Dr. Bob is mentioned on this web site many times. He was a MD internal medicine, orthomolecular doctor, MD psychiatrist, chiropractor, and healer 65 years. He was a diabetic who lived to 108 years with 1 side effect 2 years before he passed away.

Dr Bob advised in rigorous training or activity to modify your supplementation to better adapt you to the changes going on in your body. When you train for a marathon, long distance bicycle races, mountain climbing, triathlon, and other strenuous activity you need to consider replenishing the body with nutrients and excellent eating.

When you train beyond normal limits you force the body to adapt to the activity. This means the body will need to increase metabolic processes, increase detox events, suppress immunity to increase metabolic events, build and repair cells, increase cellular energy levels, increase blood volume, increase oxygen consumption, neutralize oxidative stress, and many more changes in the body. It is clear that the stress of intense training beyond normal limits increases many nutritional requirements.

Dr. Bob was clear on the aim of strenuous training. He said one of the main goals of this type of training is to lower your resting heart rate. When you improve your resting heart rate you are making your heart stronger. This means the heart can work harder with less effort and this will allow you to stay strong during the rigorous events. If you are training properly your resting heart rate will drop down to about 55 beats per minute. To find your resting heart rate go to the weightlifting section on this web site and go to the article called, "24 Hour Anabolic Cycle." This will explain how to determine your resting heart rate.

Dr. Bob advised the following for strenuous training such as triathlons, marathons, and other types of activities:

1. Use melatonin if you are past age 30 years. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant, a primary hormone that helps to establish hormonal balance, and it helps to establish cycles in the body, including the sleep cycle. All of these attributes of melatonin are helpful in keeping the body strong during strenuous activity and helpful for recovery. Dr. Bob recommended 1-3 mg 1 hour before bedtime. He said to cycle melatonin 6 days on it and 1 day off it.

2. Use antioxidants to repair and rebuild the body. Antioxidants neutralize stress in the body, detox the body which means removes poisons, improve the immune system by decreasing stress in the body, and many other reasons that are clear that antioxidants are important to decrease stress from strenuous activity. Modern medical science as not yet determined optimal antioxidants and optimal doses. Dr. Bob based his ideas for antioxidants and doses needed to help performance and recovery from heavy training, from his observations and studies mainly from the 1960's to the 1990's. If you choose any of his ideas it is your choice since science as not yet confirmed optimal antioxidants for strenuous training.

a. Use 5-15 grams of buffered vitamin C powder. Dr. Bob said put the vitamin C powder in ice cold distilled water and drink continuously before, during, and after the event or training. Dr. Bob suggested mixing your buffered vitamin C powder with ascorbate minerals. The product page on this web site contains "TLC buffered vitamin C." This is a blend of amino acids, minerals, and vitamin C powder that we believe follow the criteria of what Dr. Bob advised for strenuous activity beyond normal limits. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant, which can help to recycle other antioxidants making them work better and longer, is the vitamin that runs the immune system, helps to repair tissue because it is necessary for the building of collagen, and many other reasons that make vitamin C, important to help the body adapt to strenuous activity. The high doses are needed to cope with the tremendous amount of stress generated by the rigorous training and activities.

b. Use 800 IU of dry or natural E, or use 1600 IU of synthetic E before the activity. Dr. Bob advised high amounts of specific antioxidants to help limit or prevent soreness, which improves your ability to train at maximum levels, thereby increasing performance. Vitamin E can increase circulation at the capillary level, detox cell membranes, help other antioxidants work better and longer, and many other important functions that help improve performance and recovery from strenuous events.

c. Use N-acetyl-cysteine 500 mg to 1000 mg before the strenuous activity. Dr. Bob considered this a high dose of N-A-C and therefore said do not use these doses except on a day you are going to train hard or participate in a strenuous event.

d. Use 400-600 mcg of selenium, preferably selenomethionine before the activity. Selenium helps make other antioxidants in the body work better and longer, helps to improve the immune system, is an important antioxidant, and many other functions that make selenium important for performance and recovery.

e. Use 300 mg of sustained release alpha lipoic acid before the activity. Alpha lipoic acid is a water soluble and fat soluble antioxidant, makes other antioxidants work better and longer, (it does this especially well), helps the immune system, helps balance the body in many ways, and many other important functions that make alpha lipoic acid helpful for performance and recovery.

3. Use a multivitamin and mineral in any nutritional supplement program. The body works in synergy. This means nutrients and substances in the body work together to produce the events that happen in the body. A multi provides cofactors for the chemical processes that take place in the body and result in the body working properly. Dr. Bob advised the brand Maxilife. He recommended it because it had doses that covered most deficiencies and insufficiencies. You need these kinds of high doses in strenuous activities that are more than usual limits. Take after meals.

