The 5 most important vitamins for muscle growth and regeneration
Sometimes it is the lack of vitamins that prevents you from making the most of your work in the gym. Find out which vitamins are essential for muscle growth and regeneration.
As you go home from the gym, muscle growth and repair takes place at the cellular level. Cell synthesis and tissue repair depend on various vitamins and minerals. These necessary vitamins can usually be found in a balanced diet.
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is well known for its positive effects on eye health, but many of its other benefits are often ignored. Vitamins A are useful for athletes and bodybuilders because they support the synthesis of proteins that are essential for muscle growth. Vitamin A levels decrease with increasing protein synthesis. This is due to the fact that vitamin A is needed to break down proteins during the muscle repair process. If its role in muscle growth and repair is not enough, vitamin A also has a direct effect on testosterone, the strongest muscle building hormone. In one study, there were 102 adolescent boys with delayed puberty, in which vitamin A and iron supplementation induced similar maturity than the group receiving exogenous testosterone. This proves that vitamin A deficiency can have a significant effect on healthy testosterone production in men of all ages. Finally, vitamin A plays an important role in promoting bone development and stimulating young cells to accelerate maturation.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is probably the most important vitamin when it comes to muscle growth and regeneration. Vitamin D is unique in that the body needs exposure to direct sunlight to stimulate its production. Sure, we all know that vitamin D is important for maintaining health and delaying disease, and we also know that there are major vitamin D deficiencies in the population, but do we also know how it can support muscle growth and recovery? Vitamin D is the most important of all vitamins when it comes to testosterone production. Some research studies even show that vitamin D supplementation can significantly increase strength in adults when strengthening, compared to the placebo group. Vitamin D also plays a key role in protein synthesis, due in part to its effect on testosterone production. A study in men with low testosterone found that their vitamin D levels increased their testosterone levels by up to 20%. In addition to its effects on testosterone and muscle growth, vitamin D can also improve bone health. Vitamin D works together with calcium and magnesium, which are essential minerals for bone development.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is probably one of the most famous vitamins on the planet. We've all had colds once, and we've also been given "take vitamin C" advice, but what are the benefits for muscle growth and regeneration? First and foremost, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects muscle cells from free radical damage. In addition, it works to help produce testosterone and other anabolic hormones. The benefits for muscles do not end there! Vitamin C also helps in the formation of collagen. Because collagen is the primary component of connective tissue, vitamin C thus becomes an essential component in keeping bones and muscles undamaged. By strengthening collagen, the joints are able to handle heavier resistance, with less chance of injury.
In one study at the University of North Carolina, the researchers found that vitamin C supplementation before and after training reduced muscle pain and prevented the oxidation of glutathione, a highly effective antioxidant. Later muscle pain is not exactly pleasant, and it is vitamin C that has been shown to reduce pain while working as an antioxidant at the cellular level.
4. Vitamin E
Vitamin E has many uses. Many people use it as a remedy for stretch marks and skin problems. It is also a very powerful antioxidant that protects the integrity of cells in the body. Exercise and intense training create free radicals in the body, which are toxic by-products of cellular respiration. As these free radicals accumulate, the body becomes more toxic, leading to impaired performance, muscle growth, regeneration, and immune health. Vitamin E acts on these free radicals and flushes them out of the body. The end result is less oxidative stress and reduced muscle damage. In addition to the above benefits, vitamin E has been studied as a natural prevention and treatment of carotid atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the carotid artery due to oxidative stress. As such, vitamin E is able to further support muscle growth and accelerate recovery through its positive effect on blood pressure, allowing nutrient-rich blood to reach the muscles directly.
5. Vitamins B (B6, folate and B12)
Vitamin B6, folate and B12 are probably the most important B vitamins when it comes to muscle growth and renewal! Vitamins B6 and B12 have a direct role in protein metabolism. Studies have shown that the higher the protein intake, the more vitamin B6 is needed to support the metabolism of increased protein intake. Another interesting fact is that vitamin B6 is needed to support the absorption of vitamin B12. These B vitamins are essential in the production of red blood cells and immune system cells, which are invaluable for muscle growth and repair. The use of folic acid (vitamin B9) in combination with vitamins B6 and B12 can reduce homocysteine levels and improve nitric oxide production and endothelial function. The end result is improved blood flow and nutrient delivery to the muscles!
Žiadne komentáre:
Zverejnenie komentára