Optimizing Vitamin D Status in Soldiers to Enhance Physical and Cognitive Performance

[JW5219]

Being fat soluble, I don't believe timing or a need to spread out exists best of my knowledge. I just tend to take my one dose with a fat containing meal, usually lunch out of habit. As a rule, fat soluble nutrients get best absorption when taken with dietary fat (with varying importance and effect) , but it all evens out over time in terms of getting steady 25OHD levels if dose is correct, so again, I don't sweat that one too much.

OK thanks for the reply !

[brickboy240]

Where are you all getting your vitamin D supplements?

Actually, I have tried several supplements including the popular GNC "Animal Paks" and other various multivitamins. Honestly...I don't know if any of them did me a damn bit of good. The only thing I noticed from some was an upset stomach or neon yello pee! LOL

Currently, I am taking Orange Triad multis and don't know if I am going to continue.

Any suggestions? I am befuddled when I go into the Vitamin Shoppe or GNC these days.

(...maybe this should have been it's own post...sorry)

-Brickboy240

[WillBrink]

Where are you all getting your vitamin D supplements?

Actually, I have tried several supplements including the popular GNC "Animal Paks" and other various multivitamins. Honestly...I don't know if any of them did me a damn bit of good. The only thing I noticed from some was an upset stomach or neon yello pee! LOL

Currently, I am taking Orange Triad multis and don't know if I am going to continue.

Any suggestions? I am befuddled when I go into the Vitamin Shoppe or GNC these days.

(...maybe this should have been it's own post...sorry)

-Brickboy240

Personally, I tend to use Life Extension Foundation (LEF.Org) for most of my supplement needs unless they don't have what I want. Considering the online options these days, not sure why anyone goes into a GNC anymore.

[brickboy240]

True...there are tons of online options.

However, many of these supplements make all sorts of crazy claims. It is very hard to figure out which are good and which are a waste of money. All have "customer reviews" that sound wonderful.

Hard to know where to go these days...or if ANY of these vitamins do a damn thing but take your money.

-brickboy240

[WillBrink]

True...there are tons of online options.

However, many of these supplements make all sorts of crazy claims. It is very hard to figure out which are good and which are a waste of money. All have "customer reviews" that sound wonderful.

Hard to know where to go these days...or if ANY of these vitamins do a damn thing but take your money.

-brickboy240

That is true. That's what I try to counter, and have done so for 2 decades + now. Like anything, one has to sift through the BS, be informed, follow good sources, etc. People that don't, regardless of the topic, end up with a Taurus 1911 and GH booster...

[brickboy240]

Very true!

I milled about on this board for almost 8 months...then bought a Colt 6920 for my first AR. I wish I had done more research years before when I bought my Kimber! LOL

Even though the Kimber has been pretty trouble free (amazing...I know)...I would have never bought one if I knew what I know now about 1911s.

Your website is a wealth of info on fitness and nutrition...I have learned quite a bit there.

-brickboy240

[JW5219]

True...there are tons of online options.

However, many of these supplements make all sorts of crazy claims. It is very hard to figure out which are good and which are a waste of money. All have "customer reviews" that sound wonderful.

Hard to know where to go these days...or if ANY of these vitamins do a damn thing but take your money.

-brickboy240

If you haven't already, check out Bodybuilding.com. I've bought from them numerous times over the last 3 years or so. Their prices are very good, shipping is dirt cheap and lightning fast ! Excellent customer service too.

[WillBrink]

If you haven't already, check out Bodybuilding.com. I've bought from them numerous times over the last 3 years or so. Their prices are very good, shipping is dirt cheap and lightning fast ! Excellent customer service too.

BB.com is a reseller of course so they may resell great stuff for not so great stuff. People still need to wade through all the brand and marketing hype, etc. They do tend to have good prices and excellent CS.

[JW5219]

BB.com is a reseller of course so they may resell great stuff for not so great stuff. People still need to wade through all the brand and marketing hype, etc. They do tend to have good prices and excellent CS.

Right. They sell pretty much everything under the sun, but if you know what you want/looking for/ works for you etc, then they are great!

[nova3930]

As that's going to be highly individual, due to the highly varying levels of D in people (due to diet, sun exposure, race, genetic factors,etc) a safe bet is approx 1000 - 5000 IU of D3 per day. Although those doses are unlikely to do any harm (toxic levels of D appear far higher than early fears of this "fat soluble" vite BTW), D levels above ranges listed in linked article could be problematic. The second problem with D is, people have wide ranges of response to oral D supplements for reasons not fully understood, so 1,000IU may be plenty to get you to needed levels and for others, may take 7,000, even 10,000 IU to do the same. My levels were low, and it took 5,000 of D3 to get to the middle of the 25OHD range (a fairly typical dose I find), but it took my dermatologist (a big proponent of D BTW) 10,000IUs which came as a surprise to him.

I found out first hand that the human response to Vitamin D is poorly understood.

When I was first married, the good Mrs. Nova M.D. had a fit because I didn't have a regular doctor, and promptly made me go find one, get a physical, lipid panel, etc etc.

My various tests determined I had sky high cholesterol (pushing 250 total, HDL <30) and oddly enough, Vitamin D deficiency, despite the fact that I spend a fair amount of time outside and love milk (gallon a week by myself).

So we start with a low fat diet, excercise and some D supplementation. Fast forward 3 months, and on heavy excercise, <40g of fat per day and 10k IU of D, my cholesterol has gone up 40 points, mostly LDL, and my D levels are higher but still below normal.

So my Dr. throws a statin on me (Crestor since my levels were so high) and we continue the D supplement. Fast forward 3 more months, my cholesterol has dropped to normal ranges and my D is through the roof. At that point we stopped the D supplementation. That was 3 years ago and my D levels have stabilized in the normal range.

Apparently whatever the imbalance is in my system that drives up my cholesterol levels, it also depletes my Vitamin D. Vitamin D and cholesterol are related via the synthesis pathways but my Dr didn't know, my my research has never uncovered any specific enzyme that an abudance/deficiency of which would cause such a reaction. I've postulated that supplementing with D was helping to drive my cholesterol up via that mechanism.

Incidentally, the cholesterol going down and the D going up, has made me feel 1000% better on a daily basis.