Macro Nutrients: Carbohydrates II

Greetings!

Last week we introduced the bare basics of the carbohydrate world.  We saw the basic molecular structure, the difference between the different saccharides, and learned that different carb categories come from different food sources. Today, we will look take a closer look into what carbohydrates actually do in the body and the difference between a simple and complex carb.

Carbohydrates have multiple functions, but we can look at them in four categories: (1)

1. Used directly as energy by cells
2. Stored and used as energy for later use
3. Conversion into fat
4. Prevention of tissue breakdown

Carbohydrates: The body's principal energy source

Let's start with the most common answer, energy usage. Carbohydrates are always being used as energy in our bodies, whether it's exercising or reading this blog, they are in some shape or form in the process of converting or assisting in energy production.  The Central Nervous System demands a steady supply of carbohydrates as well as the brain and red blood cells (1), which almost solely uses glucose as fuel (except when extreme conditions demand otherwise).  Once a carbohydrate enters your body, at some point in it's lifespan, it will be used as energy or at least aid in this process. If it is not used for immediate energy it will be stored in two forms for future use.

As we discovered in an earlier post (ATP) the body uses ATP to provide the essential energy to function.  We also talked about those wonderful processes that convert proteins, fats and carbohydrates into said ATP.  Glycolosis converts glucose (remember that giant process?) to this ATP, but one thing I never discussed is how the glucose got there in the first place.  You see, it matters not if you eat a complex carbohydrate or a simple one, they all must be broken down into simple sugars in order to begin their journey into the the conversion of energy.  We will discuss how this and other digestive properties work down the road as we put all the pieces together, but for now we must understand that once we ingest a carbohydrate, it needs to be broken down into it's most basic form in order to convert into ATP.

Yeah, it's pretty complicated.

The first form of energy is an immediate source in the more commonly known, blood glucose or blood sugar.  The carbohydrates we ingest will be broken down and circulated in our bloodstream, which are then available for instant usage. The other from is stored glucose called glycogen.  This is stored in the muscles and in the liver, until it is called upon once the instant source of blood glucose is used up.  The process of Glycogenolysis, converts this glycogen into glucose and is then ready to head through the energy conversion process.  This process is most often used in intense exercises such as; weight lifting, sports and manual labor.

Carbohydrates are used every moment of the day, but as I said earlier, they are heavily used during moderate to intense physical activity. This happens through an anaerobic process, meaning oxygen is not needed for energy conversion.  Generally, any challenging activity lasting from 30 to 90 seconds, weight lifting being the best example, relies on carbohydrates for it's primary energy source. This is where the stored glucose comes into play because as we continue to exercise we need more energy from glucose, thus the stored glycogen in the muscle and liver release and allow us to continue to exercise, but of course that won't last forever, which is why you will see a decrease in performance after each hour of exercise (2).  This is the exact reason why athletes, marathoners and weight lifters perform some sort of "carb load" at some point before their event so they can have a steady supply of carbohydrates for energy. Even though longer lasting activity relies on lipids as it's primary fuel source, we have a saying in the physiology world "fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate" meaning, carbohydrates are needed even if they are not the primary fuel source.

A steady supply of carbohydrates allows the energy conversions to occur at a normal pace, but what if there were no carbohydrates to convert?  Our bodies will find a way to make energy as long as there is some form of raw material to do so.  Keeping a healthy amount of carbohydrates in our bodies is far more important than just for exercising, they help prevent catobolism and ketosis (leading to ketoacidosis) (1). In extreme cases, starvation for instance, the body will break down muscle tissue in order to convert it into amino acids, which can then be put through one of the energy cycles.  The problem is when our bodies enter this catabolic state, it literally eats itself away (hence the withering of a person suffering from starvation) which can have many negative long term health effects. When our bodies use stored fat as an energy source for it's primary fuel, ketone bodies accumulate and can also have negative affects, from ketoacidosis or having a higher blood pH (that's bad). (2)

