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When and how do you take your supplements?

spephspeph

spephspeph

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Messages
131
Location
London
First thing in the morning? With breakfast/lunch?

Do you take them with food or on an empty stomach?
What sort of food and how much?

There seem to be so many conflicting studies on this!
 
I would love info on this also.

I absolutely can't find a multi or any other supplement for that matter that dosen't make me feel like vomiting. I am supposed to take 2-3mgs of Folic Acid every day due to my Seizure med's and absolutely cannot stomach that much. I have to break 400mcg in 1/2 at night (after have eaten). Any and I mean ANY more than that makes me sick in the a.m. Multi's, have tried liquid - non time release - etc and they all make me sick. I have tried taking them at lunch (after eating), morning (after eating) and at night. Sick - sick -sick. Why can't I stomach vitamins? Does anyone have this problem or have any suggestions? Like should I hang upside down and take them?? 8)
 
I tried the One-A-Day multivitamins for Men, but found they make me very sick 10 minutes after taking them, to the point of vomiting.

I recently switched to One-A-Day multivitamin gummies. These are so much better! You take 2 a day. I like to spread them out. One in the morning, another after lunch. They taste like actual gummies and don't make me sick. The only thing I find is if i take too much my stomach feels like it gets backed up, lol.
 
It depends on the supplement man. Some you can't take on an empty, some you absolutely must, some should be directly after a meal, some should be before bed.

Personally, I'm not a supplement kinda guy, I usually prefer to get all I need from whole food (I am of course aware that the whole point in supplementation is that it enhances and supplements an already healthy, balanced diet!). That's not to say there isn't a place for supplements of course! It's mainly a money issue for me...

However, I do use Whey Protein (as i'm nearly a veggie, consuming only fish and chicken - i think it's called pseudovegetarian or some shit, I don't give a shit about labels) for weight training, Creatine for many reasons (would take it even if I wasnt weight training) as it's got a shit-ton of benefits.

I take Magnesium every other day or so, for many reasons also - partly due to relaxing me mentally and physically, partly due to inhibiting seizure-like feelings sometimes and so on).

I used to take Omega 3 (EPA/DHA-centric caps, of course) but monetary issues brought that to a halt.
I intend on beginning a -racetam, most likely Piracetam firstly.

I guess you could say I supplement with Ginseng, Ginger and various other herbs and spices I use.

Creatine should be taken directly after a workout, and first thing upon waking. Many find it can induce nausea, in which case, you should take it after a meal. Never mix it with something acidic and always consume it within 5-10 minutes of mixing with whatever liquid you choose.
Whey Protein doesn't care when you take it...as long as you take it. Obviously, it would be good to take one of your whey doses after a workout.
Magnesium is best taken on an empty stomach and definitely not straight after eating as it can cause digestive upset.
 
^good advice:)
most vitamin supplements should be taken with a meal so more is absorbed,
but when it comes to herbs such as Rhodiola, they're best taken on an empty stomach.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I so didn't know that One A Day made the gummies. I think this will knock out what I'm trying to accomplish. As for Mag - would love to know more about this supplement. I have heard has many great qualities.

I did try the Whey Protein once to gain weight. I'm a small person anyway and wasn't eating right or getting enough sleep. I didn't find it made me sick was just nasty. lol - I got the wrong kind i think. I got the unflavored kind and tried to mix it with OJ - was bad. I know a whole bunch of guys who swear by it when working out and to bulk up. I myself love Cardio - but like I said am already small and I need more weight resistance training. Maybe I'll get the chocolate kind next time. Its also pricey.

Tks all -
 
Iron should be taken with vitamin C to aid absorption, and both should be taken separate from a multivitamin and not with milk, as calcium reduces the absorption.

Calcium should be taken before bed, and preferably with a glass of milk.

These are the ones i know off the top of my head.

Some, like fish oil, youre meant to take three times a day so the timing isnt particularly flexible.


As for getting sick, dont take supplements on an empty stomach. I took my morning supplement cocktail with water one day and raced to work where I was going to have breakfast. Half way to work I spewed up fishy vegemite stuff (i.e. fish oil and vitamin B) which made me spew more. Never again. I now take mine with a cup of tea and my cereal before work.

Kids multivitamins (ive tried the fish shaped ones) taste great too
 
^I've had the same problem taking them on an empty stomach before. Hot coffee and multivitamins alone don't sit very well! Food is definitely the way to go there.

