There are no clear-cut answers or one size fits all for supplements. It’s not black and white – so, these are my recommendations based on working with many endurance athletes. The goals are:
1) Avoid deficiencies regardless of frank symptoms. Athletes can have deficiencies that don’t show up as obvious symptoms until they are very low – we want to avoid this.
2) Improve omega-3s vs. omega-6s ratio in the body to reduce overall bodily inflammatory processes
3) Promote muscle recovery
4) Promote good mental and visual heath
5) Promote overall wellness throughout the year with specific recommendations when training. This includes ability to sleep well, good energy throughout the day, etc.
If an athlete wants specific recommendations for their specific training level, medical history, and blood levels, they can work with me one-on-one, work with a MD, and obtain specific lab work.
Recommendations:
1) Daily, year-round: High quality multivitamin, omega-3s (specifically DHA/EPA) from fish or supplement, Vitamin D if in training or low, high quality probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt or supplement, and magnesium.
2) Winter: More attention to Vitamin D, omega-3s, and probiotics.
3) In-Season Training: Amino acids before and after training (specifically BCAA’s and l-glutamine), ginger for sore joints and muscles, and extra magnesium especially if having any symptoms of fatigue, over training, sleeplessness, or anxiety.
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