Top Vitamins for Bodybuilders: The Metabolic Spark Plugs: One of the most confusing issues for any athlete is supplementation. What to take, how much, when to take it, blah. Figuring out a supplementation regimen can be so frustrating at times that it becomes easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees, to forget the purpose of supplementation and to overlook exactly what makes successful bodybuilding. It's sometimes easy to forget that the cells in our bodies, particularly muscle cells, rely on certain biochemical reactions for proper metabolism, growth and maintenance. These reactions, in turn, depend upon specific vitamins to help catalyze, or facilitate, their actions. Without these vitamins, nothing happens. Even if only one of …show more content…
Making matters more critical is the fact that bodybuilders are notorious for overlooking vitamins because these nutrients don't supply energy like carbohydrates, proteins and fats do. But that doesn't mean they aren't important. Without vitamins, muscle mass would decay, bone density would deteriorate and all systems of the body would begin to fail. Cobalamin (vitamin B12): Although the functions of vitamin B12 are numerous, those important to bodybuilders include carbohydrate metabolism and maintenance of nervous system tissue the spinal cord and nerves that carry signals from the brain to muscle tissues. Stimulation of muscles via nerves is a critical step in the contraction, coordination and growth of muscles. Vitamin B12 is available only from foods of animal origin; therefore, it is very important for athletes following a strict vegetarian diet to consult a physician about vitamin B12 supplementation. In fact, B12 shots are popular with countless athletes, vegetarians and no vegetarians alike, many of who swear it helps them perform better. …show more content…
The shuttling of hydrogen ions through the Krebs cycle Of particular interest to bodybuilders, Riboflavin is somewhat related to protein metabolism. In fact, there is a strong relationship between lean body mass and dietary riboflavin. Females needed higher than RDA levels of Riboflavin to return blood levels of Riboflavin to normal after exercise. Riboflavin supplementation improved muscular hyper excitability seen in trained athletes. This vitamin may prove to be especially important for athletes. Vitamin A: Most of us know that vitamin A helps with vision, but bodybuilders need to become familiar with its other benefits. First of all, vitamin A is important in the synthesis of protein, the chief process of muscle growth. Second, vitamin A is involved in the production of Glycogen, the body's storage form of energy for high intensity performance. The problem with vitamin A status in bodybuilders is twofold. First, American diets are consistently measured to be low in vitamin A. Second, both strenuous physical activity which disrupts the absorption of vitamin A and a low fat diet which renders vitamin A loss in feces jeopardize the level of vitamin A in the