Apparently, one of the trickiest parts of negotiating the ski slopes on a large dose of psychedelic mushrooms is 鈥渒nowing which end of the lift the mountain part is on.鈥�

鈥淚 was so confused about when to get off the 鈥榝lying seat鈥�,鈥� explained the snowboarder regaling his buddy about a recent six-gram day.

听 听 听 听Also Read: Jim Harris Was Paralyzed. Then He Ate Magic Mushrooms.

From what I heard of the rest of the story (before the three of us had to get off the 鈥渇lying seat鈥� ourselves), his trip greatly improved once he felt safe in the trees where he 鈥渂ecame the snow鈥� and met a squirrel who bore a striking resemblance to his dead grandpa. 鈥漈hey had the exact same eyebrows!鈥�

As I watched him strap on his board at the top, I was distracted by the question of whether or not squirrels have eyebrows. But by the time he slid away, the big question hit me: Wait, people are on the slopes while tripping on six grams?

With Colorado voters approving psilocybin (the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms) for personal use in 2022, I should have expected people to try adding a shroom trip to their ski trip. But although psychedelics and skiing have proven to be the two most helpful ways to manage my PTSD, I would never combine the two鈥攁nd certainly not at a six-gram dosage. By comparison, during a therapeutic trip of that magnitude, I wasn鈥檛 able to get even an arm out of my sleeping bag to reach my water bottle for three hours.

Some extoll the joy and beauty of taking a smaller amount of 鈥渕ushies鈥� (anywhere from .1 to 2 grams) and 鈥渕icroshredding.鈥� While I鈥檓 not your mother, I鈥檓 about to do a pretty good impression. When it comes to psychedelics on the slopes, make good choices. I would advise against shroomskiing not just because you could get in trouble and it鈥檚 not safe (both of which are true), but because there is a pretty good chance it won鈥檛 be all that much fun.

Let鈥檚 start with the small print. Yes, magic mushrooms are legal in my home state. In fact, growing, possessing, and sharing psilocybin are all allowed if you are 21 or older. However, ski resorts operate on federal land, where shrooms (and weed for that matter) are still illegal.

Operating under a 鈥淗ealers, Not Dealers鈥� model, Colorado prohibits the selling or buying of mushrooms. So if you don鈥檛 have a generous friend growing fungi under a heat-lamp in her closet (and I don鈥檛, so please don鈥檛 fill my inbox with requests), then things get more complicated.

That said, there is a provision in the law that allows administration of psilocybin for 鈥渉arm reduction services.鈥� Entrepreneurs are pushing the boundaries of the new law like skiers scouting the sidecountry for lines on a powder day. At a mushroom 鈥渃o-op鈥� or 鈥渃lub,鈥� people can pay as little as $30 for a consultation session and leave with four grams of blue-veined psychedelic fungi.

In other words, a motivated individual could likely get their mittens on some shrooms and hit the slopes. But should they?

鈥淵ou鈥檒l always have some wildly irresponsible people,鈥� said Sean McAllister, a Denver attorney specializing in psychedelic law. 鈥淏ut the majority of people know this [psilocybin] has a serious level of impairment. It鈥檚 not like cannabis or alcohol, where with a low dose you can do some activities. You don鈥檛 want to be out in the real world walking around, or God forbid skiing.鈥�

Although Colorado resorts aren鈥檛 reporting any shroom-related incidents, they are leary of the possibility.

鈥淲hen you think about it, the possible negative outcomes are endless,鈥� said Sarah Beatty, a spokesperson for Colorado Ski Country USA, the non-profit trade association representing 21 Colorado resorts. 鈥淣ot only could you hurt yourself, but there are other people out there on the mountain who didn鈥檛 agree to be a part of the experience you鈥檙e having.鈥�

听 听 听 听Related: I Was Traumatized After an Accident. Then I Tried Ketamine Therapy.

Because of the myriad of variables in the mushrooms + skiing equation, you yourself might not have signed up for the experience you end up having. Unlike beer, with its regulated level of alcohol content, the potency of shrooms varies in different strains and even different batches.

Psilocybin also picks up on your mindset and setting, and amplifies what鈥檚 going on in your head, the vibe of the people around you, and your environment.

Think of your favorite run and how dramatically different it is depending on the temperature, time of day, snow conditions, whether the sun鈥檚 out, how many people are on it鈥攊t can feel like a different run every time.

It鈥檚 the same with psilocybin. On a macrodose (vaguely defined as one gram and up), you will likely have several different trips within the same trip. I know I do. My PTSD comes from when he was 15 and I was 12. I take mushrooms in a reverential way with experienced guides to help me deal with what comes up. I鈥檓 blindfolded to keep my focus inward and safely tucked in a sleeping bag.

It鈥檚 in the liminal space mushrooms create where I find my brother. Psilocybin doesn鈥檛 make you see things that aren鈥檛 there as much as it lets you feel things that no longer are. One minute, Mark and I are lying on our backs in a sunny meadow of wildflowers while he tells me how proud he is of me, and seconds later, we are back in the hallway outside our bedrooms where he said goodbye to me. I still feel the warmth of his hug and think this time I can stop him. When I realize it鈥檚 too late, the grief is so strong I couldn鈥檛 stand if I wanted to.

So, no, macrodosing is not something I want to experience on my skis.

As for the difference between a macro and a micro dose, I think it was best summed up by Carter Antebi, a Mammoth skier who gets in about 75 days a season.

鈥�10/10 would do again,鈥� the 22-year-old wrote in a forum addressing the topic on Newschoolers.com. 鈥淒efinitely a micro tho, I鈥檓 not tryna have an ego death or temporary psychosis on the mountain. Gotta save that stuff for home.鈥�

When I reached out to him for this story, Antebi cautioned that anyone considering skiing on shrooms best be an experienced skier and know how they react on mushrooms.

鈥淚 make sure that I鈥檓 feeling good about myself and that the environment is right,鈥� Antebi said. 鈥淚t makes the day more fun, more meaningful. I feel a strong connection to the mountain and my skiing.鈥�

After all, microdosing is a steroid for nature appreciation. It can make a single tree, or even a single leaf on that tree, the most beautiful thing you鈥檝e ever seen. And while losing yourself in nature is a lovely experience, I don鈥檛 want to do it while the lifts are running.

The good news is you can tap into the magic of natural medicine without being on anything but snow. Next ski day, go in the trees, sit still and simply receive whatever nature has to offer. And if you happen to notice whether or not squirrels have eyebrows, let us know.

The post Psilocybin Helps My PTSD鈥擝ut I Won鈥檛 Mix Mushrooms With Skiing appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

More and more athletes have been tapping into THC/CBD products to try to enhance their performance, feel less pain while training or competing, or aid their recovery from workouts, which includes improving their sleep.

The use of THC鈥攖he primary psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant鈥攆or recreational purposes is currently legal in 24 states (medical use is legal in 39 states), with some states only allowing hemp-derived forms of THC. A by the University of Colorado at Boulder found little evidence of performance-enhancing effects of THC for athletes, but significant evidence that participants had greater enjoyment during and after their workouts.

To find out for myself how THC affects workouts, for the past couple of months, I鈥檝e been testing a range of hemp-derived THC/CBD mints called AthleTHC that are meant to support athletes of all kinds.

