Vitamins
Everyone knows that Vitamins are an important part of one’s diet. But exactly how are they beneficial? What happens when you take too much or too little of a certain vitamin? How do they affect athletic performance and athlete health? Physical activity combined with a healthy diet can lead to reduced risks for cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal diseases. In sports, the replenishment of water, vitamins, and minerals consumed during training is essential for safeguarding athletes’ health.
What are Vitamins?
Vitamins are micronutrients used by the body to carry out a range of functions. These micronutrients are not created by the body and must be taken from the food we eat.
There are two types of Vitamins:
Fat-soluble: Vitamin A, D, E, and K. These vitamins will dissolve in fat and tend to accumulate in the body.
Water-soluble: Vitamin C and B-Complex (Such as B12 or B6). These vitamins must be dissolved in water before being absorbed by the body. Any unabsorbed vitamins are removed through the body through urine. Therefore water-soluble vitamins do not build up in the body.
Functions of Vitamins:
Vitamin A: Improvement of vision, maintenance of the immune system, and maintenance of healthy skin
Vitamin B: Energy production, nucleic acid, protein, sugar, and fat metabolism, maintenance of the immune system, and psychological functions.
Vitamin C: Serves as an antioxidant, wound healing, maintenance of the immune system, maintenance of healthy skin, teeth, and gums.
Vitamin D: Healthy bones and tissues, modulation of cell growth, maintenance of the immune system, and teeth growth.
Vitamin E: Antioxidant, maintenance of the immune system, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, vision protection.
Vitamin K: Blood clotting, bone strengthening, cardiovascular disease prevention, antioxidant.
Micronutrients have a significant role in energy metabolism, hemoglobin synthesis, maintenance of bone health, and stimulation of the immune system. Increasing the intake of micronutrients may be required to support the building, repair, and maintenance of lean body mass in athletes. Vitamins D, B, C, E, and K play an important role in the maintenance of a healthy body, especially for athletes.
Vitamin Deficiencies:
Hypovitaminosis is what is called when someone has a vitamin deficiency. Primary hypovitaminosis is when the person’s diet does not include an adequate amount of vitamins. This can be associated with certain eating styles (for ex. Vegan diets). Secondary hypovitaminosis is when a person has a disease/condition that prevents them from having the right amount of vitamins. A lack of vitamins can lead to serious and sometimes irreversible conditions.
What a deficiency in Vitamins Causes:
Vitamin A: Night blindness, growth disturbance, dysfunctions to the reproductive system; dysfunctions of the immune response.
Vitamin B: Dermatitis, polyneuritis, muscle spasms.
Vitamin C: Scurvy, connective tissue disorders.
Vitamin D: Rickets, osteomalacia.
Vitamin E: Muscle metabolism disorders, neuropathy, oxidative hemolysis.
Vitamin K: Delayed coagulation, Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
There is a known correlation between vitamin D deficiency and sudden cardiac arrest, especially in athletes. Long-term vitamin D deficiency has been shown to have long-term cardiovascular effects on cardiac contractility, vascular tone, cardiac collagen content, and the maturation of cardiac tissue. These consequences lead to increases in the parathyroid hormone level, which can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy. This leads to hypoxia of the muscle tissue, which leads to a decrease in athlete performance. These factors are critical to the performance and stamina of aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Excessive Intake of Vitamins:
Hypervitaminosis occurs when the storage levels of vitamins are abnormally high. Hypervitaminosis can lead to toxic symptoms and diverse health effects.
Vitamin A: Headache, vomiting, numbness, anemia
Vitamin B: Damage to the nervous system
Vitamin C: Kidney stones, intestinal disorders
Vitamin D: Vomiting, headache, diarrhea, polyuria, calcinosis, fatigue
Vitamin E: Absorption reduction in other liposoluble vitamins
Vitamin K: Anemia, vomiting, thrombosis, excessive sweating
Conclusion:
Vitamin intake is extremely important to maintain a healthy, functioning body. In athletes, adequate vitamin intake will increase athletic performance and decrease the risks of injury. If there is a vitamin deficiency, talking to a doctor about supplements can help make up for the lack of nutrients. Overall, having a good amount of micronutrients in the body will decrease the risk of disease and lead to a healthier immune system and a better lifestyle.
Sources:
Brancaccio, Mariarita et al. “The Biological Role of Vitamins in Athletes' Muscle, Heart and Microbiota.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 19,3 1249. 23 Jan. 2022, doi:10.3390/ijerph19031249
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Mar. 2023, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.