When it comes to reaching your fitness goals as a bodybuilder, it's safe to say that your nutrition needs to take priority above all else.
Sure, you can reach those all-important PRs lifting heavy weights in the gym, but if you don't have a solid nutrition plan to match, all that effort may well be for nothing.
Luckily, sticking to a healthy, well-balanced diet will go a long way in ensuring that you're giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover efficiently, build muscle, and much more.
But even if you're doing all the right things, you can always go a step further to get in your essential vitamins and minerals. And the ideal way to do just that is by using a high-quality daily multivitamin.
We've already covered the multivitamin benefits to bodybuilding in one of our recent posts. But in this article, we'll look at what the best multivitamins contain, which are the most critical vitamins for bodybuilders, and much more.
So, with no further ado, let's get to it!
Not got time to read the entire article? Then check out the #1 multivitamin for bodybuilding - Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi.
Best Bodybuilding Multivitamins: What You Need To Know
When searching for the best bodybuilding multivitamin supplement, it's vital to opt for one that is well rounded and includes quality ingredients like the ones we'll cover later in the article.
If you do just that, you can establish the perfect foundation for improved nutrient intake, optimal muscle growth, and much more.
But if you're not sure where to start, you don't need to worry as we'll cover some common questions regarding multivitamins for bodybuilders throughout the article.
Do Men And Women Bodybuilders Need Different Multivitamins?
Some might say that a gender-specific multi-vitamin isn't necessary, but considering men and women have different nutritional needs, we'd suggest that the opposite is true.
Luckily, a worthy contender for the best multivitamin on the market - Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi, comes in two different versions, meaning both men and women can boost their overall health with gender-optimized dosages.
With each of these multivitamins calibrated to meet your nutritional needs, each serving includes at least 100% of all your daily essential vitamins and minerals in easy to swallow, vegan-friendly capsules.
We'll look into what makes a great multivitamin later in the article. But first, let's delve deeper into whether there is an ideal time to take your vitamins or if you can just take them whatever time of day you like.
When Should I Take Multivitamins For Bodybuilding?
If you were wondering when is the best time to take a multivitamin for bodybuilding, the quick answer is it doesn't matter all that much.
Some people take their multivitamin first thing in the morning with breakfast, as it's sometimes easy to forget if you leave it until later in the day.
If you're one of those people who prefers to take a multivitamin with their first meal of the day, then it's certainly not a bad thing, especially as the body absorbs certain nutrients better when you take your multivitamin with a meal.
That being said, factors such as how many capsules there are per serving may influence which time of day you decide to take your multivitamin supplement.
Most multivitamins for bodybuilding only have one capsule per day. Still, multivitamins which have a larger serving size are generally the better option, as this will allow you to spread your nutrient intake throughout the day.
If your chosen multivitamin does have a larger serving size, it would be best to consume your multivitamin twice per day - once in the morning and then again in the evening.
The most important thing for you to consider is whether your chosen bodybuilding multivitamin is well rounded enough and includes the quality ingredients you need to up your nutrition game.
Lucky for you, that's exactly what we're going to cover in the next section as we delve deeper into the vitamins and minerals that all the best multivitamins for bodybuilding will have on its ingredients list.
Top 10 Vitamins and Minerals to Look For In a Multivitamin for Bodybuilding
Earlier in the article, we highlighted just how important following a healthy, well-balanced diet is to achieving your bodybuilding goals and how a quality multivitamin can help to bridge any gaps in your nutrition.
But just what are the most important vitamins and minerals you need to be looking out for as a bodybuilder? In the following section, that's exactly what we'll look into.
So, in no particular order, here they are!
1. Vitamin C
To keep your overall health in good shape, it's always a great idea to keep up your intake of vitamin C.
This is because it plays a vital role in connective tissue health, as well as ensuring you have a healthy immune system 1.
A potent water-soluble antioxidant, studies also show this vitamin decreases oxidative stress after you've taken part in an intense workout.
Finally, there's the fact it helps with protein metabolism and joint support 1 - both of which are important considerations when searching for the best multivitamin for bodybuilders.
2. Vitamin D
You've probably already heard about how beneficial Vitamin D is to your overall health. But the fact of the matter is, not everyone is lucky enough to have year-round sunny days.
Given that the sun is the best source of this nutrient, you'll likely not be getting enough Vitamin D if you live in a country where there seems to be more cloudy/rainy days than ones where you're basking in the sunshine.
Luckily, the best multivitamins for bodybuilding include vitamin D on its ingredients list, which allows you to make sure you're getting enough of this nutrient daily - even when the skies are grey.
In terms of the bodybuilding benefits of Vitamin D, studies show that it helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous 2, making it an essential nutrient to have in the best multivitamins for bodybuilding.
Good food sources of Vitamin D include oily fish, egg yolks, and red meat. But if you're someone who follows a vegan diet, these obviously aren't an option.
