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| Posted on 5/31/2010 1:04:48 PM |
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Nutrition for Life
Minerals and Energy
Nutrient number 6 of 6
Craig W Kasprovich, AAS, Dietetic Technician
Minerals are non caloric inorganic compounds which service the vitality of the body through various metabolic roles. There are two categories of minerals you might have noticed on supplemental vitamin and mineral labels, these are major minerals and trace minerals. What this basically means is major minerals are needed in the daily diet in amounts that exceed 100mg’s a day, and trace minerals are necessary in amounts that are bNellow 100mg’s a day. With that being said minerals are arguably the most efficient at delivering almost immediate results as it relates to the performance and health of athletes and non athletes when compared to vitamins. This may be due to the direct effect they have on cell function, however all the nutrients covered in previous articles work as a team to promote health and performance and when one nutrient is eliminated the team is no longer effective.
Cells are viewed as the basis of human body processes with chemical reactions taking place constantly in all living cells. Minerals help cells create and maintain the integrity of the skeletal system, aid in muscle contraction and relaxation thru electrical impulses. Minerals play a role in maintaining acid and ph balance of the blood, along with metabolically activating cells for physical activity. It is important to promote efficient control of fuel usage at the cellular level which is necessary for consistent athletic performance and minerals are just waiting to enhance metabolism and impact fluid status greatly.
Sweat rates and physical stress directly impact the daily or hourly levels of certain minerals needed to perform at high levels of endurance so the more balanced a diet is the better the results are. Sodium, potassium and chloride are viewed as the major electrolyte components although calcium and magnesium are also part of the electrolyte team and have to be considered when estimating sweat rates. The average amounts of electrolytes lost in 1 liter of sweat very some what between individuals so weight loss during training should be monitored to help replace losses. The typical amounts of electrolytes lost in 1 liter of sweat are in the area of 1380 mg sodium, 1770 mg chloride, 234mg potassium, 140mg calcium, followed by approximately 60mg of magnesium. All of these minerals are relatively easy to replace when balanced nutrition is enforced, when this is not the case cramping may be problematic. These are averages only, rates vary greatly from one person to another so monitor weight before and after exercise and rehydrate accordingly. If you loss two pounds during training try to rehydate with 32oz of water plus normal daily requirements throughout your day (Upton, 2009, pp. 164).
Keep in mind that if supplementation of calcium is needed to meet daily calcium requirements, the body can usually only process a quantity of 500mg or less at time taken multiple times daily depending on your calcium needs and energy plan.
Other minerals of interest to endurance training are phosphorus which plays a role in energy metabolism as a constituent of phosphocreatine, along with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), better known for its role in muscle contraction.
Magnesium is also essential for energy production and also works in conjunction with sodium and potassium for the maintenance of blood pressure. Other important functions include enzyme reactions related to nerve transmission, along with the muscle contraction and relaxation cycle.
Potassium is also involved in muscle contraction, although calcium is the main contributor contraction can not take place with out potassium present. Potassium, sodium, and chloride are the major contributors that regulate electrical signaling between the outside and inside of all cells in the body along with maintaining overall fluid balance along with normal heart rhythm. These three are probably the most marketed minerals contained in sports drinks so deficiencies would be rare if a well balanced energy plan is in place.
Sodium and Chloride are usually together when consuming food due to the use of table salt, sea salt, and processed foods that normally contain sodium and chloride together.
These two minerals are part of the major electrolyte group and are special minerals due to the major influence on fluid balance along with muscle contraction and relaxation cycles in addition sodium and chloride regulate the volume and balance of fluids out side of all body cells one example is blood volume. Sodium has other important commitments such as transporting nutrients into the cell for energy production, nerve impulse transmissions, along with tissue repair. Excessive sodium intakes,(hypernatremia) can lead to water retention and can leave you feeling like a water balloon with legs not to mention contributing to hypertension. If you suffer from hypertension and are taking medications to treat the problem, special attention should be given to potassium levels. The reasoning behind this is some but not all meds prescribed for this problem affect potassium levels to the point where athletic performance is hindered. Next time you visit your doctor inquire about you meds, they will help if this is a concern for you. Other wise including more fruits and vegetables will help replenish potassium levels after all this nutrient helps to lower blood pressure unlike its counter part sodium. On the other hand extreme loss of sodium is called hyponatremia although rare it can be very traumatic to extreme endurance athletes during times of long bouts in hot and humid events. Sources of sodium replenishment range from salt tablets, electrolyte drinks, V8- juice, pickles, salty snacks, etc what ever you tolerate best during events or training. (Ivy, 2004, pp.143)
Iron although very important is a trace mineral and needed in small amounts. The importance of iron is in its much needed ability to form hemoglobin which is an oxygen carrying compound found in the red blood cells. Oxygen has a critical function in metabolizing carbohydrates for energy along with fats both of which are critical to athletic performance. So as you can see it serves as an indirect activator for nutrients. And as you might imagine fatigue is usually a sign of iron deficiencies. Women athletes should pay close attention to iron levels in respect to blood turn over during menstruation and energy plans that limited meat intakes further limiting iron intake (Ivy, 2004, pp. 141).
Zinc displays its presents in every cell of the body and gets involved with around 300 different enzymes destined for implementing chemical reactions we need to survive. This nutrient is not yet fully understood however it is involved in tissue maintenance and has importance to proper immune system function. For its role in tissue repair and testosterone enhancement it receives the anabolic mineral award. Many people consume oysters because one they are good and two it has been said it is an aphrodisiac, there just might be some truth to that in respect to testosterone levels (Ivy, 2004, pp. 143)
All though there are more minerals that also have intriguing roles the ones covered seem to be considered the most by athletes and others not involved in physical activities. For a list of vitamins and minerals and the required intake, along with their food sources consult the tables at this web site.
Please visit the following website to view a chart on Vitamins and Minerals http://www.thebody.com/content/art46419.html
References:
Ivy, J. & Portman, R. (2004). Nutrient Timing. Laguna Beach, CA; Basic Health
Productions.
Upton, J. & Bell-Wilson, J. (2009). Energy to Burn. Hoboken, NY: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
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