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Vitamins & Minerals Vitamins and minerals will not give you energy, or make you faster or stronger. Vitamins and minerals help the other nutrients work so that all of your body functions work smoothly. Eating a variety of wholesome foods should give you all of the vitamins and minerals you need for top performance. If you cannot or choose not to eat a balance of foods, a multivitamin supplement with no more than 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) is your best alternative. Women in heavy physical activity are more prone to iron and calcium deficiencies. One reason women are more susceptible is that many are concerned with weight gain. This often keeps them from consuming enough calories and causes them to eliminate certain foods. Increased iron losses due to exercise, menstruation and restricted food intake increase the risk of iron deficiency. Research shows that a common side effect of strenuous exercise is the loss of menstruation, or amenorrhea. The hormonal changes associated with amenorrhea contribute to calcium loss from bones, increasing a woman's risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis. Inadequate calcium in the diet further increases the risk of bone injuries.
How do you get all of the necessary nutrients? For optimal performance, you need all of these nutrients. The best way to consume them is to eat a balanced diet. You can use the Food Guide Pyramid as a road map to help you choose a healthy diet.
Looking at the Pieces of the Pyramid The Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes foods from the five major food groups. Each of these food groups provide some of the nutrients you need. No single food group is more important than another - for good health, you need them all. Three of the food groups at the base of the pyramid are good sources of carbohydrate - grains (bread, cereal, pasta, rice), vegetables and fruit. The grains are also considered a complex carbohydrate, which is the best source to refuel your glycogen stores. Vegetables are high fiber, and lowfat sources of carbohydrate. Eating a variety of vegetables supplies you with many of the vitamins and minerals that you need for performance and health. Remember vitamins and minerals help your body process carbohydrate and proteins so that you can exercise and build strength. Vegetables lose their lowfat rating when you fry them or douse them in things like cheese sauce, butter and sour cream. For top performance, make fried and fatty vegetables only an occasional choice. In addition to grains and vegetables, fruits are a good source of carbohydrate to boost your glycogen stores. Fruits are also high in vitamins, such as A and C, and minerals, such as potassium. On the third level of the Food Guide Pyramid are two food groups that are high in protein- meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts; and milk, yogurt and cheese. Meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts are high in B vitamins, iron, and zinc, all of which are important for performance. Beans are also high in carbohydrate and low in fat. Dairy foods are the best source of calcium. Some of these protein foods like processed meats, meats with visible fat, cheese and ice cream can be high in fat. To reduce the fat content of meat:
The tip of the pyramid is the smallest section, because fats, oils and sweets provide calories but little or no vitamins and minerals. A small amount of fat is essential, however, for health and performance because of its role in transporting fat-soluble vitamins into the body.
If you would like more information on the food pyramid, visit the HOOAH 4 HEALTH food pyramid page and play the Interactive Food Pyramid Game:
Disclaimer: A new USDA food pyramid is scheduled for release in Spring 2005. Please check back for the updates.
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| Sponsored by the Army National Guard, and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Copyright 2008 |
