Vitamins and Minerals to Improve Adolescent Fitness

According to a recent study , specific vitamins and minerals may improve physical fitness in adolescents. The study, originally featured in the Journal of Applied Physiology and described in Life Extension online, says that adolescents performed better on fitness exercise tests when they had higher amounts of vitamins and minerals in the blood.

The researchers from the University of Zaragozo in Spain, looked at a group of 1,089 individuals in Europe, made up of both boys and girls, and tested their blood for levels of various inclusions such as hemoglobin, soluble transferrin receptors, a cross sample of vitamins, iron, plasma folate and red blood folate. The then administered a standing long jump test and a cardiovascular 20 meter shuttle run test to record the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 Max).

In both the boys and girls, higher levels of the vitamins, minerals and other tested levels “were significantly associated with increased muscle fitness” and “greater cardiovascular fitness.” Although they believe that the results offer significant findings, they believe additional testing could further identify the direct links to fitness or to perhaps understand if there is “causal relationship.”

According to the study, it is important to get your ABCs along with D and iron. Our top five vitamins and minerals noted are:

  1. Vitamin A
  2. Vitamin B
  3. Vitamin C
  4. Vitamin D
  5. Iron

Interested in reading more? Check out our Top Five Tips for Protecting Child Athletes