10 Best Multivitamin Supplements Reviewed
By Tamara Moon
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Vitamins provide athletes with essential nutrients that often get missed in our everyday diet. The best multivitamins make it possible to endure you get the proper supplements you need to perform to the best of your ability during your runs or workouts.
It’s especially difficult for athletes to replenish the nutrition they burn because the lose it a much faster rate.
Even those of you who follow the perfect diet will find it difficult to ensure you get everything you need consistently–and with all of the products out there it may be difficult to figure out which one will work best for you.
Below you will find a compiled list of the top 10 best multivitamins to choose from. We hope our list helps you find the right one for you and put you on track to healthier you!
- MegaFood
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Our rating - Whole Food
- Price: See Here
- New Chapter
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Our rating - Quick absorptions
- Price: See Here
- Smarty Pants
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Our rating - Gummies
- Price: See Here
10 Best Multivitamin Supplements
MegaFood
This product comes with many certifications--GMP (which assures it everything it states nutritionally is true), it follows the ISO 9001 lab standards (check out the rest of our article to learn more), and Non-GMO. Furthermore, these supplements are also vegan, gluten, herb, and pesticide free. Its nutrients are all specifically from fruits and vegetables that are organic and free of unwanted products.
Delivery System
Vegan tablets that facilitate fast absorption
Dose Rate
One capsule daily, with water, is all you need to do!
Daily Allowances
It provides you with the recommended daily allowances of many vitamins and minerals along with 9mg of iron, 400IU of vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Folic Acid.
Taste
There is no specific taste that accompanies the capsule.
Price/Value
Pricey, but definitely worth it.
Provides stress relief
Available for both men and women
GMP certified
Non-GMO
Vegan
Gluten, Herb, and Pesticide free
Derived from organic fruit and vegetables
Only need to take it once a day
Pricey
Some think the tablet is difficult to swallow
New Chapter
This supplemented is fermented and made from whole foods such as Ginger, Tumeric, and Chamomile.
Delivery System
This product is delivered via tablets.
Dose Rate:
1 tablets a day with a full cup of water.
Daily Allowances
Vitamin A, B, C, And D along with Zinc, Calcium, and Probiotics
Taste
This tablet doesn't have a taste and is washed down with water.
Price/Value
This product comes a little above average.
Have Probiotics
Only need to take it once a day
No additional sugar
Can be taken on an empty stomach
Organic
Non-GMP
Vegan
Gluten Free
Quick absorption
Label accuracy is still lacking with this company
Smarty Pants
These are also made of mostly real ingredients and have no synthetic colors added to them.
Delivery System
Tasty, chewable gummies.
Dose Rate
6 gummies a day at your convenience.
Daily Allowances
Vitamin B 12, CoQ10, lycopene, Zinc, Omega 3
Taste
weet and chewy
Price/Value
Highly affordable
Non-GMO
No artificial coloring
Allergen-free
15 nutrients
Omega 3
Tasty
Easy to take
You have to take 6 gummies a day
Falls so short with some nutrient content
3. Rainbow Light One
Delivery System: Like the Natures Way product, this one is also a tablet. We like this one less than the Natures Way because there are quite a few more fillers and binders listed on the ingredient list.
Dose Rate: This is one of the one a day products on our list. We feel comfortable ranking this product high due to the long-term research and testing by private consumer groups on the quality and delivery of nutrients, even with a one/day dose.
Daily Allowances: Similar to the Garden of Life, this product fits well in to the recommended daily percentages, by not pushing too many of the nutrients above 200% DRA. It is also limited in Calcium and Iron, so you will need additional supplements to get what you need for these nutrients.
Formulated for Athletes: No. However, this product does rate well on other sites that review products for athletes, so we feel confident that you will find this product just fine for training. You will get good recovery and have overall better health with this product.
Taste: This product appears to have minimal taste and odor, though should be taken with food due to some complaints of upset stomach. This could be due to the additional fillers.
Price/Value: Not the best value on our list. A 30 count bottle (30 day supply) will set you back around $13, or $0.42 per day. Price wise, it’s comparable to the Natures Way, but you just don’t get the quantity of nutrients.
- Effective
- Quality
- Simple to take
- Price
- Difficult to swallow
- Tastes bad
7. Controlled Labs Orange Triad
Delivery System: Tablets. Not our choice simply because the fillers and binders do limit the rate of break down in the stomach, slows absorption rates and can add taste to the pill.
