Category: Supplements

Supplements: the truth about which nutritional supplements work and which are a waste of your time and money.

Deer Antler Spray Review

Anabolic Antlers?
Anabolic Antlers?

There has been a lot of hype and controversy regarding Ray Lewis and deer antler velvet spray supplement.  The buzz happened right around the time of his Super Bowl appearance, and supplement sales skyrocketed overnight due to the intense media coverage.  The World Anti-Doping Authority just gave the green light to this supplement, meaning is not on their list of banned substances.  This news may put deer antler spray in the spotlight once again.

This supplement supposedly contains Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone associated with muscle repair and growth.  IGF-1 has been used medically for treatment of growth failure in children, and bodybuilders have experimented with it as a way to build more muscle (they use a form called Long R3 IGF-1, which has a longer half-life).  But any therapy/use of these hormones happens through injections, not oral medication.

Want to hear something really ironic?  The New Zealand Medical Journal published a study just weeks before antler-mania took the news media by storm.  Researchers looked at several studies and assessed the benefits of deer/elk antler supplements.  Their conclusion: “Claims made for velvet antler supplements do not appear to be based upon rigorous research from human trials, although for osteoarthritis the findings may have some promise.”1

There’s no reason to believe this supplement will give professional athletes any advantage, and I don’t plan to spend money on it any time soon.

Reference:

1. N Z Med J. 2012 Dec 14;125(1367):80-6. Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies.

Vitamin D, Muscle, and Testosterone

My regular readers know I don’t put much faith in supplements.  I have a very short list of supplements that work, and I’m very skeptical of bodybuilding supplements in general.  But Vitamin D is one I think every trainee should consider taking.  Here’s an overview:

Vitamin d plays a crucial role building both bone and muscle. We synthesize it when our skin is exposed to sunlight.  We also get it from food (or supplementation, which I will discuss later).

Deficiencies are associated with obesity and weaker muscles–this correlation has been shown through many studies over the years.

Studies have also  shown a positive correlation between levels of vitamin d and sex hormones (both men and women).1  Supplementing with this micro-nutrient, for example, seems to raise testosterone levels in men who are deficient.2

Vitamin d deficiency is very common, probably affecting half of the world’s population.3  Americans are not exceptions to this statistic.  A 2010 study revealed that 24% of the subjects tested (90 young women in California) were deficient in vitamin d, and even more (59%) were at “insufficient” levels (< or = 29 ng/ml).  Those with low levels of vitamin d had a higher % of fat within their muscles (“muscle adiposity”).4

So let’s put all this together:

1. Vitamin d that plays a crucial role in both muscular strength, leanness, and optimum hormone levels (like testosterone).

2. There’s a possibility you are deficient in it.

Here are a few of the factors that would tend to affect your levels of vitamin d:

*Skin tone: melanin protects from sun damage but also limits synthesis (darker skin=higher risk for deficiency).

*Sun exposure: the amount time you spend in the sun, the climate you live in, and the season (summer vs winter) all affect how much vitamin d you produce.

*Age: our ability to produce this vitamin declines with age.

Supplementation:

One study demonstrated supplementing with 800-1000 mg/day way sufficient to improve the strength and balance of elderly patients. 5 The study I quoted earlier (re: raising testosterone levels) used about 3,000 mg/day.  I doubt any adult would have any issues supplementing in the 1,000-3,000 range–the institute of medicine puts the upper level of recommended supplementation at 4,000 mg/day.6  Vitamin D-3 seems to be the best choice as in terms of the type/form of supplement. 7

I use the NOW Foods Vitamin D-3, Structural Support 2000 I.U., 240 Softgels, but any reputable brand would do.

Having said this, I’d highly recommend you ask your doctor for a blood test to know exactly what your blood levels are.  This is the only way to know for sure and develop a precise strategy (supplementation, etc).

References:
1.Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 May;166(5):765-78. Epub 2012 Jan 24.  Vitamin D and fertility: a systematic review.

2. Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5. Epub 2010 Dec 10. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men.

3. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 Apr;3(2):118-26. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin.

4. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Apr;95(4):1595-601. Epub 2010 Feb 17. Vitamin D status and its relation to muscle mass and muscle fat in young women.

5. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Dec;59(12):2291-300. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03733.x. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength, gait and balance in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

6. Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D

7. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Mar;96(3):E447-52. Epub 2010 Dec 22. Vitamin D(3) is more potent than vitamin D(2) in humans.