A Multivitamin for Runners

Recently I tried Runner’s Daily Complete multivitamins for about a week. My first impression when I read the instructions was, “I’m supposed to take 1 pill, 3 times a day? That’s crazy for a vitamin.” But then I really read through what is in these pills… and it actually makes sense. In fact, I could probably reduce the overall amount of pills I pop if I replaced them with the Runner’s Daily Complete pills.

I take a lot of pills each day… Let’s break it down, shall we?

• Calcium – for strong bones
• Vitamin D – to help my body absorb calcium
• Grapeseed – to aid in bruise healing
• Biotin – to help my hair and nails grow
• Probiotic – to help my troubled gut
• Digestive Enzymes – to help my troubled gut
• Vitamin C – because my ophthalmologist said to after eye surgery
• Woman-specific multivitamin – to help fill in any holes in my diet
• Turmeric – anti-inflammatory
• Glucosamine, Chondroiton, MSM – to help my joints
• Fish oil – for Omega 3′s

I take these at different times throughout the day, so it doesn’t feel like a ton of drugs. But it does kind of add up when listed out.

Now let’s look at what is in the Runner’s Daily Complete: (I copied these directly from their site and they all link directly to the explanation of why that ingredient is beneficial.)

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B6
• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B12
• Biotin
• Pantothenic Acid
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Copper
• Manganese
• Chromium
• Potassium
• Chia Seed
• Decaffeinated Green Tea Extract
• Rhodiola Rosea Extract
• Co-Enzyme Q10
• American Ginseng Extract
• Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
• Glucosamine
• MSM
• Chondroitin Sulfate
• White Willow Bark Extract
• Bromelain
• Turmeric Rhizome Powder
• Quercetin Dihydrate
• Boswellia Serrata Extract
• Ginger Rhizome Powder
• Cordyceps Sinensis
• Lycopene
• Royal Jelly

Pretty much everything I take in a variety of pills is available in Runner’s Daily Complete, with the exception of my probiotic/digestive enzyme. Although, the Runner’s Daily Complete have a lot of items that are beneficial for digestive health (seeing as how a lot of runner’s have GI issues.)

The pills have a 3-prong approach as to why they are unique for runners:

1. Nutrition: most Americans could probably benefit from a multivitamin, especially if they follow the SAD. But as runners, we tend to lose other nutrients and minerals through exercising that need to be replaced.
2. Performance: a blend of herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc. that are used to help athletes maintain their energy levels, especially in light of the potential depletion we face from our fitness endeavors.
3. Protection: several ingredients are included to help protect joints and reduce inflammation that builds from repeated stress to the body.

There are a lot more B vitamins in these than what I usually take, that’s to aid in the energy aspect to help improve your performance. It also aids in giving you neon yellow pee… at least, that’s something that I get from taking a lot of B vitamins!

Overall, I did feel a little more energized while taking these. Whether that was a placebo effect or not, I can’t say. It would probably be prudent to do a longer test to decide more definitively.

A 1-month supply of Runner’s Daily Complete is $34.95. But they also have a special delivery program where you get a 2-month supply every 2-months and that price is just $59.95. (prices as of publishing this in September 2011) I am very intrigued to try taking these for several months and eliminating most of my other supplements to see how it goes. If I do that, I will post a full report!