AthleTHC hit the scene in December听 2024. Two Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athletes鈥攁 power lifter and an ex-Navy Seal鈥攚ho鈥檇 found success with their Kill Cliff CBD products, created three formulas of THC-based mints. Each one is blended with non-psychoactive CBD, CBG, CBC, and/or THCV, which are all derivatives from the cannabis plant with different effects.

Here鈥檚 how , Rebound, Flow, and Power, have worked for me over the past months.

Rebound: THC (2mg), CBD, CBC

I鈥檝e taken the Rebound formula mostly in the evenings after snowboarding or running, or on evenings when other people might have a beer after work or wine with dinner. It makes me feel relaxed, content, and less easily annoyed. I sleep better. I say amusing (to me, anyway) things while watching TV. If I have a nagging pain of any sort, it takes the edge off. I either feel my pain less, or think I feel my pain less. Or don鈥檛 care as much that I have pain. However, whenever I pop one, I鈥檓 maybe a little鈥攚hat was I going to say?鈥� inconsequentially forgetful.

WHY: Two milligrams of THC is considered a micro-dose, but since individual tolerances vary, it may be a regular or even mega-dose. THC is straight-up weed (hence, my feelings of amusement post-mint). is known to relax, reduce pain caused by inflammation, lower anxiety, and treat sleep and even seizure disorders. Studies suggest that the addition of CBD to this mint, and the other two (as well as to any other edible with THC), either of THC or . In my anecdotal studies, I鈥檝e found CBD to generally mellow out THC. Like CBD, is non-psychoactive. It鈥檚 been studied for its therapeutic potential as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, anti-depressant, and pain-blocker.

Flow: THC (2mg), CBD, CBG

I鈥檝e tested the Flow formula a few times while snowboarding. (It is called 鈥淔low,鈥� after all.) I鈥檝e also used it once while running (from home; I did not drive). I鈥檝e found it, indeed, makes my activity feel flowy鈥攕mooth snowboarding turns (in my head or in reality, tbd), and focused foot placement on rocky trails (I didn鈥檛 trip and felt in flow). It makes putting away laundry less tedious. It makes puttering around doing yardwork a happy and effective activity instead of a chore. It makes sitting down to work on things I find boring feel pleasant. This one also helps me sleep. The Flow mint might be my favorite of the three.

WHY: The formulation of the Rebound mint and the Flow mint are similar鈥攂oth have THC and CBD鈥攂ut the addition of CBG rather than CBC creates a different effect鈥hough it鈥檚 possible that this is in my head. Like CBD, is non-psychotic. Current studies reveal that CBG has therapeutic effects of reducing inflammation, protecting the central nervous system,听 managing pain, helping metabolic syndrome, and even aiding cancer treatment. It can also be used as an antibacterial. CBG has been shown to work like acetaminophen by inhibiting the same enzyme.

Power: THC (2mg), CBD, THCV

The Power formula has scared me. For one thing, the thought of 鈥淧ower鈥� edibles of any sort leads me to believe that听 I鈥檒l go into a weightlifting rage and pull a muscle. Or I鈥檒l run too intensely up my local hill and yell at the top of my lungs from the summit. Even the color is intimidating: while the Rebound mint is white with a cool mint flavor, and the Flow mint is green and spearmint, Power is cinnamon red. Red means rage.

But, in the pursuit of science and journalism, I did it. I popped one and headed out my door for an afternoon run. I may have thought a downed yard waste bag was a lion for a millisecond. I also may have seen faces carved into trees that weren鈥檛 there, and considered adding two miles to the end of my run for fun until my nagging calf brought me back to reality.

According the AthleTHC, the Power mint is 鈥渕eant to increase energy and support focus鈥� and provide a 鈥漨ore stimulating experience.鈥� Did the THC enhance my performance? I鈥檓 not sure; I ran pretty slowly. Did it hinder it? No. I found myself a little dizzy before I headed out the door. While on the run, I felt okay, albeit, a little crazy.

WHY: I am not sure why I felt slightly hallucinogenic on my run, as the third ingredient in this mix, , lacks the psychoactive properties of THC. Along with decreasing appetite, THCV is known to increase metabolism, which increases energy. Maybe that鈥檚 why I felt a touch crazy. It鈥檚 possible that it was the THC, I hadn鈥檛 eaten much, and I knew I had THC in my system and so my brain was open to things it wouldn鈥檛 be otherwise. THC has been known to elevate heart rates; that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 no longer a banned substance in . I have not gauged my heart rate after ingesting a POWER mint. Perhaps I need more research.

THC for Athletes: Promising, but More Testing Needed

I appreciated that AthleTHC mints come in little tins that make them inconspicuous and easy to carry, although the cover says 鈥淎thleTHC鈥�. But then again, do we need to hide the name of products like these, in the wellness category and aimed at athletes? People drink beer. People do all sorts of things鈥攃razier than microdosing marijuana鈥攖hat are socially and legally accepted.

With more and more THC/CBD products on the market, maybe micro-dosing for athletics (or, any reason) will become more normalized. But like drinking alcohol and other normalized habits of adults, THC usage comes with .

One downside I听 experienced: Twice after weekends of testing, I鈥檝e found Monday and Tuesday to be particularly annoying. Life stresses tend to get to me more than usual. According to , 鈥渨ithdrawal鈥� symptoms can include everything from irritability to changes in mood. I don鈥檛 think my experiment got me to the point of addiction, but I can easily imagine how taking something that makes you feel good can become addictive: You want to feel good again.

That said, I found that microdosing mints, used responsibly, appear to have the ability to help athletes recover with relaxation and improved sleep, find flow in activities, and improve mood. It might even enhance power lifting or high-intensity workouts (if hallucinations don鈥檛 get in the way). All things in moderation, and like any substance that鈥檚 only legal to those over 21, I鈥檓 keeping these things hidden from the developing brains of my children while sharing with my adult friends.

In conclusion, while significant data has been collected in this study, findings are somewhat inconclusive and could benefit from future testing.

The post I Tested THC Formulated for Athletes. Here鈥檚 What I Experienced. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Longer days. Warmer weather. Finally, a dry track. For the , all signs point to spring training. These professional runners are kicking their workouts into high gear for the upcoming season鈥攁nd making sure their nutrition keeps up.

Wherever you are in your running life, you can learn something from the Brooks Beasts. The team includes Olympic medalists, national champions, and world record setters in distances from 800 meters to 5,000 meters. These 15 athletes from around the world train in Seattle under coach Danny Mackey and a full support staff, including two assistant coaches, a physiotherapist, and nutritionist Kyle Pfaffenbach, PhD.

Pfaffenbach, a health and human performance professor at Eastern Oregon University, tailors individualized nutrition programs to each athlete to build the strongest possible base for performance. 鈥淣utrition is a key pillar to performance, along with training, sleep, and mental health, for our athletes. The complete athlete will have a strong, evidence-based approach in each of these areas. However, it is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Individual needs vary based on factors like the person, the time of year, and the event they compete in. Nutrition is critical to this personalized approach, and we work together as a team to put our athletes in the best position to perform great and be healthy,鈥� he says.

Here鈥檚 how the Brooks Beasts fuel up for a new season, from building a strong base to fine-tuning their nutritional intake to incorporating the best supplements into their daily routine.

Warming Up to Warmer Weather

鈥淎s the weather gets nicer, track sessions seem to get a bit more intense and long runs start getting longer,鈥� Pfaffenbach says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to make sure to be well-fueled for these sessions.鈥� That means paying extra attention to carbohydrate intake to ensure athletes have the energy they need for harder workouts, but also maintaining enough protein and fat to provide longer-burning fuel and help with recovery.

