If David Roche could get you to take only one supplement, what would it be? Since it's not bicarb or some special sauce, his answer may surprise you.
If I could only buy one supplement, it would be First Endurance Multi-V or Multi-V Pro.
GASP. I imagine that people who know my whole deal are shocked right now. Not bicarb? Not protein powder? Not Arctic Squirrel Piss Extract (I’m hearing that the Norwegians swear by it and will literally carry hydrated squirrels on their long runs before Ironman races)?
None of those things make the cut. The reason is that First Endurance Multi-V covers so many bases at such a good price point.
In my job, I get to see a lot of bloodwork (my job is vampire). And I saw the coolest association for athletes who use Multi-V: increased hemoglobin levels. The easy explanation is that it has 18mg of iron bisglycinate, which is easily absorbed and may help support new red blood cells. (There is 27mg in the Multi-V Pro.) However, the levels I was seeing often outpaced athletes who were taking higher doses of the same type of iron from other sources.
What’s going on?
My theory is that the other vitamins and minerals in Multi-V must enhance absorption, possibly by reducing stress markers. But it’s tough to tell exactly why so many athletes swear by it.
It has Vitamin D, B12, and all of that relatively boring stuff. It also has slightly more exciting ingredients like boron (which could help the endocrine system), zinc (immune function), beta-glucan (could help cholesterol levels), and lots of other interesting ingredients. Just make sure you always get a full iron panel before supplementing with iron, in case you have a genetic condition that causes you to store excessive iron.
When I start coaching a pro, I try to get them to consider Multi-V or Multi-V Pro. Why do I take the regular option and not the advanced “Pro” version? Regular Multi-V worked so well for my bloodwork that I didn’t want to mess with it. But “Pro” takes it all a step further, with more iron, vitamin D, and micronutrients designed to support athletic performance.
(After writing that paragraph, I just ordered 2 of the “Pro” bottles. I’m a wild adventure spirit taking a leap into the unknown. I feel just like Alex Honnold on El Cap.)
To simplify it: I don’t like to recommend 10 different vitamins and supplements for athlete health. It’s nice to just recommend one.
Take it after training with a big glass of hydration, add iron if you have lower levels (though make sure you aren’t taking iron if you have hemochromatosis), consider adding vitamin D if you are taking the regular version and not the Pro.