Dose Rate: The recommended daily serving for this product is 6, that’s right, count ‘em, 6 tablets per day. Make sure you are splitting up your doses, and taking with food so that you don’t end up with upset stomach, which you certainly will, if you take all six at one time.
Formulated for Athletes: Yes. Surprisingly, considering the complete lack of Calcium and Iron, which are really important for limiting fatigue and maintaining good electrolyte balance.
Taste: These have a bit of a chalky taste if you are slow to swallow, but other than that, taste isn’t an issue with this product. They are a huge pill, so if you don’t like swallowing pills, this one might not be the best option for you.
Price/Value: We’ll say this. For a product designed and marketed for athletes, the price here is reasonable. However, for a multivitamin, it’s not a great value. You can find this one on Amazon.com in a 270 count bottle (45 day supply) for about $32, or $0.72 per day.
- Full Of Necessary Vitamins
- Has A Full 45 Day Supply
- No Noticeable Taste
- Split Dosing
- 6 Pills Per Day
- Pills are Giant
2. Garden of Life Vitamin Code
Delivery System: Garden of Life Vitamin Code vitamins are formulated as a capsule. This means there are no fillers or weird binders. The lack of fillers and binders in the capsule form makes these a great choice for individuals that are looking for a great multivitamin that is gluten-free.
Dose Rate: This is one of the higher dose vitamins, but you can easily split this into two, two-capsule doses. Other reviewers do note that this is a supplement that you should take with food. It does have a tendency to upset empty stomachs.
Daily Allowances: With this product, you are getting more than enough nutrients with many of the recommended nutrients for runners, coming in at 100% of RDA or more. We are a little disappointed in the low amount of calcium, and iron available in this product. Even the women’s formulation doesn’t have more calcium.
Formulated for Athletes: Nope. This is a general daily multivitamin. You may have to add additional supplements, if you aren’t doing so already to maximize your training recovery and performance.
Taste: This product doesn’t have much of a taste or a noticeable odor when opening the bottle.
Price/Value: The price point for this product is mid-range for the products evaluated. A 120 count bottle (30 day supply) will cost you about $30. This is about a $1/day. Is it a good value? We think so. This RAW whole food supplement gives you everything you need, in a gluten-free, organic, vegan capsule.
- Natural Raw
- Improved Recovery
- No taste/after taste
- Increased Energy
- Capsule Form
- Expensive
4. Now Foods Multivitamin: Adam and Eve
Delivery System: The great thing about this product, is it comes in three different delivery methods. Choose between capsules, soft gels and tablets. We like the capsules because they are vegan and gluten-free, and have that higher rate of absorption.
Dose Rate: You are looking at four pills a day, so this dose rate is reasonable. Easy to split between meals.
Daily Allowances: This product does give you a lot of extra nutrients. Almost as high as the Natures Way, but not quite. We do like that it has plenty of Calcium, but you will need an iron supplement to go with.
Formulated for Athletes: No. But like the Nature’s Way, you get plenty of extra in your daily serving so it’s a good product for athletes, without the price tag of a sports specific product.
Taste: A loser here. Let’s just say yuck. Lots of comments about the taste and odor of this product. If you can manage the taste, it’s a good product.
Price/Value: One of the better values on our list. A 120 count bottle will cost you around $20, or about $0.60 per day.
- Good Value
- Good Ingredient Profile
- A variety of delivery options
- No Iron
- Low Calcium
- Icky Taste
5. Optimum Nutrition: OptiMen and OptiWomen
Delivery System: We love the capsule. Even though your supplement is synthetic, you can rest assured that your body can get to it quick, with the fast dissolving capsule.
Dose Rate: This is the first supplement that we’ve reviewed that has a different dose rate for the men’s and women’s supplement. Though, we like the low number of pills, no matter what. The men’s recommended dose is three a day and the women’s is two a day.
Daily Allowances: You can tell these products are designed for high performance. Lots of extra nutrients here, and way above the recommended daily allowance for most of the compounds. We also love the high availability of Calcium and Iron. Clearly they were thinking about performance and recovery when they developed this product.
Formulated for Athletes: Yes. Optimum Nutrition is a leader in developing quality products for athletes, sports recovery and improved performance.
