The nutrition It is the set of processes by which the human being ingests, absorbs, transforms and uses substances from ingested foods.
Any food gives us a wide variety of nutrients, in different quantities, being each substance necessary for different bodily functions. We can distinguish between macronutrients and Micronutrients, although macronutrients we need more grams a day, micronutrients are needed in less quantity, without forgetting that they are essential, and an excess or a deficit of them can lead to health problems.
Normally, a sportsman is able to meet the needs through a well structured diet. The cases where we have to pay attention for a possible deficit is when we train in extreme climatic conditions, food restriction diets (vegan, intolerant ...), caloric deficit, some disease ...
As we commented, Micronutrients are key in energy metabolism, and we must ensure proper intake. Therefore, we are going to detail the most important and we tell you what food you can find these micronutrients, and if supplementation is recommended:
Folic acid B9 and vitamin B12
Vitamins that They participate in the synthesis of red blood cells (Folic acid B9 and vitamin B12): Both vitamins have in common that a possible deficit can lead to fatigue, constipation and megaloblastic anemia. Therefore, this deficit can harm us in the sports performance.
An example that is seen more in consultation is that of patients with levels with B12 Very low, and the recommendation is to supplement with 2.4MCG per day, as long as he is scheduled by a professional. Although it has been investigated and there is no danger if there is an excess of this vitamin in the body, do not take it without before making a blood analysis. This is due at a few hours of exposure solar that the individual has today. There are also many intrinsic factors that can inhibit a correct absorption of vitamin B12, such as the absence of certain enzymes in the body, but the positive thing is that it is usually solved with supplementation. The food where more B12 will find: fish, meat, birds, eggs ... choose a wide variety of animal foods in your diet and so you can benefit from its properties, and in the event that you carry a vegan diet or diet Vegetarian, consult a professional.
As we mentioned, another important vitamin is the folic acid. There are several studies where they associate the optimal levels of folic acid in the body with cardiovascular risk biomarkers. Foods with more vitamin B9 are: nuts, soybeans, beets, leek, liver, spinach ... in case of supplementation, consult with the specialist.
Antioxidants
The Antioxidants are essential, since after an intense session of exercise the cells have decomposed molecules oxygen and we can find them in the form of Vitamins A, C, E, Omega 3. Foods where we find a lot of antioxidants: strawberry, kiwi, cauliflower, orange, grapefruit, lemon, almonds, pinions, vegetable oils (it is recommended to vary prioritizing those of better quality), spinach, asparagus, blue fish (tuna, sardine, melva ... )
Vitamin D is key to good bone health, since the insufficiency of this vitamin causes the parathyroid glands and its paratyroid hormone to release calcium accumulated in the skeleton causing it to lose its resistance, until it becomes fractured and giving rise to osteoporosis . It is increasingly common, and supplementation is recommended for those who have levels smaller than 20/30 ng/ml.
Iron
The deficit of iron hinders the transport of oxygen to muscles, affecting sports performance and muscle recovery. The richest foods in iron are: pistachio, nuts, sardines, clams, lentils, beans, liver ...
Magnesium
He magnesium Help a reduce injuries, Aminora the signs of fatigue, and it has been possible to verify that in times of physical and psychological stress it is good to supplement with magnesium. Foods with the greatest amount of this micronutrient are: bananas, apricot, almonds, anacardos, soy ...
Zinc
Regarding zinc We can highlight that IMplicate in energy metabolism, in that of carbohydrates, in biosynthesis and protein degradation reactions, and in many other reactions. It is important in the constitution of bone tissue, in the growth of tissues ... optimal levels of said micronutrient allows us that the body surrender with all its potential. The foods that have more zinc are: red meat, eggs, chicken and turkey, clams ...
There are many more essential micronutrients, but the objective of this article is that you know how to recognize the most important, the effect it causes on the body, how we can solve a deficit ... The key is in the variety of foods in our diet, which allows us to offer our organism various nutrients and feel the best possible.
