10 Vitamins and Minerals Important for Athletes

All vitamins and minerals are important to athletes and their training programs, but there are several of them that need more intake than others. These are called micronutrients and not the same ones you probably hear about the most like carbs, fats, and protein. Let’s take a look at these 10 nutrients you want plenty of as an athlete.

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D has become well known because many are finding themselves deficient in this nutrient due to lack of sunlight from being outdoors. The common benefit of consuming enough Vitamin D is for allowing better calcium absorption for bone health.

However, this vitamin is also good for men to have healthy testosterone levels, and play a role in helping mitochondria on muscle cells recover after contraction.

2. Vitamin C

The notorious immune-boosting vitamins that help keep away the common cold and other illnesses. However, many of studies concluded consuming high amounts of Vitamin C while having a cold does nothing but assist with some hydration.

Vitamin C is much more than this though. This vitamin is necessary for the growth of tissue and repair as well. This nutrient is also needed for men to have healthy test levels by keeping cortisol levels lower.

3. Calcium

Calcium is going to definitely keep your body’s skeletal structure strong and healthy along with proper strength training. This nutrient is not only found within dairy products and can be obtained in high amounts through foods such as broccoli.

Aside from bone health, calcium is also the primary mineral used for muscle contractions. Women with low estrogen levels may also have low calcium absorption as well. Basically you need enough calcium to keep most bone injuries away.

4. Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the top minerals athletes need to be consuming enough of for benefits ranging from increased strength to better quality of sleep. Many athletes that have issues with sleep and resting for long enough periods generally have magnesium deficiency especially runners.

Magnesium has also been found to play a significant role in protein synthesis and energy creation, which essentially means better muscle growth and exercise performance.

5. Potassium

Do you get cramps pretty often especially while running? Then you may be deficient in potassium levels as well. Potassium along with sodium are electrolytes that regulate water levels within the body.

Aside from helping to prevent dehydration, potassium is also found to be beneficial in helping signals cross nerves down into muscle cells allowing muscular contraction to take place.

6. Zinc

Zinc is another mineral that needs to be consumed enough for your diet if you are a male especially. The reason being is because natural testosterone production requires this mineral. Zinc is also a mineral closely related to growth, so athletes looking to increase muscle size need to keep this intake higher as well.

7. Vitamin B6

Energy production is one of the main attributes received through the consumption of this B vitamin, and this also includes the creation of protein within red blood cells as well. This is an important nutrient that we receive plenty of through eggs and red meats, plus is associated with over 100 metabolic processes.

8. Vitamin B12

B12 assists with bringing oxygen to tissues, so this would mean better oxygen flow into muscles during training since B12 is used for red blood cell formation. This vitamin is only found within foods that contain animal products, so those who are vegan need to supplement with B12 in order to not take chances with anemia.

9. Pantothenic Acid (B5)

This is your natural nutrient partitioning ingredient needed within your diet. Vitamin B5 essentially takes the carbs, protein, and fats you have consumed and uses them for energy or energy storage. If you feel lack of energy it could quite possibly be a deficiency in this nutrient not allowing you to create energy through foods.

10. Vitamin E

This is a vitamin great for boosting the immune system and keeping illness away much like vitamin C. However, this antioxidant is not citrus tasting and is actually oily. These antioxidants are also quite important for muscle growth, so don’t skip out on having enough nutrient intake containing this vitamin.

Whole foods are your primary route to obtaining these vitamins and minerals, but sometimes you just can’t eat enough in the day to reach your body’s nutrient requirements. Quality supplements such as Vital4U Vitamin are available to help assist your diet and get you the nutrients your body needs. Think of it as a backup plan to support your food consumption.