Vitamin C for athletes: dose and benefits
If you were asked to describe what you eat and why, you would surely have an especially refined plan ready, with careful adjustments to your carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. Great. Chances are, though, that you wouldn’t spend much time discussing how many vitamins and minerals to take each day. Both are at least as important. You’re probably thinking you have no reason to worry, since you eat properly anyway. You may still have reason to change your mind.
If you’re on a diet, you may well be eating well but still not eating enough to get the vitamins and minerals you need. Second, sports enthusiasts have a higher-than-usual need for all kinds of micronutrients. The most positive changes can appear in athletes who have started taking supplements containing vitamins and minerals. Don’t forget that the speed and efficiency of your metabolism depend on them. What happens when you don’t get enough? The whole process simply grinds to a halt.
Why athletes need more vitamin C
Let’s start with vitamin C. Its daily value is considered to be 60 mg. In reality, we need 200 mg a day to saturate our tissues. Because vitamin C metabolism mostly takes place under stress, an athlete needs at least 200–300 mg a day. Vitamin C supports the formation of connective tissue, iron transport, hormone production and energy-producing reactions. All of this is especially important during a demanding training program.
It’s important to remember that vitamin C dissolves in water very easily. A person with a lot of muscle mass has to understand that their muscle is made up mostly of water. Being so water-soluble, vitamin C disperses quickly in muscle. If any athlete needs more vitamin C, it is undoubtedly the muscular, hard-training bodybuilder.
If a bodybuilder doesn’t get enough vitamin C, something like this can happen: glycogen levels in the muscles and liver drop, causing an energy loss; phosphocreatine levels in muscle tissue fall, reducing the strength to perform high-intensity movements; lactic acid production rises and the person tires quickly.
Athletes who take at least 200–300 mg of vitamin C a day tolerate heat better. Since vitamin C doesn’t accumulate in the body, the risk of overdose is close to zero. The most vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, melons, kiwi, green peppers, dark green vegetables and tomatoes.
Author: Marek Morozov
Come and train! ArtGym
