Men’s Fitness UK – October 2019

You know vitamins and minerals are important, but do

you know why? Performance dietician Renee McGregor

is on hand to explain why micronutrients matter

he conversation

around vitamin

and mineral

supplements can

be a murky one.

With so many

brands to choose

from, and celebrity

ambassadorsendorsing their use, it can be a

mineeldworkingout what’s relevant to you

and your lifestyle.

In the world of sports nutrition,

specically, the market has boomed. Some

products promote ergogenic (performance-

enhancing) properties, such as improved

recovery, reduced inammation and

prevention of illness, while others encourage

adaptation and optimal health.

So how do we know if any of the plethora

of products available are useful to us? And

as physically active individuals, do we need

additional supplementation if we consume

a balanced and varied diet?

FOOD-FIRST APPROACH

For the majority of athletes and those who

exercise regularly, eating a balanced diet of

wholegrains, lean protein, fruits, vegetables

and essential fatty acids should be sucient

to meet all your nutritional requirements.

When I work with any athlete, the rst

step is to optimise their nutritional status

in order to prevent deciencies, and special

care and advice will need to be considered

to those following vegetarian or vegan diets.

Vegans, in particular, may need to think about

supplementation with vitamin B12, while

both vegetarians and vegans will benet from

taking an omega-3 fatty acid.

QUESTION THE EVIDENCE

While vitamin and mineral products are

supported by an endless number of claims, it’s

important to realise not all scientic evidence

is equal. Look at the validity of a study, and

ask a few questions: is it an animal or human

model? What is the size of the sample group?

What’s the dose they are testing? Is it practical?

And is there any conict of interest – who, for

example, is funding the research?

However, while a large amount of claims

don’t have any robust evidence to stand on,

there are a handful that could be of use. Here

are the supplements I would recommend...

What Supp?

Vitamin D

Of all the supplements on the market, this

is the only one I will always recommend –

particularly in the winter months, but all

year round for some. In the UK we can only

absorb the right wavelength of sunlight to

make vitamin D between the months of April

and September, and only between the hours

of 11am to 3pm. at means the majority of

the UK population tend to have sub-optimal

vitamin D levels, particularly through the

winter months.

Many studies have demonstrated

that being low in vitamin D is linked to a

depressed immune function, poor skeletal

muscle recovery, low bone density and

increased fatigue.^1 If you nd that you struggle

with repeated illness over the winter months,

or that you are experiencing increased muscle

soreness and not recovering properly between

training sessions, it’s worth having a blood

test to check levels. If decient (levels under

90 nmol/l in those physically active), this is

one supplement you would denitely benet

MICRO

MANAGEMENT

T

Your daily bread: wholegrains are

an excellent source of magnesium