Taste: Not much taste or odor with this product, but there are plenty of reports of sour stomach with this product, especially if you take it without food.
Price/Value: For a high potency sports designed product, this is a pretty good value. Prices are different for the men’s and women’s products. For the men’s formulation you’ll find a 150 count bottle (50 day supply) for about $24 or $0.48 per day. The women’s formulation comes in a 120 count bottle (60 day supply) for about $17 or $0.28 per day.
- Easy To Swallow
- Great Value
- Great Ingredient Profile
- Essential Vitamins Included
- Don’t Take Without Food
- All Synthetic
8. Life Extension 2 Per Day
Delivery System: It’s a winner here, easy to digest capsule. So you know you’ll see the effects quicker than with a tablet.
Dose Rate: We do like that this supplement only requires two pills per day. Don’t forget to split your dose and take with food.
Formulated for Athletes: No. But does get good reviews from other sites for athletes for helping to improve performance.
Taste: Not good, not bad. Users report a mineral/vitamin smell. It’s noticeable but not too bad. Many users however do report that this product upsets their stomach. Some users also noted that this product did impact their sleep.
Price/Value: Find a 120 count bottle (60 day supply) for about $18, or $0.30 per day.
- Low Dose Rate
- Capsule
- Easy to swallow
- Effective
- Bad flavor
- Upsets stomach
1. Nature's Way Alive! Maximum Potency
Delivery System: Unfortunately, this is a tablet, so it does contain some strange vegetable based fillers and binders. The good news, the fillers and binders are not wheat based, so this product is great for gluten-free diets.
Dose Rate: This product is one of the better dose rates on our list, touting three tablets per serving. This can easily be separated between meals for a better, more efficient uptake of nutrients.
Daily Allowances: Wow! There’s a lot of stuff packed in here. Most of the listed nutrients have 100% or more of the recommended daily allowances. We especially like that there is more available Calcium and Iron which are essential for good run performance. It’s called Maximum Potency for a reason!
Formulated for Athletes: Not this one. But one look at the ingredient list and you can be assured that you are going to get more than enough daily nutrients to support training and regular work out routines with this product.
Taste: This product does have a slight taste and minimal odor in the bottle. No strange after tastes have been reported.
Price/Value: This is where this product really wins. It is packed full of good stuff, it’s limited in the synthetics and comes with a great price! A 180 count bottle (60 day supply) will only cost you around $24, or $0.45 per day.
- Complete multivitamin
- Plenty of fruits and veggies
- No after taste
- Great for Muscle Function
- Price
- Also contains synthetic compounds
- Not vegan
How We Evaluated Our Choices
We started our look at the best multivitamins on the market by surveying LabDoor.com an independent, non-biased company that tests the effectiveness of supplements. We looked at multivitamins that had ratings above 70, were also available for purchase on Amazon, and considered the factors listed below.
What Exactly Do Runners Need?
When you are looking at the list of vitamins, minerals and nutrients on the back of a bottle of supplements, there is a lot of information and how do you know if what you need to improve your running performance is in the supplement? Well, to help you out, here are the vitamins and minerals that will give you the biggest boost as a runner.
- Vitamin A improves your eye sight, which gives you an advantage when running at night or in traffic. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 700 to 900 mcg/day.
- Vitamin B-12 assists with red blood cell formation. Red blood cells are responsible for oxygen transfer through the body. More oxygen in your body and muscles means less fatigue. The RDA is 2.4 mcg/day
- Calcium is important for building strong bones, and is also an important electrolyte for muscle and blood vessel contraction. The RDA is 1000 mg/day.
- Vitamin C is a great antioxidant, helps with injury repair and assists with iron uptake. The RDA is 75 to 90 mg/day.
- Vitamin D helps prevent injury, reduces inflammation and is important for the absorption of calcium into your bones, it’s also known as the “sun vitamin” because your body will make vitamin D using available sunlight. The RDA is 600 IUs.
- Vitamin E supports your immune system, is a great anti-inflammatory and keeps blood vessels wide and pliable. The RDA is 1000 mg/day.
- Iron is the building block of blood, supporting oxygen transport and fueling muscles. Iron is essential for combating fatigue during strenuous exercise. The RDA 18 to 20 mg/day.
