The importance of B Vitamins for athletes

What is vitamin B?

The B vitamins are a group (known as the vitamin B complex) of water-soluble compounds and include: B1 (thiamine); B2 (riboflavin); B3 (niacin); B5 (pantothenic acid); B6 (pyridoxine); B7 (biotin); B9 (folic acid); and B12 (cobalamin).

B-Vitamins are a type of micronutrient which are essential for ensuring normal and optimal body function. The body can’t produce B-Vitamins (or any vitamins) and therefore they must be consumed in the diet. B-vitamins are especially important for sports performance, namely thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B-6, B-12 Vitamins, and folate.

What is the vitamin B complex responsible for?

Representing such a large group of compounds, the Vitamin B complex plays a part in a large number of bodily functions. For example, thiamine (B1), helps release energy from food while others (B2, B6, B9 and B12) play an important role in maintaining blood health through iron metabolism and red blood cell production. Other functions of the vitamin B complex include promoting cell health, brain function, healthy digestion, nerve function and cardiovascular health.

B1 THIAMINE

Thiamine’s role in energy metabolism is in decarboxylation and transketolation reactions, which is one reason thiamine is important for nervous system health. The RDA for thiamine is 1.0-1.2 mg per day. Poor thiamine status can negatively impact athletic performance. Following several months of consuming a low-thiamine diet, athletes experienced reduced exercise capacity and greater blood lactate. Greater blood lactate suggests that pyruvate dehydrogenase was insufficient for producing enough acetyl-CoA for optimal ATP production. When pyruvate cannot enter the Krebs cycle, it is converted to lactate, and athletes do have greater need for thiamine. However, most athletes (~90%) have acceptable thiamine status, and poor thiamine status usually coincides with insufficient calorie intake.

Food Sources: 1) Fortified Breakfast Cereals (100%). 2) Rice (73%). 3) Egg noodles (33%). 4) Pork (27%). 5) Trout (27%).

B2 RIBOFLAVIN

Riboflavin plays a key role in metabolism and blood cell synthesis and helps convert vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to its active coenzyme form and tryptophan to vitamin B3 (niacin). There is also evidence that vitamin B2 can prevent or treat certain medical conditions, including: Cardiovascular disease, Cataracts, Certain types of cancer, Dementia, Migraines, Preeclampsia, Seizures.

Food Sources: 1) Beef Liver (171%). 2) Fortified Breakfast Cereals (~100%). 3) Oats (65%). 4) Dairy (18-35%). 5) Steak (24%)

B3 NIACIN

Niacin performs the same role as other B-vitamins in helping to metabolise carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy and regulate hormones, but it also has a unique role in supporting brain function.
Niacin consists of 2 coenzymes; nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP). These elements are responsible for energy production via cellular metabolism in the brain leading to improved brain function and focus.
A secondary benefit of niacin is to lower triglycerides. Research has shown that this can be by as much as 20%, and in some cases by 50%. High levels of triglycerides are a health risk, being linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high levels of LDL cholesterol. This reduction is achieved by niacin inhibiting an enzyme involved in triglyceride synthesis.

Food Sources: 1) Liver (200%). 2) Turkey (100%). 3) Tuna (56%). 4) Chicken (44%). 5) Beef (36%).

B5 PANTOTHENIC ACID

Pantothenic acid is the rate limiting step in Coenzyme A (CoA) formation. This means that the amount of CoA produced is directly proportional to pantothenic availability. CoA is an extremely important molecule in terms of metabolism. For example, the Krebs cycle requires CoA, as acetyl-CoA, to start, and the cycle needs CoA again to form succinyl CoA (along with NAD!). Pantothenic acid is also involved in the synthesis of heme (red blood cell oxygen carrier protein) and cholesterol. The adequate intake for pantothenic acid is 5 mg per day.

“Pantos” means “everywhere” in Greek, and this reflects how many foods contain pantothenic acid. As such, athletes are typically not deficient. Research indicates that exercise can result in acute decreases in pantothenic acid. However when just examining levels of available pantothenic acid, athletes have been observed as having greater values than controls. Data on pantothenic acid supplementation have produced mixed results. High dose supplementation of pantothenic acid (2 grams per day for 2 weeks) have resulted in reduced lactate production and oxygen consumption at a fixed exercise intensity. However, 1 gram per day for 2 weeks did not improve running performance in trained runners, and 1.8 grams per day for 1 week did not affect lactate, glucose, free-fatty acids, or sprint performance in trained cyclists.

Food Sources: 1) Beef Liver (96%). 2) Avocado (40%). 3) Sunflower Seeds (40%). 4) Duck (32%). 5) Portabella mushrooms (30%).

