Growing up, you probably learned quickly that vitamins and minerals are important to grow strong and healthy. Flintstones vitamins, anyone? While you know vitamins and minerals are essential to our health, do you really know what vitamins your body needs? Or why they’re so important?
In the Sports Nutrition world, we talk in excess about macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) because our bodies require such large quantities of each. Micronutrients, however, can be equally important. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that our bodies cannot produce. Vitamins are found in animal and plant products while minerals are inorganic and found in water and soil. It’s important to eat a wide variety of plant and animal foods as each contain their own makeup of vitamins and minerals.
Let’s look briefly at each of the types of vitamins and minerals to give an understanding of the role each plays in your body:
Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins that must be consumed from dietary fats and are stored within the liver and fatty tissues. These are Vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are important for bone development, eye health, your immune system, and guarding your cellular structures. Fat-soluble vitamins can be found in beef, fish, eggs, nuts, leafy greens, berries, fortified milk, sweet potatoes, etc.
Water-soluble vitamins, in contrast, dissolve in water and your body decides what it needs. If there is an excess, your body will excrete it typically by sweat or urine. These vitamins are Vitamin C and all eight B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12). Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc. B vitamins are found in foods like eggs, beef, salmon, nuts, avocado, whole grains, seeds, potatoes, etc.
Trace minerals are found in living tissues. While you may not need tons of them, they are important for your immune system health, tissue repair and growth, and can help with red blood cell production. Iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, fluoride, and selenium make up trace minerals. They can be found in whole grains, shellfish, coffee, chocolate, leafy greens, dairy products, etc.
Calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur are known as macrominerals. Macrominerals play a role in all metabolic processes of the body such as bone health, fluid balance, energy production, immune system support, etc. Several macrominerals can be found in dairy products, seeds, beans, lentils, potatoes, animal products, berries, etc.
Besides supporting our overall health and wellbeing, micronutrients can be optimal for our sports performance. Making sure you’re consuming your proper amount of vitamins and minerals can aid in protein synthesis, increase endurance, strength, and recovery, and help support appropriate muscle glycogen levels. If we find ourselves deficient in any number of micronutrients, our overall health can suffer. And then how can we be expected to perform at our best? Muscle performance and various metabolic processes can be impacted with a deficiency in minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron. If you’re deficient in B vitamins, you’re likely to have decreased energy production. A deficiency in Vitamin D can decrease your muscular function, therefore, decreasing your ability to perform.
This is where something like a Gnarly Performance Greens supplement can come in handy. Performance Greens are designed to give you all of the essential micronutrients to help your energy levels, performance, and recovery. Research suggests that the following groups are not getting the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables: 80% of men & 77% of women ages 18 to 24, 88% of men & 73% of women ages 25 to 34, 87% of men & 74% of women ages 35 to 44, 81% of men & 71% of women ages 45 to 54. Whether it be a lack of time, attention, or an utter dislike of fruits and vegetables, most individuals are coming up short when it comes to getting a wide variety of micronutrients.
Gnarly Performance Greens also contain several concentrated plant-based ingredients for extra credit. To name just a few: wheat grass, which contains chlorophyll, has been shown to help in energy production, gut health, cancer prevention, and decreasing inflammation. Barley grass has been shown to lower cholesterol, support muscle repair, increase brain function, and aid in gut health. Alfalfa sprout has been used as an anti-inflammatory to treat gastrointestinal disorders. It is also helpful in supporting immunity and lowering cholesterol. Spirulina has been shown to decrease blood pressure, support brain health, and fight against liver disease.
Micronutrients, our vitamins and minerals, are key aspects of our overall health, wellness, and performance. For sport performance, it’s critical to get the right amounts of micronutrients for muscular function, energy production, and recovery. In regards to overall health, it’s important to keep our bones strong, our brains functioning, our immunity protected, and our guts happy. But really, these overall health and performance go hand-in-hand. If your gut isn’t healthy, it’s going to be tough to run a marathon. If your bones aren’t strong, you’re susceptible to injury when skiing in the backcountry.
Variety is important when it comes to getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Whatever your goals are, make sure you’re keeping health and wellness at the forefront. If you think you may be deficient in any number of micronutrients, talk with your doctor or find a medical nutritionist to help you sort through. Also, try Performance Greens. They are packed with whole-food nutrition, appropriate for daily use, and geared for athletes.
References:
Blanck, H. M., Gillespie, C., Kimmons, J. E., Seymour, J. D., & Serdula, M. K. (2008). Trends in fruit and vegetable consumption among U.S. men and women, 1994-2005. Preventing chronic disease, 5(2), A35.
Lock, K., Pomerleau, J., Causer, L., Altmann, D. R., & McKee, M. (2005). The global burden of disease attributable to low consumption of fruit and vegetables: implications for the global strategy on diet. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 83(2), 100–108.
Smith-Ryan, A. & Antonio, J. (2013). Sports Nutrition and Performance Enhancing Supplements. Linus Learning.
