What's Your Secret For Energy?
#51
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Thanks for posting this link: "Vitamin supplements don't help people live longer, study finds". It provides some good information for consideration.
To me, one of the key comments it makes is: "I don’t think you can undo the effect of a bad diet by taking supplements." This would seem to be true, and really, it seems almost self-evident.
It seems to me that there is strong evidence to the benefits of certain supplements. The key is that if you have an unhealthy diet and an unhealty lifestyle, you can't expect supplements to make you healthy and give you a long life. Heredity plays a big factor in health and lifespan, as well. There are so many variables. Personally, there are some supplements that I take and will continue to take unless there is information that changes my mind.
There are certain supplements that are more applicable to some groups of people than others. CoQ10 is a much more important supplement for people that take statin drugs than for the general population - because statin drugs are known to deplete CoQ10 levels.
As with most things in life, individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad.
To me, one of the key comments it makes is: "I don’t think you can undo the effect of a bad diet by taking supplements." This would seem to be true, and really, it seems almost self-evident.
It seems to me that there is strong evidence to the benefits of certain supplements. The key is that if you have an unhealthy diet and an unhealty lifestyle, you can't expect supplements to make you healthy and give you a long life. Heredity plays a big factor in health and lifespan, as well. There are so many variables. Personally, there are some supplements that I take and will continue to take unless there is information that changes my mind.
There are certain supplements that are more applicable to some groups of people than others. CoQ10 is a much more important supplement for people that take statin drugs than for the general population - because statin drugs are known to deplete CoQ10 levels.
As with most things in life, individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad.
#52
Senior Member
I like the advice from the folks at TrainerRoad that if you are finding a need to supplement then you should examine your base diet and simply address what is lacking. "Real food" is almost always a better way to get your diet than a collection of supplements.
I just eat good food in moderation and you'll be fine unless you have a specific need due to a medical condition, etc. The biggest thing I have learned is to eat more while on the bike. As I have eaten more on rides, that helps significantly. Sometimes it's gels, other times various breakfast bars, snack bars or energy bars from the grocery store. Whatever seems appetizing and like it will sit well on my stomach during exercise.
I just eat good food in moderation and you'll be fine unless you have a specific need due to a medical condition, etc. The biggest thing I have learned is to eat more while on the bike. As I have eaten more on rides, that helps significantly. Sometimes it's gels, other times various breakfast bars, snack bars or energy bars from the grocery store. Whatever seems appetizing and like it will sit well on my stomach during exercise.
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My secret it starch. Don't tell anyone.
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Starch addiction is no laughing matter. Someone at a party convinces you experiment with tasting a French Fry or two. NBD. Before you know it, you're frantically sending out resumes to Or-Ida, growing potatoes under lights in your closet, getting stolen pasta deliveries from the Mob at midnight, and freebasing corn starch every morning, just to feel "normal".
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i experimented a bit with fasting and found out that i feel less tired on my commutes back home at the end of the day with only water and coffee .. i eat when i get back home and refill my storage for the next day.
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Starch addiction is no laughing matter. Someone at a party convinces you experiment with tasting a French Fry or two. NBD. Before you know it, you're frantically sending out resumes to Or-Ida, growing potatoes under lights in your closet, getting stolen pasta deliveries from the Mob at midnight, and freebasing corn starch every morning, just to feel "normal".
#58
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You seem to be implying that supplements are only for those people who delude themselves into thinking that using supplements can overcome the consequences of an unhealthy diet and unhealthy lifestyle, not because they have any real world benefits.
Nope, just the opposite!
Unless professional athletes and professional sports teams are "deluding themselves" as well. Many professional athletes and professional sports teams use supplements - all the while many of whom are on strict dietary and workout regimens.
My doctor is the one who told me that I definitely need to use CoQ10 because I take statin drugs which are known to deplete the natural stores of CoQ10 within the body. While researching what my doctor told me, I came across more than one study of athletes where the CoQ10 groups showed greater endurance and faster recovery times than the placebo group. That's why so many professional athletes use CoQ10. It is not a banned substance in many sports.
But like I stated in my previous post: individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad. If you don't think supplements of any kind have any value, then don't take supplements of any kind.
But in my opinion, thinking that no supplements are worthwhile, useful or necessary is just as lacking in understanding as believing all the wild claims made about supplements that truly are little more than "snake oil".
Supplements are like people: some are great, some suck, some are helpful, some are dangerous - most fall somewhere in between the extremes.
Nope, just the opposite!
Unless professional athletes and professional sports teams are "deluding themselves" as well. Many professional athletes and professional sports teams use supplements - all the while many of whom are on strict dietary and workout regimens.
My doctor is the one who told me that I definitely need to use CoQ10 because I take statin drugs which are known to deplete the natural stores of CoQ10 within the body. While researching what my doctor told me, I came across more than one study of athletes where the CoQ10 groups showed greater endurance and faster recovery times than the placebo group. That's why so many professional athletes use CoQ10. It is not a banned substance in many sports.
