Multi tailored for bodybuilders... or stack o' supps?

[hypo]

I know this has been discussed numerous times. I remember Matt at CNW was considering creating a custom multi-vitamin specifically tailored for our needs, instead of the needs of the average 50 year old couch potato. For example, our active bodies actually consume and utilize many of these vitamins, and need higher doses than the average joe who need the bare minimum % daily value. But with Matt's legal troubles, I don't see this plan happening anytime soon.

I just ran out of GNC multis, and while they are OK, I don't think I'll buy another bottle if I can either formulate my own "multi" through taking appropriate doses of supps, or find a good one that doesn't cost a fortune. I know most of these powders can be had super cheap in bulk.

Is there anything out there besides the animal pak multi that is fairly good? I don't believe you can cram all the essential ingredients into one or two little pills, and it pisses me off that many multis use low-bioavailable forms of the vitamins.

Currently this is what I take daily:

K-r-ala (glucophase) ~ 500mg
Vitamin C ~ 2-3 grams
Vitamin E 1000-2000 IU
Milk Thistle 1-2 grams

Not much I know, but I was relying on the GNC multi to take up the slack. Now, what I would like to know is, if I were to make my own daily multi "stack" what other essential vitamins do I need and in what dosages? Also, it would be good to know if there exist vitamins that should not exceed a certain doseage per day.

I was thinking of adding:

a good B complex (any suggestions on ratios of Bs and doseages?)
Vitamin A
ZMA
Niacin
Green tea extract
Taurine
Vitamin K (really needed? I don't eat much green veggies).

Is this a good start? Again, I don't know the appropriate dosages for a bodybuilding lifestyle, so I would appreciate any suggestions

I'm hoping this will be the end all/be all multi thread. I don't need to get crazy with every little popular new vitamin out now, I just want the proven, basic vitamins.

Sorry for the long post, I'm a bit long winded

 

[cable626]

subscribed, I need a new multi myself.

 

[northern]

digestive enzymes
magnesium
ALCAR
A whole load of others that suddenly evade me, but seriusly we have not even scratched the surface of what a multi should contain

 

[hypo]

Again, I think the ideal list should be very basic, and not contain any stuff like nootropics and stims/focus enhancers, etc. Perhaps if something worked synergistically to the point of being useful to add, it could be thrown in. But there are whole threads dedicated to these useful additions, we need a very basic multi-vitamin thread, IMHO

 

[tattoopierced1]

possibly some BCAAs in there...we can all use those...

 

[cable626]

i agree with hypo, leave the ALCAR out. too expensive for a multi and you need too much for it to be effective (500mg at LEAST and that would be too much to put in a multi)

I say it should have:
digestive enzymes (great idea)
vit b-- a lot
vit c-- even more
vit k
broccoli extract
folic acid
magnesium
potassium
policosanol
co-q-10 (if it's not too expensive)
garlic extract
lycopene
green tea

and filler can be BCAA's. that sounds AWESOME.

 

[200wannabe]

how do good old fashioned liver tabs stack up as a multi? There is an old thread around here, originally by yellowjacket i think, seems they pretty good for our needs.

 

[TheCrownedOne]

The biggest problem with liver tabs is the relentless, noisome gas.

 

[TheCrownedOne]

I was talking about Desiccated Liver Tabs, like Universal's Uni-Liver.

 

[TheCrownedOne]

Seriously though, if you guys can tolerate it, calf's liver is about the best thing you could ever eat. It's nature's multi-vitamin/multi-mineral: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=129

 

[refrieddreams]

Start with Mens blen by Supernutrition, it is a very good base. Then the rest I wouldnt consider 'Vitamins' (BCAA, Green Tea, DL,ect...) this would make your multi a ton of tabs. So I guess what I am trying to say is you need to diferntiate between a daily multi, and daily supps.

Also remember to take your viatmins thru out the day in small divided doses.

IMHO

 

[CDB]

There actually is a way to do this, though it's time consuming. Get some vitamin rich herbs in the proportions you want, gring them up and cap them. Viola, personal multi. Of course you'll probably end up downing 30 caps a day to get the desired amounts of certain vitamins, but its the only option I know of here.

Some vitamins can be toxic at high levels which is probably why you won't find too many if any custom vitamin options.