It almost sounds counterintuitive: The harder you train, the less you may need to worry about getting your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the vitamins and minerals you need to function as a finely tuned physiological machine.
If you are like most people, you probably assume you need a supplement store’s worth of more vitamins and minerals when you’re burning so many calories in a day.
But here’s what is missing from this erroneous assumption: You’re also eating a heck of a lot more food when you train hard, and if you’re downing quality fuel from a variety of healthy sources such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, lean meats and fish, you’re more than likely getting all the vital nutrients you need.
We would rather see athletes get all their nutrients from food, since a natural delivery vehicle for that good stuff always is best, but we understand some of you might want to take a multivitamin as a basic insurance policy against any deficiency. Just be careful of the pill you choose. Look for products that provide as close to 100 percent of your RDA and stay away from supplements promising more than 500 percent of anything.
Make every meal a combo plate special: The easiest way – and some might say most effective method – to add a multitude of different foods to your diet is to think in terms of loading up each meal with a little of everything. Instead of eating a bowl of granola with skim milk, add a handful of berries, raisins, a sliced banana or another fruit to the top. Add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts and an avocado to your turkey sandwich. Chop up several different fresh vegetables and add them to your pasta sauce.
Beware the slow season: If there’s one time of year where a multivitamin might do some good, it’s during short breaks between sports or seasons, when your caloric intake drops to match your reduced activity level. Ideally, you still would eat from the entire spectrum of foods, but that can be unrealistic when your total daily calorie needs drop to only 1,500 per day. In that case, add a multivitamin to your daily habit. You don’t need one that delivers 2,000 percent of any vitamin. One fortified with 100 percent of your recommended daily allowance will do just fine.
Alicia Kendig is a registered dietitian for Colorado Springs-based Carmichael Training Systems. For more information on the latest in training, fitness and nutrition, go to www.trainright.com/newsletter.
