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Thread: Starr's recommendation regarding Vitamins & Minerals

  1. #1
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    Default Starr's recommendation regarding Vitamins & Minerals

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    I've had the privilege of reading Bill Starr's The Strongest Shall Survive, and in it I was able to find some general information about Vitamins and Minerals.

    I learned a lot, but I want to know what is your position regarding his recommended dosages.

    We have to keep in consideration his recommendations are for the hard training athlete who does not only strength training but also at least one more sport, and is consistent in both.

    So how can we use them, depending on our personal situation?

    Image for reference, taken from his book:
    https://i.imgur.com/Xc37Vsn.png

  2. #2
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    While some vitamins can be megadosed just fine (e.g. vitamin c, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin etc) some could have potentially toxic effects (e.g. Vitamin A, E, D). I'm not aware of where he arrived at these numbers but I think that what he was getting at was that we need more. How much more? I'd venture to guess "not much" but the answer that question remains a mystery. I will say that I don't advise messing with minerals because megadosing one can interfere with the absorption of another.

  3. #3
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    So water soluble vitamins in excess like the first group you mentioned will be excreted out of the body through urine, but the fat soluble ones can accumulate and become a potential problem.

    I've done some research on multivitamins and, after comparing several different products, I came across one which me and a friend of mine started taking.
    And while he claims he feels a very big difference (his training level advancement is lower than mine) I don't feel it as hard, although from Starr's description I wish I would.

    I guess in the end it comes down to the big players, like your programming and recovery, and these supplements can make a little difference but not that much.

    Also, do you think 400-500IU of vitamin E daily is safe for a 27 male barbell training 3 times a week in intermediate/late-intermediate level of advancement?

    Thanks for your time Robert!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Razraal View Post
    So water soluble vitamins in excess like the first group you mentioned will be excreted out of the body through urine, but the fat soluble ones can accumulate and become a potential problem.
    Yes that is correct. The exception is Vitamin K because we store negligible amounts in cell membranes but it otherwise gets excreted.

    Quote Originally Posted by Razraal View Post
    I've done some research on multivitamins and, after comparing several different products, I came across one which me and a friend of mine started taking.
    And while he claims he feels a very big difference (his training level advancement is lower than mine) I don't feel it as hard, although from Starr's description I wish I would.
    Novice Effect

    [/QUOTE]

    Yes that is correct. The exception is Vitamin K because we store negligible amounts in cell membranes but it otherwise gets excreted.

    Quote Originally Posted by Razraal View Post
    I guess in the end it comes down to the big players, like your programming and recovery, and these supplements can make a little difference but not that much.
    Precisely


    Quote Originally Posted by Razraal View Post
    Also, do you think 400-500IU of vitamin E daily is safe for a 27 male barbell training 3 times a week in intermediate/late-intermediate level of advancement?
    Are you having difficulty getting vegetable oils, greens, nuts/seeds/plant based fats? Vitamin E is pretty easy to get in your diet so I don't know that supplementing is necessary. Adults only need 22.4 IU/d so i'm not sure if a near 20fold increase is necessary and in fact could blunt some of the benefits of barbell training. There are data illustrating that when you megadose C and E it blunts aerobic exercise induced oxidative stress. This sounds good to the naive reader BUT under normal conditions we adapt to that oxidative stress, which is one of the benefits of aerobic exercise. I haven't seen the data on strength training but I think it's fair to say that we applying stress, an inflammatory response follows, which is accompanied by oxidative stress, and we adapt to that stress. Megadosing antioxidants could potentially blunt that, thus blunting the positive adaptations to strength training.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Razraal View Post
    I've had the privilege of reading Bill Starr's The Strongest Shall Survive, and in it I was able to find some general information about Vitamins and Minerals.

    I learned a lot, but I want to know what is your position regarding his recommended dosages.

    We have to keep in consideration his recommendations are for the hard training athlete who does not only strength training but also at least one more sport, and is consistent in both.

    So how can we use them, depending on our personal situation?

    Image for reference, taken from his book:
    https://i.imgur.com/Xc37Vsn.png
    Holy crap, you should ignore his recommendations for 10g of sodium and potassium! Maybe for football players doing 2-a-days in Texas heat, but even then....sheesh.

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