What vitamins and minerals do I need as an athlete?

Vitamins and nutrients are important components of our food and no balanced diet can be imagined without them! Unfortunately, we often forget how essential they are for a healthy mind and body and do not integrate enough foods that are high in magnesium, for example, into our diet. Yet this mineral has so many positive properties! Did you know, for example, that magnesium can reduce your fatigue?

In this article, we will therefore provide an overview of the most important vitamins and minerals and present a way in which you can cover 25% of your nutrient requirements with a healthy breakfast. We have also asked ourselves the question of what athletes in particular should consider when it comes to nutrition! Do certain minerals have an effect before exercise or how can I prepare a vegan sports breakfast?

You can find out more in this article!

Healthy nutrition for female athletes – read more!

What are vitamins?

First of all, we want to get to the bottom of the question of what vitamins actually are. These food components are essential, which means that they have to be ingested with food because the body cannot produce them itself. Furthermore, a distinction is made between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The difference lies in the ability to store them in the body.

Water-soluble vitamins must be taken regularly because they do not stay in the body for too long. An interesting fact: this is why it is not possible to overdose on water-soluble vitamins! Any excess vitamins taken are simply excreted again.

Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, can be stored in the body for longer if taken correctly.

Vitamins & their functions

The following table is intended to give you a rough overview of some vitamins and their functions. ¹

Mineral – what is it?

Minerals, like vitamins, are also among the essential nutritional components. In addition, a distinction is made between quantitative and trace elements . While quantitative elements are present in the body at over 50mg per kg of body weight, the trace elements – as the name suggests – are present at less than 50mg/kg.

The tasks of minerals are diverse and vary depending on the mineral. The following table shows some important minerals and their functions. ^​1​

Here you can learn more about minerals

Why are vitamins and minerals important for your body?

Vitamins and minerals play an essential role in the body. You only realise how important they are when you suffer from a deficiency. Fatigue, a poor immune system or digestive problems are just a few of the possible consequences. Long-term malnutrition can also cause more serious damage.

Especially in view of the fact that vitamins and minerals cannot be produced in the body and, in addition, the water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, or only to a limited extent, a regular intake must be ensured!

Nevertheless, if you think you are deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral, you should not immediately take a dietary supplement. It is always advisable to consult your doctor and have a comprehensive blood count done if necessary.

The importance of vitamins and minerals for athletes

Athletes work purposefully with their bodies and put more strain on them than they would during everyday activities. To push your body to the limit, you should make sure you have a balanced diet that covers all nutritional values.

Since many vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, potassium and magnesium, contribute to functional muscles, you should keep a watchful eye on certain minerals.

What is often of interest to sports enthusiasts is whether vitamins can help you lose weight or whether there are vitamins for building muscle. Certain vitamins from the B group are important for a well-functioning metabolism and thus for the absorption and utilisation of carbohydrates.

More about the vitamins in the B complex.

When it comes to building muscle, calcium, potassium and magnesium are crucial, as they play a vital role in the transmission of stimuli and muscle contraction, thus ensuring functional muscles. Vitamins such as B6 also help to build muscle. ²

Before you start, you should know your body mass index (BMI), a figure that calculates your height in relation to your weight and thus provides a rough classification into a weight class. As an athlete, you should pay particular attention to a few things. It's best to test our special BMI calculator for athletes right away.

Do athletes have higher vitamin and mineral requirements?

At first glance, this question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Above all, individual factors are crucial in determining whether there is an increased need.

First of all, it depends on the type of physical activity, or more precisely, on whether you sweat a lot. In addition to fluids, minerals are also excreted when you sweat. Since some vitamins are important for energy metabolism, i.e. the conversion of certain substances into energy, an additional supply can also be important here.

An additional requirement for nutrients can usually be covered by a balanced diet. If you have the feeling of a deficiency, it is best to check with your doctor before taking any supplements.

Ideal sports nutrition - read more!

Magnesium – why this mineral is important for athletes

As already briefly mentioned, the trace element magnesium ensures sufficient energy during sports as a component of energy metabolism.

Does magnesium help against cramps?

Yes, because it works as an antagonist of potassium and thus inhibits its release into the muscle. This prevents cramps from occurring.

Magnesium therefore plays a crucial role in healthy sports nutrition. However, you may legitimately wonder whether you should take magnesium before or after exercise. Experts recommend taking the mineral a few hours before exercise. After all, the body needs the substance during physical activity. Nonetheless, the goal should be to take it regularly and consistently through your diet.

Do you want to learn more about this versatile mineral, your individual needs and foods that are particularly high in magnesium? Then read our detailed article about magnesium.

Those who do a lot of sports should also adjust their diet accordingly.

Sodium – the underestimated mineral

Sodium is probably best known to most people in combination with chloride as table salt. In addition, many have probably already heard that we should reduce our consumption of the bulk element. This is mainly because we already consume enough sodium with our western diet through processed products.

But what functions does sodium have in the body? Together with chloride and potassium, it regulates the electrolyte and water balance of the body. This means that it is responsible for the absorption, excretion and distribution of electrolytes.

It is therefore particularly important for athletes to consume enough sodium, as a lot of it is lost through sweating.

Porridge – why it's the perfect breakfast before exercise

Now that we have given you so much information about minerals and vitamins, we would like to show you how you can easily get a quarter of your nutrients at breakfast time. And the answer is: with porridge from Verival!

The ideal breakfast before exercise: Sport Porridge Chocolate-Banana

To back this up with concrete figures: one bowl contains no less than 46% of your daily requirement of magnesium, 34% of iron and 34% of vitamin B1. So you can start the day healthily and get a large portion of your nutrients at breakfast time.

Our Sport Porridge Cocoa-Banana is particularly suitable, combining the advantages of a warm breakfast with those of a rich sports breakfast. There is no added sugar in the new porridge, but it still has a slight sweetness due to the bananas it contains. With the positive properties of cocoa and a high proportion of plant-based protein sources (15g per 100g), you'll love this healthy breakfast!

Sport Porridge – discover it now!

The power of oats

The positive properties of oats for breakfast should not be underestimated either. Thanks to their excellent nutritional value and high fibre content, this healthy breakfast will keep you full for a long time. Put simply, the water-soluble fibres contained in oats begin to swell and dissolve in the body. This enlarges your stomach in a positive way and you feel a sense of satiety.

In addition, the body needs longer to break down the long-chain carbohydrates. Consequently, the individual sugar particles are absorbed into the blood in smaller quantities and not as quickly, and the blood sugar level rises slowly. This means that you not only have a short high but long-lasting energy during sports!

Try Sport Porridge

1. n.a. Vitamins & Minerals. Gesundheit.gv.at. Published January 1, 2021. Accessed July 21, 2021. https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/leben/ernaehrung/info/vitamine-mineralstoffe/inhalt
2. n.a. 5 Micronutrients that Athletes Should Look Out For. German Food Association. Published April 6, 2018. Accessed July 21, 2021. https://www.lebensmittelverband.de/de/aktuell/20180406-internationaler-tag-des-sports-mikronaehrstoffe-nahrungsergaenzung-sportler-innen