Finally, when the liver glycogen stores are full, the excess glycogen will be converted into fatty acids, which will then hitch a ride in the bloodstream and be dropped off at the various Adipose tissue in the body.  Of course, if this process is utilized too often, total body fat increases and obesity can occur.  This very concept is why carbohydrates have become the enemy in the diet world.  The hundreds of carb-free diets and carb restricted rules have taken over, but only because many do not know the basic functions of carbohydrates.  The major problem is not so much the carbohydrates, but rather how easily they are obtained and how much you can ingest before you realize it.  Ever take a look at the total carbohydrates on a big bagel or muffin?  They can have up to 40-50g of carbs.  According to the 2010 US dietary guidelines, Americans should be getting 45-60% of their total calories from carbohydrates.  At 200 calories (50g x4 kcal) that would be about 10% of your daily caloric intake  right there, so imagine if you had a glass a juice and other breakfast foods to go with that.  We will discuss calories and percentages of, and examples in later blogs, but just remember it is very easy to consume excess carbohydrates without ever knowing it.

Now we have a general understanding of what some typical carbohydrates are in the everyday world and their basic functions in the body.  In the next blog we will differentiate between simple and complex carbs, how they are broken down in the body and the effects they have on our various physiological functions (insulin and blood sugar).  The carbohydrate is an essential component of our everyday lives and I think after the next installment we will be able to fully appreciate them, now that we understand their roles and the differences that separate them.

Thanks for reading!

“Life is largely a matter of expectation. ” - Homer

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

1. MxArdle,W. Katch, F. Katch, V. Sports and Exercise Nutrition 4th edition (3-19 & 147-161) NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

2.  Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (478-482) NY: McGraw Hill

Macro Nutrients: Carbohydrates

Hello!  After some experimenting with the new controls of the new site, I have finally (I think) figured out the new settings and controls of the blog page.  Thank you for being so patient during the long lay over and construction of the new site!  That being said, in the spirit of getting the grasp on the basic handles of things, I thought it might be wise to take us back to the ground level and get a better understanding of our basic macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids (Fat).

Whether simple or complex, carbohydrates come in many forms and structures.

Today we will focus on the most demonized of the three over the past decade; Carbohydrates.   All living cells contain carbohydrates, which we get primarily from plant based foods. Carbohydrates have been deemed “bad” among many health buffs, because of the fact that excess consumption of carbohydrates can indeed be converted into fat and of course consuming too many simple sugars can drastically increase the risk of diseases such as type-II diabetes.  Perhaps if we understood what a carbohydrate actually is, then understand how they work and their role in the body, it may help us understand how to and how much to consume, which is my goal for the oncoming post as we tie them all together.

Photosynthesis: By synthesizing carbon dioxide and water, carbohydrates are formed.

The majority of carbohydrates come from plant sources and as the name would suggest, contains carbon and water. Combine carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and you would have an actual carbohydrate, which is created from that old process known as photosynthesis.  As the sun provides energy, water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll interact to form glucose, the most typical sugar. Roughly 75% of a plant's dried contents are carbohydrate based. (1) From this point, carbohydrates can be categorized into three major categories: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides.

A molecular structure of glucose. We can tell just from the hexose structure that this is a monosaccharide

 

Clasic mono and disaccharides in their better known forms.

Monosaccharides: The basic unit of carbohydrates also known as simple sugars.  There are over 200 monosaccharides in nature (2), but we will focus on the hexose variety (6 carbon atoms in their molecular structure); Glucose, Fructose and Galactose.  Glucose (Blood sugar) is found naturally in foods and is the most typical sugar.  Fructose, the sweetest of the simple sugars is found mainly is fruits and honey.  Galactose does not occur freely in nature, but forms milk sugars in lactating mammals. (1)

Disaccharides: When two monosaccharides combine we have ourselves a disaccharide.  These are also known as simple sugars.  Disaccharides contain glucose and compose of three types: Sucrose, Lactose and Maltose.

Sucrose: Equal parts glucose and fructose make up sucrose.  Table sugar is the most common example, but many foods that contain carbohydrates also contain sucrose.

Lactose: Known as milk sugars, lactose is only found naturally in milk and is composed of glucose and galactose.  If you are lactose intolerant than this simple sugar is not your friend as your body lacks the amount of enzymes responsible for breakdown of lactose.

Maltose: Made up from two glucose molecules most commonly found in beer and cereal.  Maltose accounts for a very small portion of our carbohydrate intake.

