Calcium in athletic performance

What are the three most important minerals for an athlete? Iron, zinc, and, you guessed it, calcium.

That is the point of a sports nutritionist, and in a way it is clear from the amount of calcium we need compared with other minerals and the priority it has within our systems.

If you consume calcium, zinc, and iron, the body will prioritize calcium over the other two…

That is why sports nutritionists and most researchers advise athletes to take iron and zinc at a time when there is little or none of the mineral in the stomach, and this also applies to supplements containing zinc, such as ZMA.

Calcium and Bones, is that all?

Calcium is best known as a promoter of healthy, strong bones, but it also plays a critical role in athletic performance.

At too low a level, it prevents you from relaxing your muscles, generating less potential energy and, ultimately, a less satisfactory contraction, leading to poor workouts,

Remember that by improving relaxation, you prevent cramps, injuries, and spasms.

This mineral is also very important in fat metabolism because it produces less fat storage and better use of the macronutrients present in the blood.

It has a blood-pressure-lowering effect, can reduce stress, and definitely improves sleep quality.

Additionally, calcium transports a large number of amino acids and creatine.

Moreover, without calcium, blood would not clot; in short, it must be present in the blood for the formation of fibrin, an insoluble protein that forms a fibrous network for the framework of the blood clot. However, you should know how to choose which type of supplement to use.

Mineral interactions

Because of the importance of calcium for bodybuilders, it is extremely important to respect the body's need for it and provide the appropriate vitamins for its proper functioning, avoiding combining it at the same time with substances that hinder its absorption.

• It does not react well with phosphorus, sodium, coffee, and white flour.
• Likewise, too much of a given macronutrient, whether protein, fat, or carbohydrates, can inhibit its absorption.
• When there is little magnesium in the blood, which is common among bodybuilders, it can lead to the formation of kidney stones.

On the other hand, for proper absorption, it is necessary to combine it with vitamins A and D, which together boost the immune system and strengthen the musculoskeletal system.

What about muscle contractions?

The positive calcium molecule is important for transmitting nerve impulses to the muscle fiber through its neurotransmitter, which triggers release at the junction between the nerves.

Inside the muscle, this important mineral facilitates the interaction between actin and myosin during contractions.

To summarize everything, let us remember that the protein structures tropomyosin and troponin are located on the actin filament.

Calcium binds to troponin, causing a change in the position of tropomyosin and exposing the actin sites to which myosin will bind for muscle contraction.

 

Source

• NASM’s Research: Calcium: for strong, bones, muscle function and so much more!