B6 PYRIDOXINE

Vitamin B6 is known as a "helper molecule" that affects several biochemical processes. B6 metabolizes nutrients and also synthesizes hemoglobin (which carries oxygen through the blood), antibodies (which supports the immune system), and neurotransmitters (which send nerve signals). A deficiency in vitamin B6 affects the body's ability to process fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, as important circulatory, immune, and nervous system functions begin to break down.

Vitamin B6 is often used to help treat a number of conditions including: Age-related muscular degeneration, Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), Cancer, Hyperemesis gravidarum ("morning sickness"), Kidney stones, Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), Pyridoxine-dependent seizures in infants, Sideroblastic anemia (a form of hereditary anemia), Stroke, Tardive dyskinesia (a neurologic side effect of antipsychotic drugs).

Food Sources: 1) Chickpeas (55%). 2) Beef Liver (45%). 3) Yellowfin Tuna (45%). 4) Sockeye Salmon (30%). 5) Chicken Breast (25%).

B7 BIOTIN

Biotin is a coenzyme for several enzymes involved in generating intermediate compounds in the Krebs cycle, in fatty acid synthesis, and glycogen synthesis, so it is considered slightly more anabolic than catabolic. It is popular in “hair, skin, and nail” supplements for perceived promotion of more beautiful attributes. The adequate intake for biotin is 30 micrograms per day.

No studies have been conducted examining biotins effects on performance. It would stand to reason that inadequate biotin status would negatively impact energy metabolism and glycogen synthesis, which would hamper performance. However, biotin insufficiencies are very rare when there are no inborn errors of metabolism involving biotinidase. Investigations on athletes suggest no difference in biotin requirements between athletes and non-athletes, making biotin an exception to the rule that athletes generally require more B vitamins. Prevalence of biotin deficiency is less than 1 tenth of 1 percent in the US.

Food Sources: 1) Beef Liver (100%). 2) Egg (33%). 3) Salmon (17%). 4) Pork (13%). 5) Ground Beef (13%).

B9 FOLATE

Folate is used to make deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), which are the genetic blueprints of every cell in the human body. So, essentially, vitamin B9 is necessary for cell division and growth.

Folate is especially important during the first trimester of pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly. As such, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires grain and cereal products to be enriched with folic acid (the synthetic form of folate). This move has caused the rate of neural tube defects to drop significantly.

In addition, some research has shown that folate, when combined with vitamins B6 and B12, may be beneficial for people who experience chronic migraine headaches. Folate may also help prevent a number of health conditions, including: Aging-related macular degeneration, Cardiovascular disease, Some types of cancer, Some cases of stroke.

Food Sources: 1) Beef Liver (54%). 2) Spinach (33%). 3) Black-eyed Peas (26%). 4) Fortified Breakfast Cereals (25%). 5) White Rice (23%).

B12 COBALAMIN

Vitamin B12 is crucial to various bodily processes, including: normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, cognitive functioning (ability to think), formation of red blood cells and anemia prevention, helping create and regulate DNA, possibly preventing congenital abnormalities, helping protect the eyes from macular degeneration, necessary for energy production

Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy blood. When the body does not have enough B12, it leads to decreased normal red blood cell production (anemia), which impairs oxygen delivery.

Food Sources: 1) Clams (1,402%). 2) Beef Liver (1,178%). 3) Fortified Breakfast Cereals (100%). 4) Trout (90%). 5) Salmon (80%).

Impact of Vitamin B Deficiency

Current research supports the theory that athletes, and those who exercise frequently or at high intensity, may have an increased need for vitamin B2 (riboflavin), with a smaller fraction of athletes exhibiting deficiencies in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). A 2017 study published in Nutrients found that insufficient dietary intakes of essential B vitamins can hinder an athlete’s performance and lead to fatigue, injury, and altered concentration. However, the authors note that most of the subjects who participated in the study were able to meet their recommended intake for B vitamins from food sources.

Female athletes, in particular, might be more prone to B-vitamin deficiencies simply based upon the reduced number of calories that many consume. By comparison, male athletes tend to eat a lot of calories and a wider variety of foods, but female athletes tend to monitor their nutrition more closely and often fail to eat enough calories or enough variety of food to replace all the nutrients they need to rebuild muscles and aid recovery.

Older studies have also highlighted the value of B vitamins. In 2006, researchers at Oregon State University found that athletes who lack B vitamins have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair damaged muscles or build muscle mass than their peers who eat a diet rich with B vitamins. Those most at risk for B-vitamin deficiencies include athletes who are limiting calories or have specialized, consistent, or restricted eating plans. However, it's important to note that supplementation alone does not improve athletic performance. For athletes who are deficient in B vitamins, the best way to boost their intake is through nutrient-rich food sources.

08.09.2022