# Fitness supplements for older man? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940 "2018-10-14T16:15:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/1 "2018-10-14T16:15:13Z")
I’m 49. I started working out in earnest at 46. I kept ratcheting it up and now it’s getting a little ridiculous. I have a workout schedule I built out of P90X workouts and Insanity workouts, with extra walking, running and weight lifting. Altogether I spend 2-3 hours a day on fitness (except rest day). Up to 5 hours on sunday. It may sound excessive but my fitness goals are not big muscles or a small waist. If I have one goal it is be able to DO a LOT. Of everything and anything. Stamina I guess is what is called. I don’t take any supplements. I have a pretty good diet. I’m going to start taking fish oil because it sounds like it is all around good. Should I take anything else? Maybe for joints. The only pain I have is a little tendonitis in a patella tendon. I also drink too much. Whisky. If that matters. 🙂 I’ve been reducing it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/2 "2018-10-14T16:43:57Z")
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/3 "2018-10-14T16:53:08Z")
I think it’s good that you’re looking after yourself. You are wise to keep an eye on both diet and exercise. However there is a limit to what workouts you should (or can) do as you get older. You don’t want to strain something, as that defeats your purpose. Have you consulted with a competent expert? ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/4 "2018-10-14T17:10:47Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Have you consulted with a competent expert? yes, thanks. I have a good friend who is a physical therapist. He knows what I’m doing. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/5 "2018-10-14T17:22:35Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > It may sound excessive but my fitness goals are not big muscles or a small waist. If I have one goal it is be able to DO a LOT. Of everything and anything. Stamina I guess is what is called. What you’re doing is likely into the realm of being too much to be optimal for health, because of the chance of injury. Tendonitis would likely benefit from backing off. But that’s fine, you’re being honest about it. From that perspective, it’s no different from marathon running, or some of the more extreme long distance fastpacking that I do, or any other kind of serious endurance sport - more than you need for health, possibility of injury, but it’s an end in itself. And if you’re enjoying it, far better to have some kind of “exercise addiction” than to eat or drink excessively. With a balanced diet, I’d only take supplements if a doctor told me I had some deficiency. One thing I’d say is that as you get older, be completely obsessive about correct form in any weight training. Even if you pretty much know what you’re doing, get a trainer to check you periodically, and get a _different_ trainer to check you, they may notice different things. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/6 "2018-10-14T22:48:28Z")
I’m 65. 5’11, 158lbs, 32 inch waist, 54 bpm pulse. I work out at 5 am every day. Ab work daily, cardio 3 days a week (incline treadmill), weights (dumb bells) 4 days a week. However, workouts are only an hour long. I think with working out, less is more. Just as marathon running has nothing to do with fitness, spending hours in the gym can be counter productive, especially as one gets older. Over working muscles can result in injuries that can put you out of business for a while. Healing takes much longer as you age. I don’t think spending hours working out actually makes you fitter than just spending an hour or so in the gym. I eat a small portion of salmon every evening (instead of fish oil tablets) along with steamed vegetables. No heavy carbs like pasta, bread or potatoes for dinner. I do take Creatine and Protein powder right after my morning workout. As far as drinking goes, I heard a guy on You Tube say, “Instead of trying to think of ways to improve your life, how about first concentrating on STOPPING things that you are already doing that you know are harming you.” YMMV. Good luck and congratulations on your great progress taking care of yourself. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/7 "2018-10-14T23:45:55Z")
I got to thinking about this because an older guy I work with who has knee problems said I should consider taking glucosamine and chondroitin now to help prevent wear and tear. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/8 "2018-10-14T23:55:19Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > I got to thinking about this because an older guy I work with who has knee problems said I should consider taking glucosamine and chondroitin now to help prevent wear and tear. From [Examine.com](http://Examine.com) [Glucosamine](https://examine.com/supplements/glucosamine/) > [@](#): > > Glucosamine sulfate salts are the best way to supplement glucosamine, with glucosamine sulfate as a close second. Glucosamine hydrochloride is ineffective. N-Acetylglucosamine is not glucosamine and should be considered a different supplement. > [@](#): > > There appears to be a small decrease in osteoarthritis symptoms associated with glucosamine (as sulfate, not hydrochloride) which is somewhat unreliable but consistently outperforms placebo on meta-analyses. The magnitude of reduction, however, is somewhat minor but still comparable to acetominophen [Chondroiton.](https://examine.com/supplements/chondroitin/) > [@](#): > > A recent surge of meta-analyses (studies researching other studies) found that most studies that showed benefit with chondroitin were poorly designed or subject to chance statistical error (due to low amount of participants). Larger studies (which are seen as more reliable) tend to show no benefits with chondroitin nor glucosamine supplementation in isolation or combined. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/9 "2018-10-15T00:02:54Z")
