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| In the past year, my articles on sports nutrition have concentrated on sorting out facts from hype to present an objective view of sports supplements. Unfortunately, this type of "reporting' is still market driven--it still focuses on the "hot" products. What I'd like to do now is get back to those basic nutrients that are essential for optimum performance. Too often an athlete who strives to build strength, who drinks 3 to 4 protein shakes a day, ignores other nutritional requirements or, even worse, gets the remainder of their nutrition under the golden arches.
To make matters worse, few athletes, coaches, trainers, and even nutritionists know what athletes need for optimum performance. There are three basic philosophical stances on nutrition: (1) Essential for survival (RDA found in candy-coated one-a-days); (2) Essential for optimum health; and (3) Essential for maximum athletic performance. Given the abysmal nutritional quality of commercial foods, an athlete must not only watch their diet, but they must consume a high-quality, potent multiple vitamin. The nutritional guidelines below have been presented by Gastelu and Hatfield in Dynamic Nutrition for Maximum Performance.
Vitamins
| Vitamin A | 5,000-25,000 IU
| | Beta-Carotene | 15,000-80,000 IU
| | Vitamin B1 | 30-300 mg
| | Vitamin B2 | 30-300 mg
| | Vitamin B3 | 20-100 mg
| | Vitamin B5 | 25-200 mg
| | Vitamin B6 | 20-100 mg
| | Vitamin B12 | 12-200 mcg
| | Biotin | 125-300 mcg
| | Folate (Folic Acid) | 400-1200 mcg
| | Vitamin C | 800-3000 mg
| | Vitamin D | 400-1000 IU
| | Vitamin E | 200-1,000 IU
| | Vitamin K | 80-180 mcg
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| Minerals
| Boron | 6-12 mg
| | Calcium | 1,200-2,600 mg
| | Chloride | 1,500-4,500 mg
| | Chromium | 200-600 mcg
| | Copper | 3-6 mg
| | Iodine | 200-400 mcg
| | Iron | 25-60 mg
| | Magnesium | 400-800 mg
| | Manganese | 15-45 mg
| | Molybdenum | 100-300 mg
| | Phosphorus | 800-1600 mg
| | Potassium | 2,500-4,000 mg
| | Selenium | 100-300 mg
| | Sodium | 1,500-4,500 mg
| | Zinc | 15-60 mg
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| Metabolites
| Bioflavonoids | 200-2000 mg
| | Choline | 600-1,200 mg
| | Inositol | 800-1,200 mg
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In the next few months, I will focus on individual nutrients as they relate to an athlete's nutritional needs.
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