Hydration needs also increase along with the temperature. 鈥淎s the weather warms up and we get acclimatized to the heat, people tend to sweat more,鈥� Pfaffenbach says. Waleed Suliman, a Brooks Beast 1,500-meter runner with four NCAA titles to his name, makes sure to add electrolytes to his water this time of year. 鈥淚 need to replenish the lost minerals to stay hydrated and avoid fatigue,鈥� he says. Suliman swears by NOW庐 Sports (favorite flavor: lemon lime), an easy source of electrolytes from the team鈥檚 official sports nutrition partner.

鈥淲e trust products,鈥� Pfaffenbach says. 鈥淭hey make straightforward supplements, often with only a single ingredient, and their testing procedure is extremely rigorous.鈥� NOW庐 Sports uses clean, research-backed ingredients when formulating its products, and its in-house lab ensures that its supplements are free of all substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency鈥檚 banned list. Many of NOW鈥檚 products are also Informed Sport Certified for added purity assurance.

Building a Base of Good Health

Performance starts with an all-around healthy diet full of fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. 鈥淪upplements need to be just that鈥攕upplemental to a good diet,鈥� Pfaffenbach says. That said, he notes, runners often don鈥檛 get enough vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and promoting a healthy immune system. Athletes can also benefit from creatine supplements, an amino acid compound that improves muscle mass but is hard to get enough of through diet alone. Pfaffenbach also recommends that runners take collagen to keep tendons and ligaments healthy.

For all-day energy, NOW庐 Sports鈥� and both promote consistent energy production with a suite of B vitamins and other key nutrients, plus caffeine for alertness.*

Fueling Up for Workouts

A successful workout starts well before the Beasts lace up their running shoes. 鈥淲hile maintaining protein and fat intake on a day-to-day basis, most people will experience a noticeable difference in energy if they intentionally eat more carbs in the two meals prior to their long run,鈥� Pfaffenbach says. 鈥淐arbing up before a long run ensures that muscle glycogen is topped off and there is plenty of energy on board.鈥�

Proper hydration also takes time: Start the day with 16 to 20 ounces of water with electrolytes for base hydration, then drink the same amount of fluid again before workout sessions.

What does a pre-workout meal look like in practice? Suliman goes for a simple breakfast of a plain bagel with two slices of turkey, a slice of cheese, and two eggs. He adds a bowl of yogurt topped with honey and drinks a cup of black coffee, plus a cup of collagen with electrolytes.

NOW庐 Sports offers several supplements for an extra pre-workout boost.* combines ingredients like betaine, creatine, beta-alanine, and caffeine for endurance and optimized muscle output.* And features branched-chain amino acids, caffeine, and electrolytes for both energy and recovery.*

Recovering from Tough Sessions

What you consume after a workout is just as important as what you eat beforehand. Pfaffenbach has most of his runners down a drink made with NOW庐 Sports as soon as possible after a training session to help muscles recover and strengthen. Suliman also likes to get some post-workout protein from a turkey sandwich.

Athletes should also look into recovery supplements, like NOW庐 Sports鈥� , which comes in watermelon and grape flavors. This caffeine-free powder features branched-chain amino acids aimed at muscle recovery. (It鈥檚 also a useful endurance supplement before or during exercise.)* help the body shed excess ammonia, aid in protein synthesis, and support a healthy immune system.*

Suliman considers proper nutrition to be right up there with consistent training and mental well-being when it comes to his athletic success. As he works toward his big goal for the season鈥攅arning a spot to run for the United States in the 1,500-meter鈥攜ou can bet he鈥檒l be dialed in on all three.

products have been recognized among the best in the industry, backed by world-class research and development standards and quality-sourced ingredients, to support a range of sports nutritional needs for professional to amateur athletes.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Fuel Like a Pro appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As someone who鈥檚 dealt with digestive issues for years, I鈥檇 be lying if I said I wasn鈥檛 intrigued by probiotics. Wherever I look, there are probiotic products鈥攆rom and powders to gummies and fizzy sodas鈥攖hat claim to boost your immune system, fix your gut, and even improve your mood.

There are many different , but common ones include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces. They can be found in fermented foods鈥攍ike yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha鈥攐r grown in laboratories and packed into supplements.

A wealth of is coming out about how the microbiome鈥攖he mixture of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live on the skin and inside the gastrointestinal (GI) tract鈥攂oosts immunity, aids digestion, and energizes us. As a result, probiotic supplements, which are designed to optimize the overall health of the microbiome, have exploded in popularity. The probiotic supplement market is projected to reach a value of nearly by 2034,听especially among competitive athletes听looking to up their game.

But can probiotic supplements actually improve athletic performance? The truth: while some studies seem promising, the three experts I interviewed have no intention of recommending them to athletes anytime soon.

The Appeal of Probiotics for Athletes听

We are surrounded by microorganisms. There are pathogenic bugs that cause infections and diseases and harmless ones that don鈥檛 really affect us. Then, there are the good guys, known as probiotics, which are living microorganisms that confer health benefits when ingested.

According to , a microbiome researcher at Case Western Reserve University, probiotics diversify your microbiome, which provides protection against pathogens that can make you sick and improves your intestinal lining鈥檚 ability to absorb nutrients better. And some suggests they play an important role in the prevention of chronic and infectious diseases, too.

Athletes are already very attuned to their bodies and want to do everything possible to optimize their health, says , a sports medicine physician at Stanford Medicine. It鈥檚 no wonder so many are experimenting with probiotics in hopes of achieving a faster race time or, like me, a nice long jog sans bloating.

Besides, even if you鈥檙e in tip-top shape, vigorously working out can mess with your gut health. A 2023 systematic review published in the found that super intense workouts like HIIT may decrease the thickness of the protective mucus that lines and the intestines, potentially allowing gut bacteria to seep into the bloodstream. HIIT may suppress the immune system, making athletes more susceptible to illnesses such as upper respiratory infections; it can also trigger diarrhea and heartburn. Naturally, you鈥檙e not going to compete well if you鈥檙e feeling sick.

Ghannoum says we鈥檙e starting to see evidence that probiotics could mitigate these negative effects and improve athletic performance. Here鈥檚 what we know so far.

Probiotics May Reduce GI Discomfort

About the mid-run鈥uns. Gastrointestinal problems (like bloating or loose stools) can impair an athlete鈥檚 physical performance and mental wellbeing. It鈥檚 a common problem athletes face鈥攁nd one that may (one day) be solved with probiotics.

A small study published in the examined how taking probiotic supplements every day for 28 days before a marathon (and two hours before the race start time) impacted runners鈥� performance. Out of the 24 participants, 20 men and 4 women, one group was given a probiotic capsule, and the other received a placebo.

Per the study鈥檚 findings,听 probiotic supplementation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of GI symptoms, like diarrhea and stomach aches, in marathon runners. While it鈥檚 unclear why probiotics have this effect, the researchers suspect probiotics may help runners maintain their pace, giving them a competitive advantage.

Supplements Might Improve VO2 Max, Mood, and Help Athletes Recover From Exhaustion

Another perk: probiotics may help your muscles extract oxygen from your blood, enabling them to lengthen and contract more efficiently.

