Chromium..

[Helene]

Does anyone supplement with this?

[DaLinkWent]

I used to back in the day because I thought it was supposed to help lose fat but I took it and saw NOTHING! Could be the fact I was younger and didn;t know too much and diet and training were off but I haven't heard too many good things but I know it's found in some other weight loss supplements.

That's just me though

[Lee J B]

It was once a big thing, when Arnold was competing all the top guys used to take it, it's been proven since to not do what they once thought it did....it wont really make a difference..

...:: Natural Sources ::...

Beef, brewers yeast, calf liver, cheese, chicken, egg yolks, molasses, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, whole-grain things, mushrooms & nuts & a whole bunch of others that I cant remember lol.

...:: RDA ::...

120mcg

...:: Suggested Benefits ::...
(As I said...upto you whether you think you see any of these whilst supplementing...)

Helps glucose metabolism, aids in regulating blood sugar by helping insulin with it's shuttling. This next bit I read in a book, that I have on my shelf, "It has recently been clinically proven that supplementing with chromium has NO beneficial affects on healthy individuals." ..... make of that what you will

...:: Toxicity ::...

Not really likely, although I guess it's a metal, so prolonged use or exposure could cause accumalation in the body which could cause lung cancer etc...

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by Lee J B

....it wont really make a difference...

This depends on who you are and what you do.

Originally Posted by Lee J B

This next bit I read in a book, that I have on my shelf, "It has recently been clinically proven that supplementing with chromium has NO beneficial affects on healthy individuals." .....

Yes, that is true. It is also true that physically active people lose much more chromium through sweat and other processes than sedentary people (who are always the basis for the generalized studies it seems). I take it as part of a multi-vitamin/mineral. The amounts in natural foods are usually not enough to offset the loss caused by intense physical exercise.

[DaLinkWent]

This depends on who you are and what you do.

The thing with this statement is that it apply's to anyone, anytime regarding anything. So in essence, your correct but I'd side with Lee that it doesn't do a whole lot . . .and in my opinion not worth it in the overall scheme of things

Yes, that is true. It is also true that physically active people lose much more chromium through sweat and other processes than sedentary people (who are always the basis for the generalized studies it seems). I take it as part of a multi-vitamin/mineral. The amounts in natural foods are usually not enough to offset the loss caused by intense physical exercise.

So basically it won't do a whole lot for you. Your better of spending $1.00 on Gatoraid

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by DaLinkWent

So basically it won't do a whole lot for you. Your better of spending $1.00 on Gatoraid

I assume you're joking. Since I'm taking a multivitamin/mineral I am effectively supplementing with chromium. Or did that escape notice? (Or did I misunderstand something?) Additional chromium beyond that might not be wise.

Perhaps you misread my previous statement:

"The amounts in natural foods are usually not enough to offset the loss caused by intense physical exercise."

[DaLinkWent]

Whoops . . kinda missed that. I got too hung about the sweating and missed your point about the vitamins and minerals.

But . . . let me ask you this

Do you supplement chromium because it's a mineral already listed in a multi that you currently take or do you go out and specifically buy chromium supplement?

[jay`]

i used chromium piclonate when i was younger, about 16 or so, and remember being very ripped and cut, can't remember other variables of the time, but i have been thiking of supplementing it again this summer.

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by DaLinkWent

Do you supplement chromium because it's a mineral already listed in a multi that you currently take or do you go out and specifically buy chromium supplement?

I've done both. I used another multi (not sport-specific) before that didn't contain it so then I got about 200 mcg from other supplements. Now that I use a sports-specific multi I get the chromium "for free" so I don't get any extra. (Come to think of it, most of the "big name" sports multis tend to include chromium as far as I remember.)

The main reason I supplement with chromium, or anything else, is because of the demands of an active lifestyle (which includes not only my 4-days-a-week in the gym but also riding a bicycle every day for about 10 miles since it's my main mode of transportation). The research I've seen that's been done on physically active people all point to the same conclusion, you need supplements. (True, you could get all the necessary minerals/vitamins from regular food but for most people, me included, that would mean eating far more calories thna needed.)