Why are you only taking Niacin, and not a B-vitamin complex, or even a basic multi-vitamin? Why does it matter when you take it? I’ve always heard it’s best to take vitamins right before bed because they can cause upset stomach.

I am taking a multitude of other things, i take a b-12 pill 1500mg; fishoil, a daily vitamin, amino acids, and zinc and magnesium supplement and i was wondering when would the best choice be for when to take the niacin, in the morning; right before workout? post workout? or right before bed?

You do know that B-vitamins are water soluble, right? Meaning, whatever your body doesn’t need you just pee out. Unless you have a condition or medication that diminishes your body’s ability to absorb certain vitamins, there’s really no reason to take extra vitamins beyond a regular daily 100% multivitamin. You’re literally pissing your money down the toilet.

It really doesn’t matter what time of day you take supplements though, except for what I posted above, but vitamins don’t upset everyone’s stomach, just some people, so even that might not matter.

I’d caution you against the amino acids as well. According to years of research in exercise physiology (that’s published in textbooks) the human body is best adapted to consume protein in its normal form, such as meat, legumes, dairy products, etc. Consuming pre-digested amino acids in large quantities can upset the stomach as well, but doesn’t do any long-term damage. So, like the vitamins, it doesn’t really hurt you, it’s just a waste when you could be eating a juicy steak, instead.

But do whatever you want, it doesn’t really matter what time you take this stuff. If you’re bound and determined to take it, I’d recommend before bed, like I said before.

I would definitely take it after your work out, preferably long after, such as before bed. You do not want Niacin-flavored burps happening while you are trying to work out.

Unless you like to work out until you puke.

Is the GNC 500 Niacin a 500mg pill? I took 1,000mg niacin for a couple months to help improve my cholesterol levels. It worked wonders, but it made my skin start to thicken and dry out. I lost 35 pounds, instead and did even better.

The immediate side effect I got from the niacin was “flushing”. In my case, “flushing” means my skin melted (well, that’s what it felt like). I turned beet-red and my skin burned like crazy before mellowing to a nasty itch.

At 500mg, it may not be so bad, but I’d recommend against taking a high dose right before bed unless you want to toss and turn for a couple hours and scratch all night. I took it right when I woke up, and the flushing was tolerable by the time I left the house.