Bodybuilding Wizard

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • What is Plyometric Training: Definition and Exercises
    • In-Depth Review: Crazy Nutrition’s Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine Formula
    • 8 practical ways to enrich your meals with protein
    • The Benefits of Incorporating Boxing Into Your Workout Routine
    • Trap Bar Deadlift Vs. Barbell Deadlift — Differences and Similarities
    • Barbell vs. Dumbbell Shoulder Press For Shoulder Development
    • Comparison of squats and leg presses – which exercise to choose and why?
    • Barbell Seal Rows: Build a Thicker Back Faster
    RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest Instagram
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Training
      • Weight training basics
      • Advanced bodybuilding
      • Workout programs
      • Home weight training programs
      • Cardio workout
      • Bodybuilding glossary
      • Exercise equipment
      • Weight training accessories
      • Weight lifting injuries
    • Exercises
      • Chest exercises
        • Middle chest exercises
        • Upper chest exercises
        • Lower chest exercises
      • Back exercises
        • Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
        • Upper back (trapezius)
        • Lower back (erector spinae)
      • Bicep exercises
      • Tricep exercises
      • Shoulder exercises
        • Front deltoid
        • Side deltoid
        • Rear deltoid
        • Rotator Cuff
      • Neck strengthening exercises
      • Quadricep exercises
      • Hamstring exercises
      • Calf exercises
      • Tibialis anterior exercises
      • Abdominal exercises
        • Upper abdominal exercises
        • Lower abdominal exercise
        • Oblique exercises
      • Core exercises
      • Forearm exercises
      • Glute & Hip exercises
      • Kettlebell exercises
      • Foam rolling & Stretching
      • Explosive (dynamic) lifts
    • Motivation
      • Videos
        • Motivational videos
        • Funny workout videos
      • Pictures
      • Quotes
      • Funny Fitness
      • Transformations
    • Diet
    • Supplements
    • Anatomy
    • FAQ
    • Health
    Login
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    You are at:Home»Diet»Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals
    Micronutrients - Vitamins and Minerals
    Micronutrients - Vitamins and Minerals

    Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals

    0
    By krunoslav on April 4, 2015 Diet
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Tumblr WhatsApp

    Micronutrients – Vitamins and Minerals

    Micronutrients and physical activity

    Micronutrients and physical activity
    Micronutrients and physical activity

    Contrary to the body’s requirements for macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), the daily dietary requirements for vitamins and minerals are very small. However, these micronutrients serve vital functions in the body and thus are essential for survival. They are essential to facilitate various body functions and biochemical reactions, including muscular contraction.

    Sports performance can require additional hydration and energy before and during physical activity, as well as a sufficient intake of the nutrients required to support recovery afterwards. The best way to gain muscle in a healthy manner is to combine weight training with a diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals that improve performance and maximize the benefits of the strenuous workout sessions.

    Vitamins and minerals do not directly affect muscle growth and they do not necessarily affect exercise. Although  they are not a source of energy, they do perform highly specific metabolic functions, especially in energy metabolism. In other words, they make better environment in your body for muscle growth to occur as a result of real muscle-growth factors. Although these micronutrients don’t themselves enhance athletic performance, they’re necessary to achieve optimal levels of performance.

    Many experts believe that food loses much of its vitamin content through processing and the addition of preservatives. Unfortunately, much of the food we eat today is highly processed, making it difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals through diet alone. Bodybuilders, because of their intense workouts, definitely need to take a basic vitamin supplement, which can provide good insurance against vitamin deficiency. Follow the dosage suggestions on the bottle unless advised to do otherwise by your doctor.

    Vitamins and minerals should serve only a complementary role in your diet. Supplementation is not nearly as important as eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet. But if you’re involved in an intense exercise program or your nutrition is poor, you’ll require additional amounts of certain micronutrients. The simple solution to avoid deficiency is to take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

    Vitamins

    Vitamins are biologically active compounds used in the chemical processes that make human body function. They are organic substances, meaning that they contain carbon, yet they do not contain calories (energy). 

    Vitamins are needed only in tiny amounts in the body, and they are metabolized, so they must be replaced by what is consumed in the diet.