Starches and fiber come from many sources, but not all types starch and fiber are alike.

Polysaccharides: Can be formed from as little as ten or comprised of thousands of monosaccharides, this group of carbohydrates are divided into plant and animal varieties. We will focus on plant based polysaccharides, as animal (glycogen) is more interesting if we are discussing physiology. When talking about plant polysaccharides we know them traditionally as starch and fiber. Starch is the most familiar plant polysaccharide and is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants.(2)

Starch is plentiful in seeds, grains (pastas, breads, cereals) and potatoes among others.  Starch exists in two forms: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is constructed in a long chain of glucose molecules which looks like the picture below and break down slower in the body compared to the amylopectin structure, which offers a greater surface area, thus allow for faster breakdown in the body.  We will discuss the difference between the breakdown, absorption and usage of each of these starches in the coming posts. Fiber, the other plant polysaccharide, is another carbohydrate that contains cellulose, the most abundant organic molecule on Earth. Found only in plants,  fiber is classified into two groups; soluble and insoluble. Again, we will discuss their role more in depth at a later date, but for today we will focus on introducing them.

Amylose, a long straight chain of glucose molecules, breakdown slower in in the body. Whereas, amylopectin has a higher surface area and allows for more rapid breakdown.

Think of starches and their surface area like this. Amylopectin fans out allowing digestive enzymes a better shot of grabbing hold, thus breaking down faster in the body.

Soluble Fiber: Able to dissolve in water, insoluble fiber is found in fruits, oats, seeds, nuts and beans.  Once it meets up with water it forms into a viscous gel, which can help slow digestion and appears to help regulate blood sugar levels, which research has shown has the ability to lower cholesterol (LDLs) (1)

Insoluble Fiber: Unable to dissolve in water, these types of fiber help speed food throughout the digestive tract, thus are often recommended for those with constipation due to this laxative effect.  Insoluble fiber can be found in vegetables, grains, roots and leaves. (1)

Carbohydrates, both simple and complex can come from many sources. Some are obvious, but others not so much.

There we have it, the cast to our ongoing series of blogs to come in  the carbohydrate department.  There  plenty of other interesting details about different saccharides, glycogen, pectin and of course the chemical components of them all, but for the sake of time we will stick to the members of the carb family most often seen and heard everyday.  Our journey has just begun so stayed tuned for the next installment and discover what carbohydrates'' role are in the body and why we shouldn't fear them as much as we have been led to believe.  BTW, Below is a structure of glycogen molecule. Take a look on how complex these guys can get! Thanks for reading!

“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” -Theodore Roosevelt 

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

1. MxArdle,W. Katch, F. Katch, V. Sports and Exercise Nutrition 4th edition (3-19) NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

2.  Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (478-482) NY: McGraw Hill

A little more to this than just a few simple chains I'd say!

Why Do You Exercise?

Hello!

Recently due to the ever growing fitness field, I have been asked numerous times about different styles of training such as: bodybuilding, crossfit, kettlebells, TRX and others.  I get the same two questions every time; what style and how much?  I thought I would hit a few common points that I come across in the field.

In my first two posts (Here) and (Here) I discussed a simple philosophy and began to try to discuss what training style is the "right" one for a particular person.  Although I stand by my post, I do feel that asking yourself these questions can help:

Why am I exercising?

The biggest question to ask yourself is why are you actually beginning a program in the first place?  You'd be surprised to find out that many people really don't know why they work out, other than the fact that it's accessible or it's something they think they should be doing.  Ask yourself things like:

• What goals do I want to reach by using exercise (weight/figure/strength/sport)?

• What disabilities/ailments/medical condition can I improve through exercise? 

•  Am I using exercise for a means to an end or an end to the means?

•  What do I expect from exercising?  

These are a few common questions, but they can really help you started int he right direction or at least help you realize why you are going to the gym.  After all if you can't convince yourself why you are heading to the gym, why would you go for a prolonged period of time (you should go!)

Choosing what type of exercise is the first step to reaching your goals.

What specific goals do I wish to accomplish?

