Multivitamin-minerals are beneficial during intense training

Research Shows the Benefits of Multivitamin-Mineral Supplements in Training

A recently published double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study shows that supplementation with multivitamin-mineral supplements reduces the negative effects of intense training. The researchers had 240 male artillerymen undergo rigorous military endurance training. For one week, one group received multivitamin-mineral supplements while the control group received a placebo. Blood and urine samples were taken to measure adrenal hormones, sex hormones, and thyroid hormones. They also examined so-called surface antigens present on the immune system’s T-cells (CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD4/CD8, CD3-CD56+, CD3-CD19+). In addition, all participants completed psychological tests.

Improved Recovery Effects

After the intense military endurance training, the group receiving the multivitamin-mineral supplements showed significantly improved recovery effects concerning the hypothalamic-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-gonadal axis, hypothalamic-thyroid axis, and immune system recovery. The group that received the placebo exhibited impaired thyroid function, adrenal function, testosterone levels, and immune function. The researchers concluded that high-intensity military operations have a significant impact on the psychology, physical abilities, and neuroendocrine-immune systems of young men. An appropriate multivitamin-mineral supplement can facilitate the recovery of physical abilities, the neuroendocrine-immune system, and psychological wellbeing.

Antioxidants Protect Against Free Radicals

This research aligns with findings by Lester Packer, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, regarding exercise. He has extensively studied how antioxidants minimise damage from free radicals. In an article in the Journal of Sports Science, he states, "There is a delicate balance between free radicals and antioxidants in biological systems, and both are needed to convert food into energy. However, exercise, just like illness, can tip the balance towards excessive production of free radicals."

The Finnish researcher Tommi J. Vasankari from the University of Turku in Finland gave a group of endurance athletes either a placebo or a supplement of antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C, and CoQ10) daily for four weeks. The group receiving antioxidants increased their antioxidant capacity in LDL by 30-40 percent, both before and after exercise.

Thus, it may be incredibly important to take a multivitamin-mineral supplement if you train, but ensure you take it a few hours away from your training session.

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