Reclast?

[Dianyla]

how much Vit D are you taking? what are your Vit D levels? (there's a test your doctor can do)

Yep, get your D-hydroxy levels tested. Also, consider that the most absorbable form of vitamin D is the animal form (D3 - cholecalciferol) from cod liver and other sources. Plant-based vitamin D (D2 - ergocalciferol) is not as well utilized by the body. I take these D Drops by Carlson's, which come from cod-liver. (I also take cod liver oil for the EFA benefits, but a serving of that usually has less than 1,000IU of D per dose.)

Keep in mind that the current RDA for vitamin D is quite low and on the verge of being drastically revised within the next year. The amounts you can get from normal dietary sources (even enriched with D) are generally not enough to avoid or correct a state of deficiency. Most people living above the 40th parallel (NorCal to NY, approximately) are deficient unless they get significant sun exposure all summer long.

Many healthcare providers and nutritionists advocate against taking too much vitamin D (and the other fat soluble vitamins like A & E) because it is fat soluble. The upper tolerated limit of D is suspected to be 10,000IU per day. If you are exposed to bright sunlight in summer, your body does not manufacture more than this amount.

My physician recommends 4,000-6,000IU in winter time, bumping that up to 8,000-10,000IU if I'm fighting off a cold/flu. In summertime I still take about 2,000IU daily because I work indoors and tend to avoid excessive sun exposure.

[Biciclista]

yes, they do a bone scan and based on density in different places you get diagnosed.

3 years ago i had one, and had osteopenia in my back and my hip. last month i had a second one and my back has improved but my hip got worse. I think the back improved because of upper body weight bearing exercises. I am taking more Vit D3 now (but less than Dianyla) so hopefully that will help.

[Crankin]

I started getting the DXA scans at about age 45 because I knew my mom and grandmother had osteoporosis. I have never been a milk drinker. A little as a kid, but my parents didn't push it and it was never served at dinner. I started taking calcium/vitD supplements about 25 years ago, before I got pregnant with my second child. I did lots of high impact aerobics for about ten years, then some semi-impact step classes for about 5 years after that. I've been weight lifting on and off, all along. What scares me is that my bones have been getting worse, despite these interventions and taking Evista for awhile.
Well, I am not going to stop cycling, will up the weights and get back on tack with my running.
I tried the Fosomax in 1998, a little bit before I started cycling. If I hadn't had the horrible reaction, it might have stopped the decline. I don't have to pay for the Reclast; my insurance pays for everything.
I just wonder if some of this is related to the same phenomena that was discovered in male cyclists (a high level of osteoporosis in elite male cyclists) because of my sweat rate and the fact that I already have a genetic predisposition. I do sweat like crazy when I ride. Something is leeching the calcium out of my body!

[Biciclista]

Crankin, two things; one start taking the D3 two, start taking calcium after the rides. Ever notice there's no calcium in sports drinks?
I've even talked to the NUUN company about this. they said only cyclists lose calcium , not the other kinds of athletes that use their product, so they're not going to add calcium. So after any ride that i sweat during, I take extra calcium. that plus taking a lot more D3 than "normal daily requirements". I'll let you know in 2 years (sigh) if it's helping.
ps, i've read some stuff about Fosomax and i'm not really sure the kind of bone it builds is going to make us any better off.

[OakLeaf]

Also, don't take calcium supplements without magnesium. It's important for bone health that your intake of calcium and magnesium be in balance.

Personally, if my leg cramps are any indication, I sweat out more magnesium than calcium. I find it hard to believe that the electrolytes in your sweat depend on the sport you're doing, though. I think it's just that cyclists tend to spend a lot more time at their sport than other athletes, and thus sweat out more electrolytes total. (Imagine if it was commonplace for running clubs to not even bother with less than a 2.5-hour run, e.g.) Potassium is plentiful in food and as for sodium, you can just grab the salt shaker. Not so easy to grab the calcium-magnesium shaker...

[Biciclista]

It doesn't make sense to me, either Oakleaf!

[Crankin]

OK, I will be off to the natural foods pharmacy/grocery to get some decent calcium and magnesium. I will wait to start the Vit. D until I get my levels checked. Since I am zealous about sunscreen, I suspect I don't get much naturally.
I never thought about taking the supplements after a ride. I will try it, though my riding is sort of slowing down at this time of year (until I pull out the trainer).

[Zen]

Personally, if my leg cramps are any indication, I sweat out more magnesium than calcium. I find it hard to believe that the electrolytes in your sweat depend on the sport you're doing, though. I think it's just that cyclists tend to spend a lot more time at their sport than other athletes, and thus sweat out more electrolytes total.

I don't think the calcium is lost in sweat. Sweat is the end product of cellular respiration, in which calcium is not a factor.
Calcium is a factor in muscle neurons firing. "At rest, neurons contain an overall internal negative charge, called the resting potential. This potential is maintain by the Na+/K+ pump which actively pumps out 3 Na+ for every 2 K+ in"

Discuss.

[OakLeaf]

I know nothing, but Google yields a number of studies on calcium loss in sweat, anything from 20 mg to 92 mg per hour...