Similar to the first question,  most people I talk to and I mean most, have no goals what so ever other than: to get in shape or lose weight or get stronger etc.  It's the equivalent to asking a kid "what do you want to eat?" and you get; "whatever or I don't care" over and over. How infuriating, because it would make things a lot easier if the kid would just tell you what they wanted, that way you knew what and how to get it.  The same applies to people exercising.  Many people know that exercising is a good idea due to it's vast health and medical benefits, but they either use that very broad answer or they simply do not know what they want out of exercise. Read this post about another experience I encountered about this very subject (Old Post)   Here are the big three I run into the most that could easily have more explanation than the face value shows:

The most common goal in the fitness world, but often the most broad and open ended as well.

1. Exercise has Many Health Benefits

• Do you have a family history of a health condition? Rather than keeping your reason so broad, focus on using exercise to help combat that history.
• Do you know someone who suffers from a medical condition or is "unhealthy"? Use that specific image as a deciding factor as your goal of exercising.
• Which medical/health issues seem to concern you the most?  Are you worried about heart disease or loss of functional freedom?  Try focusing on a few specific issues and keep them in mind as to why you exercise.

    2. I'm Trying to Lose Weight

• Why?  Why are you losing weight? Is it to meet a personal goal? Trying to fit into a new dress?  Are overweight and feel the need or have been recommended to lose weight?
• How much weight are you trying to lose?  I wouldn't tell a surgeon to perform surgery, without a specific area they needed to work on.  If they didn't know where to work, how would they know if they achieved the task or not?  The same thing goes for losing weight.  Pick a goal, maybe a number, maybe a dress size it could be anything that you can focus on and monitor it to make sure things are on the right track.

    3. I'm Trying to Jacked, Ripped, Huge, Strong etc.

• Again, why? Are you trying to look like a magazine model? Are you competing in a show or tournament or some type? Are you preparing for a class reunion and want to impress?
• How big and strong are you trying to be.  Do you ant to paint yourself green and be the hulk?  Would you like to have washboard abs? Maybe you just want to see some simple definition.

Which outcome do you want from exercise? Both are achieved with similar routes, but with different results.

Once you Have a Goal, how to you Intend to Accomplish it?

Knowing why and what you want from exercise is the first step. The next part is figuring out how to get to that goal.  Should you take aerobic classes, work with a trainer, take yoga, or use kettlebells? Do I diet, do I need supplements, how much of this and that?  Perhaps the hardest part of the exercise plan, determining how to achieve your goals can be very frustrating, but keep this in mind:

• Once you have determined a goal oriented task/idea or a target range, specific training is needed.  Sprinters generally do not run marathons for training, but that doesn't mean they don't perform aerobic exercises. If you are going to be training for a bodybuilding show, chances are you will mostly be training like a body builder, not a figure skater.

• Many goals and achievements crisscross, as I said you may be training for a sprint, but some long distance running can help in your goal.  If someone was trying to lose weight, cardio and healthier eating habits would be a major focus, but strength, power and  the use of "bodybuilder" movements can help in a multitude of way toward, not just the obvious strength increase, but with weight loss.

• Realizing what you need is harder than you think.  How many times have you seen the big guy at the gym working with his smaller friend doing the same exact workout?  It works for one, but not the other, even though they have the same goal, they shouldn't be following the same program. Not only do you need specific goals and training, the process and set up of both need to have specifics within the specific plan.

• Lebron James, Tom Brady, Micheal Phelps, Usain Bolt, Sidney Crosby, just to name a few, are all the  best athletes in their respected sports.  They are at peak physical conditioning and naturally gifted with an exceptional amount of strength, speed and finesse.  Here's the thing; you'd think they all know how to exercise and I'm sure they do, but they all have personal trainers, strength coaches, sport specific coaches, nutrition coaches etc.  They may be the best and they also may have great bodies and surely know how to exercise, but they don't know what is always best for them and how to continue to specifically design programs to meet their specific needs.  Even personal trainers use trainers when they are getting ready for a special event, because a third party, non-biased approach tends to produce the best results.

Even the Pros use trainers and coaches to help them become better at what they do best.

You now have a specific goal, an appropriate approach to obtaining it, and optimal program design, where should you go from there?

Even if you had all of the above things can still trip you up.  How do you know if what you are doing is actually working?  If it's not working, what should you do to correct this?  How do I know if I'm happy with my goal?  Rather than list a slew of possible road blocks let me make a few points on the more common issues I see.  Let me first say that monitoring your progress is a as important as setting up the initial goal.

