What are minerals and trace elements used for?

WHAT ARE THE DAILY INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ATHLETES?

Trace elements are essential substances because they enable our bodies to carry out all the biochemical transformations our tissues need.

Minerals and trace elements are catalysts for anabolism and cellular metabolism; as antioxidants, they contribute to acid-base (redox) balance and combat oxidative damage. As immunomodulators and regulators of the inflammatory response, they are also components of hormones (iodine, selenium, and the thyroid), modulators of hormonal action (chromium and insulin), or enzyme cofactors (zinc and testosterone).

Each mineral or trace element performs numerous functions.

Thus, a confirmed trace-element deficiency may lead to a condition directly related to the missing trace element:

• Iron deficiency can lead to iron-deficiency anemia.
• Zinc deficiency may promote the onset of diabetes or a neurological condition.
• Insufficient iodine absorption may lead to thyroid disease.
• Copper deficiency can cause immune dysfunction. 
• …

Conversely, excess trace elements can lead to worrying conditions. For example, excess manganese can promote the onset of parkinsonian syndrome, excess cobalt can worsen or trigger heart disease, while excess silicon or aluminum can cause kidney or neurological damage…. 

In regular runners, iron requirements are increased; depending on blood test results (hemoglobin and ferritin), iron supplementation may be useful.  

For other minerals and trace elements, caution is needed, since the addition of minerals recommended by some is not based on any solid evidence and is in no way consistently followed by improved performance; conversely, a deficiency may lead to reduced performance or various conditions, as discussed previously (see summary table below).

There is no need to play amateur scientist! With a balanced and varied diet, the body obtains all the elements it needs, so there is no need to supplement the diet of occasional runners. This is not always the case for regular runners, who, because of their training load (with significant sweating and increased gas exchange), as well as the specific diets they impose on themselves (low-calorie, ketogenic, dissociated, etc.), may develop deficiencies, particularly in antioxidants and minerals. 

More than anyone else, regular runners must pay attention to their diet to prevent deficiencies, particularly in minerals.

Caroline JOUCLA, the author of this article and a state-qualified nutritionist-dietitian in France, believes that a balanced, varied diet adapted to the level of training should take precedence over any temptation to use supplements. It is crucial to create a dietary profile through a detailed study of the athlete’s eating habits, documented by training schedules.

THE MOST IMPORTANT MINERALS AND TRACE ELEMENTS FOR ATHLETES

We all need minerals to function properly, and although athletes may need to increase their intake of some of them, in fact very few are concerned. Only iron, chromium, selenium, iodine, and molybdenum are affected during intensive training phases.

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This abridged version of the original article has been reproduced with the permission of atletnutrition.com

To read the complete original article:

https://atletnutrition.com/blog/mineraux-oligoelements-et-sport

The original article was written by:

Caroline JOUCLA – State-qualified nutritionist-dietitian in France.

https://www.carolinejoucladieteticienne.com/