A 2019 study published in concluded that Lactobacillus supplementation boosted aerobic capacity,听which refers to how much oxygen your muscles use while exercising (otherwise known as VO2 max). Out of 30 university badminton players between the ages of 19 and 22, half consumed a probiotic drink daily for six weeks, and the rest were given orange juice as a placebo. To assess VO2 max, participants were asked to perform a 20-meter shuttle run test. Results showed that probiotics increased VO2 max by 5.9 percent. The greater your VO2 max, the more power you鈥檒l be able to generate and the longer you鈥檒l be able to do high-intensity activities.

Furthermore, subjects in the probiotic group reported lower anxiety and stress levels. As , a registered dietician and director of the Center for Nutrition and Performance at Drexel University, says, 鈥淢ood is a big part of athletics.鈥滱thletes who report lower levels of tension, depression, and anger tend to have more competitive success, shows.

And one person鈥檚 mood can directly affect how their teammates feel, too. 鈥淟ow energy and low mood in a team is contagious,鈥� says Dardarian. Probiotics could also help athletes bounce back after an intense workout or competition.

Another 2019 study published in the discovered that long-distance runners who took probiotics felt less mental and physical exhaustion after completing their usual training regimens. According to the researchers, probiotics could potentially help competitors recover faster and, better yet, avoid injuries. 鈥淧roper recovery allows for restoring energy stores, repairing muscle tissues, and normalizing physiological functions, which are critical for sustaining high-performance levels and preventing burnout,鈥� says Fredericson.

Reduce Inflammation and Increase Muscle Mass

Finally, probiotics may clear inflammation from the body. For context, athletes tend to have in their bodies compared to non-athletes. Left unchecked, chronic inflammation can dampen performance, recovery, and competitiveness. Sore muscles aren鈥檛 exactly a key to endurance.

Probiotics may have a potent anti-inflammatory effect. One found higher levels of anti-inflammatory proteins in the blood and urine samples of athletes taking probiotics after a triathlon. According to Fredericson, some researchers suspect probiotics may strengthen the intestinal lining, thereby preventing harmful substances from leaking out and triggering inflammatory immune responses and prompting the body to produce short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation. 鈥淩educing inflammation has been shown to influence athlete’s performance by allowing for quicker recovery between workouts, reducing pain and discomfort, preserving muscle mass, and allowing athletes to train at higher intensities for longer periods,鈥� Ghannoum says.

Even more, a proposed that probiotics could increase the amount of amino acids absorbed into the bloodstream, potentially building muscle mass. Muscle mass helps athletes generate force quickly and efficiently, says Fredericson, which lets them perform powerful movements. 鈥淓ssentially, stronger muscles mean better ability to jump, sprint, change direction, and execute sport-specific skills with greater power and control,鈥� he says.

Despite Promising Studies, Doctors Say It鈥檚 Too Early to Cosign Athletes Taking Probiotics听听听

Though the body of literature surrounding probiotics and athleticism is growing, it鈥檚 still in its , and there’s a lot scientists don鈥檛 know yet.

We Don鈥檛 Know Exactly How Different Probiotic Strains Affect People

Most studies have been conducted in tiny groups of people, making it tough to apply the findings to the general population or mice (which doesn鈥檛 translate to human health), says Fredericson.

The biggest issue is that scientists don鈥檛 fully understand what an ideal microbiome looks like or how probiotics affect people differently. The probiotics that benefit one person can differ from the type that helps another.

It鈥檚 also unclear if the probiotics inserted into capsules and gummies even survive the journey from the manufacturing plant to the truck onto the shelf at the store and through your intestines. 鈥淭he supplements might have about 10 million colony-forming units (CFUs) of probiotics, but the number of them that live to make it through the various acidic stomach environments is few,鈥� says Dardarian. And if the probiotics die off, there won鈥檛 be enough of them to have the intended health effects.

As a result, the medical community widely agrees鈥攁lthough there are a couple of 鈥攖hat it鈥檚 too soon to recommend athletes add probiotic supplements to their diet. 鈥淲e need larger studies to prove the benefits are real,鈥� says Ghannoum. But that could change in the future as we learn more about probiotics. 鈥淭he research is changing, and in a couple years from now, we鈥檒l know a lot more,鈥� says Fredericson.

The Best Way to Get Probiotics? Food.

The experts I interviewed are in agreement that the best way to get probiotics鈥攁nd improve your microbiome鈥攊s through food. Why? Foods contain a more diverse mix of microorganisms (unlike supplements, which are usually rich in one or two very specific probiotics that may not even be beneficial for your specific microbiome). tells us, after all, that what we eat significantly shapes and changes our microbiome.

To get the most out of your probiotics, you also need to load up on prebiotics or non-digestible foods that come from beans and whole grains, which feed microorganisms and help them grow and thrive in your gut. The best way to load up on prebiotics? Fiber. Dardarian recommends eating 35 grams of fiber daily (which, she adds, many people don鈥檛 do).

Probiotic Foods to Try

Here are some probiotic foods听you can start adding to your diet:

• Aged cheese
• Pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi
• Kefir juices
• Kombucha
• Yogurt
• Miso and tamari sauce

If You Decide to Try Supplements

If you still want to give supplements a shot, go ahead. For most people, there鈥檚 little risk in taking them (the exception being people who are immune-compromised because they can, in rare cases, cause infections).

Verify the Supplement Is Safe, and Start with a Low Dose

Try to find a product that鈥檚 been evaluated in clinical trials and has the NSF stamp of approval, which confirms via third-party testing that the supplement is contaminant-free and contains the ingredients it says it does.

Dardarian, who works with professional athletes, says that if you choose to go the supplement route, gradually increase your dosage to let your body adjust to the probiotics and fiber. To do so,听Ghannoum suggests taking the probiotic every other day for the first week. If you feel good, increase that to every day鈥攕pecifically, at the same time every day and, ideally, 30 minutes after a meal, as this will help with absorption.

Finally, test the supplements out in your pre-season or well before a big competition, says Dardarian. Probiotics and fiber can cause , like diarrhea and bloating, that can wreck performance. As such, it鈥檚 wise to experiment when the stakes are low to see how you react.

Other than that, taper your expectations. Sure, they may improve your health鈥攂ut will they help you suddenly set a new personal record? As Dardarian says, 鈥淭he jury is out.鈥�

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Electrolytes are . If you head to your local grocery store or vitamin shop, you鈥檒l find rows of electrolyte-infused powders, tablets, and beverages that claim to rehydrate you quickly and effectively.

There is one product, in particular, that many : salt pills. The tiny white tablets, which contain a concentrated amount of sodium chloride, have exploded in , with many people swearing the pills have taken their athletic performance to the next level.

I called up two sports dietitians who work with endurance athletes and asked them what they really think about salt pills. They were in agreement: the average athlete shouldn鈥檛 bother messing with them.

鈥淢ost people who exercise do not need salt pills; however, for endurance athletes and people who exercise in hot environments or at very high-intensity levels, salt tablets could be useful,鈥� says , a registered dietitian and associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Tech University.

What鈥檚 the Hype with Salt Pills?

Perspiring during vigorous exercise causes you to lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and calcium. If you don鈥檛 replace those lost electrolytes, you can become dehydrated.

Without enough fluids in your body, you can expect your muscle function, athletic performance, and cognition to take a hit. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e eventually going to have to slow down or stop exercising,鈥� says , a sports dietitian for endurance athletes and owner of the nutrition coaching service听Victorem Performance Nutrition.

