Daily routine
When to take supplements: morning, night or around workouts
The best time of day to take vitamin D, B12, iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium, which ones to keep apart, and a simple daily routine.
By the Beyond Humans team. , 2 min read
Taking the right supplement at the wrong time can mean you absorb less of it, or that two of them get in each other's way. A simple routine fixes both. This is the one our plans use.
Morning, 8:00 am
- Vitamin D3: with breakfast that has some fat (milk, eggs, curd, nuts). Fat helps it absorb.
- Vitamin B12: some people find it a little energising, so mornings suit it.
- Iron: on an empty stomach or with vitamin C, and 2 hours away from tea, coffee, milk and calcium. If it upsets your stomach, take it with a small meal.
- Folate: with breakfast.
Night, 9:00 pm
- Magnesium: many people find it relaxing in the evening. Glycinate is gentle on the stomach.
- Zinc: with dinner; on an empty stomach it can cause nausea.
- Calcium: with dinner, and 2 hours away from zinc and iron, since they compete to be absorbed. Calcium is absorbed best in doses of 500 mg or less at a time.
Around your workout
Only if you train:
- Creatine: any time of day, every day. Timing matters much less than taking it daily.
- Protein powder: within a couple of hours after training, or whenever you are short of protein that day.
- Electrolytes: during or after long or sweaty sessions.
Pairs to keep apart
- Iron and calcium: 2 hours apart
- Zinc and calcium: 2 hours apart
- Iron and tea or coffee: 2 hours apart
- Psyllium husk and any other supplement: 2 hours apart, as fibre can carry them through before they are absorbed
Tips that make it stick
- Tie it to a habit you never skip, like breakfast or brushing your teeth.
- Use a weekly pill box. You'll see at a glance whether you took today's.
- Give it time. Blood levels take weeks to move. Retest after about 3 months, and check in on how you feel after about 4 weeks.
Your own timed plan
Every Beyond Humans plan comes as a timed daily stack: Morning, Night and, if you train, Around your workout, with these spacing notes built in. See the plans.
General information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take medicine or have a health condition.