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B-Vitamins and Athletic Performance
Can B-Vitamins Enhance Athletic Performance
B-Vitamins are often taken by athletes both young and old for their role in energy metabolism and muscle function. But do they really help an athlete perform better? Let’s take a closer look at the B-Vitamins which include thiamin (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), niacin, pyridoxine (B-6), folacin, cyanocobalamin (B-12), pantothenic acid, and biotin.
Many athletes, especially young athletes involved in highly competitive sports, do not realize the impact their diets have on their performance.
Ideally, an athlete should look to consume foods that are rich in B-Vitamins and supplement with a B-Complex vitamin when needed. The B-vitamins are in whole and enriched grains, dark green vegetables, nuts, and many animal and dairy products. Here is a helpful list of some of the food sources for B-Vitamins…
Top Food Sources for B-Vitamins
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Thiamin Food Sources: Liver, pork, lean meats, wheat germ, whole grains, enriched breads, and cereals.
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Riboflavin Food Sources: Milk and milk products, liver, enriched breads, and cereals.
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Niacin Food Sources: Liver, poultry, fish, peanut butter.
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Pyridoxine Food Sources: Liver, herring and salmon, wheat germ and whole grains, lean meats.
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Folacin Food Sources: Liver, wheat bran, whole grains, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, legumes, orange juice.
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Cyanocobalamin (B12) Food Sources: Foods of animal origin, specially prepared fermented yeasts, and fortified soy products.
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Biotin Food Sources: Egg Yolk, liver, and legumes.
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Pantothenic Acid Food Sources: Eggs, liver, wheat bran, peanuts, legumes, lean meats, spinach, and other vegetables.
Athletes and individuals with poor or restricted diets should consider taking a multivitamin or mineral supplement along with a B-Vitamin Complex. However, it is a good idea to talk with your doctor or pharmacist prior to adding any multi-vitamins or supplements to your diet.
In a recent study performed at Oregon State University and published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism discovered that active individuals lacking in B-vitamins – including college athletes and other elite competitors — may perform worse during high-intensity exercise and have a decreased ability to repair and build muscle than counterparts with nutrient-rich diets. The study indicated that even a small deficiency in B-Vitamins had an adverse effect on performance and recovery. Of course this would vary based on the type and intensity of the exercise, nutrient depletion during exercise and individual differences in diet. The study further cited that the current USRDA for B-Vitamins may be inadequate.
Given the above research and the general safety of taking B-Vitamins we think it deserves a second look for athletes who want to enhance their athletic performance.
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Unleash the Power of Positive Thinking with 6 Brain Food Tips
One must feed the brain in order to think positively. The right diet results in positive thinking. Here are tips on how one can make the most out of brain food which triggers the power of positive thinking.
- Balance your glucose because it adds fuel to the brain. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates at night time because it helps you relax. When you wake up the following morning, you will be energized.
- Eat fats. Make sure that your diet contains Omega-3. Try to eat fish once in a while, not just meat. Fish are rich in Omega-3 and this will increase the fat levels in your body.
- Add more protein to your diet. Proteins are important for the brain to think properly. Have a lot of protein intake during lunch because it will help you stay alert for the rest of the day.
- Foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals are responsible in turning the mind. This enables the individual to think faster and better.
- Drink 8 glasses of water a day. If you can 1.5 to 2 liters is better. This keeps the brain well hydrated.
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Exercise and eat properly. Do not have midnight snacks because these are unhealthy. Your main meal should be before 7 in the evening. This will allow your body to relax ad take in all the nutrients it had accumulated the whole day.
Healthy Body – Healthy Mind
Having a Healthy Body is also Having a Healthy Mind
You should lead a healthy lifestyle to have a healthy mind. Studies show that a person who lives this kind of lifestyle not only lives longer, he also gets to do more accomplishments.
We live in such a fast-paced society that we hardly take the time to relax and take care of our bodies. However, those who make sure that they exercise prove that they can think faster and better than those who simply slack off.
The mind and the body go downhill in the later years of a person’s life. In order to remedy this, it only makes sense that the person lets exercising be a part of his daily regimen.
The first step is to realize that the body and the mind are interconnected. The body breaks just as much as the mind slows down. But by staying fit and healthy, there is less chance of these two scenarios (the body breaking down and the mind slowing down) happening.
It is within the person’s control to fix the lifestyle he has now in order to continue having a healthy body and a healthy mind. With the help of modern science, the steps he has to do in doing so is easier and clear. There are tons of strategies he can follow in order to delay the breaking down of the body and the slowing down of the mind. One of these is exercising.
You have to remember that as one gets older, the body and the mind break easier and it takes a longer time to recuperate. Also, once the body and the mind are broken, it will eventually be broken a second time.
Don’t be like some people who break down and give up. This bunker mentality will only result in your body and your mind heading toward a downward spiral and you wouldn’t want to go there.
So what do you do when you get to that point? Well, here are some basic exercises and workouts you can do in order to have a healthy body and healthy mind.
1. Walking
You can set the pace yourself. You just have to make sure that you do this on a regular basis. You can do it for as short as 30 minutes or you can do it for as long as two hours. It really depends on how much you are capable of handling. The only danger one can encounter during walking is accidentally falling off the cracks or stumbling on the bumps along the way. Most doctors suggest walking.
As we gets older, we must be careful of our bones. Regular weight lifting provides strength and also increases the density of the bone. For women who are worried about getting the build of a man because of over-developed muscles, you need not worry.
Just engage in an exercise that allows you to tone the body instead. By lifting weights, the dimensions of the body are improved and strength is also increased. Have a partner when weight-lifting so that he or she can assist you when you need it.
3. Swimming
Noticed how swimmers have a healthy physique? Apparently, not only is swimming influential to developing a healthy body, it can also help you have a healthy mind. Walking and weight lifting are limited to specific parts of the body whereas swimming tones the trunk as well as the upper and the lower torso. It’s an all-around exercise.
Just remember to start slow. You need not rush yourself in order to get the best results. These take time. A healthy body and a healthy mind will eventually come to you as long as you do these exercises regularly and properly.
You should also take time off. By having a break and relaxing, you give your body time to recharge and soon enough, your hard work will show. Just remember to keep up this lifestyle. Sometimes, you won’t have the energy and interest to do the exercise. When this happens, you have to fight the temptation to hit the sack again.
This is pretty much the reason why some people prefer to have a partner so that their exercise and workout routines are consistent. Whenever they are by themselves, there is the tendency to skip a day. It may just be a day but it still has drastic results.
