Considering the use of various sports supplements for an athlete, we constantly count the calorie content or benefits of a particular food intake. And even many athletes who do not use sports nutrition, control exclusively protein intake. Which is not entirely true, because in addition to fats, proteins and carbohydrates, there are other micronutrients, the effect of which, if used correctly, can significantly increase and accelerate the appearance of the first athletic results in CrossFit.
Today we will consider the issue related to the intake of such a class of sports nutrition as vitamins for athletes. What is it, and why do athletes involved in professional or amateur crossfit need it?
General information
So, before considering vitamins for athletes in detail, you need to understand what vitamins in general are? So, vitamins are, as strange as it may seem, proteins. But these are not simple proteins. These are amino acid chains linked in a certain way. When consumed, they practically do not denature, and, therefore, the body cannot digest them and decompose to smaller components. At the same time, the size of the molecule of vitamins for sports is so small that the body can digest them entirely in the form in which they enter the body.
Due to this, complexes of vitamins for sports have actively come into use in almost all athletic directions of sports: from powerlifting to crossfit. But, why are vitamins so important, and should they be monitored no less strictly than the intake of proteins? After all, the body can synthesize the necessary vitamins from its own amino acid chains? In fact, it is not so. Unfortunately, the body can synthesize a limited amount of vitamins on its own, and only those that are necessary for life. The vitamin complexes contain essential amino acids that influence the processes and have such a structure that the body is not able to reproduce on its own.
Another important feature is that the consumption of vitamins during training is no less than carbohydrates and energy. However, replenishing vitamins is much more difficult, especially if you are not a committed vegetarian who consumes tons of vegetables and fruits.
Fun fact: Fruit is still a necessary part of the CrossFit athlete's diet. Indeed, in addition to fructose, which is harmful to high-quality weight gain / drying, it contains a whole complex of various vitamins.
The effect of vitamins on athletic performance
Let's consider how certain groups of vitamins affect athletic performance. This will help you understand why you should buy vitamin complexes and how to use them correctly for the best results.
| Vitamin group | When to take? | The value of vitamin in the diet of an athlete |
| Group A vitamins | All the time | Group A vitamins are powerful adaptogens. When consumed significantly, they stimulate additional testosterone production, and most importantly, they help the novice athlete recover faster between workouts. |
| Vitamins of group B1 | All the time | Vitamin of group B. Responsible for the formation of neuromuscular communication in the athlete's body. Why is this needed? Running at maximum power can help you optimize energy systems faster, resulting in increased productivity, strength, power and endurance. |
| Vitamins of group B2 | All the time | Its main task is to compensate for external stresses. It significantly increases immunity, and suppresses the production of excess insulin when nutrition is reduced. As a result, a person eats much faster, which helps maintain a strict diet during extreme drying. In addition, this vitamin is anti-stress. |
| Vitamins of group B3 | All the time | Similarly B2 |
| Vitamins of group B6 | Drying | Vitamin B6 is one of the most important nutrients in the modern CrossFit athlete's diet. Its main task is to compensate for external stresses. In addition, this vitamin is anti-stress. |
| Vitamins of group B12 | Drying | Vitamin B12 is a powerful stabilizer that allows you to properly distribute other important incoming trace elements, which leads to stabilization and better absorption of other nutrients and vitamins, as a result of an increase in the efficiency of taking multi-vitamin complexes. |
| Vitamins of group C | Mass | Vitamin C is the coolest adaptogen in sports. Its main task is to compensate for any liver damage. As a consequence, an increase in the body's resistance to an external organism, which is expressed in an increase in immunity, and a decrease in the likelihood of getting overtrained. |
| Fish fat | Drying | Fish oil - although considered an omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, the most important is the presence of various stabilizing complexes, including the successful combination of niacin and vitamin E, which help suppress excessive gastric acid secretion, reducing the need for additional meals. |
| Mineral components | Drying | Mineral components in combination with vitamin complexes give a very positive effect. We must not forget that with excessive exercise during training, most of the minerals are released with sweat. In addition, minerals significantly increase the absorption of beneficial amino acid chains from vitamins. |
| Zinc | Mass | It is a powerful testosterone booster that boosts testosterone production to the natural limit. Strengthens the effect of vitamins E, D, B6 and K1. |
| Magnesium | Mass | Similar to zinc |
| Selenium | Mass | Similar to zinc and magnesium |
| Vitamin D | Mass | Vitamin D B, together with vitamin E, is a comprehensive approach that allows you to increase the absorption of external calcium that you get from protein shakes, as a result of an increase in the strength of ligaments, muscle and bone tissues. |
| Vitamin E | Mass | Vitamin E B, together with vitamin D, is a comprehensive approach that allows you to increase the absorption of external calcium that you get from protein shakes, as a result of an increase in the strength of ligaments, muscle and bone tissues. |
| Vitamin K1 | Mass | Vitamin K1, when consumed more, has a similar effect to creatine, the only difference being recoilless. You are flooded with water, which increases your stamina and reduces the risk of injury from doing most of the hard exercises. |
Note: the table contains far from all vitamins, but only those vitamin groups and the best vitamins for athletes, the use of which will not only keep your body in good condition, but will also give a real increase in performance on your training WODs.
