Sports Essay Sample on the Role of Microelements in Sports Nutrition

Microelements play an essential role in the human organism. The organism needs micronutrients to support the constant process of growth and division of cells. Speaking about nutrition in sports, microelements and vitamins are vital for muscle building and healthy development of the body as well. What is more, there are nutrition supplements, such as metal chelates, that help to catalyze the processing of minerals in the organism. As such, sports nutrition should contain healthy amounts of microelements, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, and iodine to control the metabolic processes and the amount of energy in the organism required for performance.

To start with, micronutrients consists of a combination of microelements and vitamins that a person should include in the nutrition to make the body healthy and active. Such substances have a crucial role in the metabolic processes and normal organ functioning (Rollins). If there is a shortage of micronutrients in the human body, problems such as enzyme and hormone deficiency, low immunity, and decreasing level of adaptive capacity of the organism develop. That is why it is better to control the number of microelements in the body to keep it both fit and healthy. It is important to add that micronutrients are the crucial element for healthy nutrition regarding the supporting role for the immune system and controlling the metabolic processes that provide the body with vital energy.

It is important to claim that sports nutrition is a complex process, and it contains the regulation of vitamins, minerals, and supplements in the food rations. Thus, there are various categories of micronutrients that are essential for performance in sports. There is no doubt that it is necessary to keep a balanced diet to regulate the energy intake. Thus, regular training increases the number of micronutrients for producing energy. As a result, almost all the athletes need high energy intake during regular strenuous exercising. Some groups of exercises also stimulate the mineralization of bones, while the intensive activity in sports promotes calcium loss (Maughan 688). That is why it is crucial not only to have intensive training but also to keep a healthy diet to be fit and full of energy.

First of all, athletes need such elements as magnesium and calcium for muscle building. The matter is that it is essential to control the calcium intake, as this element can be both useful and harmful at the same time. Thus, the average calcium dose for men is 800 mg/day, and for women is about 1200 mg/day (Maughan 688). A lack of calcium may result in the bone disease called osteoporosis, which is a common problem for athletes, especially tennis players. Consequently, the intake of calcium is necessary not only as a supplement, but also in the selection of food that contains enough calcium.

The next vital microelement is iron. Such processes as the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin require a certain amount of iron in the blood. One more critical role of iron is to transport the oxygen from the lungs to all the cells and tissues in the human body. If there is a problem with oxygen transportation, it will result in the reduction of physical performance (Maughan 687). Also, the lack of iron may cause anemia, which is a low amount of red blood cells in the blood. As a result, athletes must pay attention to the dietary intake of iron to get rid of possible health problems.

It is important to mention that the majority of athletes use special supplements to increase the number of various microelements in the body. Thus, the metal chelates are the active mineral forms. The chelate is a kind of chemical combination that consists of the organic and metal molecule (Guetschow). The primary role of chelates is to make the mineral biologically active for the human body. Such substances as glycine, glucose, and proteins are quite popular among athletes. Nevertheless, not all of the metal chelates are safe for health. According to scientists, some chelated minerals can cause harm to the human body, especially to the mineral uptake processes. The matter is that some companies use cheap substances to manufacture chelates. Sometimes there is no guarantee of clinical research and proof of chelate use. That is why it is vital to choose only a trusted brand of chelate that controls the quality of product to avoid possible harm to health.

To sum up, the role of microelements is essential for healthy nutrition. Micronutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, and iodine are vital for muscle building and healthy development of the body. Speaking about the metal chelates, there is a need to control the quality and quantity of such substances to reduce the possible harmful effect. As a result, sports nutrition concerns the controlling measures for the number of micronutrients required for the normal functioning of the organism, metabolism processes, and the production of the energy necessary for sport activities.

Works Cited

Guetschow, Keith. “Understanding Chelated Minerals.” Nutritional Outlook, 2013, www.nutritionaloutlook.com/magazine/understanding-chelated-minerals. Accessed 24 Sep. 2018.
Maughan, R. J. “Role of Micronutrients in Sport and Physical Activity.” British Medical Bulletin, vol. 55, no. 3, Jan. 1999, pp. 683–690., doi:10.1258/0007142991902556.
Rollins, Scott. “Sports Nutrition Part 2: Macronutrients & Micronutrients.” Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado, imcwc.com/html5-blank/sports-and-nutrition-part-2macronutrients-micronutrients/.

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