Thankfully, many supplements on the market nowadays are vegan-friendly and free from allergens such as wheat, soy, peanut, and shellfish, which means you can get your daily dose of essential nutrients no matter what your dietary requirements are.
3. Vitamin E
Since it can ensure optimal health and wellness by keeping your skin, heart, and arteries healthy, it's easy to see why Vitamin E is a common feature in the best multivitamins on the market.
A fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E can also protect cells from free radicals which are known for their damaging effects, including a potential contribution to cardiovascular disease or even cancer 3.
What makes vitamin E even better is that research suggests it can help to repair the plasma membranes of cells 4, meaning it can go a long way in helping you to build powerful muscles.
You can get the E vitamin from numerous food sources such as nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. But to ensure that you're getting enough of this nutrient each day, it's worth consuming it in your daily multivitamin supplement.
4. B-Complex Vitamins
When it comes to essential nutrients for bodybuilding, it's safe to say that B vitamins are undoubtedly among some of the most important for enhancing your overall health and muscle building capabilities.
Why is this? Well, it's because B vitamins each serve an important function in the body from nutrient conversion to energy (Vitamin B7), to the creation of non-essential amino acids.
Comprising eight vitamins in total including B1, B2 B6, B9, and Vitamin B12, you'll find the B-complex of vitamins in any good multivitamin.
Each vitamin in this complex is water-soluble. And Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), for example, reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering homocysteine levels 5.
When elevated, homocysteine is known to impair cognitive performance and perhaps even cause dementia.
Other vitamins in this B-Complex such as vitamin B12 assist with energy production while keeping red blood cells healthy.
And since a deficiency in this vitamin will cause pernicious anemia, it's well worth keeping your intake topped up with a top-quality multivitamin for men or women.
Other than consuming them in multivitamins, you can get some B-vitamins in as part of your diet too, with green tea being a great source of them as well as L-theanine - one of the best amino acids for relaxing after a tough session in the gym.
5. Vitamin K
Since it plays a vital role in bone health and wound healing, it's clear that vitamin K is one of the most important vitamins for bodybuilders looking to boost their nutrient intake.
During intense workouts, you'll be putting your body under a great amount of strain. So, it's important to consume this vitamin regularly to keep your bone and cardiovascular health in the best condition possible.
Like other vitamins on this list, vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient, and it comes in two forms - K1 and K2. The former also goes by the names of phylloquinone or phytomenadione. K2, on the other hand, is also referred to as menaquinones.
When combined with Vitamin D, you'll find that vitamin K helps your bones develop properly by helping to transport calcium to them 6.
Because of this, it's easy to see why this vitamin makes it on the ingredients list of many multivitamins on the market nowadays.
6. Calcium
When considering a healthy, well-balanced diet, calcium is one of the most essential components of all. This particular nutrient plays several critical roles in the body, and so a lack of it can wreak havoc on your overall health.
Luckily, any good multivitamin for men or women will include calcium on its ingredients list, so you can build healthy teeth and bones, regulate muscle contractions, and ensure that your blood clots normally.
Calcium can also be described as a crucial mineral to have in your diet because of its ability to manage osteoporosis 7, which might just take its toll on your body as you get older.
Some excellent food sources of calcium are cheese, yoghurt, and other dairy products, although you'll also find it in other sources such as sardines and almonds.
There's a good chance that you may already be eating plenty of the calcium-rich food sources listed above as part of your diet.
But if you feel you aren't getting enough calcium, the best multivitamins on the market will allow you to get in your daily dose of this essential mineral with ease.
7. Iron
Endurance and strong immunity are, of course, vital attributes to a successful bodybuilding journey. Thankfully, these are two things that iron can help you with by delivering oxygen to your muscles 8.
Since iron also helps with energy production, it's most definitely an ingredient to look out for if you're a bodybuilder searching for the best multivitamin you can buy.
You'll also find that low levels of iron can cause various unpleasant side effects such as:
- Fatigue
- Mental fogginess
- A feeling of tiredness and weakness
We're sure that you'll want to avoid issues such as the above, as experiencing one or more of them can have a hugely negative impact on your quest for optimal muscle growth during your workouts.
Lucky for you, you'll find iron on the ingredients list of a high-quality multi-vitamin, which will allow you to avoid an iron deficiency, which happens to be the most common of all nutrient deficiencies in the world.
8. Zinc
Research shows that around 17.3% of the world's population has a deficiency in zinc 9. Which, considering just how crucial it is in the prevention of various health issues, is a cause for concern.
Zinc happens to play a vital role in the body in more ways than one - from providing you with enhanced immunity to boosting your cognition, and everything in between.
Zinc is also crucial for boosting strength, performance, and your sex drive, too. So it can most definitely be classed as an important mineral to look out for on your search for the ideal bodybuilding multivitamin for men or women.
9. Magnesium
Magnesium is another common feature in multivitamins, and for a good reason, too. This is because of its roles include muscle function, blood pressure regulation, heart health, and stress management.
And since it's the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, it's safe to say that getting enough in your diet each day is of paramount importance.