But like I stated in my previous post: individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad. If you don't think supplements of any kind have any value, then don't take supplements of any kind.
But in my opinion, thinking that no supplements are worthwhile, useful or necessary is just as lacking in understanding as believing all the wild claims made about supplements that truly are little more than "snake oil".
Supplements are like people: some are great, some suck, some are helpful, some are dangerous - most fall somewhere in between the extremes.
Last edited by Rje58; 07-05-19 at 06:29 PM.
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#59
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You seem to be implying that supplements are only for those people who delude themselves into thinking that using supplements can overcome the consequences of an unhealthy diet and unhealthy lifestyle, not because they have any real world benefits.
Nope, just the opposite!
Nope, just the opposite!
#60
Senior Member
This might sound like crazy but for me, I never felt eating any kind of food ever helped with energy. I'm a one-meal a day kind of guy. That's right. No breakfast -except my cup of instant coffee with milk and water. No lunch -nothing at all. I only eat one meal and that's usually around 7 pm or often even later and it's usually simple stuff. For most people, they think I should have no energy to move a finger but I actually have a very physically demanding job and after spending 7-8 hours lifting stuff and bending back and squatting or going up and down stairs like a 100 times, I come home and take out my bike -IF IT'S SUNNY- and ride it for as much as 2 1/2 hrs or 40 KMs or more going up some steep hills sometimes and trying to race at least a few times during my ride. All, often before eating any kind of food. I've only recently started drinking like 1/4 of a cup of coconut milk (only about 25% concentrate) before I go for my ride because of what I heard about it giving instant energy but I really can't say it does anything. For me, my mood is what determines the level of energy I have that day. I struggle with depression and anxiety and a whole lot of other problems that make me feel like I never have any energy at all and some days I feel like I really can't even stand up let alone do any kind of activity. Yet, some other days when I'm feeling better (mentally) and the SUN IS OUT AND SHINING -in this god damn city of constant depressing rain and ever cloudy skies of Vancouver- I feel like I'm going to blow up from all the energy I have and I just want to go and I could ride my bike for a couple of hrs at least despite having spent the day doing hard physical work.
For me, food is never a factor when it comes to having energy. Once in a blue moon I'd force myself to eat something in the morning (like peanut butter, which is supposed to give you a lot of energy) but I'd still have no energy at all that day or at least right after that meal. Once in a blue moon if I'm doing work for a friend he'd buy me lunch while at work and I eat it and....I don't feel any boost of energy or nothing and I still feel like I can't lift a hammer. Yet on other days -when my mood is good- I just want to smash stuff from all the energy I have -despite eating nothing...
For me at least, I never ever felt like food determines if I have the energy to do something or not. Again, it's about how I'm feeling (mentally) and oh, the SUN. I honestly believe all this talk about food = energy/no food = no energy is mostly exaggerated BS. I've lived like this for most of the past 30 years and that's more than enough time/experience for me to talk about this with confidence. I've only recently started using protein shakes but only if I rode my bike that day.
For me, food is never a factor when it comes to having energy. Once in a blue moon I'd force myself to eat something in the morning (like peanut butter, which is supposed to give you a lot of energy) but I'd still have no energy at all that day or at least right after that meal. Once in a blue moon if I'm doing work for a friend he'd buy me lunch while at work and I eat it and....I don't feel any boost of energy or nothing and I still feel like I can't lift a hammer. Yet on other days -when my mood is good- I just want to smash stuff from all the energy I have -despite eating nothing...
For me at least, I never ever felt like food determines if I have the energy to do something or not. Again, it's about how I'm feeling (mentally) and oh, the SUN. I honestly believe all this talk about food = energy/no food = no energy is mostly exaggerated BS. I've lived like this for most of the past 30 years and that's more than enough time/experience for me to talk about this with confidence. I've only recently started using protein shakes but only if I rode my bike that day.
Last edited by Solo_rider; 07-07-19 at 12:17 PM.
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#61
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What do you put in your diet like food, beverage, supplements for energy, and if you don't do this, it'll prevent you from doing what you do on the bikes?
I have an iron clad diet with supplements. It's a list though. Hehe. I'll list it. One thing I do is lift weights at the gym, and that helps the speed and stamina, but if I don't go lift, I see a significant loss of speed and stamina.
I have an iron clad diet with supplements. It's a list though. Hehe. I'll list it. One thing I do is lift weights at the gym, and that helps the speed and stamina, but if I don't go lift, I see a significant loss of speed and stamina.
#62
☢
You seem to be implying that supplements are only for those people who delude themselves into thinking that using supplements can overcome the consequences of an unhealthy diet and unhealthy lifestyle, not because they have any real world benefits.
Nope, just the opposite!
