I am sure most serious lifters here are aware of the importance of iodine for optimal thyroid function.
DRA for this element is 150-200 micrograms/day; now even if you were eating fish every day, which I am sure noone here does, you may very well not even cover that.
So I started supplementing with Iodine, I did a preload week of 100mcg/day, then dropped it to 100mcg 2-3times/week after that.
Thoughts, (good bad idea) comments from ppl who have supplemented with Iodine and others.
Isn’t iodine really just necessary for people that have HYPOthyroidism?
How do you feel supplementing with it?
I am currently taking three small kelp tablets before bed. Don’t expect anything radical from it since I eat alot of fish, but there’s thyroid deficiency in close family, so I started taking it to see if I noticed anything.
This was interesting:
Some things block iodone uptake, so stay away from gren tea and calcium when you’re taking the iodine.
I think dulse is a pretty good source, and can be pretty tasty.
Use table salt and salt all your meals.
In some cases, iodine deficiency may be the cause for either hypothyroidism or secondary hyperthyroidism.
Now, it is true that I haven’t read much on iodine supplementation in healthy individuals, but would it really be the first time, we, as a community, would do something differently (still not saying this is a good idea, just an opinion), still, concidering facts such as, firstly, WHO conciders iodine intake up to 1mg/day safe (we all know how conservative these guys are), and secondly, iodine supplementation will only trigger hyperthyroidism in people with preexisting hyperthyroidism, not form your thyroid, but autonomous thyroid secreting centers (which basically is pathological), it seems that iodine supplementation is safe.
Now the question remains if it safe, is it even worth it?
Well it’s hard to tell(and seriously what is my testimony really worth, may all be placebo effect), but I feel less lethargic, it seems that I don’t get colds that easily, while I am sleeping very little, compared to a month ago, recovery seems optimal, and while I’ve always had a high metabolism, it seems I am just burning all the cheats, and still trimming some more.
[quote]elusive wrote:
Use table salt and salt all your meals.[/quote]
Salt is hypertensive, I’ve never been a fan, a pinch of salt is only 30-40mcg.
salt only raises your blood pressure and makes you bloated if you are deficient in salt…
[quote]E99_Curt wrote:
salt only raises your blood pressure and makes you bloated if you are deficient in salt…[/quote]
The majority of the population has no problem with increased sodium intake and their bodies adapt/adjust readily. As for the water retention. You say you get bloated when deficient in sodium, what happens after you aren’t deficient anymore and your body gets used to the new sodium intake?
check out this article, its a good read:
[quote]E99_Curt wrote:
check out this article, its a good read:
I’m not sure what your side here is now. That was a PRO sodium article.
"Athletes who have been trying to avoid sodium for prolonged periods of time and who switch to this high-sodium approach will experience a temporary osmotic imbalance resulting in water retention. This initial effect is only the body’s attempt to hold on to the sodium so rarely given to it.
Water retention is temporary, and will dissipate as long as sodium and water intake remain high. The athlete will then notice a higher volume of urinary output, more sweating, the appearance of a leaner, harder physique, and more pumped and full muscles in the gym."
He even goes on to say, “You should never have to worry about “too much,” because any excess will be excreted. Increasing your sodium and water intake is an easy and effective way to improve “in the gym” performance, and contribute to the cosmetic appearance of the physique at the same time.”
As for hypertension and other health problems he mentions “Studies in Canada at McGill and McMaster Universities have concluded that unless one has a specific and serious condition that would preclude him from taking in salt, then salt intake will produce no negative health problems, and could actually be health promoting. As a matter of fact, only 10% of hypertension cases have a known cause, and in almost all of these cases, the cause was either genetic or stress related.”
So unless I misunderstood your position here, I’m not sure what we’re debating.
elusive,
Do you salt-cycle, too?
you must have misunderstood my position or i wasnt very clear. i was trying to say that a lot of the alleged ill effects of salt (such as higher blood pressure and water retention) are a sign of a deficiency, not a surplus. so if salt is raising your blood pressure or making you bloated, eat more salt and drink more water.
[quote]E99_Curt wrote:
you must have misunderstood my position or i wasnt very clear. i was trying to say that a lot of the alleged ill effects of salt (such as higher blood pressure and water retention) are a sign of a deficiency, not a surplus. so if salt is raising your blood pressure or making you bloated, eat more salt and drink more water.[/quote]
Ahh, I see now. My mistake, we both agree with the same points.
I’m a big fan of kombu (or dulse, as someone said). They can be kinda pricey if you get it in stores, but you can save a good deal if you buy bulk packages online.