I usually take most of mine with food in the morning. I spread out fish oil and calcium citrate throughout the day.
 
i usually take mine after food in the evening when ive finished work. omega 3, piracetam, multi vits, garlic, magnesium, milk thistle, 5-htp sometimes, ginkgo sometimes, used to take whey protein and creatine before and after weight training
 
What's nice about the One-A-Day gummies, is I usually take them in the morning on an empty stomach and don't feel sick at all. I'm sure it's better to take them with a meal though, perhaps to help them absorb more.
 
daisys&pandas said:
Thanks for the info guys. I so didn't know that One A Day made the gummies. I think this will knock out what I'm trying to accomplish. As for Mag - would love to know more about this supplement. I have heard has many great qualities.

I did try the Whey Protein once to gain weight. I'm a small person anyway and wasn't eating right or getting enough sleep. I didn't find it made me sick was just nasty. lol - I got the wrong kind i think. I got the unflavored kind and tried to mix it with OJ - was bad. I know a whole bunch of guys who swear by it when working out and to bulk up. I myself love Cardio - but like I said am already small and I need more weight resistance training. Maybe I'll get the chocolate kind next time. Its also pricey.

Tks all -
Click to expand...

Please don't waste your money on Whey supplements if you are trying to bulk up, pal. Whey is merely a supplement to a massive calorie surplus for bodybuilders. It does not help you put on real weight as it's got such a low calorific value. Whilst it of course can help the weight-trainer to repair and facilitate protein synthesis, it shouldn't be looked at as the be all and end all of bulking up products. Yeah, it is great stuff, of course but let me explain...

If you need to put on mass, you have to go for whole food. Once upon a time, I wasted my hard-earned cash on "MASS GAINERZ XTREEAAMMZ!!11!9/11FORURBODYZ" and whilst they do work to an extent, you can save a lot of cash and get a MUCH more effective mass-gainer shake of your own accord by combining these ingredients:

Oats
Whole Milk
Creatine (don't actually add this to your shake, it should be consumed separately with a shot of water and nothing else)
Whey Protein

That's all you really need for your PWO shake. That's emphatically better than any over-priced chemical-laden powder in a box. Loads of carbs, plenty of fats, loads of Protein....all of your macronutrients right there with a healthy dose of calories.
Straight after my workout I make a shake with 2L of whole milk and 200g of Oats at least and that's 2200 cals right there and then. I also add Theobroma Cacao, Matcha green tea, banana's, avocado and loads of other shit, but most of these weight gainers are just a bunch of chemicals (fair enough, some of them may work but for a natty, nothing will give you the same results as consuming real whole food) and variations on sucrose. Your body needs real food.

It's really easy to get sucked into the thought that "Well it's in a nice packet and makes some promises on the box and I see the massive guys down the gym using it so I must need it too"....We've all been there man...but this advice will save you having to chug nasty drinks back (I actually love the taste of Whey tbh...I just mix it with water a lot of the time because I love it that much, but mixed with milk it goes down a treat, the two go very well together, unsurprisingly)

Whey Protein, like I said, has loads of benefits anyway (choc-full of Calcium, exempli gratia) and errybody should take it, but if you want to actually put on mass, you need to go out there and stuff your face with oats, milk, eggs, chicken, oily fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables :) I'm not saying you don't need it at all, more that it shouldn't be relied on in place of an effective synopsis and run-down of your calorific requirements.
 
attempt4 said:
Please don't waste your money on Whey supplements if you are trying to bulk up, pal. Whey is merely a supplement to a massive calorie surplus for bodybuilders. It does not help you put on real weight as it's got such a low calorific value. Whilst it of course can help the weight-trainer to repair and facilitate protein synthesis, it shouldn't be looked at as the be all and end all of bulking up products. Yeah, it is great stuff, of course but let me explain...

If you need to put on mass, you have to go for whole food. Once upon a time, I wasted my hard-earned cash on "MASS GAINERZ XTREEAAMMZ!!11!9/11FORURBODYZ" and whilst they do work to an extent, you can save a lot of cash and get a MUCH more effective mass-gainer shake of your own accord by combining these ingredients:

Oats
Whole Milk
Creatine (don't actually add this to your shake, it should be consumed separately with a shot of water and nothing else)
Whey Protein.
Click to expand...