- Magnesium is an important mineral for your nervous system and is helpful for metabolizing energy sources. The RDA is 300 to 450 mg/day.
- Potassium improves hydration and is essential for proper muscle function. Potassium deficiencies lead to muscle cramps. The RDA is 4,700 mg/day.
- Selenium reduces oxidative cell damage, supports thyroid function and helps regulate metabolism. The RDA is 200 to 400 mcg/day.
- Sodium helps maintain fluid and electrolyte levels in your body and also aids in reducing the incidence of muscle cramps. Most adults should not have more than 2300 mg/day.
- Zinc is helpful for injury recovery, breaking down carbohydrates and improves your immune system response. The RDA is 8 to 11 mg/day.
It’s important to keep in mind, that many of these vitamins and minerals you can consume more of if your body needs an extra boost, while others can have negative effects on your body if you consume too much. For example, limit your intake of sodium to no more than the RDA, unless you are sweating a lot and need to replace electrolytes. It’s wise to avoid consuming more than the RDA of selenium as well. Vitamins and minerals that your body is fine taking more of are Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin E. If you are finding that you are feeling fatigued a lot, you may also want to add additional Iron to your supplement regimen.
Mineral Source
Are the nutrients coming from a synthetic source or a whole foods source? Whole foods sources are more accessible to more people, including those that prefer organic, gluten-free, and vegetarian or vegan choices. Whole food sources can be higher cost than synthetic.
Delivery system
Preference is given to multivitamins that are available in a capsule, liquid or powder form to improve rate of uptake. Tablets should be organic and contain gluten-free binders.
Doses per Day
Single dose per day and high number of doses per day were given lower preference. Why? Because, in the case of one per days, they don’t allow complete absorption and more than three per day doses can be cumbersome.
Daily Allowances
The critical nutrients should have as much of the RDA available in each serving size. Understanding that many nutrients won’t be close to the RDA. Supplements that were above the RDA and provided extra nutrition for improved performance were given preference in this review.
Is the supplement formulated for athletes?
This is a minimal consideration since many non-sports specific products that are considered high potency will provide the same amount of nutrients as a sports specific product. We find that this may just increase the price, but not the quality.
Price/Value
Are you getting a big bang for your buck, or are you just flushing money down the toilet? One good thing to keep in mind is the difference between price and value. Don’t always go for the cheap alternative before researching the differences.
More Important Things To Think About
The multivitamin market can be an overwhelming undertaking if you aren’t sure what you are looking for, in a daily vitamin supplement. If you walk into your local health foods store or even the grocery store, the options for multivitamins are extensive. Not to mention what is available on the internet! It gets even more confusing when you start looking at the bottles and reading the labels of ingredients and daily allowance values. So, we took a closer look at what you need to know about multivitamins, so that when comparing our top ten list, you can decide what is best for your body and your training regime.
The Numbers on the Back
When you look at the back of your supplement bottle, you will see two sets of numbers next to each compound. The first number is the amount that is available in the supplement and the second is the percentage of the RDA that you need. It is important to recognize that many of these vitamins, minerals and nutrients are going to have substantially higher doses than the RDA. That is OK, and you won’t be harmed by this but in many cases, your body doesn’t need the extra supplement and you end up passing the extra out of your body, in your urine. The FDA and the NIH both recommend that even for athletes, a supplement that provides no more than 200% of the RDA for each nutrient is sufficient to supplement and replace what your body needs.
The Nutrient Source
You’ve got two options when it comes to the source where your multivitamin gets its nutrients: 1) Synthetic or 2) Whole Foods. This is pretty obvious as far as what’s happening here. You can buy a multivitamin that has nutrients that come from a processed, not natural source. Or you can select a multivitamin that uses real food as the source of the nutrients in your tablets, powder or capsule.
Believe it or not, synthetic vs. natural makes only a slight difference in how your body uptakes the nutrients, so the question of nutrient availability isn’t really a problem, when comparing synthetic and natural source multivitamins. This is however, an important consideration if you are gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. Many of the synthetic sourced multivitamins use animal byproducts for sources of nutrients or have fillers that are wheat based.
