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One of the most common questions from athletes is whether they need to take a multivitamin. Typically the questions go along the lines of:
“I eat a healthy and diverse diet, so shouldn’t I be getting all the nutrients I need?”.
Yes, a nutrient-rich diet is essential and might cover all your needs.
However, your energy needs will outpace your nutrient input when training at even a moderate level. This is where a multivitamin is enormously helpful in supporting your training.
I think of a multi-vitamin as an insurance policy. It ensures that any nutrient gaps I have in my diet are covered. For example, one month, I might be low on Vitamin D, and the next month, it might be B12 or Iron. A high-quality multivitamin keeps me optimal.
What does “optimal” feel like? For me, it is more energy day-to-day. What is not optimal is when I feel like I’m dragging in the afternoon – to the point that when I finish my work day, I do not have enough energy to do a workout or much of anything else.
Our two top Multi-Vitamins are formulated explicitly for athletes. First Endurance Multi-Vitamin and Ritual Multi-Vitamin
Both have a comprehensive micro-nutrient profile and are similarly priced. Here is how they compare:
First Endurance Multi-Vitamin is an AM and PM dosage. You take three capsules in the morning and then three more at night. This is so the timing of when you receive each nutrient is optimized.
It is a fantastic product as First Endurance only uses the highest quality ingredients. Personally, I find having to take capsules twice a day is something I always forget to do.
Ritual Multi-Vitamin is a once-a-day two to four capsule that we recommend you take in the morning as it can have a slight energy boost you don’t want just before bed.
What I love about Ritual Multi-Vitamin is that it includes all the micro-nutrients you need AND focuses on increased energy production with ingredients like ALC (Acetyl-L-Carnitine) and a bunch of potent anti-oxidants.
STOP. Why do multi-vitamins not work for most athletes?
Your multivitamin only works if you take it consistently, i.e., you should take it daily. Most athletes (myself included) will be all gung-ho to start and then start missing days.
Does this sound like you?
I created a solution to help me stay consistent with my supplement routine. I found that if I could eliminate opening bottles and counting pills each morning, I would be more successful in taking my supplement regimen.
A final word on Multi-Vitamins as an insurance policy for your training.
You are putting in countless hours of training; if you are deficient in a vital nutrient, this will be your weakest link. As a result, you won’t recover as fast, produce as much energy (i.e., ATP) as you need, and worse case, you will get sick at the most inopportune time (i.e., going into a big event).
DRG
