Mikronährstoffe: Das solltest Du wissen, wenn Du Sport treibst

Micronutrients: What you should know when you exercise

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You don't have to tell anyone anymore: sport is healthy! It promotes mental and physical well-being and keeps you young into old age. What fewer people know, however, is that when you do sport, you should pay particular attention to the nutrients you consume. This way you can remain efficient in the long term and meet physical demands. In this article, we'll explain what these nutrients are and how they relate to sport.

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AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE JOY WITH A VOUCHER!

Exercise and nutrient intake

Like a machine or an engine, our organism also has an increased energy requirement during intense physical activity. Unlike artificial machines, however, it does not need fuel or electricity, but rather micronutrients. A position paper from the sports nutrition working group of the DGE (German Nutrition Society) deals, among other things, with the question of what influence minerals and vitamins have on athletes and their performance.

Of course, the basis - how could it be otherwise - is a balanced and varied diet that provides the body with enough vitamins and minerals. In addition, there is the adequate intake of fluids, especially when doing increased physical activity. This applies to amateur and competitive athletes alike.

A 2011 review published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Médica Portuguesa confirms that just 150 minutes of moderate exercise spread over the week, combined with proper nutritional intake, can produce very large improvements in general health and fitness levels.

A report in the scientific journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

confirms that physical activity, athletic performance and recovery after exercise are improved by optimal nutrition.

But there is another factor that plays a role in nutrients and exercise!

Sweating - perfect cooling system and nutrient thief

Sweating is unpleasant for most people. At least outside of the sauna. But if you take a closer look at the human cooling system, you can only describe it in one word: Ingenious!

The body needs a temperature between 36.5 and 37.4 °C so that the metabolic processes can run optimally and without problems. If you exercise, the temperature increases because every movement naturally generates heat.

To protect itself from overheating, the body activates its own cooling system, sweating. The sweat produced creates evaporative cooling on the skin, which regulates the temperature. This is due to the between two and four million sweat glands on your skin, which produce around one liter of sweat per day for this purpose.

However, the body also excretes minerals in addition to sweat. If you are very active in sports, you should therefore make sure to compensate for this through diet or nutritional supplements. In order to ensure the function and regeneration of your muscles, the increased vitamin and mineral requirements must be balanced out.

Appearance of micronutrients

Bloodstream, skin, nerves, muscles and immune system : the body needs to supply these and more with many nutrients. The majority of these are macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins. But your body also needs micronutrients to function smoothly.

Although the body only needs small amounts of micronutrients, a lack of them can lead to the development of many diseases. And because the body cannot produce these essential nutrients itself, it must obtain them through food.

Minerals and vitamins can be divided into four categories: water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Let’s take a closer look at them and their role in the body and in sports or increased physical activity.

The water-soluble vitamins

As the name suggests, the vitamins in this group dissolve in water. Your body cannot store them and therefore excretes excess amounts through urine.

The extent to which supplementation is necessary for athletes is still a controversial issue. The sports medicine department of the medical clinic at the University Hospital of Tübingen, for example, only considers additional intake of vitamins in addition to a healthy diet to be necessary in exceptional cases.

Each of the vitamins listed below works in its own way. However, as a whole they are similar. The B vitamins, for example, act as coenzymes that play an important role in fundamental chemical reactions.

Precisely because these vitamins cannot be stored well, it is important to consume sufficient amounts through food every day.

The fat-soluble vitamins

The term “fat-soluble vitamins” says it all: these vitamins do not dissolve in water. They are best absorbed by the body when consumed together with fats. They are then stored in the fatty tissue and liver for later use.

The minerals

Minerals are macroelements. We need to consume them in grams every day to avoid a deficiency.

If you do sports, it is especially important to pay attention to your mineral balance.

The trace elements

Trace or microelements are inorganic components of food that are only needed in very low concentrations. They also have to be ingested through food.

Here we have compiled a selection of different trace elements - including their function in the body:

Now you have learned about a whole range of substances. But which ones are particularly important for you as an athlete?

Do you do sports? Watch out!

Although all micronutrients are important for the body, we will introduce you to five of them and explain why they are important for you - especially if you do sports.

iron

As a central component of hemoglobin, iron is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Unfortunately, iron deficiency is widespread among athletes - so-called "athlete's anemia" - and can impair performance. ^[1]

While it can occur in men, this deficiency is more common in women, especially in endurance athletes. For example, the rate of iron deficiency in teenage female athletes is as high as 52 percent, according to a study published in the journal Swiss Medical Weekly .

The effects of iron deficiency can be reduced by taking appropriate nutritional supplements. However, this only applies if a change in diet cannot cover the iron requirement. People who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet in particular should pay particular attention to ensuring that they consume their daily requirement of this element, because the bioavailability of plant-based iron is lower.

magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral found in the soil, sea, plants, animals and humans. About 60 percent of the magnesium in your body is found in bones, while the rest is found in muscles, soft tissues and fluids - including your blood.

Magnesium is involved in more than 600 reactions in your body. One of its main functions is to function as a cofactor or auxiliary molecule in the biochemical reactions that are continuously carried out by enzymes. This is shown by a study from 2015.

The National Consumption Study II comes to the conclusion that most Germans consume far too little magnesium and that a deficiency is therefore widespread. This is critical when doing sports because there is an increased need for this mineral.

Vitamin B1

Your body needs vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, for... well, practically everything! In fact, thiamine was the first B vitamin discovered by science, which is why the vitamin's name includes the number 1. Like the other B vitamins, thiamine is water-soluble and helps the body convert food into energy.

The body needs thiamine to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is by far the most important chemical energy storage device that we living beings have.

With greater physical exertion and its duration, the need for vitamin B1 also increases. For example, the heart muscle beats faster and needs more energy - and this is provided by thiamine.

Vitamin B6

If you like to lift weights, vitamin B6 is very important for you because it is not only involved in the construction of all protein structures in the body, but also in the formation of red blood cells and neurotransmitters.

Vitamin B6 cannot be produced by the body, so it must be obtained through food or supplements. Consuming adequate amounts of vitamin B6 is important for optimal health and may even prevent and help treat chronic diseases, according to a 2015 study published in the journal Molecules .

Vitamin D

Your body produces vitamin D naturally when it is directly exposed to sunlight. However, you can also consume it through certain foods and nutritional supplements to build up sufficient levels in your blood, as a study on the Robert Koch Institute website shows.

The same study also concludes that vitamin D deficiency is very widespread. More than 50 percent of Germans are not adequately supplied with vitamin D.

In fact, vitamin D also has a major impact on sports. As an article on the website sportsandmedicine.com shows, which cites various studies on the subject, the use of vitamin D in athletes or the lack of this prohormone leads to major effects.

Conclusion: Micro in name, big in effect

British statesman Winston Churchill is said to have once said "No sports". That no longer applies to most people today. However, anyone who lives an active life through sport and exercise should keep an eye on their diet. This is especially true when it comes to micronutrients.

Vitamins are needed for energy production, immune and other functions, while minerals support growth, bone health, fluid balance and many other processes.

If you exercise a lot, you need to pay particular attention to ensuring you have an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals, as exercise increases your needs and a deficiency can quickly have serious consequences.