Courtesy of AthleticFoodieTM, a sports performance company that helps athletes unlock their potential
Written by Garrett Weber-Gale
Micronutrients, and Macronutrients, are key factors in how well athletes can physically and mentally perform. At AthleticFoodieTM, we make snacks that focus on providing the main building blocks of the energy, Macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins), that help athletes unlock their potential. Micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, also play a crucial a role in performance, and should not be forgotten.
Here are the five most important vitamins and minerals athletes need: iron, calcium, vitamin D, B-vitamins and Zinc.
Iron:
Iron’s role in the body is two-fold. It helps carry oxygen throughout your body and it has a role in the energy metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein. If an athlete doesn’t consume enough iron, they can develop iron deficiency, also called anemia. This is an all too common deficiency in athletes whose symptoms include fatigue, feeling cold, a compromised immune system and cognitive dysfunction.
Iron rich foods:
- Red meat
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Enriched cereal and grains
- Beans
- Seeds
*Have a black bean burrito as a recovery meal post swim. It will provide, protein, fiber and iron.
Calcium:
Calcium is needed for strong bones, to aid in vitamin D absorption and to help muscles and nerves contract. As you can see, calcium is very important for younger athletes.
Calcium rich foods:
- Low fat dairy products-skim milk, yogurt, cheese
- Fortified non-dairy milk products- soy, almond, coconut milk
- Dark leafy greens-spinach, kale, Swiss chard
- Fortified cereals
*Have yogurt as a snack, and include low fat/skim milk at your meals. AthleticFoodieTM pre-workout granola makes a great yogurt topping that will help you top off your glycogen stores.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is important for immune and muscle function, and increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Vitamin D rich foods:
- Fortified milk and yogurt-both dairy and non-dairy
- Mushrooms contain small amounts of vitamin D
- As you can see, it is a very short list of foods. Sunlight is the other source of vitamin D. This can be challenging to get if you are in the northern hemisphere in the winter months.
*Make a smoothie for a pre-swim snack, including some dairy or non-dairy milk.
B-vitamins:
B-vitamins, specifically B6, play an important role in energy metabolism. Without having enough B-vitamins, your body isn’t able to produce as much energy, which can lead to fatigue and muscle soreness.
B-vitamin rich foods:
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Tuna Fish
- Bananas
- Avocado
- Enriched cereals and grains
*The nuts and seeds in AthleticFoodieTM post-workout trail mixes are a great way to include vitamin B enriched foods.
Zinc:
Zinc is very important in immune function and wound and tissue healing. When an athlete works hard, they are a greater risk for a compromised immune system. Making sure you consume enough zinc is very important.
Zinc rich foods:
- Beef
- Seeds
- Lentils
- Cashews
- Quinoa
*Quinoa salad makes a great side dish for post swim meals.
Key Take Away:
- Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in an athlete’s health and performance.
- Make sure you eat a varied diet, rich in lean proteins, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, grains and dairy. You can get everything you need from eating food!
- If you are concerned that you, or your young athlete, are not eating enough foods containing these important vitamins and minerals, send us an email at http://www.athleticfoodie.com/contact_us, and you can set up a time to speak with our expert sports nutritionist about how to improve your nutrition!
AthleticFoodieTM is a sports performance company, founded by Olympic Gold Medalist Garrett Weber-Gale, which makes snacks that are specifically designed to help athletes perform. Please visit www.athleticfoodie.com for more information about ordering AthleticFoodie snacks, and getting fuel that will help you swim fast.
About Garrett Weber-Gale, Founder of AthleticFoodieTM
In 2005, Garrett was diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure, and was almost forced to give up his Olympic dream. Luckily, a small dose of medication, and a total revamp in his diet saved his dream and put the Olympics back in sight. Garrett began to see the direct connection between what he put into his body, and what he could get out of it.
After his diagnosis with high blood pressure, Garrett made it his mission to learn how to make healthy food taste great. He’s traveled the world working in famous restaurant kitchens in Italy, France, Copenhagen, Spain, and New York City. Garrett has taken his knowledge and experience from all over the world, and shared it with others through speeches at the White House, to schools, sports teams, TEDx, universities, TV and radio appearance, cooking classes, authored articles and AthleticFoodie Events.
The most powerful source of micronutrients available is from Hardy Nutritionals.
I toats agree with this so good it has helped me loads! !
Some other good sources of Vitamin D are fatty fish (like salmon, tuna) and eggs (specifically the yolk). You really have to be careful about dairy products as sources since they are not always fortified.
Also to go along with lack of sunlight in winter months in the northern hemisphere, those that spend much of their time inside (swimmers unless an outdoor facility is being used) and those with darker skin are at higher risk for deficiency.
Good stuff. One thing I thought was interesting while researching nutrition was the interaction of certain micronutrients, such as iron and calcium. Apparently, calcium, if taken in around the same time as iron, will actually decrease the absorption of iron by the body. Being that iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies, I think it’s pretty important to take that into account when tracking micros.
You want to avoid calcium within 1-1.5 of taking an iron supplement (which might be necessary to increase iron), but if you take with vitamin C (orange juice, orange) it will increase absorption. All micros have a very delicate balance of interactions with other micros. Medications also have all sorts of drug-nutrient interactions that should be considered and monitored.