Multivitamins are a key part of any bodybuilders stack. Offering a way to ensure complete nutrition, promoting muscular development and balancing masculine hormones.
When it comes to choosing a multivitamin to go into your supplement stack, bodybuilders shouldn't just be looking for the usual vitamins and minerals, but also at added herbs and ingredients that can help develop muscle mass.
Let's take a look at the what the best multivitamin for bodybuilders contains and what you should be checking to ensure your hormones are optimized for success.
What a Bodybuilding Multivitamin Should Do For You
A multivitamin should keep all your nutritional bases covered, ensuring your body is full optimized for muscular development and performance recovery.
- Boost Immunity and Daily Energy Levels
- Optimize Muscular Development and Increase Lean Mass
- Promote Mental Focus and Brain Health
- Protect the Heart and Cardio Systems
- Support Healthy Testosterone Production
Do Bodybuilders Need a Multivitamin?
You might wonder, if a bodybuilder has a perfectly balanced nutrition plan and hits all their markers for macros, do they really need a multivitamin?
In short, the answer is yes. Over time the quality and nutrient density in our foods has begun to deplete. A broccoli, as an example is no longer as packed full of nutrients due to the demands placed on it by modern agriculture.
There's a few more reasons why a broccoli, may no longer be as much of a broccoli as it once was either.
- Chemicals added to plants to kill insects can reduce nutritional content
- Overpacking of land with too many plants to maximise yield reduces the nutrition available to each one
- Demand means that farmers are growing plants faster than ever, with plants not being allowed to fully develop before hitting the stores.
But this isn't all. Overcooking foods, not getting enough of a balanced diet and nutrient absorption issues in the stomach all contribute to athletes not getting exactly what they need in terms of a nutrition from a diet.
The Study into Nutrition Decline
All these factors are backed by a study into nutrition decline[1]. The study took a look at records from 1950 to 1999 and concluded that fruit and vegetables do have less nutrition than in recent years.
In fact, they were able to estimate the overall loss of some fruits and vegetables. Concluding that:
- Spinach has over 50% less Vitamins C
- Broccoli has around 60% less calcium
- Cauliflower has over 50% less iron
In fact, the study found that there were; "reliable declines” in amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C in fruit and vegetables over the 50 year periods.
That multivitamin making more sense to add to your stack now?
Multivitamins and Bodybuilding - The Link Between Muscle, Performance and Correct Nutrients
It's all well and good that foods are being depleted of key nutrients, but what is concerning is the impact this is having on the health of men and women the world over.
It's no secret that to perform at your best, be it in the gym, on the track or even just at work, your nutrition needs to be dialled in.
When you workout, you're naturally pushing your body to use up calories it's gotten from food, by way of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) but if these sources are nutritionally sound, you'll find you will experience a number of negative effects over time.
With a massive number of Americans falling short on basic vitamin levels, multivitamins provide a great booster to ensure a healthy life, and crucially optimized performance.
American Dietary Deficiencies
It's estimated that as much as 92% of the US population is deficient in one vitamin or mineral. Which is alarming, and can be easily fixed with a more balanced diet and good multivitamin supplement.
Here's an estimated breakdown of the main ones:
- 70% don't get enough calcium
- 80% don't get enough vitamin E
- 50% don't get enough vitamin C
- 50% don't get enough magnesium
- 50%+ are deficient in vitamin D
So let's check how these deficiencies could impact a bodybuilder looking to progress their physique and step on stage at the olympia.
Remember, the best multivitamins don't just contain vitamins and minerals, but also some testosterone boosting and performance boosting herbs and ingredients too!
Calcium: Calcium is crucial for the development of a healthy skeleton, as well as the maintenance and health of joints and joint tissue. Being deficient in calcium can cause issues like osteoporosis and mean bodybuilders are a lot more likely to be injured.
Vitamin E: Crucial for a healthy neuromuscular skeleton, vitamin E is a crucial vitamin for bodybuilders. Luckily, peanut butter is packed with it and so are some seeds and nuts.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C deficiency can manifest itself as lethargy, skin issues and easy bruising. Vitamin C is absolutely essential to maintain a healthy immune system too, and if you're not getting sick, you're training harder and more frequently.
Magnesium: A key player in the production of testosterone, magnesium is an essential mineral for bodybuilders. Magnesium helps with the development of healthy muscle through protein synthesis and can also play a role in your DNA.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D functions like a hormone in the body. It plays an absolutely crucial role in a huge variety of bodily functions. But, one key for bodybuilding is the healthy production of testosterone. Which, directly impacts lean muscle mass and power. Being deficient in vitamin D can also lead to lethargy and irritability, as well as a lower sex drive. Sources include oily fish and sunshine!
Types of Multivitamin
There are various types of multivitamin available on the market. Ranging from 'one a day' to 'cultured' vitamins with a supposed greater level of absorption.
Naturally, the best way for anyone men, women or athletes to get vitamins is from your diet. And whilst some vitamins can offer a slightly higher bioavailability, we'd recommend getting your multivitamins from a source you trust.
Ingredients for a Good Bodybuilders Multi
- Zinc - A trace mineral that is essential to nearly all bodily functions. Zinc can help with the production of key male hormones and as well as contribute to immunity and well being.
- Magnesium - Magnesium can help to enhance the mind muscle connection and also improve focus. It also helps promote healthy testosterone levels and is never high enough in a lot of peoples diets.
- Selenium - A hugely powerful antioxidant that can help with immunity and recovery.
- Copper - Copper is a key player when it comes to cardiovascular health and also the health of your red blood cells. This has a knock on effect of oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles and further fuels better performance.
- Calcium - Keeps bones strong but also helps with muscle contractions and control.
- Vitamin A - Crucial for muscle growth, vitamin A is involved in the repair of all body tissues. And it can also aid recovery.
- Vitamin C - An antioxidant that can help reduce DOMS and improve energy levels for performance.
- Vitamin D - A key player in the production of testosterone, and thus important when it comes to building new muscle. Vitamin D also plays a role in immunity and recovery, making it a crucial component, especially in a mans multivitamin.
- Vitamin E - Vitamin E supplementation can help the recovery process dramatically as well as help with brain health.
- B Vitamins - Essential vitamins that help with the production of energy and also with the ferrying of red blood cells to muscle. Helping muscle develop.
Bodybuilders Multivitamin by National Bodybuilding Co.
We're proud to offer our multivitamin for bodybuilders. Which has been helping athletes all over the US get rid of deficiencies and improve performance and recovery.
With National Bodybuilding Co. Bodybuilders multivitamin you're getting key doses of everything you need for:
- An increased and stronger immunity
- Improved muscle density and bone strength
- Greater mental function and alertness
- More energy and crucially better recovery