What you need to know when exercising and taking food supplements

Food supplements for sports

Not surprisingly, athletes need the right food to feel good for optimal results, sustainable performance, and injury prevention. This is why it is important for active people to focus on getting essential nutrients from foods that contain B vitamins, especially B12, which can help promote their lifestyle.

A properly balanced diet should focus on the vitamins for athletes and their essential daily values. However, it is important to be active in including foods that contain them in your diet.

Certain vitamins (and minerals) are especially important for energy metabolism, red blood cell formation, and the fight against oxidative stress. In most cases, these vitamins are very easy to get from regular foods, most people eat daily, such as bananas, chicken, and sweet potatoes.

Athletes vegans and vegetarians need to be especially vigilant and aware of the state of their vitamins, as some of these vital nutrients for energy production and more are found in meat, poultry and dairy products they do not consume. Food supplements for sports that contain B vitamins, B12 vitamins should be considered. Currently, supplements for sports Orthomol Sport have become especially popular.

Whether you’re going to run a track or cycle for miles, feel best if you’re supplementing with foods that provide your body with the optimal nutrition important to active people.

The best vitamins for athletes

1. Vitamin B12 is an extremely important vitamin for energy metabolism. Every cell in the body is dependent on vitamin B12 because it plays an important role in the synthesis of fatty acids and energy production, making it a very important vitamin for sports activities. Deficiency can cause limb weakness, fatigue and even numbness. Because this vitamin is mainly found in animal products, vegan and vegetarian athletes are at risk of deficiency. For strict vegans and vegetarians, it is important to add bread, flakes and other grains that have been fortified with B12, or consume a daily supplement.

Sources of vitamin B12: fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk.

2. Vitamin A

Well known for its role in visual health, vitamin A is also a potent antioxidant to help fight free radicals caused by oxidative stress and has been shown to play an important role in bone health. Excessive amounts of supplements can have toxic effects, so consult your healthcare provider before taking them.

Sources of vitamin A: sweet potatoes, spinach, pumpkins, carrots, broccoli

3. Vitamin D Known as “sun vitamin” because it is absorbed by your skin when it absorbs sunlight, vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that are essential for healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiency can put athletes at risk for stress fractures, muscle pain and weakness.

Sources of vitamin D: cheese, egg yolks, canned salmon, mushrooms.

4. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is responsible for protein and glucose metabolism and hemoglobin production in the body. B6, along with other B vitamins, is responsible for how the body unlocks the energy in food to use for energy and cell health, which is especially important for people who are very active. As with other B vitamins, B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that it is excreted in the urine and is not stored in the body. Foods that contain B vitamins should be consumed daily.

Sources of vitamin B6: chickpeas, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, eggs, tuna, salmon

5. Iron

Iron is a mineral, but it is definitely worth talking about in the context of athletes ’diets, as it is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, especially to the working muscles. Insufficient iron in the body can cause fatigue and affect physical activity at various levels. Iron is lost due to sweat, skin, urine, gastrointestinal tract and menstruation. Women athletes are at higher risk of iron deficiency and may need to be supplemented.

Foods that contain iron: red meat, lentils, beans, tofu, spinach, pumpkin seeds

Athletes ’diets should be geared towards avoiding the necessary minerals and vitamins needed for sports activities. Proper nutrition, good vitamins for sports will guarantee you great results.

2020 Concordia University St. Paul, Maggie Michalczyk