But what are the consequences if you fail to get your daily dose of magnesium? Well, some of the most common side effects include nausea, a lack of energy, and fatigue.
Since all these issues can have a hugely negative impact on your health and lifestyle, a magnesium deficiency is absolutely something you could do without.
Thankfully, choosing a good multivitamin with magnesium included will ensure that you'll be less likely to experience symptoms such as the above, which can throw both men and women off track when it comes to reaching bodybuilding goals.
10. Selenium
Classed as an important trace mineral since the 1950s, selenium is, without a doubt a vital component of a solid multivitamin.
The reason for this is that it can minimize the proliferation of free radicals, which, as we mentioned earlier in the article, can wreak havoc on your health and wellbeing.
Research also shows that selenium can strengthen immune function, enhance psychological well-being, and even positively affect mood, cognitive function, and behavior 10, 11.
Not only that, but low levels of selenium have also been shown to cause confusion, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in the general population of adults 12.
And while you don't need to include a lot of selenium as part of your daily nutrient intake, it's still a beneficial ingredient to have in a multivitamin as it can prevent issues such as the above from taking its toll on your overall health.
Which Is The Best Multivitamin for Bodybuilding?
Now that you've found out everything you need to know about multivitamins for bodybuilding, the next step is to narrow down your choice when searching for the best multivitamins for bodybuilders.
The problem is that the market for multivitamins is heavily saturated, meaning you might end up choosing a multivitamin that either doesn't contain the right vitamins or has an unsuitable dosage of each one.
If that's the case, then you may be left out of pocket with a multivitamin that does little or nothing to help, or perhaps won't even work correctly when it comes to boosting your nutrient intake.
Lucky for you, we're here to help both men and women alike make an informed decision on which multivitamin to buy with our recommendation for the best multivitamin for bodybuilding - Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi.
Thanks to the inclusion of 17+ essential vitamins and minerals, Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi is a high-quality multivitamin that has everything you need to improve your overall health and achieve optimal bodybuilding results.
Complete with whole-food cofactors for optimal absorption, NutriGenesis® Multi is precisely calibrated to meet your needs in terms of vitamins and minerals, with two different versions available - a multivitamin for men and a multivitamin for women.
What makes NutriGenesis® Multi even better is that it uses unique and easy to swallow tablets known as NutriCaps®, which are vegan-friendly and infused with prebiotics for optimal digestive comfort and better nutrient absorption.
To top it all off, it has no unwanted side effects like other multivitamins can cause, meaning it's undoubtedly one of the most well-rounded multivitamin products you'll find on the market.
What more could you ask for in a multivitamin for bodybuilders?
Final Thoughts
If there's one thing you can take away from this article, it's that nutrition is of paramount importance if you're looking to build muscle and consistently consume the vitamins and minerals your body needs to grow and recover efficiently.
But as we mentioned earlier, there's always the chance that you aren't getting enough of these vitamins and minerals, which could prevent both men and women from reaching their muscle-building goals as effectively.
Luckily, Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi covers you on all bases by including all the vitamins and minerals that we covered above while coming with at least 100% of your RDA of each individual nutrient.
When combined with a healthy, well-balanced diet, a steady intake of essential amino acids, and regular strength training, the right multivitamin can go a long way in helping you to achieve all your bodybuilding fitness goals as well as improving your overall health and immune system.
So, if you're a bodybuilder looking for an excellent multivitamin for men or women, you can't go wrong by opting for Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi.
References
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- U Trautvetter et al. Effect of calcium phosphate and vitamin D3 supplementation on bone remodelling and metabolism of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Nutr J. 2014; 13: 6.
- Verhagen H, Buijsse B, Jansen E, Bueno-de-Mesquita B. The state of antioxidant affairs. Nutr Today 2006;41:244-50.
- M Labazi et al. The antioxidant requirement for plasma membrane repair in skeletal muscle. Free Radical Biology and MedicineVolume 84, July 2015, Pages 246–253.
- R.M Russell. Effect of vitamin B-6 deficiency on fasting plasma homocysteine concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Jun;55(6):1154–1160.
- A J. van Ballegooijen et al. The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review. Int J Endocrinol. 2017; 2017: 7454376.
- J A Sunyecz. The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2008 Aug; 4(4): 827–836.
- N Abbaspour, R Hurrell, and R Kelishadi. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci. 2014 Feb; 19(2): 164–174.
- K. R Wessells and K H. Brown. Estimating the Global Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency: Results Based on Zinc Availability in National Food Supplies and the Prevalence of Stunting. PLoS One. 2012; 7(11): e50568.
- J. R. Arthur. The role of selenium in thyroid hormone metabolism. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1991;69:1648-52.
- M. Ferencik, L. Ebringer. Modulatory effects of selenium and zinc on the immune system. Folia Microbiol. 2003 48(3), 417-426.
- MP Rayman. The importance of selenium to human health. Lancet. 356(9225):233-41, 2000.
