Why You Need a Multivitamin and How To Choose the Right One

Your diet is great in the macronutrient departments of protein, carbs and fats. You also pay attention to your micronutrients and do your best to make sure you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals that you need. You don’t need to also take a daily multivitamin supplement, right? Maybe yes, maybe no. A multivitamin might give you the edge you need to make your workouts even more successful, prevent fatigue and keep your metabolism in check. If you want to experience these benefits, you should get yourself to a vitamin store and find the best quality multi you can.

Don’t get carried away, though. That multivitamin isn’t a cure-all or an excuse to slack on your diet. Here’s what a great multivitamin can (and cannot) do for your health and how to pick the best one for your body.

What A Multivitamin Really Does

If you were lucky when you were a kid, your mom probably passed you a delicious, candy-like multivitamin in the shape of Barney Rubble. You were a Flinstone kid and you were strong and growing. Sure, it was fun to wolf down a Dino-shaped, grape-flavored vitamin, but what benefit does a multivitamin have for you now that you’re a grown adult eating a real, healthy, balanced diet and not just chicken nuggets and Kool-Aid?

Basically, a multivitamin is going to fill in nutritional gaps in your diet and ensure that your body is getting everything it needs for proper metabolism. “It is worth considering a multivitamin as part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Howard Sesso, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to BodyBuilding.com, the nutrients that multivitamins provide are vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you were to become deficient in any of them, you could experience the breakdown of a metabolic pathway. This means your efficiency and physical performance are going to take a hit. Taking the right multi might help to prevent this collapse and preserve your metabolic well-being.

There has been some debate lately, however, regarding exactly what a multivitamin can and cannot do for your body. According to the Harvard Medical School, a round of studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that taking a multivitamin provided no benefit in protecting the brain or the heart.

In one study cited by Harvard, men taking multivitamins were 8 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer and had a lower risk of developing cataracts, but no significant difference was noted in protection against heart attacks, strokes, death from cardiovascular disease or declining mental and memory skills.

A multivitamin isn’t a magic pill that’s going to prevent all manner of diseases, but it will fill in some nutritional gaps and keep your body running efficiently. “There are potential benefits and there are no known risks at this time,” Dr. Sesso said. As long as you’re not depending too heavily on your multivitamin, you’ll be in good shape.

Why You Need A Multi To Meet Your Goals

If you’re particularly concerned with your health and wellness, especially if you spend a lot of time working out, a multivitamin can be especially beneficial for you. “Bodybuilders, athletes and people that lead active lifestyles need even more nutrients than the average non-active person,” according to BodyBuilding.com. They can help you build a strong, nutritionally-complete foundation for all of your hard work in the gym, your dedication to a healthy diet and any other nutritional supplements you use.

A study from the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research claims that a vitamin deficiency can impair physical performance in athletes. When that deficiency is corrected, performance usually improves. A multivitamin may help.

How To Choose The Best Multi For You

Choosing the right multivitamin for you and your needs is its own beast. There are hundreds of options on the market, many of which are subpar and, frankly, a waste of money. It’s vital that you choose a high-quality, complete multivitamin and avoid any that are just filler.

Muscle & Fitness set forth some guidelines for separating the serious multivitamin contenders from the substandard ones. The first thing the site suggests is looking at the daily value (DV) of each vitamin included in your multi. This is the bare minimum you should be taking. “Hard-training athletes may need several times more than 100 percent of the DV for optimal health, performance and growth.” Make sure you’re checking how many tablets you will need to take to meet the DV, because sometimes what appears to be a bargain is not a good deal.

Look for a supplement with 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A, a vitamin with antioxidant properties that destroy free radicals created by intense exercise and beta carotene that supports metabolism. Your multivitamin should also contain vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, another potent antioxidant that can promote faster recovery from your workouts and better muscle growth. According to Muscle & Fitness, research has shown that vitamin C can help boost your intense training by reducing heart rate, and thus the perception of fatigue and exertion.

Make sure your supplement is going to provide you with the right amount of vitamin D as well. Shoot for 400 IU and you could see an increase in strength and boosted testosterone levels. Thirty IUs of fat-soluble vitamin E is another way to protect your cells from free radical damage. It supports muscle growth and joint health as well.

The right multivitamin can set you up for greater success in the gym and fill in nutritional gaps your diet might have. It’s not going to prevent heart disease or keep your brain healthy, but a high-quality multi can support muscle growth, joint health, metabolism and more. Don’t skimp out, though. There are a lot of crappy multivitamins out there, and you deserve better than that. Invest some time selecting a good one and, if you need to, invest some cash to get the right vitamin to meet your needs.

Want to know more about the supplements that can help you reach, no, crush your goals? Look no further than Performance Inspired Nutrition. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for both information and inspiration!