How to take it right?
Having figured out how vitamins affect those involved in sports, you need to determine what optimal dosages should be consumed by men and women. But the most important thing is figuring out when and how to take vitamins for the best results.
First of all, if you do not use vitamin complexes, different vitamins should be consumed at different times and washed down with different liquids. The thing is that some vitamins are fat-soluble, others can be perceived by our body only in the presence of a small amount of alcohol alkaloids. Still others work only in combination with water and fast carbohydrates. At the same time, the need for vitamins throughout the day is not uniform, as for proteins and carbohydrates.
Let's consider how to take certain combinations.
- Vitamins of group A: they are also beta-carotene. They are best taken in the morning, along with a little cholesterol from fish oil or flaxseed oil. They are fat-soluble vitamins.
- B vitamins: are alcohol-soluble vitamin complexes. Usually in a vitamin complex, it contains from 0.01 grams to 0.02 grams of pure ethyl alcohol to dissolve vitamins. If you have not found a normal alkaloid to dissolve this group of vitamins, you can drink them with kefir or kvass, since these products have an optimal content of alcohol molecules, which allows you to dissolve and assimilate the necessary vitamin complexes.
- C vitamins: Common water-soluble vitamins. They conflict with the use of vitamin D and E groups. It is best to drink it with water, or eat it dry
- D vitamins: These are best taken in the morning, along with a little cholesterol from fish oil or flaxseed oil. They are fat-soluble vitamins. In addition, vitamin E is a necessary companion of this vitamin, as it increases the sensitivity and absorption of the vitamin complex.
- E-Vitamins: Best taken in the morning, along with a small intake of cholesterol from fish oil or flaxseed oil. They are fat-soluble vitamins. In addition, vitamin D is a necessary companion of this vitamin, as it increases the susceptibility and assimilation of the vitamin complex.
- Vitamins of group K: universal vitamin, can be used in any quantity at any time.
Note: the editors do not recommend buying multivitamin complexes in pharmacies, since often combining vitamins from different groups, if taken incorrectly, is just a transfer of funds. If you decide to use a multivitamin complex, purchase them from specialized sports stores. It is there that the combination and ratio of various vitamins is selected optimally for a single intake. Moreover, these vitamin complexes are sold in different boxes. Some for the morning intake, others for the post-workout intake, etc.
Possible contraindications
Remembering the contraindications and potential harm of vitamins to the human body, you need to remember the classic proverb "Everything is good, but in moderation." The same goes for vitamins. First, consider the contraindications.
- Some groups of vitamins are contraindicated for people suffering from problems with the thyroid and pancreas. For example, people suffering from diabetes are not advised to exceed 50 micrograms of vitamin C per day, since when dissolved, it releases additional sugar, which your body cannot always cope with.
- For people with urinary tract (and kidney) problems, it is recommended to limit the intake of vitamins E and D. They increase the absorption of external calcium, which can lead to additional deposition of kidney stones.
- For people who quit smoking or smokers, it is recommended to limit the intake of vitamin B, as it enhances the arousal effect of nootropics in nicotine from cigarette smoke, and therefore increases dependence. Or cigarettes, or vitamin B6.
In addition, there is a personal intolerance due to the individual characteristics of metabolism.
But the most important thing is not to forget about hypervitaminosis. It occurs if you fanatically use multivitamin complexes without measure. It is expressed in the hyperreactivity of some systems, with their subsequent failure. As a result, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, increased nervousness, an increase in the catabolic stress factor on muscle tissues, and most importantly, a long rehabilitation.
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To summarize
If, after reading the article, the question still sounds in your head - which vitamins are better for sports - the answer will be extremely simple. These are the vitamins found in natural foods. The fact is that, no matter what vitamin you choose, the product in which it is contained has the optimal ratio of the necessary substances for better absorption of vitamin complexes for sports.
Do not forget about vitamins, and remember that, perhaps, the force plateau that you have rested against is a consequence of a lack of adaptogens. However, do not overdo it with multivitamin supplements, as you risk getting hypervitaminosis, which is very difficult to fight.
