Multivitamin – everything you need to know

There are many multivitamin preparations on the fitness market. The supplements are intended to cover your daily vitamin needs. What do you need which vitamin for and are multivitamin supplements useful or unnecessary? Find out here! 

Contents:

• What is a Vitamin?
• What are multivitamin supplements?
• These vitamins exist and that's why you should consume them
• Multivitamin preparations: products, dosage, side effects

What is a Vitamin?

A vitamin is a molecule that your body needs to carry out certain biochemical processes. Hence the name: "Life" comes from Latin and means "Life". Vitamins are, so to speak, vital. Without it, your metabolism doesn't work at all or only works inadequately.

Precisely because vitamins are so important, a deficiency becomes quite noticeable. While you feel good, strong - vital - when you have enough vitamins, a vitamin deficiency slows you down. You feel weak, you sleep poorly, you develop cravings, your fat burning stagnates and your immune system is more vulnerable. So you get sick faster.

Unfortunately, your body can Vitamins You can't make it yourself or only make it insufficiently, so you have to get it from your diet. (We'll explain later whether that alone is enough or whether vitamin supplements might make sense for you.)

Overall there is 14 Vitamins, each taking on a different, highly specialized task. Some of them are fat-soluble and must be taken with fat such as olive oil. Others are water soluble. Your body can store the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K for a long time. You must consume all other vitamins, such as the water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C, regularly to ensure your needs are met. So you can't stock up here. If even a single vitamin is not sufficiently present, other processes in which another vitamin S is involved can also be disrupted.

Vitamins are useful for athletes for several reasons: If you have enough vitamins, your metabolism works optimally and supports you in your fitness goals. This means that processes such as fat loss or muscle building can also work better if you are well supplied with vitamins. Because you sleep better and your immune system is well cared for, you also get sick less often and can perform better in training.

The question of why you should make sure you have enough vitamins can be answered quite simply: your body needs vitamins to function. So that your body gets everything it needs, it can make sense to supplement.

What are multivitamin supplements?

You have probably been familiar with multivitamin products for a long time: as children we usually get them on the table in juice form, later we can use multivitamin capsules, tablets and other preparations. Such multivitamin supplements are dietary supplements that contain a large number (“multivitamin” = “multiple, diverse vitamins”) of important vitamins. In addition to the vitamin complex, it may contain various other trace elements and ingredients. Sometimes they also contain stimulants such as ginseng or caffeine, or the preparations contain so-called “A-Z vitamins”. This is a multivitamin complex that contains a mixture of a total of 21 vitamins, minerals and trace elements - everything your body needs from a to z.

The multivitamin mixture contained in preparations usually consists of a mixture of artificially produced vitamins, which are usually taken in the form of multivitamin tablets or multivitamin capsules. To ensure that the spectrum of all important vitamins is covered by just one preparation, the dose contained is quite high. Trace elements and other ingredients ensure that your body is optimally supplied with just one supplement.

Common disease ‘vitamin deficiency’?

Belong in the USA Multivitamin tablets It's almost de rigueur and the preparations can now be found in almost every household cupboard in German households. But how important is such a multivitamin preparation today, when we have an abundance of food and nutrient-rich, vitamin-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables are available to us in the supermarket all year round?

According to a report, Germany is the DGE (‘German Society for Nutrition’) no Vitamin Deficiency Country. Most people are able to meet their vitamin needs through their diet. However, society admits that there are also groups of people, such as very young or very old people, who find it difficult to meet their needs and should therefore help with targeted supplementation. This also applies to people who suffer from illnesses or who find themselves in certain life situations. Here the values ​​for folate, vitamin D and vitamin A are often undercut. A vitamin that is very often insufficiently present in the blood is vitamin D. A deficiency is almost the rule here, as it can only be formed with the help of solar radiation.

Since many people have theirs Vitaminbedarf If you already have sufficient coverage through a healthy diet, the question arises as to whether you are dependent on supplements. The best way to answer this question is to look at your diet critically: What does your diet look like overall? Are you eating enough and healthy? If you're currently on a strict diet and have a high calorie deficit, chances are you don't have every vitamin you need Nourishment to cover, higher than when you are currently under construction.

A blood test can tell you whether you have enough vitamins, but be careful: not all values ​​can be measured in the blood and the determination of some values, such as vitamin D, costs extra. Vitamin A, on the other hand, is best analyzed using red blood cells. If you know your values, you can improve them using a supplement (if necessary). Since such an analysis of all blood values ​​can be quite expensive overall, you are well advised to critically examine your diet and, if you suspect a deficiency - i.e. if you show certain symptoms - to take a good preparation.

These vitamins exist and that's why you should consume them

Your metabolism needs vitamin to function. We already told you that. Your vitamin needs must be met not only for fitness goals such as building muscle and burning fat. You also need vitamins because they provide you with energy, release happiness hormones, and strengthen your immune system and thus your health. But how do the individual vitamins work and how can you benefit from their effects? We'll tell you now.

