Micronutrients are an important part of our nutrition coaching services, and here’s why!
In the world of nutrition coaching, there are a lot of macronutrients that rightfully get a lot of attention. However, there are also many minerals and vitamins known as micronutrients that play an important role in balancing your overall health as well!
A lot of people aren’t quite sure what micronutrients actually are, and even fewer people understand why micronutrients are important. It turns out that micronutrients are key factors for your body’s bone health and muscle growth, as well as your mood regulation and immune system strength.
All of us at Rising Legends understand just how important nutrition is for everyone’s fitness journey, and below we’ll be thoroughly explaining what micronutrients are and how they can positively impact your strength and fitness!
What Exactly Are Micronutrients?
Micronutrients are various minerals and vitamins that people only need in tiny amounts on a daily basis, but these nutrients are absolutely essential for your overall health. Generally speaking, micronutrients consist of 15 essential minerals and 13 essential vitamins.
It’s important to understand that your body isn’t capable of independently producing these micronutrients, which means that you must replenish your daily intake of these vitamins and minerals in order to maintain optimal health. Although a well-balanced diet can go a very long way to give you all of the micronutrients that you’d need on a daily basis, it’s surprisingly common for even fitness enthusiasts to have micronutrient deficiencies.
The good news is that our expert nutrition coaches are able to recognize when you might have certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies by keeping track of your diet on a daily basis, but it’s also important you to understand the intricate details of why micronutrients are essential for your overall health!
What’s The Difference Between Macronutrients & Micronutrients?
Macronutrients consist of things like proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and these are the three fundamental building blocks of your body’s overall nutrition. You’re inevitably going to need large amounts of macronutrients each day in order to stay healthy, alert and happy.
On the other hand, micronutrients are just as important in terms of maintaining your overall health. The main thing that differentiates micronutrients is that your body only needs small daily amounts in order to meet your unique needs.
What Are The Main Types of Micronutrients?
Micronutrients come in four different categories, including:
- Macrominerals
- Fat-soluble vitamins
- Water-soluble vitamins
- Trace minerals, also known as microminerals
Below is a brief overview of each micronutrient category:
1. Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins are any vitamins that aren’t capable of being stored within the body for later usage. This means that water-soluble minerals will enter your body, until they’re eventually flushed out of your system when you use the bathroom.
Because you’ll quickly flush water-soluble vitamins out of your system, it means that you need more of them on a daily basis. There are nine water-soluble vitamins, including:
- Thiamin (B1)
- Niacin (B3)
- Vitamin C
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Biotin (B7)
- Pantothenic Acid (B5)
- Folate (B9)
- Pyridoxal, pyridoxine and pyridoxamine (B6)
- Coblamin (B12)
2. Fat-Soluble Vitamins
These vitamins, as their name suggests, dissolve in fat (as opposed to water). This means that your body can store these vitamins within your fatty tissue for a longer period of time, but you’ll still need to get your daily intake of these vitamins in order to maintain your health.
The four types of fat-soluble vitamins include:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
3. Macrominerals
Although it may seem somewhat confusing, macrominerals are actually a type of micronutrient. Your body needs at least 100 milligrams of each macromineral per day, and this includes:
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Phosphorous
- Sulfur
- Chloride
4. Trace Minerals (Microminerals)
Trace minerals are the types of minerals that your body needs each day, but less than 100 milligrams per day.
The most common trace minerals include:
- Zinc
- Iron
- Manganese
- Iodine
- Copper
- Selenium
- Cobalt
- Fluoride
Why Are Micronutrients Important For Your Health & Fitness?
Micronutrients are incredibly versatile when it comes to supporting your overall health, and it’s important for fitness enthusiasts to understand the more intricate details of what micronutrients do.
Below are just a handful of the many health benefits associated with micronutrients:
- Improved Muscle Functionality: It’s difficult for your body to effectively repair and build muscle without micronutrients, and this is especially the case after intense strength training exercises. Several B vitamins can help you speed up your metabolism and recover faster from workout sessions.
- Immune System Boost: Micronutrients are incredibly important for bolstering the strength of your body’s immune system. This means that you’ll be more likely to ward off infections and other potential diseases.
- Energy Production: Many micronutrients play a significant role in converting food into useful energy known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is essential for your body’s RNA and DNA synthesis, and this also pertains to specific workout-related movements like nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
- Bone Health: Many different micronutrients play a role in keeping your bones healthy, including decreased risks of bone issues like osteoporosis.
- Body Development & Growth: Micronutrients are also incredibly important in terms of producing the hormones and enzymes that contribute to your body’s overall development and growth. This is particularly important for growing children, but it’s also crucial for all fitness enthusiasts who are trying to create lasting results at the gym.
- Mood Regulation: Another interesting benefit of micronutrients is that they play a role in your body’s neurotransmitter functionality, and this is because micronutrients support both serotonin and dopamine production. There are also many B vitamins that help people reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, and minerals like zinc and magnesium are known for playing a positive role in improving an individual’s mood regulation.
Why Are Micronutrients Important For My Fitness Journey & Exercise Routine?
Because micronutrients are necessary for metabolic functions like muscle building, energy production and workout recoveries, they play a critical role in supporting your exercise routine and overall fitness journey.
It’s important for fitness enthusiasts to remember that they’ll need more micronutrients on a daily basis as they expend more energy during their workouts. You’ll lose a lot of vitamins and minerals by sweating, so you’ll need to supplement your body with additional micronutrients after each training session.
And the great news is that when you keep up with your micronutrient intake, you can feel a lot better about the overall effectiveness of your workouts. Your body will always appreciate proper nutrition, and this is especially the case when it comes to burning fat, building up muscle mass, and recovering after intense sessions!
Reach Out To Our Nutrition Coaches To Learn More About The Health Benefits Of Micronutrients!
By understanding the more intricate details of micronutrients, you can empower yourself to make more informed nutrition decisions that benefit you and your fitness journey.
All of us at Rising Legends understand the importance of combining awesome workout regimens with proper nutrition, and our nutrition coaches are always here to answer your questions about dieting and overall nutrient intake.
We look forward to seeing you at the gym!