If you drink too much water or only drink water, says Childress, during prolonged exercise鈥攆our hours or more (for example,听marathons or Ironman distance triathlons), you can wind up with a serious condition called exercise-induced . This electrolyte imbalance occurs when you have too-low sodium levels in your blood as the excess water dilutes salt concentration. This can trigger cramping, fatigue, confusion, and low blood pressure, according to the .

鈥淎 lot of athletes perceive salt tablets as a safety net that鈥檒l protect them from hyponatremia,鈥� says Childress. The allure is obvious: salt pills, in theory, offer athletes a quick solution when they鈥檙e on the go. But can a tiny pill actually keep you quenched during and after lengthy workouts?

How Many Salt Pills Should You Take in a Day?

Knowing how many salt pills to take鈥攁nd when to have them鈥攊s a delicate dance. Even if, say, you and your buddy are backpacking along the same exact route, the amount of electrolytes you should ingest may vary, potentially significantly, from the amount your friend requires, Brown says. Your rehydration needs largely depend on how much you sweat (and how much sodium is in your sweat) because some people expel more salt than others.

The only way to know, for sure, how much sodium chloride you need after a tough day on the trail is to conduct a sweat test to measure your sweat rate and composition. 鈥淚f an athlete knows how much sodium they lose, they can replace it to the T,鈥� Childress says.

Sodium concentration, or the amount of sodium in your sweat, varies widely from person to person, says Childress, but, on average, people lose about 1 gram or 1,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per liter of sweat. So, if you sweat out a liter of fluids鈥攁nd therefore about 1,000 mg of sodium鈥攜ou鈥檇 want to take a salt pill that has 1,000 mg of sodium during (or right after) your workout to replenish the lost salt, Childress explains.

If you鈥檙e looking for a sweat test to determine salt loss, get in touch with a sports dietitian. They can measure how much fluid you lose during exercise and calculate your sweat electrolyte concentration. That way, you won鈥檛 have to guess what you need to ingest to stay hydrated. If you want to figure out how much sweat you lose, a sweat rate test is helpful; this entails weighing yourself on a bathroom scale before and after an intense workout. (Read about how to do one at home.)

Yes. It Is Possible to Take Too Many Salt Pills.

Here鈥檚 the issue: most people wing it. Because they鈥檙e unlikely to know how much sodium they lose in their sweat, they鈥檒l pop a few salt pills, hoping to rehydrate. But taking too many (salt pills often come in a 200- to 400-milligram dose) can wreak听havoc on your body. 鈥淭he downside is you can overdose听on them pretty easily if you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e doing,鈥� Childress says. When that happens, you can develop hypernatremia,听a condition where there’s too much sodium in the blood, which excessive thirst, nausea, confusion, muscle weakness, and dizziness.

Hypernatremia and hyponatremia can feel and look similar鈥攕o some people may develop weakness and assume they鈥檙e dehydrated when, in actuality, their sodium levels are way too high. Then, they’ll take even more salt pills and exacerbate the issue. In very extreme cases, this can cause people to .

You Don鈥檛 Need Salt Pills鈥擧ydrate This Way Instead

Athletes have to be careful about how many salt tablets they take, Childress says. Not only are salt pills unnecessary for athletes, but they’re also听.

However, if you鈥檙e still set on taking salt pills, start with a low dose, says Childress, and make sure you drink enough water with them. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to have any hydration benefit if you鈥檙e taking salt pills and not drinking fluid. They go together,鈥� Brown says.

If you don’t think salt pills are worth the hype, you can skip them altogether. Brown recommends drinking 16 ounces of fluid per hour that you鈥檙e working out. If you鈥檙e a super sweater, you may want to up that to (at most) 1 liter per hour, she adds.

An easy way to check your hydration levels is by evaluating your urine. If your pee is dark or you鈥檙e going to the bathroom less frequently than usual, you should increase your fluid intake. Clear pee suggests you鈥檙e over-hydrated and could use some electrolytes, Brown says. The goal is for your pee to look like light lemonade, she says.

Opt for a Salty Snack or a Piece of Fruit

For those exercising at least three hours or in hot conditions, alternate between drinking water and sports drinks to keep your electrolytes in balance, Childress says. You can also munch on water-rich fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cantaloupe, celery, or broccoli.

To restore your sodium levels, instead of a salt pill, throw in something more satisfying, like a bag of pretzels or salted nuts, spread cheese on a few crackers, or grab some chips, she听says.

If you, like me, don鈥檛 keep track of your sweat or water consumption, then simply drink to thirst, suggests Childress. Finally, if you want to nail your hydration game, your best bet is to talk to a sports dietitian. She explains, 鈥淚t鈥檚 really worth the money and time to meet with a professional who can run the sweat tests and design an individualized hydration strategy.”

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Years ago, I had a roommate who worked out every day and would also consume Dionysian amounts of Entenmann’s cake. My kind of guy. We got along, in part, because of a shared conviction that the pursuit of physical fitness didn鈥檛 preclude putting away vast quantities of processed sugar. Not to brag, but in my prime I could eat an entire family size package of Chips Ahoy as a post-run snack. The glories of youth.

But you get older and, you鈥檇 like to think, wiser. When I recently saw my former roommate, he mentioned that he’d started taking the popular daily supplement powder AG1 as a form of nutritional insurance. He is not alone; the brand was valued at $1.2 billion in 2022 and has been dubbed a 鈥渦nicorn鈥� in an overcrowded supplement market.

Part of this success can be attributed to seductive messaging: the AG1 website tells us that it is a 鈥渟cience-driven supplement that supports physical health and mental performance鈥� and is 鈥渄esigned to replace multiple supplements by providing a comprehensive blend of nutrients in one tasty scoop each day.鈥� That tasty scoop consists of 12 grams of greens powder, which are meant to be mixed with 8 ounces of water and consumed on a daily basis. Its purported benefits include increased energy, immunity defense, and improved gut health.

An optimized nutritional boost in an easily administered dose. Needless to say, we鈥檝e heard similar promises before. But such miracle elixirs make us ever-keen to ask the question: Could it be true this time?

What Is AG1?

Formerly known as 鈥淎thletic Greens,鈥� AG1 is one of the more prominent examples of the recent powdered greens craze.听The brand was founded in 2010 by Chris Ashenden, an entrepreneur, athlete, and fitness enthusiast from New Zealand.

Earlier this year, AG1 announced that Kat Cole, a former COO and president at the franchise restaurant group Focus Brands (now named GoTo Foods), would be succeeding Ashenden as the company鈥檚 CEO, though Ashenden will remain on the board of directors.

According to the AG1 website, the supplement is for anyone 鈥渨ho wants to ensure their nutritional needs are met on a daily basis鈥� in an 鈥渙bsessively curated product鈥� that contains multivitamins and multiminerals, pre- and probiotics, antioxidants, and buzzy 鈥渟uperfoods鈥� whose supposed health benefits are touted by the brand. Other ingredients include: rose hip fruit powder (鈥渁 source of phytonutrients that are foundational for the body鈥�), dandelion root (鈥渒nown to help soothe the stomach and support digestive enzyme secretion鈥�), and slippery elm bark powder (鈥渒nown to soothe the gut lining鈥�).

Obsessive curation doesn鈥檛 come cheap; a monthly supply of AG1 will set you back $79. By comparison, a month鈥檚 worth of Greens and Superfoods from Bloom Nutrition costs about $35. But AG1 has a unique set of ingredients and a carefully crafted image of exclusivity, positioning itself as the Cadillac of the supplement world.

