Minerals don’t provide energy directly, but without them your body can’t function properly — especially if you work out. Muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission, oxygen transport in the blood, protein synthesis: all of these processes need trace amounts of metals and salts. In this overview I’ll go through the most important minerals, their daily amounts and the best food sources from the Estonian kitchen table.
Why minerals are essential for anyone who trains
When you sweat in the gym for an hour or two, you lose electrolytes along with the water — potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium. If you get too little magnesium over a long period, your calves start cramping at night. Too little iron? You’re out of breath by the second floor, and lifting a bar feels heavy even with a light weight. Mineral deficiency isn’t an abstract health concern — it hits your results directly.
The good news: you can get most minerals from an ordinary balanced diet. Meat, dairy, legumes, nuts, whole grains and green vegetables cover the bulk of your needs. Supplements make sense when your diet is consistently short on one mineral or another — for example iron for a vegetarian, or magnesium in winter.
The most important minerals and what they do
Potassium. Daily amount about 2000 mg. The main balancer of intracellular fluid, needed for muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission. Sources: meat, milk, bananas, potatoes, legumes, vegetables, grains.
Calcium. Daily amount 1000–1300 mg. Responsible for bone strength, muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve function, blood clotting and normal blood pressure. Sources: milk and dairy products, small fish eaten with their bones, tofu, green vegetables, legumes.
Phosphorus. Daily amount 0.7–1.25 g. A component of bones, cell membranes, RNA and DNA; helps transfer energy. Sources: meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk.
Iron. Daily amount 18 mg (women need more than men). A component of hemoglobin in the blood — without iron, oxygen can’t reach your muscles. Sources: red meat, fish, chicken, shellfish, eggs, legumes, dried fruit.
Iodine. Daily amount 150 mcg. Regulates thyroid gland function and, through it, metabolism and growth. Sources: iodized salt, sea fish, bread, dairy products.
Magnesium. Daily amount 310–420 mg. Involved in protein synthesis for building muscle, enzyme function, muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission. Sources: nuts, legumes, whole grains, green vegetables, pork, cocoa.
Zinc. Daily amount 15 mg. Needed for RNA and DNA production, the immune system, wound healing, and sperm and insulin production. Sources: meat, chicken, fish, whole grains, vegetables.
Chloride and sodium. Daily amounts are 750 mg and 500 mg respectively. The main regulators of fluid and electrolyte balance; sodium also contributes to muscle contraction and nerve impulses. Sources: table salt, soy sauce, processed foods. Estonians tend to get too much sodium rather than too little — it pays to go easy on the salt.
Selenium. Daily amount 55–70 mcg. Works together with vitamin E as an antioxidant. Sources: pork, whole grains, Brazil nuts (a couple a day covers your needs).
Copper. Daily amount 2 mg. Needed for iron absorption and part of many enzymes. Sources: meat, seafood, nuts, drinking water.
Manganese. Daily amount 2–5 mg. Facilitates a number of intracellular processes. Sources: almost all foods — there’s no reason to worry about it separately.
Fluoride. Daily amount 2.9–3.8 mg. Strengthens bones and teeth. Sources: drinking water, tea, pork.
Chromium. Daily amount 50–200 mcg. Helps release energy from glucose and supports insulin function. Sources: meat, unrefined grains, vegetables, vegetable oils.
How to get enough minerals from everyday food
A simple truth: the more colorful your plate, the more likely you are to get all the minerals you need. Leafy greens provide magnesium and calcium, red meat provides iron and zinc, fish provides iodine and selenium, milk provides calcium and phosphorus, and legumes and nuts provide magnesium and potassium.
A few practical tips:
- Eat vitamin C together with iron-rich foods — peppers or berries alongside red meat improve iron absorption.
- Coffee and black tea right during a meal reduce iron absorption; shift them to half an hour before or after.
- In the Estonian winter you get little vitamin D from the sun — if you take extra vitamin D, it also supports calcium absorption.
- After a hard, sweaty workout, adding salt alongside your water is not a bad idea: it’s worth replacing the sodium and potassium you’ve lost.
FAQ about minerals
Do I definitely need to take a multimineral supplement?
Generally not. If you eat a varied diet — meat or fish, dairy, vegetables, legumes, whole grains — your body gets what it needs. A supplement makes sense for a specific deficiency confirmed by a blood test or a doctor’s recommendation.
Which minerals are used up fastest in training?
Sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride — all electrolytes that are lost through sweat. After a long or intense workout, it’s worth replenishing them deliberately.
Is it possible to overdose on minerals?
Yes, it is. Especially with iron, zinc and selenium — large doses can be toxic. Stick to the amounts stated on the packaging and don’t combine several supplements containing the same mineral.
Translated by M&F Arula
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