creatine (purple-K because mono gives me the shits)
seal oil
I've been considering a seal oil supplement after reading some of the the literature you referenced on here a while back.
As for the creatine, I've also experienced gastric upset using mono. One thing that helped me immensely was to drink more water before and after creatine consumption. When using creatine, I usually drink a good 24oz of water pre-workout. I then take my creatine. About 20-30 mins later, I pull into the gym parking lot and consume my carb drink
(usually grape juice). I then drink about another 18oz of water during my workout, and then more after the meal following my training.
I've found this to greatly minimize the stomach discomfort - not necessarily the carb source or timing; I only included those details for completeness.
The MOST overrated product EVER:
vitamin pills.
All sorts, multi, C, E, whatever.
The only exception might be Vitamin D, which is falsely labeled as a vitamin but is in fact a hormone.
If you have a good diet, you don't need that crap, on top of that it is still unkown how most of the vitamins are absorbed and how good they get absorbed when taken as a pill and without secondary helpers that naturally occur in the food naturally.
As for minerals, calcium is way overrated, you MIGHT need magnesium when on creatine or steroids, and some zinc maybe, but the rest you can get more than enough through a good diet.
Vitamins are the biggest scam ever.
Excellent point about the vit-D. Over the last year or so, we've had some good discussions and links regarding vit-D, and yes: recent research has shown it is, in fact, a hormone. Even with sun exposure, our bodies can only synthesize/manufacture so much, and I believe in the benefit of consuming additional D in the form of supplements.
I also agree that the general vitamin-deficiency fear factor is exaggerated. That said, while scurvy is NOT a modern-day epidemic, there are certain vitamins & minerals that can be of benefit when added to the diet. B-12 can support energy levels, B-6 is good for the nervous system, and Zinc levels are oftentimes depleted in hard-training athletes - as are Magnesium and B-6. High protein intake also increases the need for B6, and zinc is particularly important for protein synthesis.
Many studies that examine the effects of certain vitamins and minerals use a supplement form, which indicates that the supplent form of many vitamins does demonstrate at least some absorption. I use a simple gelcap multi, and I aim to use gels as often as I can for the other stuff. I've seen some evidence that suggests that the absorption of liquid forms of vitamins are superior to the cake tablets.
I'm not a believer in mega-dosing vitamins. Toxicity levels aside, it seems there can be other problems associated with the practice.
I'm also skeptical of many studies done on OTC health supplements, plenty of which are paid for by a company or group that has agendas. That's one reason I try to keep an open mind and search for related
(preferably non-biased) studies when determining anything about anything.
