Micronutrients

Elevating Human Performance Through Proper Nutrition and Resistance Training

In the previous blog, I broke down what macronutrients (fats, carbs, proteins) are and how they affect the body when used properly. In this blog, the main focus will be on micronutrients, or as they’re more commonly called, vitamins and minerals. The term micronutrient comes from the textbook definition which is “nutrients that the body needs in small doses to properly grow and efficiently function”.1 Micronutrients include nutrients such as calcium, iron, or any number of B vitamins that the body must utilize in order to stay healthy. The main difference between macronutrients (macros) and micronutrients (micros) is that the dosage size for the latter is much smaller.

Just because you take micros in much smaller dosages than macros, doesn’t make them any less important to the human body. For example, the micronutrient calcium is essential in the development and maintenance of bone strength. Without supplementing calcium into the diet, an individual is more liable to bone breaks/damage than a person who IS supplementing calcium properly. The key to properly supplementing micros is to never go over the recommended amount. The National Academy of Sports Medicine has a tracking system that they reference as a “Dietary Reference Intake”. This DRI is designed to “provide sufficient guidelines for what constitutes as an adequate intake of a nutrient...the DRI’s are designed to estimate the nutrient needs of healthy people in various age groups and of both sexes.”2

An efficient way for an individual to ensure that they are getting the proper amounts of micronutrients into their body is to supplement a general multivitamin/mineral pill. The general multivitamin has the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals for the average individual. Micronutrients can also be found in everyday foods just like macronutrients can. Everything from milk to bell peppers contain micronutrients, and when consumed, give the body the nutritional supplementation it needs.

I hope this blog has shed some light on exactly what micronutrients are and how they can affect the human body even in such small quantities. With proper supplementation of micros, an individual can expect to see great results from training and an overall healthier life.

1 Clark, M., Lucett, S., & Corn, R. J. (2008). NASM essentials of personal fitness training. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

2 Koshuta, J. (n.d.). What Are Micronutrients? Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-micronutrients-definition-types-foods-importance.html