It鈥檚 certainly true that no other greens powder company has AG1鈥檚 celebrity firepower. The brand has been endorsed by athletes like Olympic runner Allyson Felix and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, as well as an endless roster of wellness and fitness influencers. Hamilton has invested in the company, as have Hugh Jackman and Cindy Crawford. Alex Honnold, who also holds a minority stake, is another AG1 fan. In an email, the Free Solo star told me that while it was hard to put his finger on what exactly he loved about the product, he nonetheless regarded it as 鈥減art of a healthy morning routine.鈥�

鈥淚t helps me feel generally well鈥攕ick less often, fewer stomach issues, etc.,鈥� Honnold said.

Like many brands, AG1 has an affiliate , partnership opportunities for content creators, as well as the tried-and-true discount for subscribers who get their friends to sign up. According to its website, the company pays out a 15-percent commission on subscription sales by referral.

The company has also been smart about partnering with some of the biggest names on the self-optimization podcast scene, including Tim Ferriss, Joe Rogan, Rich Roll, and Andrew Huberman. Although the Huberman Lab didn鈥檛 respond to a request for comment on the nature of its partnership with AG1, the podcast鈥檚 sponsorship page notes that they 鈥渙nly work with brands whose products we personally use and love.鈥�

Do We Need Multivitamins and Greens Powders in the First Place?

On AG1鈥檚 website, under a subheading that asks 鈥淲hat products does AG1 replace?鈥� I found the following: 鈥淥ne daily serving of AG1 eliminates the need for other supplements such as a multivitamin, probiotics, greens, and superfood powders, vitamin B complex, and vitamin C tablets.鈥� The product, we learn, 鈥渟upports brain, gut, and immune health.鈥� A single-arm study (which means a study with no control group) with 35 participants funded by AG1 found that most users felt 鈥渕ore calm鈥� and that their 鈥渄igestion improved鈥� after three months of using the product.

Of course, increased calmness and improved digestion are rather vague and subjective metrics by which to proclaim efficacy. Purveyors of dietary supplements have to be careful about any purported health claims, lest they end up being classified as a drug鈥攁t which point they would need to be vetted by the FDA. (On the AG1 website, there鈥檚 an asterisk attached to pretty much all of the alleged benefits of its ingredients to inform us that 鈥渢hese statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration鈥� and that 鈥渢his product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.鈥�)

Case in point: in 2023 the marketing and manufacturing companies behind dietary supplement Balance of Nature had to temporarily pause operations following an warning that the company was not in compliance with federal regulations because its health claims technically made it a 鈥渘ew drug鈥� that required FDA approval. In a separate case earlier that year, Balance of Nature had to pay a $1.1 million settlement as part of a in California that took the brand to task for alleging it could help treat or prevent serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

As 国产吃瓜黑料 has covered in the past, many prominent voices in the medical community don’t think daily multivitamins are necessary. David Seres, a professor of medicine at the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University Medical Center, has long beat the drum for us to take a more skeptical stance toward multivitamins and the broader supplement market. Seres told me that AG1 was another example of what was essentially a 鈥渇reeze-dried salad of exotic fruits and vegetables.鈥�

Seres was adamant that, unless one has a known deficiency of a particular vitamin or mineral, multivitamins have no proven benefit. He also advised against taking daily multivitamins as a preemptive measure. 鈥淭o my knowledge, there is no high quality evidence of any health benefit from multivitamin supplementation in the general population,鈥� Seres told me. 鈥淎nd there is evidence that there is potential for harm.鈥�

Seres referred me to a in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which pooled 84 separate studies to conclude that vitamin and mineral supplementation was associated with 鈥渓ittle to no benefit鈥� in preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease. (AG1 was not a part of this analysis.) As for the what鈥檚-the-harm-in-taking-a-supplement-anyway approach, Seres of men in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico that appeared to link an increased risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E supplementation.

When I ran this summation by a spokesperson at AG1, she provided the following statement: 鈥淓ach of the ingredients in AG1 is backed by peer-reviewed literature. Our team of scientists and researchers have reviewed thousands of studies as part of the formulation and continuous improvement process for AG1.鈥�

It should be noted that the academic community is not unanimously against multivitamin use. A by university scientists, for instance, found that multivitamins might help counteract cognitive decline in older adults.

Nor is everyone as dismissive of greens powders as Seres. Emily Prpa, a registered nutritionist in the UK, told me that for some groups鈥攍ike first-year college kids with 鈥渧ery beige鈥� diets of processed foods鈥攖he multivitamin-as-insurance approach probably does make some sense. As for the possibility of doing harm through a potential vitamin overdose, Prpa told me that, generally, the body was very good at handling excess nutrients.

However, Prpa stressed that her approach was 鈥渇ood first鈥� and that people can 鈥渕eet their vitamin and nutrient needs through a well-balanced diet.鈥� She suggested that the 鈥渘atural鈥� way of getting one鈥檚 nutrients was preferable anyway, since certain fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamin A) are more effectively absorbed with food.

Prpa also explained that large doses of one mineral might get in the way of your body absorbing other micronutrients ingested at the same time鈥攁 concept known as competitive absorption. 鈥淲ith some of these proprietary blends where they are just mixing a lot of things together, that鈥檚 possibly a red flag,鈥� Prpa said. 鈥淎re you actually getting all of those vitamins and minerals that they say you鈥檙e gonna get from one scoop? It鈥檚 unlikely.鈥�

The Research Behind AG1

A company spokesperson for AG1 sent me the following statement: 鈥淲e have worked with third-party experts to conduct studies and research to further validate the benefits of AG1 as a whole, beyond the research and studies for ingredients. These are published on and peer-reviewed scientific journals, and show significant evidence of the efficacy of AG1.鈥�

There鈥檚 a on the company鈥檚 website labeled 鈥淩esearch,鈥� which lists peer-reviewed studies, albeit ones that are funded by AG1 and largely co-authored by AG1 employees. According to the AG1 spokesperson: 鈥淎s is standard for the industry, the studies on AG1 are funded by the company and conducted by independent third-party experts and labs. These studies are in addition to a wide body of third-party literature to support efficacy and safety of the ingredients in AG1.鈥�

It鈥檚 worth noting that most of these studies听investigated the product鈥檚 potential beneficial impact on the gastrointestinal tract using a simulator that 鈥渕imics the physiological and biological conditions found in the human gut鈥� and were not conducted on actual humans. There鈥檚 nothing wrong with that鈥攊n vitro studies are safer and less invasive鈥攂ut as the authors of the studies themselves , further investigations are needed to verify the product鈥檚 actual health benefits for humans in a clinical setting. The verdict, in other words, is still out.

The company’s website also mentions a clinical trial on human subjects that involved a double-blind trial with 30 participants in which healthy adults were given either AG1 or a placebo for one month. ( was just published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in October.) Subsequent stool samples purportedly revealed that AG1 enriched the microbiome by 鈥渕ore than doubling the levels of healthy bacteria known to bolster digestion.鈥�

The healthy bacteria in question appear to be Lactobacillus acidophilus UALa-01 and Bifidobacterium bifidum UABb-10, which are both listed on AG1’s ingredients list. However, while L. acidophilus and B. bifidum are some of the better known species of probiotics, there isn’t much proof that the specific AG1 strains have any health benefits.

