Supplements Taken By You Guys?

[Dave Noisy]

Hey gang, i was curious what everyone's been taking to improve their riding?

I'm on, in order of usefulness:

Cordyceps - these things are incredible. I'd say i'm 10-15% stronger because of these bad boys. (Sorry, endurance only..)

Maca - helps me handle the stress and recover.

Chlorella - nice and alkaline-forming, love the greens.

Creatine - brand new for me, hoping it gives me more of a kick for the sprints

Other than that, i eat predominantly organic whole foods, and intentionally keep the protein intake low. =)

[fredrikw]

I train hard on my bike to improve my riding.

Never been much of supplement person, but I really should keep a better eye on what I eat...

[JohnBarleycorn]

Testosterone, Clem, Equipoise etc

Only joking guys......

I take;

Macca

Chlorella

Wheat grass

But Dave, what are Cordyceps ? Should I get some ?

[clintpatty]

citrulline malate is good stuff for cyclists

[Mr. Cleetus]

I'm with fredrikw, but I seem to be missing the training hard on the bike part he mentions.

[Dave Noisy]

citrulline malate is good stuff for cyclists

Wassdat?

JBC -- you *definitely* want to look into cordyceps. I'll see if my supplier knows someone in the UK who can hook you up (there are good and bad ones, and of course non-vegan ones..)

It's a dried, powdered labgrown mushroom (in vegicaps) that's an adaptogen, and increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, amongst other things. Here's an older thread from when i first got on 'em:

http://www.veganfitness.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7881

Apologies for the references of animal testing.

[clintpatty]

citrulline malate is good stuff for cyclists

Wassdat?

I don't know a detailed answer. It is a vasodilator. It increases endurance. It sometimes feels like it helps me train beyond my fitness level. I tried it with 400m runs and my neck cramped from the pump, then the next day I was really sore because I was running over 80% max speed after not doing any 400m for a while. It's good for cycling too. It's not so helpful with lifting. But since it helps with 400m, you might find it particularly good with track.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cit.html

[JohnBarleycorn]

citrulline malate is good stuff for cyclists

Wassdat?

JBC -- you *definitely* want to look into cordyceps. I'll see if my supplier knows someone in the UK who can hook you up (there are good and bad ones, and of course non-vegan ones..)

It's a dried, powdered labgrown mushroom (in vegicaps) that's an adaptogen, and increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, amongst other things. Here's an older thread from when i first got on 'em:

http://www.veganfitness.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7881

Apologies for the references of animal testing.

Sounds like its worth looking at ! Thanks ! Just what I am looking for ! EPO, without the risks !

[Dave Noisy]

clintpatty - thanks, looks interesting, will look into it a bit more.

JBC - yeah, it's pretty fantastic. So far no word from my pal, will keep you posted.

[JohnBarleycorn]

Hurry up, Dave !

Or I'll have to go back to the Madrid Maternity clinic !

Funny, they haven't been answering my calls.....hope they haven't been busted ! Hmmm, come to think of it, I haven't seen Basso recently, or Ullrich....

[bob_summers]

anyone taking calcium supp's? i don't know if you would class eating fortified foods as supplementing.
i've read a few times that cyclists are prone to calcium deficiency due to the amount lost in sweat. fwiw, i don't believe vegans are more prone to calcium deficiency than dairy users, but as a cyclist, are you doing anything to keep your calcium levels in check?

[Dave Noisy]

Hilarious JBC - don't go there!! =P

Creatine seems to have stopped making my tummy bubble. Hopefully that's a good thing! I'm not sure if it was this or not, but i had a fantastic final sprint last night, blowing away a couple guys who usually give me *some* grief... ;)

Not sure about sweat..obviously we'd lose 'more', but from what i've read, the issue with calcium is rarely the amount eaten, but how acidic the body is. Also, with cyclists, supposedly the issue is a lack of high-impact activities, which allows bones to lose mass...

[JohnBarleycorn]

Yes, as I understand it, an acidic system uses calcium to buffer the blood, leading to low levels of calcium. But vegans have alkaline systems, and tend to need less calcium, not more. I don't supplement it. Houmus, I believe, has ten times more calcium than milk, so I guess we all get enough !

[JohnBarleycorn]

Hilarious JBC - don't go there!! =P

Creatine seems to have stopped making my tummy bubble. Hopefully that's a good thing! I'm not sure if it was this or not, but i had a fantastic final sprint last night, blowing away a couple guys who usually give me *some* grief...

Not sure about sweat..obviously we'd lose 'more', but from what i've read, the issue with calcium is rarely the amount eaten, but how acidic the body is. Also, with cyclists, supposedly the issue is a lack of high-impact activities, which allows bones to lose mass...

Too late ! They have cashed my cheque ! Hang on, there is someone knocking at the door.....some men with clip boards, sample bottles, and UCI blazers. Wonder what they want ?

[Dave Noisy]

Yes, as I understand it, an acidic system uses calcium to buffer the blood, leading to low levels of calcium. But vegans have alkaline systems, and tend to need less calcium, not more. I don't supplement it. Houmus, I believe, has ten times more calcium than milk, so I guess we all get enough !

Not *all* vegans, if you eat enough white sugar, flour, rice, etc, you can keep your body in a very acidic state....those things are at the top of the list for acid-forming foods.

Hey - send me an email, my buddy is willing to mail you the cordyceps - $30/bottle (inc. shipping) 120 vegicaps, 500mg/cap. You'll want to take 2-3g/day (4-6 caps), and it'll take a good month for you to start to notice the difference, but suddenly you'll find that you've got a fair bit more energy and have no idea where it comes from. =)

Email: vegantrackie --at-- gmail.com