• Vitamins

Vitamins and Minerals

Do you get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet? Do you need to supplement your diet with more?

If you eat a healthy balanced diet, the answers is probably that you are okay with what you are eating at the moment (we will have a look at vitamin insurance later on though).

In certain circumstances it is unlikely that you do get enough and supplementation would be a good idea. These include

for Vegetarians / in pregancy / if you have a food allergy / are on a very limited diet (maybe as a student etc).

Vitamins can be thought of as a catalyst for the body - a certain amount is needed to make it function properly, but any more can't make it function more properly - once a vitamin is doing its job - no matter how much you have it can't do any more. Minerals regulate functions in the body to ensure they happen properly.

Vitamin Insurance

You will often hear athletes saying that they are taking this vitamin or that supplement. Whilst, these things may well be benefical, they can also sometimes be unnecessary (see above) and as they can be expensive do little more than burn a whole in your pocket.

Having said that there is an argument that ensuring you get a good level of vitamins with a multivitamin tablet once a day - is as a kind of vitamin & mineral insurance. These can be relatively cheap (from only 2-3 pence a day) particularly if you buy own brand labels.

This is just a back up to a good diet and should not replace it. Think of it as a safety net as you would household, car or travel insurance.

Key Vitamins & Minerals for Runners

Vitamin B - helps release energy from food and makes nerve and muscle tissues function properly.

Vitamin C - known as the anti-cold vitamin, also useful for hard structures in the body - eg bones, teeth, cartilage etc.

Vitamin E - helps with maintenance of the immune system.

Glucosamine - see Glucosamine page

Omega 3 - These are fish oils - again - see Omega 3 page.

Calcium - Vital for bones

Iron

Magnesium - counters tiredness and depression

Potassium - a deficiency of this causes a lack of energy due to poor control of bodies water balance

Zinc

Folic Acid

The information here is written by an athletics coach who has read widely into the subject and not a sports nutritionist, so is about gearing your food and drink to the practicalities of running.

 

 

 

 

 

 




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