When you exercise pretty intensely, do you feel like you're not firing on all cylinders and missing benefits from the huffing and puffing?

The amount of B vitamins you take may affect your performance in high-intensity exercise and your body's ability to bounce back and build muscle, sports nutrition experts said.

"For active individuals, a marginal deficiency in the nutrients may impact the body's ability to repair itself, operate efficiently and fight disease," said Melinda Manore, one of the lead researchers in a project at Oregon State University that analyzed performances of athletes and less competitive people.

"Many athletes, especially young athletes involved in highly competitive sports, do not realize the impact their diets have on their performance," Manore said. "By the time they reach adulthood they can have seriously jeopardized their abilities and their long-term health."

From grains to milk 

The B-vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, B-12 and folate. These micronutrients are necessary during the body's process for converting proteins and sugars into energy, and are used during the production and repair of cells, including red blood cells.

The vitamins are in whole and enriched grains, dark green vegetables, nuts, and many animal and dairy products. Manore suggests athletes and individuals with poor or restricted diets consider taking a multivitamin or mineral supplement.

Current national B-vitamin recommendations for active individuals may be inadequate for what their bodies need, said Manore, adding the predicament is particularly acute with athletes and other people who restrict calories or limit food groups like dairy or meat that contain high levels of the nutrients.

Often, the athletes and people who get into the most trouble with B-vitamin deficiency are those who are trying to keep their weights down for their sports or jobs, Manore said.

"The most vulnerable people are often the individuals society expects to be the healthiest," she said. "There's a lot of pressure on women in particular to look like an athlete.

"Unfortunately for some people that means skinny and petite, rather than healthy and strong."

Source: Oregon State University
Reference: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism

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