When we went looking for a sports Multi-Vitamin we were introduced to SportMulti® by FTM. Although they are new to the market, they are not just a re-packaged brand designed for all people. FTM designed the SportMulti® to be specific to endurance athletes, and the demands their bodies are subjected to.

Bicycle.net received samples of SportMulti® which we gave to a staff member who is renowned for his stomach digestive issues. After Dave took the SportMulti® for 60 days he reported no stomach upset or vitamin burps. In fact he went off all other supplements and is only taking SportMulti® now. The results were excellent. “With training at 20 hours per week I put an extreme amount of stress on my body, so being able to recover quickly allows me to stay healthy all season. SportMulti® has become my main supplement because it contains everything needed in a vitamin. They only use the purest ingredients so I know that I am getting the best the industry has to offer. I highly recommend SportMulti®, and feel that it is the best athlete specific product out there”

For More Info or To Order CLICK HERE

Below is some more specific information about the product from FTM;

SportMulti® is a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement for athletes. They made SportMulti® because they believe that every athlete should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement designed to address the unique needs of our bodies under the added stresses of training and competition. A high potency and complete multi-vitamin and mineral supplement in its most bio-available form should be the foundation of an athlete’s nutrition program to help reach optimum performance and maintain overall good health.

SportMulti® benefits include:
• Designed for Athletes
• Complete Vitamin & Mineral profile (ex: how many other products contain vitamin K that is essential in the regulation of bone formation?)
• High Potency (high but safe dosage to address the unique needs of athletes)
• Can replace all your other individual Vitamin and Mineral supplements
• Powerful Antioxidants
• Complete B-Complex Formula
• Supports Bone Health
• Naturally Sourced (vitamins and minerals come from natural sources, none are synthetically derived)
• Most bio-available forms (use most easily absorbed forms which translates to higher potency)
• Nothing else added, to ensure enough vitamins and minerals are delivered in every capsule.
• GMP Certified (Food and Drug Administration’s current Good Manufacturing Process regulations, ensures WADA, USADA, UCI, IOC, and USAT compliance)
• Vegetarian Capsules (ease of absorption, no bovine materials whatsoever)

For More Info or To Order CLICK HERE

They said it couldn’t be done, but it looks like Camelbak may have accomplished what has long been considered impossible, “building a better mouse trap”. I have to admit that when I first received the Camelbak Podium bottle for review I was skeptical, but after the first ride I was hooked. Whether on the bike or in the gym, the Podium Bottle is always close by.

When I first saw Camelbak’s new bottle during the 2008 Tour of California, I wondered why anyone would want this bottle with the funny top that cost twice as much as the average bottle. But, that “funny top” with Camelbak’s unique nozzle technology is exactly what makes this bottle worth the extra few dollars. The bottle is far easier to drink from than the standard water bottle and after at least 30 uses I haven’t had any liquid go anywhere, but in my mouth like it is supposed to
The nozzle technology is cleaner and easier to ride with, and doesn’t need to be pulled open or pushed closed while riding.

I recommend this bottle and if we at bicycle.net had a rating system for products I would give it the highest honor and call it a must have for serious cyclists.

Bicycle.net will be following the 2008 Tour de France and the Camelbak Podium bottle in the hands of the Saunier Duval Scott Cycling Team.

I saw this article this morning in the Los Angeles Times about how a little strength exercise can help keep Osteoprosis away. This email went around my local bike club, and atleast one member confirmed that he has this same problem. But has been told that within a few years he should be able to counter the damage done to his bones.

A little high-impact exercise can help prevent osteoporosis, experts say.
By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 22, 2007

CYCLING is terrific exercise, hitting the cardiovascular system and major muscle groups simultaneously — but it may not be the best thing for building strong bones. Compared with male runners, male cyclists appear more likely to have lower-than-normal bone density.

“You would think that cyclists are very healthy because they spend all those hours training,” says Pam Hinton, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia and coauthor of the study accepted for publication in the journal Metabolism. “In other aspects they are — cardiovascular health and body composition. But in this one aspect, they’re not doing so well.”

The study tested the bone mineral density of 27 cyclists and 16 runners ages 20 to 59 who had engaged in their sport a minimum of six hours a week for at least two years. Hinton controlled for diet, past exercise and weight training. Whole body scans and blood tests showed that 63% of cyclists had osteopenia of the spine or hip, compared with 19% of the runners.

Osteopenia is bone mineral density that’s lower than normal but not so low to be considered osteoporosis, or very low bone mineral density. Not all who have osteopenia will develop osteoporosis, and treatment isn’t always required.

Some of those with osteopenia were in their 20s and 30s, “and that was pretty alarming to me,” Hinton says. “I thought I’d just see it in guys who were older and had been riding for years.”

In general, men may not be as much at risk for low bone density as women — especially postmenopausal women. But Hinton believes they should be concerned because osteopenia can lead to osteoporosis and injuries such as hip fractures.

Bone cells are surrounded by fluid that, when hit with an impact force, moves back and forth. That action signals to the bone cells to add more mass.”You lose bone mass quickly if there isn’t some kind of mechanical loading on the bone,” Hinton says.

That, she adds, best comes from movement involving impact — running, playing basketball or soccer, or doing plyometric exercises such as jumping.

Weight training can also exert force on the bone, says Hinton, but not as much as during impact, perhaps accounting for the lower bone mineral density in cyclists. Some of the study participants protested that the muscle contractions that occur when pedaling and standing on the pedals should account for some impact. “But the pedal is moving with you,” she says. “You don’t have the earth resisting your body.”

Hinton recommends that cyclists add a little variety to their workouts to help increase bone density: running, playing basketball, jumping rope or doing plyometrics a couple of times a week.

“When you’re young, you should be maximizing your bone density,” she says, “and as you get older, exercise slows the rate of loss. So it’s really important no matter where you are in your life to be doing some kind of bone-loading exercise.”

jeannine.stein@latimes.com