Basically, as we already told you, vitamins can be divided into two groups: the group of fat-soluble vitamins and the group of water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are better absorbed when you consume them with dietary fat (which is why some people drink their juice with a dash of olive oil...). Fat-soluble vitamins can usually be stored in the body for longer, so you don't need to consume them too regularly. The situation is different with water-soluble vitamins. You have to consume these regularly so that there is no deficiency. We'll show you all the vitamins from a to z and tell you why and what you need them for.

Fettlösliche Vitamine

Vitamin E belongs to the fat-soluble vitamins. It is indispensable for your immune system and, among other things, ensures that your cell walls are protected from harmful influences (which is why it also has an antioxidant effect).

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone health. The vitamin protects your blood vessels and kidneys from deposits. Vitamin K is divided into vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. The first form can be absorbed through food, while vitamin K2 is produced by your intestinal flora. The vitamin is rarely a component of multivitamin products, but is often included Combination preparations together with vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for your bone health and immune system. Since the vitamin needs sunlight to be activated and is only available in very small doses in foods, there is often a deficiency. When we say “vitamin D” we correctly mean vitamin D3. This is the natural form of vitamin D that your body can produce itself. Vitamin D3 is found in dietary supplements in Germany. Unfortunately, a vitamin D3 deficiency is not uncommon due to the weather in Germany (rain, short days in winter with little sunlight). Here it may be advisable to supplement.

Water-soluble vitamins

Vitamin A important for eyes, skin and mucous membranes, your protein, hormone and fat metabolism. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness.

Vitamin B1 Supports brain function by supporting energy and carbohydrate metabolism as well as nervous system function.

Vitamin C takes on numerous tasks in the body. In total, vitamin C is involved in around 15,000 metabolic processes and is involved, for example, in hormone production, it strengthens tendons, bones, connective tissue and supports the immune system. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of other substances such as zinc or iron and helps break down fat by supporting the production of L-carnitine. L-Carnitine, as we have already explained elsewhere, is an amino acid that plays a key role in fat loss. In this respect, vitamin C can also help you achieve your fitness goals. A deficiency of vitamin C is very rare, as the vitamin is contained in high doses in many types of fruit, as well as in cabbage, peppers and other vegetables.

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates and fats into usable energy in the form of ATP. The vitamin also supports fat burning and ensures that you can perform better during training.

Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, has a balancing effect on the psyche. The vitamin, which is often found in pre-workout boosters, promotes oxidative metabolism and can improve muscle endurance. It also counteracts serotonin and melatonin deficiency. If you have enough of these hormones, you will sleep better and feel more balanced.

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid is involved in the production of coenzyme A. , which in turn influences the entire energy metabolism. Vitamin B also ensures healthy hair and skin. A defect is rather rare.

Vitamin B6 is involved in protein metabolism and thus ensures muscle building. The more protein you eat to build muscle, the more vitamin B6 you need to consume so that the protein can be used to build muscle.

Vitamin B7 or biotin is found in your hair, nails and skin and ensures that they stay healthy. The vitamin is therefore often found in beauty products. However, a defect is rather rare.

Folic acid or also Vitamin B9 is particularly recommended for pregnant women. No wonder, because it is essential for the development of the brain and nervous system of the unborn child. In adulthood, the vitamin stimulates the production of the happiness messengers serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, and it is also required for the production of genetic material. 

Vitamin B12 supports your blood circulation and is important for blood formation. Cell growth and cell division are also supported by this type of B vitamins. The vitamin is mainly found in dairy products and other products of animal origin, which is why vegans are particularly at risk of suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin E is another vitamin that supports your health by having a positive effect on your immune system. Every vitamin does this, but vitamin E plays an important role, especially if you are already sick or suffering from an infection, as it provides amino acids that are necessary for the reproduction of your immune cells. Unfortunately, vitamin E is not adequately covered for many people. A deficiency can manifest itself in the form of muscle weakness, allergies, susceptibility to infections and inflammation as well as restlessness.

Multivitamin preparations: products, dosage, side effects

As you now know, your body depends on an adequate supply of all vitamins from a to z so that it functions optimally. High-dose vitamins get you going and ensure that all metabolic processes run smoothly.

Good vitamin preparations come in different forms: When purchasing you can choose between multi-vitamin tablets, powder and multi-vitamin capsules. All products should contain high doses of multivitamins so that you can compensate for any deficiency. Which form is the best vitamin supplement for you is a matter of personal taste.

High-dose multivitamins: powder vs capsules

Capsules offer you the advantage that you can take high-dose multivitamins regardless of where you are. So to speak, no matter where you are, you always have all your vitamins in one capsule. On the other hand, you first have to mix powder products before you can consume them. In addition, even the best vitamin supplements are useless if you can't finish them because of their taste. This risk does not exist with capsules as they are generally tasteless.

Ingredients: High-dose multivitamins

The multivitamin supplement of your choice should contain all 14 vitamins listed in a sufficient dose. Recognize the quality. You mostly depend on origin and price: preparations that come from Germany contain fewer unquality fillers. In terms of price, you can expect around 20-25 euros for 100 g for the best vitamin preparation.