• Having a specific goal like a target weight is easy to monitor. If the number is going down then you are good, if it's going up things need to change right?  But, what if you goal is not based on a number, but rather a achievement/activity related goal? You have to be able to determine if the exercises you have laid out are actually helping you towards your goal, or are holding you back.

• Self viewing your own progress can be very biased and unhelpful.  Sometimes we don't want to admit that what we are doing is not helping us or even potentially harming us and it can hold you back from your goals.  Have you ever seen the guy at the gym, who's been there for two years and has not made any progress on his appearance, but he's always looking in the mirror and thinks he looks great?  I see it all the time, because if they realized that they have not made and progress they would have to admit they did something wrong, and most people don't like to be wrong.

• Even if you do sense something is amiss do you have the resources to change things?  The scale is going up, how do I stop that?  I'm still not able to run the 5k without taking multiple breaks, what gives?  Eating less and running more would be the first suggestions to pop in our heads, but that's not always the case.  There could be many issues that have gone unnoticed and/or a different approach to training is needed, something you may not even realize could be what you need.

                                                                         

Figuring out how to reach your goal can be confusing, even for professionals. Everyone needs help at some point in their journey.

Finally, knowing when you've reached your goal is somewhat complex, but knowing when it's time to set new goals can be even harder.  Stepping on the scale and see XXX, knowing that you have reached your goal is very rewarding.  Completing your race without delay is great. And fitting into that dress was out of this world, but now what?  Are you going to put all that weight back on? Is that the last race you will ever run?  A common issue people face is determining the next step.  Maybe now you'd like to see a particular body fat percentage,  or run the race in a faster time? Continuously looking toward new goals or even improving ones you've already achieved is the best thing you can do for yourself.  You may have achieved one goal, but you can't just stop there.  Life is full of goals for us to conquer and exercise is one big tool towards achieving those goals.  Look forward to improving  and set new challenges or new tasks and conditions to conquer and I promise the exercising itself will become more exciting and fulfilling in general.  One of the reasons why I got into this field is that I love helping people go through this process, because once they do not have to worry about all the specifics that tend to cause people to quit, they can focus on just training and then they see the results come rolling in.

Thanks for Reading!


"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things" - Mother Teresa

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Muscle Contractions

Hello!

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about ATP (Read Here) and how our body uses this energy everyday.  One of the question that is often asked hand in hand with ATP is "how do muscles work"? The contraction of muscles is very complex (as are most mechanics in the body, which you are starting to realize) so I thought I would take the time and explain how we are able to show off our muscles at the beach, perform a crunch or even just walk around, so you could see how this process works.

I thought I would keep things simple for this post.  Yes this diagram is simple in physiological terms!

Let's use this picture to help use grasp what a muscle breaks down to.

First, let's meet the major players of the muscle:

Skeletal Muscle: The collection of many smaller objects to form what you think of when you say muscle.  Think of those matryoshka doll that fit into each other, after one is put into the other the eventually form into one whole doll. 

Fascia: For those who work with me know about this tissue that covers separates and holds muscles in position.  They know it from the foam roller and other myofascial release techniques we do lol. 

Fascicle: The first little doll inside the muscle (see above) which contains muscle fibers.

Muscle Fibers: The next little doll to pop out contain many little structures, which will play a huge role in contraction of the muscle. Muscle fibers come in different types, the most common you hear about are; slow titch and fast twitch.

Myofibrils: This next doll contains the tiny little structures that we will be spending our focus on: the filaments.

Filaments: The last little doll is made up of actin and myosin.  We will be focusing on myosin, or thick filaments and actin, thin filaments.

Now that we know a few of the key players in the muscle, let us discuss what a sarcomere is.  You can think of this sarcomere as a bonus doll out of the filaments section to a degree, because many sarcomeres are require for contraction. A sarcomere is a portion of the myofibrils in between the "Z-Line". If you look at the picture above, you'll see these Z-lines with an H-Zone between them.  These portions continue all the way through the myofibrils. In short what has to happen is that these sarcomeres have to shorten and lengthen as a team in order to make the muscle contract and relax.  This is known as the sliding filament theory.

