Q & A

I’m a 19 year-old college football player. Should I be taking a multivitamin, and if so, what kind? There are too many to choose from.

The ideal multivitamin for performance athletes must contain a combination of B vitamins (energy), Vitamin C (antioxidant), Vitamin E (recovery), Zinc and Magnesium (muscle building aids), and Lutein (eye health). This combination covers the most important factors for both quality performance and effective physical recovery.

FSI’s Multi-Vitamin product contains not only all of the above, but also contains other highly beneficial nutrients such as Vitamins A and D, Choline, Grape Seed Extract and Zeaxanthin.

I am 25 years old and am looking to start a workout program and using supplements. Which supplements do you feel are most important?

This depends a lot on what your goals are. However, the most essential supplements for almost everyone are protein, creatine, glutamine and a quality multi-vitamin.

I am confused. Every magazine I pick up recommends different supplements and different name brands. Where can I get the right information?

You need to keep in mind that almost every fitness-based publication is owned by a supplement company. These companies use their publication as a vehicle to promote their products in what appear to be unbiased articles. You will even see articles promoting a certain ingredient sandwiched between two advertisements featuring their product that contains this ingredient. This leads to a lot of misinformation. We recommend that you stick to scientific journals or books. Two very good informational pieces are the N.S.C.A website and publications (www.nsca.com), and the Sports Supplement Encyclopedia (www.sportsupplementbooks.com).

I have Muscluar Dystrophy (M.D.) and have been doing some reading up on some different treatments and aids. Do you have any information that would be beneficial?

Yes we do. Please go to the “neuromuscular disease” section of our website, where you will find various published studies on creatine’s effects on those with diseases such as M.S. and M.D. For additional information you can visit the Neuromuscular Disease Center website at www.neuro.wustl.edu/neuromuscular/.

I am a male high school player training for next football season and I currently use a whey protein supplement. How much should I take every day?

It depends on how much you weigh. A suggested guideline to use is 0.5 - 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, for example, if you weigh 165lbs you would want to take between 82.5 grams and 132grams per day.

I’ve seen several liquid or serum creatine products at my gym. The manager told me that the serum product is more easily absorbed. Is this true?

No. In fact, FSI has tested every liquid and serum creatine product on the market and none have even come close to meeting label claims, which is required by the FDA. The leading serum brand had less than 2% of the creatine it claimed to have. Stick with the powder form, and look for the effervescent form with U.S. Pat. #5,925,378.

I have trouble getting myself mentally psyched up to go and workout. It’s like I have to peel myself off the couch!! Any suggestions?

Try taking a supplement with tyrosine, such as Neuro edge, about 30 minutes before you leave for the gym. Tyrosine will give you a mental boost and make it much easier to pump yourself up to get in the gym and get a good sweat.

I understand what patents are, but it sure seems like there are a lot of them out there. Do they really mean anything?

Yes. They mean that nobody can make the product that is patented except for the company who owns the patent. The patent-holder can make a product or formulation for another company, which would lead to several items having the same patent number on the label.

Furthermore, patents are not easy to acquire. The United States Patent and Trademark Office thoroughly reviews all patent requests and does rigorous searches to see if any entity in the past already introduced the submitted idea, product or art. Only after all requirements are met is a decision made on whether or not to grant a protective patent.

I am 62 years old and suffer from arthritis. Medications are costly and I’m looking for any alternatives that might be beneficial. Any information would be appreciated.

Many of those who suffer from soar joints find relief with joint-specific nutritional supplements. We recommend a combination Glucosamine, Creatine, MSM, and specific vitamins such as FSI’s Flexion. These ingredients have given many in your position some much needed relief.