Vitamin and mineral supplements to athletes: do they help?

Although the general implications of this review would be that vitamin and mineral supplements are ineffective as ergogenic aids when added to the diet of an athlete who is well-nourished, there may be certain instances in which supplementation is warranted. For example, wrestlers on low calorie diets and high levels of energy expenditure may not be receiving a balanced intake of nutrients. Young male athletes and female athletes of all ages should be aware of iron-rich foods and include them in the daily diet. The female athlete who experiences a heavy menstrual flow may consider commercial iron preparations; hemoglobin and other hemotologic variables may be evaluated in order to determine the need for supplementation. More research is needed, particularly with large doses of the vitamin B-complex and vitamin C. Although some of the studies cited herein have used large doses, some athletes have been reported to consume massive dosages, for example, 10,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Unfortunately, there may be some adverse side effects of such massive doses, and it may not be ethical to conduct research with humans at those high intake levels. Do these massive dosages elicit a pharmacodynamic effect on some metabolic reactions that are favorable to physical performance? More research with vitamin E at altitude also appears to be warranted, as does iron supplementation to iron-deficient, but not anemic, athletes. As noted earlier, the current data base suggests that vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary for the athlete receiving a balanced diet. However, only with additional controlled research may we expand that data base to help answer some of the questions that still remain relative to nutrition and athletic performance. There are still a large number of athletes who believe that the "racers edge" may be found in a tablet.