FEMALE MUSCLE

Q. How important is a multivitamin supplement to a female athlete at your level? Are there any other must-have supplements you take in the off-season now?

A. A bodybuilder’s diet is often lacking in certain nutrients, and the off-season should be a time of maximizing and optimizing your health as you work to provide a balance for those times when the diet is more extreme. Just as important as a daily multivitamin supplement is ensuring that you are consuming or supplementing with a sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D and calcium are closely linked as you need one to make the other function properly. As bodybuilders, we often don’t consume enough calcium, and due to our busy lifestyles, often can’t get enough safe sun exposure to get the daily dose. If you can purchase a multivitamin/mineral, preferably one designed for an active individual, that has 1000 to 2000 milligrams of vitamin D and 1000 milligrams of calcium plus the range of other vitamins, that’s a great “insurance” policy in case there are days when your diet is less than ideal! My other must-have supplements both for the off- and on-season are Purica Recovery for my joints, greens powder daily, BCAA and glutamine twice daily, a pre-workout drink for energy, and a post-workout drink for recovery, which I generally cut out during diet season. What I find most valuable is daily fresh vegetable and fruit juice in the morning. I’ve seen huge improvements in my health when I take the time to make fresh juice daily from a range of vegetables and fruits. During diet season, when I can’t afford those extra calories, I definitely make sure that I take a wide range of vitamins and minerals from a quality company. This can keep my immune system strong and help my body repair from the damage during intense training!

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