Periodization of "vitamins" along with athletic se

Dr.Ferrari

Using &amp;quot;vitamins&amp;quot; for sport performance &amp;amp; using them for muscle growth are two diffrent things. In many sports they train thru a periodization model. Shouldnt athletes periodize their supplement program? <br /><br />Reading &amp;quot;fausts gold&amp;quot;, book on the east german doping program &amp;amp; they only used 6 months of the year and for 4 weeks at a time (dont qoute me on this). <br /><br />Anyone have any ideas on periodizing vitamins? <br /><br />EX: <br />3 weeks of successive building in volume weeks with 1 low volume rest week at the end. <br /><br />thats 1 month <br /><br />vitamin usage 3 weeks then hpta boosting products that low volume week? <br /><br /><br />hypothetical situation: <br /><br />3 weeks low dose test + aromasin <br /><br />4week (low volume week) hcg &amp;amp; clomid (nolvadex increases shbg &amp;amp; has a estrogen rebound) <br /><br />5th week (increasing volume week) back on low dose test + aromasin <br /><br />usually in an a olympic athletes season where one needs to peak for certain competitions they will take a break mid season. This break one could go completely off or &amp;quot;cruise&amp;quot; ?<br /><br />

2LAP

Sorry, but I don't endorse the use of additional doses of vitamins and minerals for performance. I would like to see the evidence (please let me know if you have any reliable references to check out) that vitamins and minerals have significant benefits for athletes over the volumes required for good health.<br /><br />The use of large doses or even periodisation concerns me due to the health risks of overdose (particularly of fat soluable vitamins) or excessive cost (particularly of water soluble vitamins which are passed from the body as urine).<br /><br />Sorry to be negative, but until I've seen the evidence I can't support the notion that any vitamin manipulation is useful.<br /><br />I prefer this model for nutrition. A balanced diet is the base of the pyramid with suplements used to build on this base. As most athletes don't have this base of a balanced diet, supplements are unlikly to improve performance to any greater extent than simple changes in diet.

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Dr.Ferrari

Just one of thousands!!!!!!!<br /><br />..also read the post carefully, &amp;quot;vitamins&amp;quot; could possibly mean something else.<br /><br /><br /><br />: Int J Sports Med 2001 Oct;22(7):537-43 Related Articles, Links <br /><br /> <br />Vitamin C supplementation attenuates the increases in circulating cortisol, adrenaline and anti-inflammatory polypeptides following ultramarathon running.<br /><br />Peters EM, Anderson R, Nieman DC, Fickl H, Jogessar V.<br /><br />Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. futree@med.und.ac.za<br /><br />The effects of vitamin C supplementation on the alterations in the circulating concentrations of cortisol, adrenaline, interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) which accompany ultramarathon running were measured using immuno-chemiluminescence, radioimmunoassay and ELISA procedures. Forty-five participants in the 1999 Comrades 90 km marathon were divided into equal groups (n = 15) receiving 500 mg/day Vit C (VC-500), 1500 mg/day Vit C (VC-1500) or placebo (P) for 7 days before the race, on the day of the race, and for 2 days following completion. Runners recorded dietary intake before, during and after the race and provided 35 ml blood samples 15 - 18 hrs before the race, immediately post-race, 24 hrs post race and 48 hrs post-race. Twenty-nine runners (VC-1500, n = 12; VC-500, n = 10; P, n = 7) complied with all study requirements. All post-race concentrations were adjusted for plasma volume changes. Analyses of dietary intakes and blood glucose and anti-oxidant status on the day preceding the race and the day of the race did not reveal that carbohydrate intake or plasma vitamins E and A were significant confounders in the study. Mean pre-race concentrations of serum vitamin C in VC-500 and VC-1500 groups (128 +/- 31 and 153 +/- 34 micromol/l) were significantly higher than in the P group (83 +/- 39 micromol/l). Immediate post-race serum cortisol was significantly lower in the VC-1500 group (p &amp;lt; 0.05) than in P and VC-500 groups. When the data from VC-500 and P groups was combined (n = 17), immediate post-race plasma adrenaline, IL-10 and IL-1Ra concentrations were also significantly lower (p &amp;lt; 0.05) in the VC-1500 group. The study demonstrates an attenuation, albeit transient, of both the adrenal stress hormone and anti-inflammatory polypeptide response to prolonged exercise in runners who supplemented with 1500 mg vitamin C per day when compared to &amp;lt; or = 500 mg per day.<br /><br />

2LAP

Sorry Dr.F, this is an interesting read. A couple of questions for you because i'm interested:<br /><br />Athough the group find significant differences in a number of markers, how 'meaningful' do you feel these differences are?<br /><br />Do you think other dietary changes (e.g. a correct carbohydrate loading program, hydration) could have more 'meaningful' effects?<br /><br />Has any of the literature attempted to quatify the performance/recovery improvement caused by vitamin supplementation (this study only gives an indication of biochemical markers in the runners)?<br /><br />The group made dietary analysis of the runners, what did they find (i.e. were they lacking, normal, excessive?)?

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Dr.Ferrari

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