4. Use Udo's oil from Flora, a blend of omega 3 and omega 6 oils with cofactors. Omega 3 and omega 6 are essential fatty acids, meaning your body cannot make them and so must get them from food. They are important for cells to work properly. If the cells are not working properly this increases stress. This makes it more difficult for the body to adapt to the stress and changes from strenuous activity, which can lead to many problems such as breakdown in tissue, decreased performance, inability to sustain training, and many other such problems.

5. Use COQ10, 60 mg for woman and 100 mg for men, before the activity. CoQ10 increases energy at the cellular level, improves volume of blood which improves circulation, decreases stress to the heart improving the efficiency of the heart, boosts the immune system, has important antioxidant activity in the body, and other reasons that help you improve your performance and recovery.

6. Use ion-exchange whey protein concentrate as a protein supplement. The high stress of training increases the need for protein to help repair and build the body. For strenuous training 1 and 1/2 grams up to 2 grams per 2 pounds of body weight might begin to be necessary to supply the proper amounts of protein to repair and build the body. Proteins such as meat, diary, fish, chicken, and other highly concentrated proteins begin to become toxic over 30 grams per meal. It might be difficult to consume enough protein so Dr. Bob recommended supplementing whey. Whey is a high quality protein that is pre-digested; meaning it is easily assimilated. Dr. Bob recommended adding soy powder supplements to the whey. He said the combination of the 2 protein supplements would increase the overall benefits. He advised using 2 parts whey for 1 part soy.

7. Use creatine supplementation. He said to use 5 grams 1/2 hour before training on an empty stomach. Creatine puts insulin into the muscles, which results in more energy being produced inside cells. This greater energy production leads to improved performance. Dr. Bob recommended creatine monohydrate. Morning training is best.

8. Use acetyl-L-carnitine 1 gram before training and 1 gram before 3:00 PM. Acetyl-L-carnitine is necessary to transport fat in the body. You need to move fat in the body to cells, where fat can be burned to provide energy at the cellular level.

9. Use 1 and 1/2 grams of HMB supplement 1 hour after training/activity, preferably with some protein, and later in the day or evening another 1 to 1 and 1/2 grams. Take HMB with meals. Preferably with protein. Strenuous training, especially events like marathons and bicycle races, tend to produce muscle loss at a fast clip in the upper body. HMB can help slow down this type of breakdown in muscles from strenuous training.

10. Use ginseng with G115, 100 mg before training and 100 mg in the PM. It has been established scientifically that the G115 form of ginseng can provide more stamina in the body by increasing oxygen in the blood. This is a great blessing when stamina can be gained from supplementation besides hard training! For really exceptionally heavy training Dr. Bob said to double the dose.

Dr. Bob also had a few other training ideas besides modifications in supplements. The following are additional ideas Dr. Bob suggested for strenuous training:

A. Plan to end training with a recovery drink. Dr. Bob always recommended Twin Lab's products. They make a recovery drink called "Hydra Fuel." Recovery is a vital time. Stress to the body multiplies the longer the stress continues. A recovery drink helps the body to replenish energy and nutrients the body needs rapidly. This helps recovery. The longer you delay nourishing the body after heavy training, the more stress increases and the less benefit from when you finally provide nourishment. Plan to end training with a recovery drink as soon as possible after training as ended. This will help to limit soreness and muscle breakdown. Understand that the amount of recovery time you need from heavy training includes many factors such as nourishment, rest, supplementation, and other factors. You need to do the appropriate ideas to improve performance and recovery.

B. Dr. Bob advised eat more carbohydrates than proteins. Carbohydrates supply mainly energy. You need a great amount of energy for strenuous training.

C. Drink cold water. Dr. Bob said this would increase the efficiency of your body when you start to heat up. He said heat is the main damage that happens in training. When the body heats up to about 101 or 102 degrees, Dr. Bob said the "free radicals really get going." Drink cold water before, during, and after events and training. Drink massive amounts. Hydrate and rehydrate on days you are not training.

D. Wear cool things when you train to keep body temperature down.

E. Increase carbohydrates 5 days before the event or read Michael Colgan's book, "Optimum Sports Nutrition," to get an idea on how to do carbohydrate loading, for competitive athletes only!

F. Drink potassium and glycogen drinks. Heavy training can deplete potassium and glycogen.

G. Drink an excellent dextrose drink before training or the event.

In conclusion, strenuous training increases many needs of the body. Better nutrition, supplementation, rest, and other modifications can help you adapt to the changes of strenuous training. If you fail to supply the body with what it needs in order to cope with heavy training, you may pay a price in muscle breakdown, injury and illness, lower performance and training levels, and many other negative aspects. Dr. Bob often said, "go with the flow and contribute to the music of the motion." The flow is clear, adapt to the needs of your body.


Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, "almost all supplement companies produce poor quality." You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval. Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

Thank you for visiting this web site.  Go with the flow and contribute to the music of the motion.  If you are happy with any information found on this web site, please consider a donation.

Page Last Modified: 21JAN02