Vitamins are essential nutritional components required by humans and which the body cannot synthesize on its own. These substances are obtained exclusively from special additives or regular food. Such elements are most often called micronutrients, since the body requires vitamins in minimal quantities. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats are needed in much larger doses. Bodybuilding increases the need for micronutrients.
The lack of these components significantly slows down the rate of muscle growth and progression in training. The importance of vitamins for bodybuilders lies in the fact that without these elements protein production does not occur and the process of building muscle becomes impossible. The metabolic rate of bodybuilders is different from that of ordinary people, as bodybuilders require more vitamins.
What is the importance of vitamins in bodybuilding?
Professional athletes with extensive practical experience know for sure that without providing the required amount of vitamins, it is impossible to get a good result in bodybuilding. To compensate for the deficiency, most athletes take special vitamin and mineral complexes, as well as other sports supplements. A lack of vitamins, as a rule, causes a plateau, but most athletes simply do not realize it.
Vitamins for everyone involved in bodybuilding are mandatory components, since bodybuilders are simply obliged to eat food with a high calorie content, which contains very few micronutrients. Large amounts of food do not allow athletes to add enough fruits and vegetables to their diet to compensate for the deficiency.
Eating too much food will cause gastrointestinal upset. To avoid adverse consequences, without increasing the portions and quantity of products, you should use special complexes.
Vitamins for muscle growth! Gusev, Lindover, Mironov
Ensisital
Mezim - an assistant in the digestive process
For those who experience digestive problems, Enzistal will be an excellent drug that can help improve this process. Enzistal contains not only pancreatin, but also hemicellulose, as well as bile components. That is why its effect is much better than simple Pancreatin. Experts recommend taking the drug:
- If you have problems digesting food caused by a lack of digestive enzymes
- With increased flatulence
- If you have problems with chewing function, which most often occurs in people with dentures, or if there is damage to the jaw or gums
- With a sedentary lifestyle, especially in bedridden patients
- Enzistal should be taken with caution in patients who:
- Have liver or kidney failure
- Jaundice
- Intestinal obstruction
In most of these cases, the attending physician may prohibit taking the drug altogether, since it can cause serious complications. As for complications after taking it, or rather side effects, the most common occurrences are:
- An allergic reaction that manifests itself as a rash on the skin, tearing
- Painful sensations in the abdominal area
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Irritation of the mucous membrane
If at least one of the above side effects occurs, you must immediately stop taking the drug. Enzsital is a drug with a very good effect, and also a fairly low price, which makes it accessible to most consumers.
The norm of consumption of various vitamins
The daily dosage of micronutrients is completely dependent on the individual characteristics of the athlete, the duration and amount of training, stress experienced by the person, as well as external factors such as climate and so on.
It is not possible to independently calculate which vitamins are needed. A specialist will help you determine micronutrients and dosages after taking a blood test. Living in harsh climatic conditions, when the plus or minus temperature drops and rises to 40 degrees, affects the increase in the need for vitamins by 2 or 3 times to maintain health.
Micronutrients for bodybuilders become much more necessary when athletes consume large amounts of protein, that is, from 3 to 5 grams per 1 kilogram of their own weight. Too intense and difficult activities bring increased stress to the body. This often becomes the reason that a balanced diet does not allow you to receive as many micronutrients that ensure the normal functioning of the body.
Need for professional advice
Given the enormous variability in all of the above factors, the issue of creating an individual nutrition plan for muscle building is best discussed with a competent sports coach.
This simple solution saves athletes from incredibly troublesome activities such as:
- searching for formulas for calculating norms of consumption of food elements depending on age, gender, height and weight;
- searching for reliable tables of nutritional value of individual products, including in connection with the method of their preparation;
- experimental selection of the optimal diet, including water consumption;
- determining the advisability of taking vitamin-amino acid food supplements.
By following the trainer’s recommendations, you can notice an increase in muscle mass after just 1-2 months of training, which not only speeds up the time of achieving your goals, but also incredibly motivates you for further training, because a person immediately sees the results.
Vitamin complexes from sports nutrition manufacturers
There are many vitamin complexes, but the most popular among bodybuilders are the following:
- Animal Pak and Daily Formula , manufactured by Universal Nutrition . The first is the most popular, highly effective vitamin supplement in existence, designed for those athletes who engage in strength disciplines. The second is a more budget option.
- Opti-Men and Opti-Women , manufactured by the American company Optimum Nutrition . They are not inferior to Animal Pak, being the main competitors of this supplement, differing in purpose, that is, the first series is created for men, and the second for women.
The presented global brands are the best among sports nutrition manufacturers; they have long proven themselves to be highly effective and of excellent quality. The only downside is that due to their high cost, they are not always available to ordinary athletes. A cheaper alternative is pharmaceutical drugs.
Chrome for great shape
The microelement is designed to properly burn calories, controls the level of glycogen in the blood during intense training, and also fights hunger.
Rich in chromium:
- cereals;
- plums;
- broccoli;
- nuts;
- liver;
- cheese.
The norm per day is from 150 to 250 mcg.
Pharmacy vitamins for bodybuilding
Pharmacy complexes are also often used by bodybuilders. They are an excellent replacement for expensive supplements. The most popular are the following:
- Effective and inexpensive complex "Complivit". Its composition includes a wide variety of vitamins. It is great for those who regularly play sports and is incredibly useful for children over seven years of age. The rules and dosage of vitamins are indicated in the instructions.