The only study that comes up when you look up Lactobacillus acidophilus UALa-01 in the National Library of Medicine鈥檚 database, PubMed.com, is a on the effects of the probiotic on bone mineral density and calcium levels in postmenopausal women. The conclusion of the study notes that: 鈥淭he consumption of L. acidophilus probiotics daily for 12 weeks among postmenopausal women does not affect the profile of BMD, but it may help in stabilizing bone turnover . . . However, it is worth noting that three months of probiotic supplementation could potentially disrupt calcium and glucose status in postmenopausal women.鈥�

When I asked AG1 why they chose these specific strains of bacteria despite a relative lack of published research on them, a company spokesperson replied: 鈥淭he probiotics in AG1, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are well researched and chosen for their safety profile across a variety of populations.鈥�

Professor Gregor Reid, a distinguished professor emeritus at Canada鈥檚 Western University and author of the 2023 book , told me that 鈥減eople are getting sort of carried away with the idea that everything that is Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium is a probiotic and that’s not the case.鈥�

鈥淔or the consumer, it’s a shame because they seem to think that all probiotics are the same and therefore, if you’re taking a probiotic, it must be good,” he said. “But unless there鈥檚 clinical data to support it then you really don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 doing.鈥�

Reid is on the scientific board of the probiotic supplement company Seed, and might be incentivized to be critical of a rival brand鈥檚 product. However, Reid was adamant that he is not claiming that AG1 is a bad product, but that the onus is on a probiotics company to prove the nutritional value of its specific strains. As he puts it, 鈥淭he question is where’s the clinical data showing these two strains have a probiotic effect and what is the effect?鈥�

As a practical resource for people who want to do their own research, Reid recommends a 鈥攁 fairly expansive directory of products that lists probiotic strains and applications, as well as relevant studies, which is put together by the Alliance for Education on Probiotics. Lest he be accused of bias, Reid pointed out that neither AG1 nor Seed are listed on the site.

So What’s the Takeaway?

Should you take AG1? The tacit promise of a product where every ingredient is 鈥渂acked by peer-reviewed literature鈥� is that a proprietary blend of those ingredients will confer an optimized synthesis of every alleged benefit and minimal side effects. At present, there have been no independent studies that verify that AG1 does this.

But it鈥檚 also not hard to find people who, like Honnold, believe that their daily greens powder fix does have some positive effect. Whether that perceived improvement is a consequence of AG1鈥檚 formula, or because investing $79 per month in a trendy wellness product makes you more likely to take ownership of your health in other ways, remains up for debate. But to paraphrase the , why not just eat a few more damn vegetables?

Indeed, usually when articles come out questioning the claims of some new superfood-laden wunderproduct, they will conclude with a reminder that there isn鈥檛 a way to outhack the conventional healthy diet. (AG1 does not claim that its product eliminates the need for healthy eating.) It鈥檚 always so disappointing. Because who doesn鈥檛 want to live in a world where the adverse effects of last night鈥檚 boozy bacchanalia can be neutralized with an ashwagandha root smoothie?

Our collective desire for the nutritional panacea comes at a moment when distrust toward experts might be at an all-time high. According to Seres, part of the reason why so many people prefer to listen to influencer health gurus rather than scientists is that the latter group often hasn鈥檛 done a good job in communicating dietary advice to the general public. (AG1鈥檚 website notes that the company has an 鈥渋n-house team of doctors, scientists, and researchers.鈥�) The result is a certain amount of cynicism; Seres said the first question he hears when new guidelines are announced is, “OK, are eggs in or out this time?”

鈥淧eople follow the recommendations of scientists and nutritional guidelines for the three most important reasons possible: they want to live longer; they want to live healthier; and they want to be happier,鈥� Seres said. 鈥淲hen we change our minds as scientists鈥攚hich we don鈥檛 do frivolously but based on new evidence鈥攚e need to do a better job of explaining why, so that people are actually willing to listen to us.鈥�

If Seres has any words of comfort for those who may be dismayed that we can鈥檛 cancel out our food vices with a greens powder supplement, it鈥檚 that we should regard perfect nutrition as a utopia, rather than something we need to beat ourselves up for not achieving.

As he puts it: 鈥淪hooting for the ideal diet is the goal; achieving it is not.鈥�

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For elite runners, proper nutrition is one of the key ingredients to success. But among the rigorous workouts and races, maintaining a balanced diet that鈥檚 optimized for performance and recovery can be a challenge on its own. That鈥檚 why the pros turn to trusted brands like to round out their training with essential nutrients. As the official sports nutrition partner of the , NOW fuels winners and record-setters鈥攂ut its products are also useful for everyday runners. To learn more about how the Brooks Beasts are fueling for the win with NOW, we talked to , the team鈥檚 nutritionist and associate professor of health and human performance at Eastern Oregon University, and seasoned team member and world record holder . Here鈥檚 what they had to say.

Nutrition for Runners

国产吃瓜黑料: Who are the Brooks Beasts, and why is their nutrition so important?

Kyle Pfaffenbach, PhD: The Brooks Beasts are a professional track team consisting of some of the world鈥檚 best middle-distance runners. Nutrition is one of the four foundational pillars of training, with workouts, sleep, and mental health being the others. Proper nutrition, first and foremost, promotes overall health and wellness. From a performance perspective, sound nutritional practices allow the Beasts to train effectively, recover properly, and race competitively.

What are some of the most beneficial supplements for runners?

Pfaffenbach: The most important point to remember is that supplements are just that鈥�supplemental to a healthy diet. If a runner鈥檚 overall diet is not sorted, supplements rarely make up for that. Once a healthy diet is in place, one of the most important supplements is . Whey is a highly absorbable form of protein that kick-starts the recovery process when taken after each run. Next would be . Collagen peptides taken before runs may support ligament synthesis, which could help maintain healthy soft tissues.* There is also a variety of effective supplements that may offer benefits to runners, including , , , and .

 

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Why do Brooks Beasts choose to use NOW Sports Nutrition products over other brands?

Pfaffenbach: We trust NOW Sports. NOW is transparent with its testing and quality control. The supplements are manufactured in-house under very strict conditions. Many of the products in the Sports Nutrition line are third-party tested and certified through . Finally, we like that NOW offers uncomplicated, straightforward supplements in effective doses. They avoid overly complicated products with complicated blends that often have ineffectively small doses of the desired ingredients.

Fueling for Wins

Brannon, what does your daily regimen and post-workout for nutrition look like?

Brannon Kidder: For my daily nutrition goals, I typically focus on my macronutrient needs. I don鈥檛 count these values every day, but I have tracked them in the past to get an idea of what an ideal day would look like. Every day, I shoot for the same fat and protein goals and then vary the carbs to suit my needs. I always make sure that I am getting enough fats and protein first for my recovery. Then, I will make sure to fuel appropriately with carbs for my hard and long efforts. I eat carbohydrates every day, but the needs change for a five-mile recovery day versus a 15-mile run.

 

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Even though the food changes from day to day to suit my training needs, I always focus on hydration and recovery.* I add an tablet to my water before and during my workouts to help replenish what I鈥檓 losing through sweat. Then, I drink a shake using with some carbs added following training.

As far as daily supplements, I鈥檒l also take pre-workout to delay muscle fatigue and speed up recovery time.* And as part of my recovery plan, I use to help maintain muscle strength and mass.*

I have been a member of the Beasts for more than seven years, and I try to dial in nutrition a little more each year. When I鈥檓 eating well and using supportive supplements, it can really help optimize my performance.*

What have been some of your biggest accomplishments this season?听

Kidder: We started off the outdoor season with a world record in the distance medley relay! It is a somewhat rare opportunity to run a relay as a professional. When the chance to run a DMR was presented to me and my teammates鈥擝randon Miller, Isaiah Harris, and Henry Wynne鈥攚e jumped at the opportunity. We were excited for the chance to race as a team again. There is something special about racing with and for your team rather than an individual event.

