Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals trigger body processes for physical performance by helping produce energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. An athlete needs adequate vitamins and minerals to function optimally, and deficiencies can impair athletic performance. If you are extremely active, your needs may increase slightly. The increased calorie intake that accompanies a high level of activity is usually enough to fill that need, making supplementation unnecessary. However, some people prefer to take a supplement to make up for poor-eating days.
While there is no substitute for real food, a single one-a-day multi-vitamin/mineral supplement is a harmless form of “health insurance” as long as it does not provide more than 100 to 150% of the Daily Values for vitamins and minerals. Taking extra vitamins and minerals will not offer an energy boost or enhance physical performance, and in some cases can be dangerous.
Antioxident vitamins, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E are involved with repair of damaged muscle tissue. Athletes involved with heavy training, may need more of several vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, and B6 because they are involved with energy production. Supplementation has been shown to improve physical performance in vitamin C deficient people, but will not enhance performance in well-nourished individuals. Vitamin E has been shown to enhance oxygen utilizaton during exercise in some studies, but most research agrees that there is no discernable performance benefit.
In general, health professionals indicate that vitamin supplements are not necessary for the individual on a well-balanced diet, but they may be recommended for certain individulas, such as vegetarians or women of childbearing age, or individuals who do not eat an optimal amount of vitamins by diet alone. Prudent use of vitamin and antioxident supplements can provide insurance against poor diets and for athletes involved with intense physical activity. But again, the preference is for the nutrients to be obtained throught the diet.