Dose Rate
This is a big consideration when you are shopping for a multivitamin. You’ve got some variability in your options for dose rate, and they go from very small to “wow, that’s a lot!” In our research, we noticed that this is probably the biggest variable with multivitamins on the market. You get those awesome “one a day” pills, or you get the multivitamin that wants you to take six pills a day. Yikes! Which do you choose? A couple of things to keep in your mind when deciding what works best for you. First, a one a day supplement, pack ALL of your nutrients into a single dose.
This seems cool, you only have to choke down one vitamin. However, your body likely won’t uptake most of what is packed into that one pill, so you end up peeing out the rest. Second, most multivitamins recommend that you take them with food. So if you don’t like taking more than one pill at a time, if you select a supplement that has six pills per day, you’ll be eating all day long. Our research tells us that it’s probably best, and you get more bang for your buck if you select a multivitamin that has a dose rate of 2 or 3 pills per day. You can split your dose between your major meals, and your body will most efficiently absorb the nutrients.
Tablet vs. Capsule. vs. Powder
This is a matter of preference, but it is important to recognize that tablets do take longer for your stomach to break down, slowing the absorption of nutrients into your body. Capsules, powders and liquids absorb quicker and give your body access to nutrients faster. This is great for when you are training. However, when you are on the go, powders and liquids aren’t as convenient. Through our research, we think that capsules are the most convenient and practical choice.
Then there are gummies. Yes, gummies. There are adult gummy multivitamins on the market, and some are even geared for athletes. We think this is a great way to get kids to take a vitamin that they don’t have to swallow. For a training athlete, these just add unnecessary extra sugar to your diet. A LOT of extra sugar.
Men Vs. Women
For some reason, it’s become trendy to develop multivitamins that have separate formulations for men and women. In reality, for most of the supplements on the market, there is little difference in the formulations. Many women’s formulations have more calcium, folic acid and iron to support bone health and reproductive health. In general however, it isn’t really necessary to select a gender-specific multivitamin. There are products on the market that are one-size-fits-all, and they are just as effective for both men and women. We don’t have a preference here, but many of our top ten have separate formulations for men and women.
FAQ
Q: Do I really need a multivitamin?
A: This is a tricky question. Some sources will say that absolutely everyone needs a multivitamin, other sources say that they are helpful, but not necessary. There is some benefit to taking a multivitamin. Not one of us has a perfect diet, and as athletes, our body uses more nutrients than other people, just to perform well. Multivitamins are a great way to ensure that you get all the nutrients that you need for a healthy body, as well as improve performance and recovery.
Q: Are whole food supplements better than synthetic supplements?
A: Whole food supplements use actual fruits, vegetables, and other plants as the source of nutrients, while synthetic supplements are created from non-food sources. Both are effective at providing nutrients to your body. However, if you are vegetarian or vegan, or require a gluten-free diet, whole food supplements are often a better choice, because they do not contain wheat or animal-based products.
Q: Should I take my multivitamin with food?
A: Multivitamins should always be taken with food. This helps your body process the nutrients easier and can help avoid an upset stomach.
Q: Is there a difference between men’s and women’s formulations?
A: Yes. Gender-specific formulations contain different nutrients or different amounts of some nutrients that support the needs of male or female physiology. For example, women’s multivitamins will often have more folic acid, iron, and calcium to help support the demands of the reproductive system.
Q: Does a multivitamin improve athletic performance?
A: Anytime you improve your diet, and give your body all of the nutrients it needs, you will see an improvement in performance. As an athlete, a multivitamin will give your body all of the nutrition it needs. If you choose a multivitamin that is sports specific, you will also get a boost in some nutrients that will help with muscle performance, endurance, and active recovery.
Q: Are there side effects to multivitamin supplements?
A: There are very few side effects to multivitamin supplements. The most frequently noted side effect is an upset stomach. This will often go away after a few weeks of consistent use and can be avoided by taking your multivitamin with food.
Sources
- , Top 10 Multivitamins, Informational Supplement Website,
- , A Quest To Discover The Greatest Multivitamin On The Face Of The Planet., Informational Website,
- , Best Sellers: Multivitamin Supplements, Website,
- , 5 Best Vitamins, Informational Website, Aug 10, 2017
- , Best Multivitamins for Men, Magazine Website, Oct 03, 2012
- , 10 Best Multivitamins for Women, Magazine Website, Jun 16, 2017
- , Best Supplements for Runners, Informational Website, Feb 01, 2017
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