Vitamins and Minerals

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Vitamins

&

Minerals

Vitamins are a group of unrelated organic compounds that are not manufactured by the body. They are required in relatively small amounts from the diet and are essential for cellular metabolism, growth, and maintenance of health. There are two kinds of vitamins; water and fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins are transported in bodily fluids and are not stored by the body to any appreciable extent. They function as coenzymes or co-factors to various metabolic processes in the body. The fact that they are not stored in the body means they need to be consumed on a daily basis. Since water-soluble vitamins are not really stored, people think that there are no harmful effects if they consume more than the RDA. B6 and niacin have been shown to be toxic when consumed in megadoses (10 times the RDA). Exercise might have an effect on the requirement of the water-soluble vitamins. Since they are not stored, the body does not have a pool to work from. This might lead to an increased need for some of the vitamins with exercise.
The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored by the body in lipids. The fact that these vitamins can be stored can lead to toxicity when excessively consumed. It will probably take less to create toxicity since they are stored in the body, as compared to the water-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins function more like hormones, rather than like coenzymes. Because fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body, exercise or physical activity will be less to effect their requirements. The water and fat-soluble vitamins do not provide energy to the body; they are a part of the energy releasing reactions that occur throughout the body.

Minerals are inorganic compounds that are required for certain metabolic processes. They are needed in small amounts and do not provide energy to the body. Minerals can have structural roles in the body.

Is Vitamin Supplementation necessary? Why do athletes supplement?

The three reasons that most athletes state for supplementing are:

1. To compensate for less than optimal diets

2. To meet the unusual nutrient demands that go along with exercise

3. To improve performance

It is true that exercise and increased physical activity may increase the need for vitamins and minerals, but this increased need can be met by increasing the caloric requirements that accompany exercise. If an athlete is exercising more, they are should be eating more. By eating more, they are fulfilling the vitamin and mineral requirements. Supplementation is not necessary. There is no evidence that consuming more than the 50-100% of the RDA will increase performance. A supplement will only work if the athlete or individual is deficient in that particular vitamin or mineral. If there is no deficiency, you are not benefitting in any way. A poor diet is not redeemed by supplementation. Supplementation may be appropriate if someone is consuming a low calorie diet (1,200 calories or less), a vegetarian diet, a diseased state, or a lack of food choices or availability. The supplement should not contain more than 100% of the RDA for any vitamin or mineral. The best way to obtain your vitamin and mineral requirements are to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

***The American Dietetic Association, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the American Institute for Nutrition, the American Medical Association, and the National Council against Health Fraud have all issued statements in support of the research that there are no benefits of supplementation beyond the established RDA. They say a proper, well-balanced diet will provide the best diet for performance.***

The charts below, taken from Sports Nutrition for the 90's, show the various RDA's for males and females, dietary sources of the vitamins and minerals, the major bodily functions, and the roles during exercise.