B-vitamins and exercise

If you‘re involved in regular physical exercise, especially if you’re training for a race or event, then you might want to assess your B-vitamin intake.

Researchers recently found that athletes lacking in B-vitamins had reduced performance during high-intensity exercise and were less able to repair damaged muscles or build muscle mass when compared to athletes who ate a diet rich in B-vitamins.

This is because, among other things, the B-vitamins help your body make new cells, repair damaged cells and unlock the energy from carbohydrates.  If you’re not consuming enough then your body’s ability to perform these functions will be impaired.

Current research also suggests that exercise increases the requirement for some B-vitamins; namely riboflavin, B-6 and B-12.**

Thankfully the B-vitamins can be found in lots of every day foods:

Animal products – meat, poultry, eggs
Yeast extracts – Marmite, Vegemite
Dairy products – Milk, cheese, yoghurt
Fish – salmon, cod
Vegetables – asparagus, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, mushrooms
Fresh and dried fruit – avocados, bananas, dried apricots, dates and figs
Nuts and pulses – walnuts, sunflower seeds
Whole grains – brown rice, wheat germ, wholegrain cereals
Fortified breakfast cereals

In most cases, you should consume enough B-vitamins if you have a varied diet but there are lots of quick and simple ways to boost your intake – check back later in the week for some suggestions!

* The B vitamin group is made up of is made up of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cobalamin (B12) and folic acid.

** Data for B-12 is limited though.