Immune system and overall health supplements for athletes -
In order to ensure adequate amounts of micronutrients are obtained from whole foods, there are five factors to keep in mind:. This means foods with lots of color fruits, vegetables , whole grains, nuts, seeds, and a variety of lean protein sources including some vegetable sources of protein, such as beans.
That leaves 20 percent of food choices for fun. Athletes can relate to this balance, and most find it doable.
To assist athletes in making their choices a little easier, I also provide recipes for foods that are nutrient dense. One is a kale, oat, and blueberry smoothie and another combines butternut squash with quinoa, spinach, and walnuts for a hearty side dish.
An easy snack food I recommend to our athletes is mixing a variety of nuts such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts with raisins, dried fruit, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, soybeans, and granola. Inevitably, some will try diet fads that will either include too many carbs or not enough carbs.
Consuming the right ratio of carbs and protein will translate to having enough micronutrients in their diets. The more variety, the more likely it is athletes will satisfy all of their micronutrient needs.
As athletes strive to get the right dosages of micronutrients, they need to be aware of the levels of vitamins and minerals in the fortified foods they consume.
For example, nutritional shakes and bars can have large amounts of certain micronutrients that could cause an athlete to meet or exceed their needs without supplementation. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of their ripeness when they contain the most nutrition and flash frozen.
Look for those that are in their original form and not covered in sauces or breading. In addition, athletes should avoid overcooking vegetables, which causes micronutrients to diminish.
Instead, they can steam, blanch, microwave, grill, or roast. These are all easy ways to cook vegetables and retain their nutrition. In the above list, I put nutrient density first because it is the most important. Some foods are simply better than others for providing a lot of micronutrients.
Below are some great choices for nutrient-dense foods:. Part of the reason is because it is packed with nutrition. It is a good source of vitamins K, C, A, and B6, as well as calcium.
It also contains natural antioxidants and fiber. Kale can be eaten raw in a salad, roasted with a little salt to make kale chips, or sautéed into a wide variety of recipes. It is also starchier than other squashes, making it higher in carbohydrates and a cleaner-burning fuel source.
Butternut squash can be roasted, boiled, or mashed, and is great in risotto. They are also a fuel source, and some such as quinoa contain higher amounts of amino acids than others. In addition, whole grains have a lower glycemic index than other carbohydrates, which causes less of a spike in blood sugar levels and allows for a longer duration of satiety.
They provide a fair amount of magnesium, iron, folate, potassium, and fiber. They can be prepared in soups or stews, made into spreads, or placed on a salad.
They also provide protein, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and folic acid. They are easy to make into a snack, can be added to many recipes, or used in cereal. Most important to focus on for athletes are calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, the B vitamins, and vitamin D, as well as some antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium.
Levels for these can be low, especially in female athletes. Inadequate energy intake or avoidance of animal products are typically the culprits. It has many other important tasks, such as regulation of muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and blood clotting.
There are two main forms of calcium supplements, if supplementation is needed: carbonate and citrate. Both forms are well absorbed, but individuals with reduced levels of stomach acid can absorb the citrate form more easily.
Calcium carbonate is commonly available and inexpensive, and its absorption rate is most efficient when taken with food. Calcium citrate is absorbed equally effectively when taken with or without food. No more than milligrams of calcium should be taken at a time to ensure optimal absorption and utilization.
When this goal is not achieved, performance declines because of less than optimal levels of hemoglobin, as well as changes in the muscle—reduced amounts of myoglobin and iron-related enzymes that are involved in energy production.
Hemoglobin and myoglobin are both oxygen-carrying proteins. The capacity to carry oxygen is essential for endurance exercise as well as for normal function of the nervous, behavioral, and immune systems. Iron deficiency, with or without anemia, can impair muscle function and limit work capacity.
Iron depletion is typically related to inadequate energy intake. Indeed, because we can synthesise and store vitamin D in the skin when exposed to spring and summer sunshine, some researchers now believe that this increased level of vitamin D is a major factor in our improved immunity during the summer months.
Vitamin C —The notion that vitamin C might be beneficial for combating URTIs is regarded as a universal truth by much of the general public, but unfortunately the evidence is somewhat mixed; some studies have shown that vitamin C supplementation reduces the incidence of URTIs, while other studies have reported no benefits.
On balance, though, the evidence suggests that some modest daily supplementation around mg is worthwhile.
Garlic, chilli and ginger — these products have known antiviral and antibacterial effects — great news for curry lovers out there! They can also be used in a number of other dishes.
However, we really need more research in this area before we can confidently recommend routine daily use of these products specifically to boost immunity.
Andrew Hamilton Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM, is the editor of Sports Performance Bulletin and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. Register now to get a free Issue. Register now and get a free issue of Sports Performance Bulletin Get My Free Issue.
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Get My Free Issue. Get a free issue of Sports Injury Bulletin when you register. Coaches Testimonials Dr. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties, meaning it can help to protect your body against free radical damage during activities such as endurance training. Vitamin B6 is found in foods including chicken, turkey, oats, bananas, and soya beans, which are easy to work into your nutrition plan.
This vitamin plays a key role in helping to break down carbohydrates for energy, which can subsequently impact your performance. Yet vitamin D plays an important role in keeping your bones and muscles healthy.
You can try to top up your vitamin D intake by consuming plenty of oily fish and egg yolks, while our Klean-D supplements provide another option. Klean-D is designed to help support your immune health, musculoskeletal strength, and physical performance, thanks to 5, IU natural vitamin D3 per capsule.
Found in foods including red meat, nuts, and beans, iron is instrumental in transporting blood through the body, helping to support muscle fatigue, preventing it from impacting your physical performance.
Zinc is another mineral that plays a key role in supporting muscle function and tissue repair. You can include more zinc in your diet by eating shellfish, eggs, and legumes such as chickpeas. Our Klean Zinc supplements are a great way to boost your zinc intake as an athlete.
Magnesium is necessary for cellular energy production, as this mineral plays an important role in metabolism.
Sports practice increases the physical and biochemical Immune system and overall health supplements for athletes on atthletes muscle, Inmune by anf metabolic changes, such as atheltes of toxic compounds, Immune system and overall health supplements for athletes nutrient consumption, and alterations in the cells' physical, thermal, and mechanical conditions. Neuroendocrine adaptations to the demands Financial resources for managing glycogen storage disease athletic activity also modify local and systemic immune function, contributing to increased immune system activity. This increased activity is accompanied by an increased rate of metabolism, which requires energy sources, substrates for biosynthesis, and regulatory molecules, ultimately derived from the diet. Several vitamins A, B6, B12, folate, C, D, and E and trace elements zinc, copper, selenium, iron have been shown to play a key role in supporting the human immune system and reducing the risk of infections. Other essential nutrients are also important, including other vitamins and trace elements, amino acids, and fatty acids. Each of the above nutrients has immune system support functions.
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