 

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Going into the event, we were excited about assembling such a good team and thought we might be able to take a pretty good shot at a world record. On paper, we had the ability to do it, but most of the time your relay result isn鈥檛 as simple as adding up everyone鈥檚 on-paper personal bests. I think we were able to get the record because we were all running for each other. We knew it would take all four of us having a good day to get the record, and we got the job done. I ran better than I would have knowing my three teammates were relying on me. The season is just getting started, but that has definitely been my biggest accomplishment so far.

What advice can you give runners working toward personal goals in the sport?

Kidder: Whenever I鈥檓 asked this question, my answer is always 鈥渂e consistent.鈥� Running is a sport that really gives you back what you put into it, but sometimes those gains are measured in months and years rather than days and weeks. It鈥檚 hard to tell in the moment, but having many solid days stacked on top of each other is the best way to improve. A bunch of good workouts and runs will always beat some great workouts surrounded by inconsistency.

products have been recognized among the best in the industry, backed by world-class research and development standards and quality-sourced ingredients, to support a range of sports nutritional needs for professional to everyday athletes.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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In 2013, a group of five physicians from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom made a bold statement:

鈥淲e believe that the case is closed鈥攕upplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough.鈥� This was written in an in the Annals of Internal Medicine, one of the most popular medical journals in the United States.

Their declaration was based on decades of that found no evidence multivitamins reduced the risk of heart disease or cancer, prevented memory decline, or lowered heart attack rates.

In science, however, the case is almost never truly closed.

In 2023, of more than 3,500 people over the age of 60 who took multivitamins every day for three years found they performed better on memory tests after a year. After three years, the multivitamin group showed none of the age-related memory decline evidenced by the placebo group.

Does this mean the multivitamin naysayers should start taking vitamin supplements? Who can benefit from them, and who shouldn鈥檛 bother?

Science Finds That Multivitamins May Improve Memory

, a neuropsychologist and a professor at Columbia University, led the study on the impact of multivitamins on cognitive decline in older adults. He found people taking multivitamins (in this case, the study used Centrum Silver vitamins, though Brickman says it鈥檚 likely any high-quality multivitamin will replicate the same results) experienced a significant improvement in their memory as compared to those in the placebo group after one year, an effect that was sustained on average over the three years of the study.

鈥淚t’s certainly not a panacea for cognitive aging,鈥� Brickman says, 鈥渂ut it is a reliable effect.鈥�

He pointed out that multivitamins are not a treatment for Alzheimer鈥檚 or dementia, and everyone should consult with a doctor before taking any supplements. While this study only included people over the age of 60, some research shows cognitive decline .

How Multivitamins Can Fit into Your Overall Nutrition Plan

A daily is a low-cost, low-risk approach for those interested in covering all bases, but this approach should not come at the expense of eating a varied diet full of fruits and vegetables.

A of more than 30,000 American adults found that while getting adequate amounts of vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, and copper were associated with a lower risk of early death, those benefits were only found when vitamins came through food, not supplements.

鈥淣o one is saying that taking vitamins is a replacement for having a healthy diet,鈥� Brickman says, adding, 鈥淭his is truly just a supplement that might enhance or bump things up a little bit.鈥�

This means that if you do decide to take a multivitamin supplement to hedge your bets, it鈥檚 essential to also prioritize good nutrition, which means filling your plate with whole, unprocessed foods and eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

Do Athletes Need to Take a Multivitamin?

While the science isn鈥檛 clear about multivitamin supplements for the general population, , a Canada-based certified holistic nutritionist who specializes in sports nutrition, says there are certain instances when a vitamin supplement is highly recommended: folic acid for women trying to conceive and during pregnancy, or with a condition like Crohn鈥檚 disease, which makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients.

鈥淚n some situations like that, a multivitamin could help fill some gaps where the food might not be processed by the body the way it’s supposed to be,鈥� says Boufounos.

If most people don鈥檛 need to take a multivitamin, what about athletes鈥攅specially endurance athletes who regularly push their bodies to the limit?

Vitamins Can Be a Short-Term Solution for Athletes

is a registered dietitian in Minnesota who works exclusively with endurance athletes. When it comes to nutrition, she always starts with food.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 always the gold standard,鈥� Larson explains, 鈥渁nd a supplement is not a replacement for a balanced diet.鈥�

Larson does recommend听that her athletes get an annual or semi-annual blood test to find out if they have any vitamin deficiencies, as well as consult with a primary care physician to make sure there aren鈥檛 any underlying medical conditions or medications that might conflict with supplements. Many of the female endurance athletes she works with find their iron levels are low, and she recommends an iron supplement鈥攐r better yet, iron-rich food鈥攖o help with performance and energy levels.

Boufounos agrees, saying she always takes a food-first approach with athletes. She approaches supplementation as a short-term solution to bridge any gaps while trying to correct dietary patterns.

鈥淚 never want to tell an athlete that they have to supplement long term because you also get into a situation where I think some people unintentionally rely on the supplement,鈥� says Boufounos.

She especially sees this phenomenon with green powders, like AG1, which often contain multivitamins.听鈥淚’ve seen so many athletes supplement with a green powder that also had the multivitamin in it, and then they’re like, 鈥楽weet, I don’t need to ever eat a vegetable ever again,鈥欌€� says Boufounos.

How to Pick a Multivitamin

If you decide to start taking a multivitamin, Boufounos says it鈥檚 important to make sure your supplement meets the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for as many of the micronutrients as possible. Some supplements have 100 percent of the RDA for only a few vitamins, and the others don鈥檛 come close to the daily recommendations.

Figure Out What Nutrients Are Included

More than price, however, look at what鈥檚 included in the multivitamin. Boufounos says it鈥檚 not worth paying for extra micronutrients if they are in negligible amounts.

Make Sure It’s Third-Party Tested and Has an NSF Label

Both Larson and Boufounos say it鈥檚 essential to buy supplements that are third-party tested, especially if you鈥檙e an athlete in a tested sport, but also to make sure the supplements are safe and contain exactly what the label claims. Supplement companies that are third-party tested will always state that distinction clearly on their website or marketing materials.

Larson also recommends that serious athletes who might be tested for their sport take supplements labeled NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice for Sport.

Buy Your Vitamins Directly From Vitamin Companies

鈥淚 would be very careful about just typing in 鈥榤ultivitamin鈥� on Amazon and buying something because there are most definitely knockoffs on Amazon, and that can get sketchy pretty quickly,鈥� Boufounos says. She recommends buying supplements directly from the company鈥檚 website, not an online storefront.

If you plan to start taking vitamin supplements without consulting with an expert, Boufounos recommends sticking with a multivitamin instead of selecting individual vitamins.

鈥淚t would be safer for an athlete to use a multivitamin if they’ve never done a blood test and never worked with a dietician or a sports nutritionist than it would be for them to just randomly pick any supplement off the store shelves,鈥� Boufounos says, because you might pick supplements that work against each other.

The science so far is clear about two things: multivitamins appear to help age-related cognitive decline but don鈥檛 seem to prevent chronic disease. The best multivitamin strategy鈥攚hether you鈥檙e an athlete or not鈥攊s to focus on food first and supplements second.

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