Thanks, do you just throw everything in a blender when you get home from the gym? Or take it with as a dry mix and add the milk there after your workout?
 
attempt4 - tks 4 the information. And I'm a girl. btw =) Don't want to be a massive guy down at the gym.. :p - that's funny. I was just trying to gain some muscle tone when I bought the Whey Protein. I ended up giving it to one of my guy friends because as you mentioned was really just food that I needed. Hmm go figure.
 
spephspeph - I bought a bench and weights to put in my garage, pal. There's no way I am paying extortionate prices to go to an over-crowded room and wait for equipment that actually take out much of the resistance from the lift (the only gym near me doesn't have freeweights for fucking elf'n'safety reasons - and I won't bother going into why I despise machines and their futility as that's a whole new topic!).
I spent a total of £170 or so 4 years ago for my barbell, dumbbells, bench and kettlebell brand new. If I had been going to the gym for the past 4 years, I would have spent £1440 by now (£30/month)!


For some reason, the protein-pushers started a baseless rumour that one must consume their PWO shake within a magical and urgent 20-minute window post-workout. This is not true. In fact, studies have shown that when 2 groups consumed their protein either directly after a workout or waited an hour after a workout respectively, the latter group absorbed more of the protein than the former. People seem to repeat what they here with such vigour that it instantly achieves 'dogmatic fact' status, which is strange in itself. It seems to be the general consensus that you'll "go anabolic bro" if you don't adhere to silly protocols such as consuming food every 2 or 3 hours in small meals or consuming a ton of protein straight after the workout so yer musclez dnt eat demselvez bro!!11
What I'm getting at is if you live a wee while away (I wouldn't leave it longer than an hour, and FYI, I actually consume my shake 10 minutes after) from the gym, don't worry about waiting until you get home to make your smoothie. I find it A LOT better if you consume straight away, as it takes on a sloppy texture if you leave it any longer than 10 mins since making to consume it. Also, it's advised to consume whey protein within 10-20 minutes of concocting a shake. Admittedly, I'm unsure of the science behind that wee nugget of info, but better to be safe than sorry really and if it aint broke, don't fix it...which actually leads me onto the next point
In spite of this, the science and study of cellular biology, protein synthesis etc is all fine and dandy, but whatever works for you and helps get your gains in the gym is the most important thing here. It's simple, really - consume a shit-ton of calories and lift heavy and often. No need to overcomplicate matters with broscience and myths with no real basis like no carbs after 8pm, amongst many others.
Eat big...lift big....sleep big. (Sleep big? Does that work? Yeah we'll go with it I think)

I actually realise that you didn't ask about any of this, but I had an inkling you were wondering about taking the mix to the gym with me so you can consume it in as short a space of time as possible after the workout? If you're not, then never mind! To answer the question, I finish my last rep, come into my bedroom and consume 4/5g of Creatine with water and sometimes a dash of dextrose to replenish glycogen levels. Then straight into a freezing cold shower for 5-10minutes then come out and shove the oats, cacao, green tea, milk, protein etc etc in the blender and mix it all up and drink that shit.

And on that note, i'm going to hit the weights right now.
Take care man.

daisysandpandas - Haha ok! My bad. Food/correct diet is always number 1 priority, whatever your goals are! You getting back into the world of exercise?
 
i usually take them in the morning with what i eat, but am thinking that it might be better to take them closer to lunch or even dinner time, so that by the time i sleep i still have some cycling in me, ready to assist with repair.

i notice i feel better when i don't take them in the morning. .. except vitamin c. i take that the mornings i skip the other vitamins and usually feel fine.

one supplement that i think might serve me better at night is choline/inositol combo that i take, as one of the two (inositol?) makes me a bit ... "dizzy" (not dizzy, but i don't have a word for it), so that just goes better before bed, for me.

i tend to react though with things in weird ways, at least for a few hours.. so to avoid this, i think i'll start dosing before sleep instead of in the day.
 
I've taken to having everything with a big bowl of porridge. It settles my stomach, and I have it with whole milk so there should be enough fat for it to help the fat soluble vitamins be absorbed
 
I tend to have a protein shake with my breakfast along with a multivitamin/mineral pill as well as a 100 mg caffeine pill

I also drink a protein shake before going to bed.

On days when I don't go to the gym (wednesdays and saturdays) I'll have another protein shake when I get home from work right before dinner.
On days when I go to the gym I'll have one protein shake before going there (right after work) and another one or two afterwards.
 
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