- Vitamin-mineral complex "Alphabet-effect". Designed for people who regularly engage in physical activity. It differs from similar complexes by the presence of three types of tablets - morning, afternoon, evening.
- Containing ginseng extract "Dynamizan". This preparation also contains amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. It is recommended for use by athletes and people facing regular mental stress. It increases the ability to concentrate, endurance, and performance.
- The most affordable of the vitamin complexes is “Undevit”. It contains 1 vitamin less than Complivit, that is, only 11, not 12. The drug has never been positioned as a sports drug, but most athletes take it because of its good composition and low cost.
Pharmaceutical drugs, of course, differ from special sports ones. However, when comparing costs, most athletes give preference to pharmacy vitamins rather than advertised supplements.
Pancreatin
Creon. Release form - tablets
Pancreatin is one of the best drugs for improving digestion. In addition, the price of Pancreatin is quite low. So, a pack of 60 tablets can be bought for 70 rubles. This drug is indicated for use in several cases:
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are usually divided into two subgroups:
- Water soluble. They are micronutrients from groups C and B, which cannot accumulate in the human body, and if in excess are excreted in the urine. This allows you to consume these vitamins in almost unlimited quantities.
- Fat soluble. These are vitamins included in the group K, E, D, A, which have exactly the same importance for bodybuilders as water-soluble ones. However, given that they accumulate, they must be drunk carefully, since excess will harm the athlete.
Drugs to improve digestion
Festal is one of the most popular drugs
If there is a malfunction in digestion, it can be improved only by following a diet and taking medications. All drugs can be divided into several groups, each of which differs in its main active ingredient and its effect:
- Preparations containing pancreatin as the main component. It is pancreatin that is the enzyme that can provide immediate support in case of digestive disorders. Such medications include Pancreatin, Mezim, Penzital, Creon
- Preparations that, in addition to pancreatin, contain other auxiliary components, such as hemicellulose, bile acids, etc. These components help break down complex sugar compounds, improve intestinal activity and the production of enzymes by the pancreas. The main drugs in this group include Festal, Enzistal, Panzinorm
- Drugs that help normalize the exocrine activity of the pancreas. Such drugs include Somilaza, Nigedaza, Oraza
Only a doctor can prescribe this or that drug after a thorough examination, since independent selection of medications will not always be correct. In some cases, it will be better to drink Festal than Pancreatin, as many do.
List of essential vitamins for bodybuilders
The following should be present in the diet or as supplements:
Vitamin C
The most important micronutrient that every bodybuilder needs. Providing tissues and organs with oxygen is carried out using ascorbic acid. With its help, glucose is absorbed and glycogen reserves are formed. This vitamin is also necessary for the synthesis of steroid hormones, as well as metabolism.
Vitamin B1
Required to stimulate carbohydrate metabolism, essential for bodybuilders. Without this substance, more carbohydrates simply will not be absorbed, but will begin to accumulate in the body, clogging it.
Vitamin B2
It is the main participant in protein metabolism. It has a direct effect on the process of muscle growth. Quite often, professional bodybuilders take it additionally.
Vitamin B3
Takes part in over fifty processes. Large doses allow you to give your muscles definition, since this vitamin makes blood vessels more pronounced.
Vitamin B6
Necessary for the normal process of protein tissue growth, especially in muscles. This enzyme is required for intensely training athletes doing basic heavy lifting.
Vitamin B12
Participates in the synthesis of amino acids and protein metabolism, supports the vital activity of cells of the spinal cord and nervous system.
Vitamin D
The lack of this micronutrient causes a decrease in strength indicators, as well as endurance of the athlete. Without its normal level in the body, calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the contraction of muscle tissue, will not be fully absorbed.
Vitamin E
This substance is responsible for the production of testosterone. In addition, tocopherol increases the quality of tolerance to physical heavy loads and helps muscles grow naturally.
Vitamin H
It has a direct effect on amino acid metabolism and energy supply to muscles. A deficiency of this micronutrient entails a loss of muscle mass and a drop in strength indicators, which makes you think about your own diet and carefully analyze whether it contains the required amount of this micronutrient.
Selenium protects the body
Its mission is to protect cells, stimulate the immune system and remove heavy metals. It is able to influence the hormones responsible for a person’s psycho-emotional state.
This specific trace element is found in mushrooms, seafood, egg yolks, liver and garlic.
The norm per day is from 30 to 70 mcg. Athletes can consume more - from 100 to 200 mcg.
A lack of selenium will lead to arthritis, rheumatism and heart problems. The immune system weakens and vulnerability to allergies appears.
Calcium for strong bones
Calcium is actually a macronutrient. But we are including it in this article to once again draw your attention to its importance. We have known since childhood that calcium is essential for strong bones. It is also designed to prevent osteoporosis and promotes the proper functioning of nerve impulses that come from the brain to all muscles. Without this microelement, the muscles will become weak and contract incorrectly. Calcium deficiency even impairs coordination and mobility.
A lot of calcium, as we all know, is in dairy products, as well as greens and legumes.
The daily minimum requirement for calcium is 1 gram; for athletes, nursing mothers and pregnant women, as well as for those preparing for competitions, the dose can be significantly increased.
Calcium is well absorbed from almost all foods, but it is better to exclude alcohol, caffeine and sweets, which remove it. Reserves are replenished quite easily with a simple balanced diet.
