A detailed scheme for taking vitamins and minerals for athletes and people who lead an active lifestyle with excessive physical exertion. Today, the issue of the most effective use of vitamins is highly discussed. Scientists and nutritionists are trying to determine the best sources of these substances, choose the right dosage and figure out rational ways to take them. Most often today you can hear two opinions on this matter:
- Spread out the intake of antagonist trace elements with a minimum interval of four hours.
- Just take vitamins and not pay attention to anything.
Today there are the results of a large number of experiments, proving that it is possible to reduce the rate of absorption of one element, while the other is present. There can be many reasons for this, for example, competition for the transport system due to the similar structure of substances. So, say, zinc and copper are antagonists, and calcium can slow down the absorption of iron. There are a lot of such examples, and today we will try to find out how to effectively use vitamins in bodybuilding - together or separately.
A scientific look at the use of vitamins and minerals
It is important to understand that the results of local studies can give completely different results compared to long-term experiments. At the same time, scientists should try to take into account various factors as much as possible in order to bring the results obtained closer to real life. As an example, consider the antagonistic properties of iron and calcium, which have been proven in experiments. But at the same time, there are also opposite experimental results.
Of course, it is necessary to say that at the level of absorption of calcium and iron antagonists is necessary, since there is evidence of this fact. This is due to the high competition for protein compounds that perform the transport function. However, over time, the antagonistic effect of these minerals decreases and the situation returns to normal.
Problems with interaction may arise for those substances that have similar chemical properties and, according to scientists, the mechanisms of their assimilation and transportation are similar. Let's say zinc and copper are antagonists. When the normal concentration of one substance is exceeded, the rate of assimilation of the other decreases. However, this requires significantly higher levels of these substances than those that can be achieved through nutrition. At a high concentration of zinc in the digestive tract, the synthesis of a low-molecular-weight protein compound metallothionein is possible. Copper strives to replace zinc in this protein, which leads to a decrease in the rate of absorption.
Of course, some combinations of vitamins and minerals can exhibit antagonistic effects, but the deterioration of a person's condition is extremely rare. It is possible that the body has special mechanisms of compensation, or this is possible only with large doses of substances that cannot be caused by the consumption of food. In the study of multivitamin complexes in the absence of iron, no reactions were found. But in the presence of this mineral, the activity of vitamin B12 decreases by 30 percent. At the same time, it should be said that the study that proved this fact was carried out about three decades ago. All this time, technology has evolved, and today it is possible to neutralize this negative effect of iron. You can cite a huge number of results of all kinds of research, but for an ordinary person, all these details are superfluous. All we need is conclusions. Scientists can provide us with them: outside the suction surface, all substances can be removed for a long time and the process of their mixing and reabsorption is constantly taking place.
In other words, the same iron after assimilation can no longer be negatively affected by calcium and forms various physiological forms. After that, they will be delivered to the target tissues by means of transport protein compounds. Thus, if a person has an iron deficiency, then in order to increase the rate of absorption, he needs to consume iron-containing preparations between meals. But if your iron concentration is within the normal range, then additional intake of the mineral is undesirable.
As a result, we can draw a certain conclusion from the research results. According to scientific evidence, separate intake of vitamins appears to be more effective. We know that during assimilation, some substances turn out to be antagonists and when they are taken separately, about a third more substances enter the bloodstream.
However, manufacturers of vitamins and minerals also follow the research and conduct their own experiments. Of course, they are aware of the antagonistic properties of certain minerals and vitamins. They take into account all possible losses at the stage of assimilation and therefore take appropriate measures. This can be a simple increase in the dosage of active components, taking into account their possible losses, or the release of pills (tablets) with several layers.
And, of course, let's not forget about our body, which has various compensation mechanisms and will definitely find a way to get out of such situations.
If a person knows for sure that he has a deficiency of any minerals or vitamins, then we can definitely say that it is best to take the drugs separately. If you have a scheduled all day in minutes and you don’t have to forget to take a couple of pills during the day, then use pills.
The theory is, of course, good, but in life there are a huge number of factors that cannot be taken into account and modeled during research. Therefore, you can only experimentally determine the most effective ways to use vitamins and minerals. The main thing is to monitor the dosage, because an overabundance is as bad as a deficit.
For the use of vitamins in bodybuilding, see this video:
