
1. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Vitamin C is most commonly known for being a great antioxidant. This means that it helps rid the body of free radicals. Vitamin C can also raise your immune system which is nice because it’s no fun to work out with a cold. Ascorbic Acid is water soluble so it exits the body very quickly and must be replenished daily. Humans are one of few species that cannot produce their own vitamin C.
Vitamin C is also involved in the formation of Collagen, the primary constituent in connective tissue. As you lift heavier weights, you put more stress on your structure. If your connective tissue is not as strong as it should be you have a much higher risk of injury. Vitamin C has the ability to enhance recovery and growth in muscle cells.
Vitamin C also helps in the absorption of Iron. With an Iron deficiency, the amount of oxygen that gets bonded to hemoglobin in the blood decreases and muscular performance is greatly reduced.
Since a muscles cell is mostly water, the more muscular an athlete becomes, the more vitamin C disperses and the lower the concentration of this critical substance becomes in body tissues. So vitamin C requirements are greatly increased for bodybuilders.
Vitamin C assists in the formation and release of steroid hormones, including the anabolic hormone testosterone.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin C: The largest sources of vitamin C are present in citrus fruits and fruit juices.
Click here for TwinLab Quercetin Plus Vitamin C 50 Caps
2. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
This is the only vitamin directly tied to protein intake. The greater protein consumption, the greater amount of vitamin B6 you need. Vitamin B6 makes it possible for protein metabolism, growth and carbohydrate utilization to take place.
Dietary Sources of B6: Avocados, nuts, liver, chicken, fish, green beans, field salad, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables, and bananas.
Click here for TwinLab Vitamin B 100 Caps
3. Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Similar to vitamin B1, Thiamine is required for protein metabolism and growth. Vitamin B1 is involved in the formation of hemoglobin which is a protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen to working muscles in the body. Oxygen transportation becomes increasingly more important to athletic performance as intensity and duration of exercise increase. As the amount of exercise, intensity, and duration of exercise increase, the more thiamine is needed.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin B1: Green peas, Spinach, Liver, Beef, Pork, Navy beans, Nuts, Pinto beans, Bananas, Soybeans, Goji berries, Whole-grain and Enriched Cereals, Breads, Yeast,the aleurone layer of unpolished rice, and Legumes.
Click here for TwinLab Vitamin B 100 Caps
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary in the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus. If adequate stores of Calcium are not available in the muscle, full and hard muscular contractions will not be achieved. Quick, powerful muscular contractions are provided by Phosphorus. Phosphorus is also required for the synthesis of ATP.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin D: No-fat or low fat MILK.
5. Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Involved in nearly 60 metabolic processes related to energy production. Nicotine acid, a form of Niacin, causes vasodilatation which can help competitors looks more vascular on stage. Large doses of Nicotine acid drastically impairs the bodies ability to mobilize and burn fat.
Dietary Sources of Niacin: turkey meat (the body uses the amino acid tryptophan to create Niacin), dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts, and eggs.
Click here for TwinLab Vitamin B 100 Caps
6. Vitamin E
Used in protection of cell membranes since it is a powerful antioxidant. Recuperation and growth of muscle cells is dependent on healthy cell membranes.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin E: almonds, avocados, vegetable oils, spinach, corn, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
Click here for TwinLab Super Vitamin E Complex 50 Softgels
7. Vitamin A
Important in the synthesis of protein which is great because this is basically muscle growth! Involved in the production of Glycogen which is the bodies form of energy for high intensity activities. Vitamin A also helps with vision.
Dietary Sources of: liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe, dried apricots, milk, egg yolks, mozzarella cheese.
Click here for Schiff Immune Support Vitamin A 90 Softgels
8. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
For bodybuilding purposes, riboflavin is related to protein metabolism. There is a strong relationship between lean body mass and dietary riboflavin.
Riboflavin is involved in 3 main processes:
1. Glucose metabolism
2. Oxidation of fatty acids
3. The shuttling of Hydrogen through the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle where certain molecules are broken down into energy in the form of ATP).
Dietary Sources of Riboflavin: liver, almonds, soy nuts, shellfish, milk and other dairy products, and eggs.
Click here for TwinLab Vitamin B 100 Caps
9. Biotin
Biotin is critical in amino acid metabolism and production of energy from many sources. Bodybuilders who eat raw egg whites gain a substance called Advin, which blocks biotin absorption.
Dietary Sources of Biotin: egg yolk, liver, kidney, pancreas, milk, soya, and barley.
10. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B12 is responsible for carbohydrate metabolism and the maintenance of nervous system tissue (spinal cord, nerves that carry signals from the brain to muscle tissue). The stimulation of muscles via the nerve cells is a critical step in the contraction, coordination, and growth of muscles.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin B12: only available from foods of animal origin such as beef, chicken, fish, and pork.
Click here for TwinLab Vitamin B 100 Caps
Multi-Vitamin Supplements
These top 10 are just some of the more important vitamins and mineral you should consider. Multi-vitamin supplements are a great way to get these 10 vitamins as well as many others. I have compiled a comparison list of some great multi-vitamin supplements!
Click any product for more information.
| Vitamin Supplements | Retail Cost | Online Price | # of Servings | CPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AST Multi Pro 32X | $21.95 | $13.95 | 100 | $0.14 |
| Controlled Labs Orange TRIad | $56.95 | $24.95 | 45 | $0.55 |
| Hi-Tech Multi Vitamins with Minerals | $24.95 | $13.95 | 90 | $0.15 |
| ISS Research Super Vitamin Pak | $16.95 | $10.95 | 30 | $0.36 |
| ISS Research V/M Complete | $26.99 | $13.95 | 30 | $0.46 |
| MuscleTech Anabolic Vitakic | $58.99 | $28.95 | 30 | $0.96 |
| Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men | $29.95 | $18.95 | 90 | $0.21 |
| Optimum Nutrition Opti-Women | $35.99 | $16.95 | 60 | $0.28 |
| Optimum Nutrition Super Multi Pak | $30.99 | $17.95 | 30 | $0.59 |
| TwinLab Daily One Caps With Iron | $18.50 | $9.49 | 60 | $0.15 |
| TwinLab Daily Two Caps With Iron | $29.95 | $15.37 | 45 | $0.34 |
| Ultimate Nutrition Super Complete Formula | $28.99 | $13.95 | 30 | $0.46 |
| Universal Nutrition Animal Pak | $39.95 | $23.95 | 44 | $0.54 |
| Universal Nutrition Animal Pak | $92.95 | $44.95 | 88 | $0.51 |
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