The sliding filament theory is the process of making these little portions of actin come closer together or over top myosin, which then takes place throughout the sarcomere and thus, a contraction is formed. Essentially we need the top picture to look like the bottom, by a process where myosin attaches and pulls actin over itself. So how does this happen? Let us use a step by step process to make things simpler: (I posted some diagrams on how the process can be further broken down, but only a few as I don't want to crash this site)

Calcium enters the picture

1. An impulse (action potential)  triggers Calcium (Ca++) to release from its home and enters the picture (more specifically from the sarcoplasmic reticulum down the transverse tubules )

Calcium kicks tropomyosin out and allows the myosin heads to attach to actin.

2. Calcium allows for the myosin (played by the tan heads) to attach to the actin (blue orbs) by removing a barrier known as tropomyosin that blocks it's destination on the actin bands.

ATP is converted to ADP+Pi to allow the myosin the pull actin

3. ATP is converted (ADP+Pi) and allows for the tan heads to yank the blue orbs over top each other (shortening) and a contraction has been achieved.  It should be noted that this pulling constantly continues during contraction until the next step.

Calcium leaves the party and myosin lets the actin go back to it's relaxed position.

4. Once energy is no longer present and calcium cannot clear the path for myosin, the tan heads will release and allow for the blue orbs to revert back to their starting point, until the next time this process begins.

The concept of muscle contraction is not an easy one to convey, without going far too in depth and adding many pictures and models.  What I have displayed here is a very very bare bones and simplistic view of some anatomy and conceptual mechanics on how this process works.  It took me weeks to build my model of in depth analysis of the sliding filament theory for my exercise physiology course, so you can imagine how many pages this post could be to describe it all.

Contracting a muscle, as most processes in the body, is a very complex and dynamic activity.  What I would take away from this post would be: 

1.Muscles are broken down into many substructures

2. At the core of it all, the tiny filaments of actin and myosin are the major players in muscle contraction

3. The sliding filament theory is how a muscle contracts, by myosin pulling actin over itself.

4. ATP and calcium are the fuels needed to make this process move.

As you type, move your head or any other tiny action that requires muscle movement, remember that this sliding filament theory is constantly taking place and that your body really is always hard at work behind the scenes, even for the smallest of movements. If anyone would like any further detail of the information provided today feel free to post below or you can visit the facebook page as well.  I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable holiday.  Please enjoy the weekend and remember to appreciate the complexity of your body! Speaking of complex, I've added a few more diagrams of something called an action potential, which is another fundamental component of our body functions. Muscle contractions would not occur without these little guys, so in essence, this step would be included in the overall picture I posted above, but for shock value, I thought I'd show you how much more goes into something as simple as flexing your biceps than you might think. There are also a couple diagrams expanding our initial blog post as well.

The is the anatomy of a neuron, which the process of an action potential takes place.

Of course I could put up many more models, because each process is started and followed by another process so it all depends what part of the physiological chain you want to stop at.

Thanks for reading! 

"Without education, you are not going anywhere in this world"- Malcom X

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

References

1. Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (141-160) NY: McGraw Hill

2. Howley, E. Franks, B. (2007) Fitness Professional's Handbook 5th edition (340-342) NY:  McGraw Hill

Multivitamin: Yes or No?

Hello!

Over the last two posts we have learned a little bit more about what vitamins and minerals are, what they do for us and how to obtain the proper amounts for healthy living. The reason for the past posts was in response to one of the common questions I am asked: "should I take a multivitamin supplement"? You may be surprised by the answer I tend to give people, but why don't we look further into the reasoning behind my answer first.

As we already discussed, supplements are meant to fill the void of a substance that we cannot obtain on our own because of either medical issues, lifestyle issues (vegans) or personal reasons and goals.  They are not meant to take the place of the real thing, but unfortunately that seems to be the world we live in today: the "take the pill to fix everything" era is in full swing.  If someone can justify why they are taking a supplement I really have no problem with it, however most people I speak with tend to take them only because they heard it was a good idea, or they give some right field reasoning that has zero evidence to support their claims. Would you drink something that had a skull and crossbones on it just because the big guy at the gym said it will work? I hope not. So why take something everyday without ever knowing why you are truly taking it?

