If we could obtain all the nutrients we need from our food supply then a multivitamin/mineral supplement would not be necessary. Unfortunately, this is simply not possible. Our belief is that today's food supply does not contain adequate amounts of nutrients for average people, let alone athletes, living in the world today. Dr. Bill Misner has stated, "Athletes today ingest only 11% of the organic nutrients from their food sources that the athletes of the 1940's enjoyed."

The truth is that our soils have been depleted because of today's farming techniques, which utilize fertilizers containing a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) only. Prior to the 40's, farmers practiced crop rotation, mulching, manuring, and other techniques that maintained soil nutrient quality. After World War II, leftover chemicals used to make weapons were sold as fertilizers. Every successive crop grown using NPK fertilizers has further depleted the soils of essential nutrients, and if they aren't in the soil, they're not in the foods. If they're not in the foods, they're not in your body. Additionally, according to Dr. Misner, "the use of pesticides and herbicides has been observed to interfere with the complete absorption of vital organic substrates." So not only does the soil no longer contain many of the essential nutrients it used to, our ability to absorb what little there is left has been compromised by the use of pesticides and herbicides.

In addition to our food supply being degraded by crops grown solely on NPK fertilizers, commercial ripening, harvesting, shipping, storing, and processing practices further degrades it. Even the government's RDA handbook points to hundreds of studies showing that the nutrient content of our food supply is further diminished from the time it is harvested to the time it is consumed. If that wasn't bad enough, add to that the fact that as we age our rate of absorption of nutrients decrease. Taking medications of any kind? They interact and interfere with nutrient absorption. All of this strongly suggests that food alone cannot and will not provide enough vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health.

I've always considered the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) to be an archaic standard that never took into account the particular needs of athletes and my belief in that is confirmed from one well-known sports nutritionist who states, " If you use the RDAs to plan your nutrition, you will never, never reach your athletic potential." Even the RDA handbook states, "RDA are recommendations for the average daily amounts of nutrients that population groups should consume over a period of time. RDA should not be confused with requirements for a specific individual." The former chairman of the RDA Committee has even been quoted stating RDA's "are not recommendations for the ideal diet."

Most compelling of all, in my opinion, for why a potent multivitamin/mineral supplement is necessary comes from Dr. Misner who states, "Science has concluded that even marginal nutritional deficiencies are responsible for 644 diseases or disorders. Researchers have established by applications of reliable research as well as through trial and error that athletes tend to deplete vitamins, minerals, enzymes, coenzymes, and other substrates more than sedentary people do." Simply put, the need for supplementation with a multivitamin/mineral supplement is not only a wise strategy, I consider it vital.

I believe that not supplementing the body with adequate supplies of basic nutrients is comparable to building a house without first putting in a strong foundation. Without this strong foundation, none of the other necessities of the house will have any structural integrity or be of much benefit. Similarly, without adequate replenishment of vitamins and minerals, other supplements, including ergogenic supplements, will most likely never realize their full potential.