The Fast Lane:

contains: 

Home

HOME has a news page, a contact page and a site map for a quick overview.

Training

A complete overview of training principles, building blocks, scheduling and phasing, completed with scientific articles and real-life tips & examples.

CONTENT:
Training Principles 
Building Blocks 
Training Schedules
...

Racing

Advice for optimizing your performance, via clever tactics or a perfect preparation, Evaluate your performance with the Hungarian Scoring Tables.

CONTENT:
Racing Strategies
Mental Preparation
Analyzing Performances
Going for Gold
...

Drugs & Medicine

Racing faster is more than just training more and harder. Live a healthy life.

CONTENT:
Nutrition
Legal Supplements
Illegal Substances
Common Injuries
Muscles
...

Discussion

Post your opinion and discuss training, nutrition etc. with others.

Links

Discover the world of Athletics via these cool hyperlinks.

CONTENT:
Federations, Organizations
Belgian Clubs
Clubs around the world
Meets and Results
Statistics
Health
Training and Racing
Athlete's Pages
...

My Running

There's more to it than theory. Try it yourself! Or would you rather check out my schedules and results first?

Vitamin Benefits and Dangers

In today’s anti-drug environment, some coaches and athletes are turning to mega-vitamins. However, the use of mega-vitamins can produce harmful side-effects, including life-threatening allergic reactions.

Vitamins and vitamin analogs (B₁, B₂ B₆, B₁₂, B₁₅,C ,P ,PP ,A ,E ,folic acid, choline, lipoic acid) include multivitamin preparations, complexes of macro- and micro-elements preparations with anti-anemia factors with phospholipids and unsaturated fatty acids and coenzymes.

Which of these should be used for vitamin supplementation? To answer this question, you have to remember that certain vitamins are antagonistic: high doses of one can interfere with the metabolism of others. Large doses of B₁ interfere with the metabolism of B₂, B₆, C, and PP. Overdosing on B₁₂ disturbs the metabolism of B₁, B₂, and folic acid; excess vitamin A interferes with vitamins C, E, and K. Hence, it is better to use multivitamins and vitamin complexes that include macro- and micro-elements.

Zinc has received attention, because a zinc deficiency lowers immune response, adrenal hormones, sex hormones, sexual potency and sperm production. Some vitamins, however, are appropriate only during illnesses that require specific therapy. For example, multivitamins cannot replace therapeutic doses of vitamin A for dermatitis, boils, conjunctivitis, and atrophic laryngopharingitis.

Basic vitamin needs can be met (with the possible exception of vitamin C) with preventive doses of multivitamin preparations.

Higher doses are appropriate only in conditions of high altitude, high or low temperature, intense ultraviolet radiation, weight loss, or after the use of drugs that have antivitamin effects (sulfanilamides and antibiotics). For example, a lone dose of Neomycin lowers vitamin A absorption; tranquilizers suppress utilization of vitamin B₂; aspirin hampers folic acid metabolism, to the point that it damages the immune system.

The chronic intake of excess vitamins can increase their excretion during the time they are taken and cause them to breakdown after they have been taken - that is, cause future hypovitaminosis and avitaminosis.

Inadequate protein intake is one cause of vitamin deficiencies. When protein intake is less than 2.0 g/kg of body weight, the recommended levels of vitamins C, B₁, B₂, B₆, and PP do not ensure that the body’s needs will be satisfied. Strength and speed-strength athletes often need more B₂, B₆, and C; endurance athletes need B₁ and C; women need B₆, and PP.

Considering most athletes’ unbalanced diets, we recommend using preventive levels of multi-vitamins during periods of active training (summer-fall), increasing the levels during the periods of hardest training.

Most vitamins increase work capacity only if the athlete is deficient in them. In the absence of a deficiency, higher levels do not boost work capacity.

It is often best to use specific mixes of vitamins instead of the over-the-counter variety. In particular, vitamins A, E, C, P, and PP in medium doses (100 000 to 120 000 I.U., 100-120 mg, 300-350 mg, 50-70mg, and 25-40mg, respectively), can be used to prevent increased blood coagulability during periods of intense anaerobic glycolytic training. Nicotinic acid (nikotinamide, complemin, glunicap), along with higher levels of vitamins E, C, and P are appropriate during intense endurance training.

For gastro-intestinal ailments (in the absence of contraindications) vitamins can be given intravenously (Poly-B, B-complex, for example) in tandem with vitamin C for 2-3 weeks. However, vitamins B₁ and B₂ should be stopped at least seven days before important competitions in order to keep the athlete from feeling sluggish, sleepy, or apathetic.

Can abruptly high vitamin doses increase an athlete’s work capacity?

Most vitamins, especially those that help synthesize coenzymes, increase work capacity only, if the athlete is deficient in them. In the absence of a deficiency, higher levels do not boost work capacity. An exception is vitamins that participate directly in metabolic reactions, such as vitamin B₁₅ (pangamic acid). B₁₅ should always be used during high-altitude training.

A three-day course of vitamin B₁₂ can boost aerobic efficiency. However, it should be discontinued 2-3 days before competition in order to avoid muscular rigidity.

We know of no convincing evidence that single high doses of ascorbic acid are effective, even though we approved of their use before intense glycolytic anaerobic work. After doses of vitamin C, work-capacity can decrease for up to 2-3 weeks.

We cannot overlook the side-effects of megavitamins. Despite the commonly held opinion that vitamins are harmless, they do have side-effects: toxic, as in overdoses of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, K, E; specific, i.e., partial disturbance of tissue metabolism; and nonspecific, i.e., allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are most often caused by water-soluble vitamins (B₁, B₂, PP, B₆, B₁₂, C), especially B₁, B₁₂ and folic acid.

The combination of B₁ and B₁₂ causes side-effects more often than if they are taken separately. Stress, infections, and the use of antibiotics tend to encourage allergic reactions to vitamin B₁.

High doses of nicotinic add can cause rashes, itching, boils, brownish skin, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, aggravation of ulcers, jaundice, reduced stability to glucose, diabetes, swelling of the optic papilla, atrial fibrillation, and disturbance of the heart’s contractile function. Relatively rarely we see allergic reactions to vitamins E and A (Quincke’s edema, hives, paroxysmal tachycardia).

Remember, vitamins and vitamin analogues are pharmacologic substances. As such, they have indications and contraindications for their use.

Ascorbic acid, too, is not without side-effects. The use of high doses of ascorbic acid usually stems from its metabolic instability. However, there is another opinion: that vitamin C reduces capillary permeability, thus hampering the nourishment of tissues and organs, alters blood components (lowers the erythrocyte count and causes netrophilic leucocytosis with acute lymphopenia), disturbs heart trophicity (negative and sharply pointed T waves), and worsens neuromuscular transmission. Long-term use of ascorbic acid encourages calcium and urate kidney stones and exacerbates hyperacidic gastritis, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers. Finally, the habitual use of the extra ascorbic add heightens body sensitivity to the slightest deficiency, thus provoking symptoms of acute C-avitaminosis.

Remember, vitamins and vitamin analogues are pharmacologic substances. As such, they have indications and contraindications for their use.

Table: Vitamin doses (in mg) recommended by Prokop (1979) in successive training stages.

By G. Makarova, S. Loktev

Legkaya Atletika, 2:12-13, 1993 

back to Abstracts, News & Articles

Copyright 2001 - http://thefastlane.borghoms.com
Last updated on 02 May 2002