I will be the first to tell you, when I first entered this field, I was one of these people.  I thought every vitamin and herbal supplement on the shelf could give me some sort of health advantage and why not? it stakes it's claim right on the label right?  "Taking xxx may help reduce cancer" or "xxx may help with muscle growth"  Being young and brash I figured I hit pay dirt and started gobbling them up, until one day in my dorm room I was packing up a container for my daily vitamins from my shoe box (yeah there were that many bottles) and realized I had so many that it could qualify for a meal! The sad part was, I didn't know why I was taking so many pills for the price I was paying.

These will not always replace that which you require from actual food.

After I had my little epiphany, I decided to try and learn as much as I could about what I was taking on a regular basis, so I grabbed every book at the library, posted on every health and bodybuilding forum, and read any website with relative information.  To my shock, the information was so split that I didn't know who to believe.  One book said that "supplement xyz is a good idea to take", but the guru on the forum said that "xyz was merely a sales tactic and should be avoided" Here lies the first part to your answer: When educating yourself, believe evidence and take advice at your own risk.  More on that later.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  Here in an article posted in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which talks about the use of multivitamins and the effects on cancer in men. Their conclusion was that taking a daily multivitamin significantly reduced the risk of total cancer in their subjects.  Well, that's good news right? That proves that a multivitamin is a good thing and I should take it right? Before we jump to conclusions let me show you this article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which also came to a conclusion of multivitamin use and it's effects on breast cancer.  Their results concluded, that a daily multivitamin seems to increase the risk of breast cancer!?!? Here is another shocking article about increased death risk (NBC news report)

Be sure to get information from reputable sources that explain their results and  have proper citations.

So, we have two case studies from two reputable sources, but they seem to contradict each other, what gives?  As I said, be careful about what you believe because in the medical/nutrition/training fields, what was considered correct or right one day may be wrong the next. You also must understand that case studies are circumstantial, which is why most results include phrases like; "seems like" "appears to" "suggests" and so on, because they can only base their results from the test group.  If you are testing 5,000 people there are too many factors that play a role in life that can skew the results, perhaps they lied about their usage, or perhaps the subjects already were destined to get cancer etc., the list of variable is endless.

Am I suggesting that taking a multivitamin will give you cancer?  Of course not, but there are plenty of articles out there that will be in favor of taking a certain drug, then there will be just as many that refute the use of the same drug. This leads to the second half of your answer; can you justify why you need to take a supplement? Actually write out your situation and see if supplementation is necessary, helpful or a crutch to get out of eating particular foods. Once you provide the facts, you may realize that your justification is not the same as it started out to be.

 Here are two more studies about taking multivitamins.  Their results do not show any negative effects, however they also do not show any positive gains either.  Basically the subjects appeared to be no better or worse from when the test began. (JAMA Article) (Article 2).  If you were one of the subjects in the test group and were told point blank that taking this pill for 7 years had little to no advantages, would you still  spend the money on them, especially if you read a few articles that, they may or may not increase the risk of adverse effects of said pill?

It can be very confusing with so much data split down the middle, but with a closer examination, you can help answer your own question

Finally, there is the never ending debate of the absorption of not just multivitamins, but all supplements.  Although I've only seen one article that discussed the actual test of dissolving multivitamins (I believe it was a British journal, if anyone should happen to know of it's whereabouts please feel free to message me and I will post it) there are numerous reports online about how multivitamins pass through our bodies, never actually dissolving and releasing the goodies they contain.  There are also claims of millions of pills in the sewer systems and septic tanks of people's homes due to undigested multivitamins. Since the FDA has not regulated these supplements it's hard to say which is true or false, but one other area that may be a concern is the "vitamin-mineral war" as I call it.  You see certain vitamins and minerals can block the uptake of each other like; C can block copper, and zinc can block magnesium and iron can block calcium etc. How would taking a pill that contains all of these vitamins and minerals in one package absorb properly? Again, the FDA won't touch this area so there is no full answer, but logic seems to be on the counter active side.
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So before I ramble too much longer let's answer the question for myself, together. Should I take (insert supplement here)? We'll stick with a multivitamin and use the following:

Education: believe evidence and take advice at your own risk: I have provided just a drop in the journal article ocean, but the links provided seem not to be able to give a definite answer other than correlations and suggestive themes. I also trust all of these sources due to their peer reviewed style and comprehensible data.

