What vitamins and minerals do I need as an athlete?

Vitamins & nutrients are important components of our food and cannot be ignored in a balanced diet! Unfortunately, we often forget how essential these are for a healthy mind and body and integrate too few foods that, for example, have a high content of magnesium into our diet. The mineral has so many positive properties! For example, did you know that magnesium can reduce your fatigue?

In this article, we want to provide an overview of the most important vitamins & minerals and present a way in which you can cover ¼ of your nutritional needs with a healthy breakfast . In addition, we asked ourselves what athletes in particular should consider when eating! Do certain minerals have an effect before exercise or how can I prepare a vegan sports breakfast?

You can find out all this and more in this post!

What are vitamins?

First, let's get to the bottom of what vitamins actually are. These nutritional components are essential, that is, they must be ingested with food, as the body cannot produce them itself. In addition, a further distinction is made between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins . The difference lies in their storage capacity in the body.

Water-soluble vitamins must be taken regularly, as they do not stay in the body for too long. An exciting fact: therefore, no overdose can occur with water-soluble vitamins! The excess vitamins are simply excreted.

Fat-soluble ones, on the other hand, can remain 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​

Why are vitamins & minerals important for your body?

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

Especially with regard to the fact that vitamins and minerals cannot be produced in the body and, additionally, the water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body or only to a small extent, care must be taken to ensure regular intake !

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

The importance of vitamins & minerals for athletes

Athletes work with their bodies in a targeted manner and use them in everyday life. In order to best push the body and bring it to its performance limit, attention should therefore also be paid to a balanced diet that covers all nutritional values!

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

What is often interesting for sports enthusiasts is whether vitamins can contribute to weight loss or whether there are vitamins for muscle building . Certain vitamins from the B group ensure a well-functioning metabolism and are therefore important for carbohydrate intake and reduction.

When building muscle, calcium, potassium, and magnesium are crucial, because they play a role in the transmission of stimuli as well as muscle contraction and thus ensure functional muscles. But vitamins such as B6 also help build muscle. ^​2​

Before you start, you should know your Body Mass Index (BMI) , a key figure that puts height in relation to weight and thus gives a rough classification in a weight class. Especially as an athlete, you should pay attention to a few things. It is therefore best to test our special BMI calculator for athletes .

Do athletes have a higher need for vitamins and minerals?

Basically, this question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Above all, individual factors determine whether there is an increased need.

First of all, it depends on the type of physical activity, more precisely, whether you sweat a lot. In addition to the liquid, minerals are also excreted. 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 need for nutrients can usually be covered by a balanced diet. If you feel a deficiency, it is best to clarify this with your doctor before you supplement anything.

Magnesium – that's why this mineral is important for athletes

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

Does magnesium help against cramps?

Yes, because it acts as an antagonist to calcium 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 rightly wonder whether you should take magnesium before or after exercise. Experts recommend taking the mineral a few hours before exercising, as the body already needs the substance during physical activity. Nevertheless, the goal should rather be a regular and constant intake through diet.

Want to learn more about the versatile mineral, your individual needs, and foods that are particularly high in magnesium? Then it is best to read our detailed article on magnesium .

Sodium – Underestimating the mineral

Sodium is most likely known in association with chloride as table salt. In addition, many have probably already heard that we should rather reduce the consumption of this quantitative element. This is mainly due to the fact that we already consume sufficient sodium with our Western diet through processed products.

But what functions does sodium have in the body? It regulates the electrolyte and water balance of the body with chloride and potassium. That is, it is responsible for the uptake, excretion, and distribution of electrolytes.

It is therefore especially important for athletes to take in enough sodium, as a lot is lost through sweating.

Porridge – That's why it's the perfect pre-exercise breakfast

Now that we have given you so much information about minerals and vitamins, we want to introduce you to a way to easily cover ¼ of your nutrients at breakfast . And the answer is: with porridge from Verival!

To substantiate this with concrete figures: A bowl contains a whopping 46% of your daily requirement of magnesium, 34% of iron and 34% of vitamin B1 . This way you can start the day healthy and already eat a large part of your nutrients at breakfast.

Our Sport Porridge cocoa banana, which combines the benefits of a hot breakfast with those of a rich sports breakfast, is particularly suitable. There is no additional sugar in the new porridge without sacrificing a slight sweetness due to the bananas it contains. With the positive properties of cocoa and the high content of vegetable protein sources (15g per 100g), you will love this healthy breakfast!

The power of oatmeal

The positive properties of oatmeal for breakfast should not be underestimated. Thanks to the excellent nutritional values and the high fiber content , this healthy breakfast will keep you full for a long time. Simply put, the water-soluble fiber in the body begins to swell and dissolve. This enlarges your stomach in a positive sense and you feel a feeling of satiety .

In addition, the body takes longer to break down long-chain carbohydrates. Consequently, the individual sugar particles are absorbed into the blood in smaller amounts and not so quickly, causing the blood sugar level to rise slowly. This gives you not only a short high but long-lasting energy when exercising!