Unless professional athletes and professional sports teams are "deluding themselves" as well. Many professional athletes and professional sports teams use supplements - all the while many of whom are on strict dietary and workout regimens.
My doctor is the one who told me that I definitely need to use CoQ10 because I take statin drugs which are known to deplete the natural stores of CoQ10 within the body. While researching what my doctor told me, I came across more than one study of athletes where the CoQ10 groups showed greater endurance and faster recovery times than the placebo group. That's why so many professional athletes use CoQ10. It is not a banned substance in many sports.
But like I stated in my previous post: individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad. If you don't think supplements of any kind have any value, then don't take supplements of any kind.
But in my opinion, thinking that no supplements are worthwhile, useful or necessary is just as lacking in understanding as believing all the wild claims made about supplements that truly are little more than "snake oil".
Supplements are like people: some are great, some suck, some are helpful, some are dangerous - most fall somewhere in between the extremes.
Nope, just the opposite!
Unless professional athletes and professional sports teams are "deluding themselves" as well. Many professional athletes and professional sports teams use supplements - all the while many of whom are on strict dietary and workout regimens.
My doctor is the one who told me that I definitely need to use CoQ10 because I take statin drugs which are known to deplete the natural stores of CoQ10 within the body. While researching what my doctor told me, I came across more than one study of athletes where the CoQ10 groups showed greater endurance and faster recovery times than the placebo group. That's why so many professional athletes use CoQ10. It is not a banned substance in many sports.
But like I stated in my previous post: individual freedom and individual choice are critical to everyone being able to decide for themselves, act accordingly, and accept the consequences, good or bad. If you don't think supplements of any kind have any value, then don't take supplements of any kind.
But in my opinion, thinking that no supplements are worthwhile, useful or necessary is just as lacking in understanding as believing all the wild claims made about supplements that truly are little more than "snake oil".
Supplements are like people: some are great, some suck, some are helpful, some are dangerous - most fall somewhere in between the extremes.
For example, sometimes you can't eat enough vitamin D foods in a day without cause an imbalance some place else. In that instance, a simple supplement with vit D would be the solution. I hope I was clear this time?
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High starch diet, a secret to endless energy.
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I apologize that I misunderstood your post. Thanks for the clarification.
Supplements as used in my posts have nothing to do with emotionalism, rather fill a void due to poor diet or the body's own lack of absorption.
For example, sometimes you can't eat enough vitamin D foods in a day without cause an imbalance some place else. In that instance, a simple supplement with vit D would be the solution. I hope I was clear this time?
For example, sometimes you can't eat enough vitamin D foods in a day without cause an imbalance some place else. In that instance, a simple supplement with vit D would be the solution. I hope I was clear this time?
#66
Senior Member
+1 on a well balanced diet. And graze all day long or eat more at breakfast, less at lunch and a modest dinner. The secret is to keep a balance of caloric intake and caloric consumption.
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Last edited by drlogik; 07-07-19 at 09:57 PM.
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#68
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Sunflower seeds! Cheap, calorie-dense, salty, and they give me something to think about other than how sore my legs are. I'll go through like six bags a summer, no problem.
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When I hit age 35 I stopped counting birthdays. 38 years later and I'm still 35 and kicking ass.
#71
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My secret for energy is arguing passionately about some arcane point of cycling on this forum.
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A well balanced diet which includes healthy fats. Your body absorbs nutrients much better through real food than supplements. Back in the day I used to compete in bodybuilding. My first contest I relied heavily on supplements (amino acids, protein powders, liver tabs, etc, etc.) to complement my meals and came in completely emaciated. I lost a lot of muscle mass because my body was not absorbing what it needed through those supplements.
For those that take a lot of supplements, pay attention to the color of your urine and what it smells like. That's your body telling you it is not absorbing what you are taking and it is coming out as waste.
The next year I got with a nutritionist and was advised to get all my nutrients though food. The only thing I took was a multi-vitamin/mineral tablet in the morning and at night due to my activity because I was doing double splits 6 days a week with an hour of cardio on my off day. I came in to my second contest 25lbs heavier and jumped from being a lightweight to a middleweight. My strength never deteriorated even through the last week of really cutting carbs and I was actually stronger at the end of my 12 week diet prior to the show.
...so I guess that was a round about way to say, supplements no, real food (balanced) yes.
For those that take a lot of supplements, pay attention to the color of your urine and what it smells like. That's your body telling you it is not absorbing what you are taking and it is coming out as waste.
The next year I got with a nutritionist and was advised to get all my nutrients though food. The only thing I took was a multi-vitamin/mineral tablet in the morning and at night due to my activity because I was doing double splits 6 days a week with an hour of cardio on my off day. I came in to my second contest 25lbs heavier and jumped from being a lightweight to a middleweight. My strength never deteriorated even through the last week of really cutting carbs and I was actually stronger at the end of my 12 week diet prior to the show.
...so I guess that was a round about way to say, supplements no, real food (balanced) yes.
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