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What Vitamins and Minerals should I take?
As a Sports Dietitian, I frequently get asked this question. The truth is it is hard to find a "one size fits all" answer. Research has shown the need for certain nutrients are increased in strenuous activity, but athletes can generally meet this need by their increased food intake. Furthermore, there is no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation can improve performance, as long as deficiencies do not exist. So what should athletes do? I came up with my TOP 5 things to consider for vitamin and mineral supplementation: 1) More is not better — do not exceed the RDA by a long shot, or you could be doing more harm than good 2) Food First — think about getting your nutrients with foods first before adding a supplement 3) Are you at risk? Certain folks may be at risk for deficiencies more so than others. An at-risk athlete may: • Be eating a very low calorie diet • Be excluding major food groups, such as Vegans • Have food intolerances or allergies • Be pregnant or lactating • Be making poor dietary choices • Have eating disorders • Have been told by their doctor that they have iron deficiency anemia 4) Check your diet for adequate calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin C, and sodium. These have been identified by researchers as deserving extra attention for athletes. 5) IF you are at risk, you may want to consider a multivitamin and mineral supplement that does not exceed the RDA. Follow your doctor's prescription for treating an iron deficiency, for this can seriously affect performance, and is not uncommon in elite endurance athletes. For more on this topic, read the article: Vitamins and Minerals, Do Athletes Need More?
very helpful. The complexity of sussing out all the nutrients in everything we eat during the day is somewhat overwhelming. I have figured that if what I'm eating is green, or a whole grain and limited protein I'm probably doing ok.
New Jersey, United States
Dietitian
As a Sports Nutritionist for PowerBar, I work closely with the nutrition content on the we…MORE
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Here are some highlights of Dr. Kevin Tipton’s presentation, entitled “Protein and Gains in Muscle Mass.”
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