Which Multi Vitamin Do You Use?

[EricT]

The biggest reason that your average multi vitamin/mineral provides such big doses, btw, is because of competition for absorption. You put in more of everything so that a good bit of everything may get through. There is definitely no use of buying an expensive vitamin but likewise it would be unrealistic to try and take in some exact amount of each one based on your needs since an exact amount of a multi could never be absorbed. I.E., either way it comes down to hrdgains conclusion...don't waste your money.

With these expensive ones people are not paying the extra for vitamins and minerals they are paying for extra bells and whistles that are probably not needed such as various herbs. In the case of animal pak the vitamin/mineral component is riduculously overdosed. Most of it won't be absorbed taking it all at once like that, let alone utilyzed. Anyone taking animal pak could save tons of money on a cheaper multi and then use the extra to buy more optimal doses of any of the other components they are interested in.

[TALO]

I thought Animal Pak was expensive to, but I was getting it from bb.com and it only cost $30CAD...So that was cheap!

But once my last can is gone I will be buying something else, because they refuse to send it across the boarder now...Which I find strange, since I have bought 3 or 4 of them in the past

But I know what your saying with the extra's. BTW, I take one pak a day and spread it out through the whole day...

[Andrew87]

So basically i should get one a day or centrum?

[EricT]

One a Day or Centrum is fine. I try to get the most bang for my buck by getting something with the trace minerals and any extra nutrients they sometimes throw in. But I'm not going to pay scads for it. I usually use Puritan whose value you can't beat.

Part of what I was getting at with the extras, btw, goes into what Hrdgain was saying. When you get something like animalpak you are paying way too much for extra of everything and then the additional things that they choose for you. But if you pay less then you can make a concious choice for the things you made need extra of. You may not know exactly what you are "defiencient" in but it makes more sense to say, "as a bodybuilder I probably need more of this and that particular thing.

For example lots of people choose to take a multi vitamin mineral but also have extra vitamin C and sometimes E for post workout. It doesn't have to be used for post but it's a time that makes sense. There are many many reasons why someone would want to do this but in any case it represents a stategic decision. Using your money to it's utmost for specific purposes. Especially if you were to only use it for post workout and relying on the regular multi to ensure your daily allowance.

Other things bodybuilder's could need more of is magnesium and zinc. And that is just the vitamin/mineral end of it. Similar things go with aminos too as we all know. I'd rather decide exactly what extra aminos I want rather than paying my surplus money for a vitamin that has a little of this and a little of that thrown in.

With herbs you have to be expecially careful. Ginseng, for instance, although very popular, has never been shown to be the adaptogen it's hyped to be. And gyseng is not gynseng is not gynseng. The quality gynseng is VERY expensive. I can almost guarantee that what is in animal pak is not high grade stuff. And even if it was, again, your probably paying for something that serves very little purpose.

[Andrew87]

so 20 bucks for 325 days worth is good? lol unless its a typo thats what the thing says.

[d-kauf]

Is there any benefit to taking more then 1 Centrum or One a Day per day?

[EricT]

Andrew, yes, if it is a good product.

D-Kauf, the only possible advantage is that you may get more absorption of certain things since only so much can be absrobed from a multi. However, you will probably get enough of everything from one dose of a one-a-day vitamin. I think a more economical strategy, is, as I mentioned before, to just take the one dose but have extra of certain single nutrients as you may deem necessary for certain purposes, times, etc. Examples would be vitamin C, E, and antioxidants in general for post workout. Extra zinc and magnesium...things like that.

[Sleazy]

Personally I use ISS Research Super Vitamin Paks, 30 days worth for $9.99 which is alot cheaper than most vitamin packs.

[Fireproof]

Originally Posted by Sleazy

Personally I use ISS Research Super Vitamin Paks, 30 days worth for $9.99 which is alot cheaper than most vitamin packs.

Those are a great deal. But I just got to the point where I needed to minimize my pill count, LOL. With the other supps I take, I didn't want 5-8 just for my multi. So I've been going with some basic multis lately - either GNC Mega Men (the only thing I buy from GNC) or VitaminShoppe something for men - I forget what it's called.

I was more particular during my contest prep (I used Beverly Nutrition's brand) but not now...

[The IronBull]

One a day is not good enough if you are training. This has been proven.

And come on Bros, are you actually telling me you go by the recommend daily allowance that our goverment made....how many decades ago??