If you want to know what the best vitamins for athletes are, it helps to know what makes one more important for athletic performance than another. Because, as much as it has to do with a vitamin\u2019s function, it also has to do with:<\/p>\n
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- How exercise impacts the body\u2019s supply of it.<\/li>\n
- How hard the vitamin is to get in a normal diet.<\/li>\n
- How its recommended daily intake is decided.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That third factor highlights the difference between the amount of a vitamin you need to avoid deficiency and the amount required to optimize athletic performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recommended levels of vitamins and minerals are meant to serve the needs of the entire population,\u201d says BODi Principal Scientist Paul Falcone. \u201cHowever, different people \u2014 especially athletes \u2014 have different needs, and research has shown safety and efficacy when consuming certain vitamins at levels much higher than recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, it\u2019s not simply a matter of deficiency \u2014 though even a marginal one can lead to a decrease in your body\u2019s energy production and performance.<\/p>\n
For athletes and others who exercise frequently, research indicates there are a few vitamins and minerals that are 1. Important for performance, 2. Overlooked, and\/or 3. Disproportionately utilized during intense athletic activity. Let\u2019s review them.<\/p>\n
Magnesium<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMagnesium<\/a> is an essential mineral that helps with hundreds of important functions, including protein synthesis, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction. But research suggests\u00a0nearly half of us don\u2019t get enough of it<\/a>, which is reason alone to add more to your diet.<\/p>\n
Less publicized among magnesium\u2019s many duties, however, is its role in bone health.<\/p>\n
\u201cMagnesium is essential for strong bones as it actually helps provide them structure,\u201d Falcone says. \u201cHowever, bones also serve as magnesium storage for other parts of the body. Therefore, consuming magnesium is important to serve the needs of the whole body and to support bone mineral density, which is the measure of bone strength.\u201d*<\/p>\n
When it comes to exercise performance, a\u00a0review of research<\/a>\u00a0found that the need for magnesium increases the more physical activity you perform. There are several reasons for this:<\/p>\n
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- It plays a key role in the stabilization of ATP (the body\u2019s source of energy) in the body, as well as muscle recovery and muscle cramp prevention.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s lost in sweat. As with co-electrolytes\u00a0sodium, potassium, and calcium, magnesium<\/a>\u00a0is expelled when the body perspires.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s found in foods that people eat the least. Unlike sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are more readily available in the American diet, magnesium exists at its highest concentrations in more obscure foods like\u00a0Brazil nuts<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0pumpkin seeds<\/a>. This is why Beachbody Performance Hydrate<\/a> has a higher amount of magnesium than other competing products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Iron<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nReduce aerobic fitness<\/a> to its simplest definition and it\u2019s the efficiency with which the body delivers oxygen to working tissues. That oxygen travels via hemoglobin, a transport protein which contains a binding site called \u201cheme,\u201d at the center of which is iron.<\/p>\n
Iron deficiency \u2014 although confined disproportionately to certain female and ethnic<\/a> populations and those with specific disorders \u2014 is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency<\/a>\u00a0in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, iron is harder than many other minerals to get in the diet<\/a>, especially for vegans<\/a> and vegetarians, since the most bioavailable form of it is found in red meat, poultry, and seafood.<\/p>\n
\u201cDietary iron comes in different forms, with the type found in plant foods being more difficult to absorb,\u201d Falcone says, noting that \u201cvitamin C can help improve the body\u2019s ability to absorb iron from plant foods.\u201d<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s important to not only ensure you consume enough iron, but that you also consider its sources and whether enough of it is ultimately being absorbed.<\/p>\n
Vitamin D<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nData suggests a majority of Americans have suboptimal levels of vitamin D<\/a> often because it\u2019s difficult to get from food. (Good sources include fish<\/a> like salmon, tuna and sardines, mushrooms, and fortified foods like milk, orange juice, and cereal.)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile sunlight is a great way to get vitamin D, sun exposure can be minimal during certain times of the year<\/a> and also depends on latitude,\u201d Falcone says. \u201cSupplementation may provide an easy way to ensure you\u2019re getting sufficient amounts of vitamin D year round, no matter where you live.\u201d<\/p>\n
- It\u2019s found in foods that people eat the least. Unlike sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are more readily available in the American diet, magnesium exists at its highest concentrations in more obscure foods like\u00a0Brazil nuts<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0pumpkin seeds<\/a>. This is why Beachbody Performance Hydrate<\/a> has a higher amount of magnesium than other competing products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n