Top Performing Micronutrients

There are only three macronutrients. You know them as protein, carbohydrates and fats. But there are numerous micronutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals and other compounds. A deficiency in one or more can impact the performance of elite athletes and weekend warriors alike. Consider the findings of a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Researchers took blood samples from thousands of teenagers across Europe. These same subjects also performed two physical tests: The 20-yard shuttle run to determine their level of cardiovascular conditioning, and a standing long jump to measure lower body muscle power. Higher blood levels of hemoglobin, retinol and vitamin C were associated with greater cardio fitness while hemoglobin, beta-carotene and retinol concentrations were a pretty good indicator of muscular strength.

True Strength Moment: Hemoglobin is an iron-containing oxygen transporter and retinol is a form of vitamin A. These are just two of the multitude of micronutrients that your body needs only a little of to produce sizable results. Because it can be difficult to get the full array of micronutrients from daily dietary intake, a high-potency multivitamin can provide valuable nutritional support when you're aiming to knock down another performance goal.