Can I justify why I need to take a supplement (multivitamin for today's argument): I eat plenty of fruits and veggies a day.  I also eat whole grains and foods that are packed with nutritional advantages, thus achieving my RDI (recommended daily intake) easily each day.  I have no medical conditions such as osteoporosis and of course I'm not pregnant, and I am not a vegan, so increased dosages of particular vitamins and minerals are not mandatory for my current lifestyle  Since, I achieve all my vitamins and minerals through my diet and I have no ailments or lifestyle situations, I cannot rationally justify why I need to take a multivitamin, as it would just take my RDI higher than it needs to be.

My Answer: NO. Now, if I knew I was going to be out for a few days say camping and I knew I wouldn't be getting my usual food intake, then perhaps I would be able to justify taking one for the that time to help, but only in particular situations not on a daily basis.

Now, lets use an example to look at things from a different perspective. Lets say Mr. X is a business man who travels a lot for work and plug that into the equation:

Education: believe evidence and take advice at your own risk: For the sake of time, lets say Mr. X has read these articles and understands that there is a mixed perception of multivitamin use.  He also seems to trust these sources as they are well known and cited.

Can I justify why I need to take a supplement: Since he travels many hours a day, Mr.X tends to only get 2 square meals in his workday.  He tries to eat fruit or drink a smoothie while on the road and when he does eat, he tries to get sources of whole grains and veggies as well.  However, there are some days where his meals are not the greatest nutritional wise and does not get many fruits or veggies, thus not meeting his RDI everyday. On weekends he is able to eat a much healthier variety as he his home and has no restrictions time wise for work. Mr. X has no ailments or specific lifestyle habits in which he needs additional supplementation of a particular kind.

Mr. X's Answer: Yes. A multivitamin can be justified for those days that he travels and his diet suffers while he cannot achieve his RDI, although he should try to better his situation, a multivitamin could conceivably work to his advantage.  On his weekends however, he should be able to get his RDI, so he shouldn't need to supplement his food, since he is able to eat better while not being on the road.

The purest multivitamin source you can get! 

Remember, this is my answer and I don't speak for everyone.  Mr. X's situation and my situation differed enough that our justifications reached separate answers. I would say neither of us was right or wrong, it's just we have different outcomes in our thought processes.  I feel with multivitamins, as well as many other supplements, I have a very healthy lifestyle in which, I don't need to supplement because I attain nutrients from direct sources. Also, I feel no negative effects from eliminating multivitamins as well, so I cannot say that any physical symptoms have suggested I need to take one, but I didn't stretch my reasoning to continue taking a multivitamin like the classic "it can't hurt to take a little more" (which we learned that's not always true and toxicity can be dangerous), because why spend the money on pills when I already spend it on food the provides the same thing? I am not saying that you should or shouldn't take a multivitamin or any other supplement, however I am suggesting that you follow these two simple statements to help you answer your questions on supplements and learn about them before starting.

Knowledge is power and before you go around and start taking a shoe box full of pills, take advantage of the internet and the numerous free journals databases online to learn more about something to help answer your question. I tend to tell people to follow the two statements above to get them started, but remember other precautions remain such as how a particular supplement could interact with another or other medical concerns that may arise, in which you should get a recommendation.  Never be satisfied with a single answer (you ever seen a doctor smoking or over weight telling you to start a healthier lifestyle? You see where I'm going with this.) not even mine and remember that supplements are only to help, not replace a substance.

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions about any supplements, vitamins or minerals feel free to leave it at the bottom as it may help others who face similar concerns. If you find this information not what you expected toss me a line and I'd love to discuss things further as everyone is entitled to their own opinion and results.  Also if you happen to come across an article you think can help or educate, you can always post a link to it and I will read and comment on them. Please remember that I provide advice, not diagnoses  and only try to educate those who want to start supplementation, but of course they should always consult their physician before doing so.

Here are some databases with great info and are very reputable:
Journal of the American Medical Association
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
PubMed
Harvard School of Public Health




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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.