As a sports chiropractor, I’m frequently asked about the latest and greatest supplements as they hit the market. My patients quiz me all the time, often carrying in a grocery bag full of supplements they’re currently taking and want my advice about.

In a way, supplements are for natural health providers what prescription medications are for medical doctors. When it comes to treating athletes, I often use a race car analogy. Comparing the actively training athlete to the relatively sedentary general population is like comparing a high-performance race car to your every-day vehicle.

Most people who drive around the city and keep their engines running well within tolerable limits tend to change their oil every three months or so. They can even afford to skip an oil change here and there and they don’t worry too much about what they may or may not be missing out on by buying a lower octane gasoline.

If their air filter is a little dirty, no problem! Their concern is not with top-notch performance, since they’re really not pushing their machine to its limits. As long as they get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time, they’re happy.

Not so with the dedicated endurance athlete. They train more, eat more, and even breathe more than less active people. Most of them are concerned with ensuring that they are training properly – putting in enough hours for the swim, the bike, and the run, eating properly, staying hydrated and recovering. In short: maximizing their return on investment for their training hours. And if they’re not, they should be.

With this in mind, it makes logical sense that one should have the right nutrients on board to maximize the time spent in training and recovery.

Enter the multivitamin.

Using a high quality multivitamin is an effective step towards ensuring the body has everything it needs to perform efficiently at a high level and to repair itself after each session. The word ‘vitamin’ actually comes from a combination of two words, ‘vital’ and ‘amines’.

In the beginning, vitamins were made of a combination of amine compounds that were considered ‘vital’ for life’s processes. This was based on the fact that a gross deficiency in one of those vitamins resulted in disease. Unlike other supplements and substances that show questionable benefit in many studies the marketers love to use in convincing us to buy their latest wonder product, the vitamins and minerals contained in a high quality multivitamin have been proven to be essential for the body’s everyday processes.

Many multivitamins now include a number of other supplements that are added bonuses. Most of these add-ons target certain body systems: digestive enzymes for the digestive tract, natural anti-inflammatories for musculoskeletal health, and antioxidants for the immune and respiratory system. These substances may not be essential for good health but they certainly don’t have a negative effect on the body.

Antioxidants, for example, help to eliminate free radicals caused by ingested or inspired toxins. Just think – if endurance athletes eat more and breathe more than the average Joe, they are filtering out more toxins and can always benefit from a little boost in the antioxidant department.

If you’re like most athletes, the first thing to go when the going gets tough is your attention to detail with respect to your nutrition. That’s where the multivitamin will pay dividends again, making up for any shortfalls that occur during those off-days when your nutritional intake is less than optimal.

Another argument in favour of a good quality multivitamin is what I call the food-chain argument. Current farming and agriculture techniques have been seen in some cases to deplete our soil of the same quantity and quality of nutrients that was seen in the same soil in years past. Although this may not be true if you’re eating organic or growing your own fruits and vegetables, it’s a good idea to top up your vitamin and mineral stores – just in case.

And, what if you skip a meal or don’t get the necessary number of fruits and vegetables in the proper ratio for optimal nutrition one day? A daily deficiency is created that could be nullified by the addition of a multivitamin. It’s like an insurance policy – sure you can get by without one but why not insure you’re giving your body everything it needs – just in case?

No matter your level of competitiveness, when the big day comes and you’ve trained for months, it stands to reason that you’ll want to have given your body everything it needs to carry you to a personal best. Ensuring your diet has all the essential vitamins and minerals to get the most out of your training is an easy way to give yourself an edge, and may even make the difference over your competition.

Dr. Ryan Iverach – Vancouver, BC

Certified ironguides Method Coach Eric Doehrman is based in Huntsville, Alabama and coaches athletes throughout the southeast United States. Known for his empathic dedication to his athletes and constant encouragement, Eric coaches several local squad throughout the Huntsville region, and is head coach to other ironguides locations in the southeast. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/a-little-multivitamin-insurance-goes-a-long-way-1509395.html

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