Should My Youth Athlete Take Vitamins
April 16, 2008
Parents often wonder about taking vitamins and giving vitamins to their youth athletes. Should I bother? Are they worth the money? Which ones should I take? In order, the answers are yes, yes, and take any brand with which you feel comfortable.Why take vitamins at all? The purpose of supplementation is to cover all bases — to make sure they’re covered. How can you be sure your diet contains all the cofactors and trace minerals needed to make your metabolism work correctly? And what about all the antioxidants that fight free radical formation and the phytonutrients that seem to have so much benefit in cancer prevention?
Likewise, it would take a lot of effort to be certain that your diet contained sufficient iodine, magnesium, selenium, chromium, folate, and vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cyanocobalamin).Taking a supplement guarantees that these requirements have been met. It’s simple, safe, and efficient in terms of both time and cost.
Which brand of supplementation is best? There’s no right answer here, there are many very good companies. It’s more of an instinctive decision. It should be base on your health provider’s recommendations, or a trusted friend. Cost often times is an indicator of quality. To some degree brand selection is instinctive. Brand selection is personal. There are no peer-reviewed, hard statistical data suggesting that one brand is superior. “Results” here are qualitative, not quantitative. The important point is that vitamin/mineral supplementation is necessary to ensure optimal metabolic functioning and physical well-being. One has to remember that the daily requirements are not base on a youth athlete they are based on a some what sedentary life style. The demands in the body are greater thus needs are too.
Vitamin/mineral supplements are important for active youth athletes. Supplementation ensures a consistent, optimal dose of necessary nutrients. Balanced nutrition, in combination with regular exercise, will help provide vibrant, glowing good health.
Resources:
Speckerr B, Vukovich M: Evidence for an interaction between exercise and nutrition for improved bone health during growth. Med Sport Sci 51:50-63, 2007
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Your site is awesome, you have so much info, especially for new track parents. I am a parent for the Flyers (619) who gives a lot of my time to help out the team, parents come to me all the time and I will be sending them here. I just wanted to compliment your work.