Shorter days and colder weather can make it harder to stay on track. Here are four <a href="https://health.kporia.com/the-8-best-magnesium-supplements-to-guarantee-a-restful-slumber/” title=”The 8 Best Magnesium Supplements To Guarantee A Restful Slumber”>supplements to consider over winter, including vitamin D3, B vitamins and magnesium – and why food and professional advice still matter.
It’ll soon be that time of year again: cold mornings, long dark nights, and more time spent indoors avoiding the rain. It’s a cosy time of year, but for those of us aiming to maintain fitness goals all year around, it can mean we have to adapt our schedules a little – to fit in things like “the holidays” and a well-earned mince pie or two.
This might mean shifting training to the early morning to make the most of the daylight, or taking more of the training indoors. But another place where adjustment is necessary in the winter is our supplement stack. The immune system can take a hit in colder months, and the shorter days can impact our mood – but there’s plenty we can do to keep our wellbeing high.
Supplementation can often be a bit of a Wild West, with seemingly infinite supplements to choose from, all promising endless wonderful results. But the majority of us should stick to the basics, and when it comes to winter, there are a simple handful to consider. Most of which you can get the nutritional benefit from through food too, if you wish.
Vitamin D3
Daniel Herman, Bio-Synergy founder and NASM Nutritionist, says that “Vitamin D is the key supplement to consider for winter months.” While this is increasingly known, estimates still suggest that as many as one in three of us are deficient in vitamin D by the end of winter.
This is especially poignant in the Northern Hemisphere, where sunlight is not strong enough for our bodies to make sufficient vitamin D between October and early March. Furthermore, it is difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from food alone, which is why supplementation is recommended. For those who spend relatively little time outdoors, whether as a result of work, age, or lifestyle, it can even be advised to take vitamin D daily, all year round.
Vitamin D is essential for immune function, bone strength, healthy testosterone levels, and mood regulation. An ideal dose would be 10 micrograms (400 IU). Vitamin D3 specifically tends to be absorbed by the body best, and ideally alongside vitamin K2.
B-Complex
The B vitamins can generally be described as good for energy. Collectively, they help to turn food into energy, create red blood cells, and support brain and nerve function, all of which contribute to us feeling good, energised, and cognitively sharp.
In the winter, we can often feel lethargic. This is due to the relative lack of sunlight, which impacts our circadian rhythm and tells the body to maintain higher melatonin levels, while also lowering our serotonin. We can, in part, combat this with these energy-boosting B vitamins – B12, B6, and Folate (B9) especially.
Herman says that “B12 can help reduce tiredness, as well as having potential positive effects on mood, which can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.” Herman adds that it is also useful for white blood cell production, “helping to keep winter bugs away.” As it is generally found in animal products, people on plant-based diets are especially prone to deficiencies. Our ability to absorb B12 also decreases with age, so men over 50 should consider supplementation more broadly too.
B6 and B9 are also particularly useful in the winter, contributing to increased red blood cell levels and serotonin regulation, which means taking a B-complex vitamin can be the most efficient and effective; the B vitamins also work well in combination.
Magnesium
Just as the B Vitamins interact, many vitamins and minerals rely on one another to be optimally absorbed and used in the body (we aren’t a series of vitamins and minerals after all). In the UK and USA, roughly 60 per cent of people have a magnesium deficiency, which makes supplementation wise. Magnesium supports hundreds of chemical reactions in the body, including many that help to support muscle recovery and stress regulation. The other key interaction, especially in the winter, is that the body needs sufficient magnesium to activate vitamin D – taking both together ensures the body gets what it needs.
As always, when adding supplementation into your routine, it is important to consult a GP or clinician; some of these vitamins in higher doses can interact with medicine. Blood tests are also a reliable indicator of whether or not supplementation should be used.
About
Rhys Thomas is a journalist, editor and trainee psychotherapist who writes on wellbeing, health, fitness, and nutrition.
