Multivitamin: What is it and what is it good for?

Are you trying to optimize your health and athletic performance? It’s wise to ensure your body gets all the essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs. The most important vitamins for athletes come from food, but can also be obtained from supplements if necessary. That's why multivitamins are so popular today. These pills or effervescent tablets contain all essential vitamins in one. In this article from XXL Nutrition, we’ll tell you everything about multivitamins so you know what they’re good for!

What is a multivitamin?

The name "multivitamin" already reveals what kind of supplement this is. A multivitamin consists of multiple vitamins and minerals. Instead of taking separate vitamin pills, you get all the needed vitamins from one container. Some brands offer a multivitamin from A to Z, combining all vitamins and minerals. Others provide a selection of vitamins, like a B-complex.

The advantage of this is that you no longer need to take different individual vitamins. No hassle with multiple pills or tablets daily. One dose is often enough to meet your daily requirements. However, keep in mind that most vitamins and minerals are sufficiently obtained from your diet. Supplementation may not be necessary.

Do you have a deficiency of certain vitamins or minerals, perhaps due to a limited diet or a vegan lifestyle? In that case, it's better to supplement those specific nutrients. For example, vegans are advised to take vitamin B12, and some groups may need extra vitamin D. A multivitamin may not be necessary if you’re not lacking other vitamins included in it.

What is a multivitamin good for?

Each vitamin and mineral has a specific function in our body. Want to know more about how specific vitamins work? At the bottom of this blog, you'll find a summary of all the vitamins we’ve covered before. Here's a small selection of the effects of a vitamin supplement:

• Vitamin B1 contributes to normal energy metabolism.
• Vitamin B2 helps maintain normal mucous membranes.
• Niacin supports normal psychological function.
• Vitamin B5 aids in normal synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D, and some neurotransmitters.
• Vitamin B6 supports normal red blood cell formation.
• Vitamin B8 contributes to normal nervous system function.
• Vitamin B11 aids in tissue growth during pregnancy.
• Vitamin B12 supports the normal function of the immune system.
• Vitamin C supports normal psychological function and the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E, and helps reduce fatigue.
• Vitamin D contributes to normal calcium levels in the blood and the maintenance of normal bones, and aids in normal absorption/use of calcium and phosphorus.
• Magnesium plays a role in cell division, protein synthesis, and maintaining a good electrolyte balance.

Why use a multivitamin?

Your health should never be compromised by your gym performance. For this reason, it's important to provide your body with all necessary vitamins and minerals. If you work out multiple times a week, your needs increase as you burn more energy, which can make it difficult to meet your daily recommended amounts.

Of course, it's crucial to eat enough fruits and vegetables to start with. These foods are full of other essential nutrients like complex carbs, fiber, and antioxidants, in addition to vitamins and minerals. Since it can be challenging to eat enough vegetables every day to meet your needs (let alone the variation required), it’s a good idea to support your diet with a multivitamin.

This way, you get all the essential vitamins and minerals in one go, so you don’t have to worry about missing out. Think of it as a kind of insurance policy.

Multivitamins for Men

Since men and women have different nutritional needs, there are multivitamins specifically formulated for men. These have different compositions and dosages compared to those for women.

A men’s multivitamin, for instance, contains a B-vitamin complex to support energy production and zinc to help with testosterone production. They also include more magnesium to support proper muscle function.

At XXL Nutrition, we have created the Men’s Performance Vitamin Pack for strength athletes and bodybuilders. It offers a complete mix of over 30 active ingredients, including various vitamins and minerals, omega-3, vegetable extracts, and herbal extracts. In short, everything you need as a dedicated athlete in one convenient pack.

Multivitamins for Women

Women’s multivitamins are tailored to the specific needs of the female body. For instance, there are multivitamin tablets for women during menopause or pregnancy.

These multivitamins often include ingredients like folic acid, which is crucial for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive. Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA may also be included, which contributes to the normal development of the baby’s brain and eyes. Iron is often more heavily dosed, as women lose blood and iron during menstruation.

For female athletes, we’ve developed the Women’s Performance Vitamin Pack. It’s the most complete supplement for female athletes. Since women’s bodies work differently than men’s in many ways, their needs for certain vitamins and minerals are also different—sometimes higher and sometimes lower.

Do multivitamins have side effects?

The vitamins and minerals found in a multivitamin are also present in our daily diet. Therefore, they are not harmful substances and typically don’t have side effects. It’s important, however, to pay attention to dosage and follow the recommended use. A multivitamin taken correctly will not cause side effects.

If you take too many multivitamins over a long period, some vitamins can have side effects. For many vitamins, excessive intake is not harmful as they are water-soluble and the excess is excreted in urine. However, an excessive intake of vitamin C may cause digestive issues.

It has also been established that excessive intake of vitamins A, D, E, B6, niacin, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iodine, copper, selenium, and zinc can be harmful to health. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has therefore set upper safe limits. The good news is that you won’t easily reach these limits, and this only occurs in rare cases.

Best multivitamin to buy at XXL Nutrition

What’s the best multivitamin? There’s no definitive answer to this question as it depends on your body’s needs. Always first evaluate your diet and get your blood tested by your doctor. Based on any deficiencies identified, you can choose a multivitamin that suits your body’s needs.

At XXL Nutrition, we offer the best multivitamins at the lowest price. We have a wide range of multivitamin supplements in different forms, such as MultiVit 120 Tabs. With MultiVit from XXL Nutrition, you can be sure you’re making the right choice. These tablets contain no fewer than 10 different vitamins, including vitamin A, six types of vitamin B, and minerals like calcium, iron, chromium, and zinc.

If you don’t like swallowing pills, you can opt for an effervescent multivitamin tablet. Our Multivitamin & Minerals contains 20 effervescent tablets, providing you with an extra dose of vitamins and minerals in optimal proportions. You’ll easily get 100% of your daily need for vitamin E, C, and B12, and also vitamins that are harder to get from your diet, like folic acid, biotin, and niacin.

We also offer a liquid multivitamin. The Liquid Multivit contains all essential vitamins and minerals in one sip. A major benefit of liquid vitamins is the absorption rate. Since they can be absorbed directly through the mucous membranes in the mouth, none of the nutrients are wasted.

Looking for a specific multivitamin? We’ve already explained our multivitamins for men and women above. Below is a summary of the products that best suit you!

Important vitamins for athletes

Multivitamins are not the only important supplements for fitness or bodybuilding. Other vitamins and minerals also play a supporting role. At XXL Nutrition, you can learn more about the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Omega-3
• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Zinc
• Melatonin
• Probiotics
• Collagen
• Ashwagandha