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Exercise and Vitamins – Along With Minerals Support Physical ActivityExercise and vitamins and minerals work together to support different types of physical activity. These vitamins and minerals help to extract energy from nutrients, repair damaged tissues, and transport oxygen to tissues because some exercises require endurance and stamina, but others require the building of muscles and more dense bones, weight lifting exercise comes to mind in this instance. There are some key vitamins and minerals that are supportive of exercise.
B Vitamins It is known that b vitamins are crucial to energy metabolism through chemical reactions that release energy in order to fuel exercise activities. B vitamins are also needed to repair damage to muscles and cells due to the rigors of exercise, as well as to regulate muscle tone and stimulate the immune system. By consuming adequate calories which includes complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables then an adequate amount of B vitamins should be consumed at the same time. Major Minerals Calcium Calcium intake that is adequate combined with regular exercise slows the deterioration as we age and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If calcium intake is not adequate then the risk of stress fractures increases and this is especially troublesome in athletes. By consuming low fat dairy products and other calcium rich foods enough calcium should be consumed in the diet to inhibit the deterioration of bones during exercise. Trace Minerals Iron Iron is crucial for oxygen delivery which is crucial to fueling the endurance stages of exercise that take the exerciser to the end of the routine. Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin and myoglobin helping to deliver oxygen to active muscle cells. Iron is also a key component of several enzymes that are vital to the production of ATP which is the body’s primary fuel by the oxygen energy system. Zinc and Copper Some of the minerals needed for strenuous exercise are copper for red blood cell synthesis and zinc essential to many of the enzymes involved in energy production. During strenuous exercise these minerals may also be lost in sweat and urine. Adequate intakes of zinc in the exercise diet would include red meat and seafood, and adequate sources of copper would include organ meats such as liver, shellfish, nuts, seeds, beans, peanut butter, and chocolate. The consumption of a diet appropriate to a life style of exercise will result in productive workouts throughout the life span. Next:
For other information on nutrition including exercise and vitamins some great references are: • Nutrition – Fourth Edition by Paul Insel, Don Ross, Kimberley McMahon, and Melissa Bernstein
Exercise Energy Systems
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