    Vitamins are classified into two types:

    1. Water soluble. They are not able to be stored in the body, and excess amounts are eliminated in urine. Because they can’t be retained, water-soluble vitamins need to be taken daily if you don’t get enough of them in the food you eat. Some important water-soluble vitamins include the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B12, biotin) and vitamin C.
    2. Fat soluble. They are stored in the adipose (fat) tissue in the body. They can therefore be taken less often. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K. The fat-soluble vitamins are dependent on the presence of dietary fat for intestinal absorption and transport throughout the body. Fat-soluble vitamins can be more toxic to the body than water-soluble vitamins because they are stored in the liver and adipose tissues and can accumulate over time.

    They function to trigger reactions in the body and they play critical roles in energy metabolism and tissue formation.

    Minerals

    Minerals are inorganic substances found in the water and soil in the earth, and they enter our bodies from the foods we eat—from the plants that take up the minerals and the animals that eat the plants. 

    Minerals are all the chemical elements in our body besides carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Four percent of our total body weight is composed of 22 minerals.

    Minerals are classified into two types:

    1. Macrominerals (major minerals). They include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, sodium, potassium, and chloride; these minerals exist in the body in quantities of about 35 to 1.050 grams, depending on mineral and body size.
    2. Microminerals (trace minerals; trace elements). They include iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, selenium, copper, cobalt, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, arsenic, nickel, and vanadium; these exist in the body in quantities of less than a few grams. 

    Both macro- and microminerals (trace elements) are critical to metabolic processes and the synthesis of glycogen, protein, and fat. Minerals found naturally in food are particularly important to exercisers and athletes. They promote the growth, maintenance, and repair of tissue. Minerals also assist in muscle contraction, normal heart rhythm, oxygen transport, transmission of nerve impulses, immune function, and bone health.

    Although few studies show beneficial effects with vitamin or mineral supplementation above recommended levels, vitamin or mineral deficiencies may impair strength and training. Thus, a multivitamin is often recommended for athletes to ensure that they are consuming adequate amounts and that they have no deficiencies.

    A well balanced diet may provide all the minerals you need, but it’s wise to take a mineral supplement to prevent deficiency. However, there’s no need to take massive doses.

    Conclusion

    Vitamins and minerals are necessary for health, but they’re also a vital component of getting the greatest benefits from your workouts. Hard workouts increase your nutritional needs. Taking vitamin supplements should not take the place of good nutrition (balanced diet).  Your body can get almost all the nutrients it needs from a balanced diet. But if you’re involved in an intense exercise program or your nutrition is poor, you’ll require additional amounts of certain micronutrients. The simple solution to avoid deficiency is to take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. When you workout, your body creates free radicals (“oxidative stress”), highly reactive molecules that damage your cells. The increased use of oxygen during exercise generates higher free radical activity than usual, and this can damage muscle fibers and slow the growth and recovery process. Vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and selenium can provide some protection from this oxidative damage.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
    krunoslav
    • Twitter

    Hey! My name is Petar, and I'm the owner and author of Bodybuilding Wizard. I started this website back in late 2014, and it has been my pet project ever since. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams!

    Related Posts

    8 practical ways to enrich your meals with protein

    The Effects of Caffeine on Muscle Growth

    8 reasons why the quality of food matters for your muscle strength

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    WE ARE SOCIAL
    • Facebook 181
    • Twitter 472
    • YouTube 101
    • Instagram
    RECENT POSTS
    January 31, 2023

    What is Plyometric Training: Definition and Exercises

    9.0
    January 28, 2023

    In-Depth Review: Crazy Nutrition’s Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine Formula

    January 22, 2023

    8 practical ways to enrich your meals with protein

    January 17, 2023

    The Benefits of Incorporating Boxing Into Your Workout Routine

    January 15, 2023

    Trap Bar Deadlift Vs. Barbell Deadlift — Differences and Similarities

    RECENT COMMENTS
    • Justin Dew on Designing your own home gym
    • krunoslav on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • Christina on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • jack on Types Of Whey Protein
    • igtropin on Stiff-Leg Deadlift Technique
    LATEST GALLERIES

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    ABOUT
    ABOUT

    We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiasts and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding on a single website. We strive to educate and inform our visitors so that they can make the correct training, nutrition, and supplement decisions on their own. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality and take you to a whole new level!

    POPULAR POSTS
    April 2, 2014

    Lying Leg Curl Exercise Guide

    February 18, 2019

    Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?

    March 30, 2014

    Workout Frequency

    BODYBUILDING WIZARD
    Bodybuilding Wizard Footer Logo
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    • About
    • Write for us
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Friends
    • Advertising
    Copyright © 2014-2022 BodybuildingWizard. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress. Made with love and lots of caffeine.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?