I’ve never been one for taking vitamins regularly. I always buy them and then they end up sitting there for a year until they expire and I throw them away. But, now that my diet is better and I’m paying attention to the nutrients I’m getting, I have also committed to taking a few supplements. I don’t believe in multivitamins since most of that stuff you can get just through a good diet and because there has been some evidence that multivitamins may do harm. But, there are some things that are hard to get enough off through diet or that we just don’t eat in our culture.
Calcium is very important for women, and what better time to add a calcium supplement than when you are building bone density with workouts? I take a calcium supplement that also has magnesium for a few reasons. First, magnesium helps the metabolization of calcium. Second, because magnesium is also important for bone health. And third, because magnesium is an important electrolyte which facilitates oxygen delivery to muscles as they work.
I also take Evening Primrose Oil which contains GLA, an essential fatty acid. GLA in Evening Primrose Oil has been linked to reducing inflammation, minimizing PMS symptoms and treating cystic breasts. There is also anecdotal evidence that suggests GLA could contribute to weight loss. I take EPO to relieve symptoms of cystic breasts, which run in my family. But, if it happens to have the other benefits, even better!
Finally I take turmeric as it has also been linked to reducing inflammation in joints and preventing cancer. It may also improve circulation which is beneficial during workouts. None of this is proven but there are no known negative side effects to taking a reasonable amount of turmeric. It’s also rumored to help prevent hangovers if you take it before you drink. So, if it does any of these things and it’s safe to take, I figure why not?
What supplements do you take or think are important for women to take when they are doing intense workouts such as those in P90X?
So, my supplement routine currently includes