Silly question, I know, but you say your goal is to DO a LOT, and yet you spend 3 hours a day working out, 5 hours on Sunday. Wouldn’t simple arithmetic suggest that reducing the hours spent working out would allow for more hours DOING a LOT? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/10 "2018-10-15T00:30:30Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > From [Examine.com](http://Examine.com) > [Glucosamine](https://examine.com/supplements/glucosamine/) > [Chondroiton.](https://examine.com/supplements/chondroitin/) Thank you, sir! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/11 "2018-10-15T00:46:31Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > I got to thinking about this because an older guy I work with who has knee problems said I should consider taking glucosamine and chondroitin now to help prevent wear and tear. I’m 73, and have taken Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM for decades. It didn’t do a damn thing. I had my first knee replacement surgery this past June. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/12 "2018-10-15T18:39:19Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > If I have one goal it is be able to DO a LOT. Of everything and anything. Stamina I guess is what is called. I think I originally heard this from Alan Aragon. He said that you should consider using creatine to boost short-term performance, caffeine to boost intermediate-term performance, and carbohydrates to boost long-term performance. If you use caffeine you’d need to cycle it, otherwise you’ll build up a tolerance to it. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/13 "2018-10-16T16:46:58Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m 73, and have taken Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM for decades. It didn’t do a damn thing. I had my first knee replacement surgery this past June. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/14 "2018-10-16T16:48:00Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > I think I originally heard this from Alan Aragon. He said that you should consider using creatine to boost short-term performance, caffeine to boost intermediate-term performance, and carbohydrates to boost long-term performance. > > If you use caffeine you’d need to cycle it, otherwise you’ll build up a tolerance to it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/15 "2018-10-17T19:03:49Z")
If your diet is light on meat, dairy and eggs, then I would suggest supplemental protein, either the bars or the powdered stuff. Out of curiosity, how do you spend 5 hours on fitness in a day? What exactly do you do? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/16 "2018-10-17T19:17:52Z")
Caffeine definitely works. I have always found creatine to be of minimal value. If it works, it’s a very minor effect (for me). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/17 "2018-10-20T22:47:26Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Caffeine definitely works. > I have always found creatine to be of minimal value. If it works, it’s a very minor effect (for me). So, I’ve decided to give creatine a shot again. I needed to buy some stuff on Amazon to qualify for free shipping, and decided to buy a kg of creatine. I’ll post back in a few weeks and let you guys know what results (if any) I’ve had. I’m going to do the 1-week loading phase at 20-25gms/day, and then dial it back to 5gms. I’m right around 163 lbs now, although I’m leaning out. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/18 "2018-10-25T01:31:34Z")
Short of illegal steroids…what’s the next best thing down the effectiveness hierarchy? I’ll never be “big”…but I made the mistake of quitting what lifting I did with the misguided goal of focusing on endurance-based activities. Now, for reasons I shall leave unsaid, I’m pretty regretful I did that. I’m naturally tall and skinny. But I’m also 43, so I can’t bulk like a young guy and I can’t expect to eat like a madman to build muscle and then shed some weight. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/19 "2018-10-25T01:47:57Z")
Honestly, I haven’t found anything that had any dramatic effect. But, the “conventional wisdom” is that Creatine, BCAA’s, and plain old Whey Protein are the most effective. I used to make my own protein shake, with PB2, Whey protein, and Silk protein nut milk, and it worked very well when I was trying to put on some lean mass. I’m 58, so I understand where you are coming from. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940/20 "2018-10-25T01:52:05Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Honestly, I haven’t found anything that had any dramatic effect. > But, the “conventional wisdom” is that Creatine, BCAA’s, and plain old Whey Protein are the most effective. > I used to make my own protein shake, with PB2, Whey protein, and Silk protein nut milk, and it worked very well when I was trying to put on some lean mass. > I’m 58, so I understand where you are coming from. The illegal steroids it shall be. Ha! tooootttallly kidddddinnngg……issshhhh….riiiight??? I did seem to have results in the past with whey and creatine. Guess I’ll check that back out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-supplements-for-older-man/822940.md?page=2)