We all know the importance of taking vitamins and minerals for our health. Among the many benefits, Vitamin C and D help the immune system, Vitamin A helps eyesight, Vitamin B helps with metabolism, calcium helps with bone growth, etc. However, can vitamins actually help boost running performance? Will taking a multivitamin actually help you run faster?
Researchers have studied this precise question. In a 2008 study, nine runners ingested vitamins and twelve runners ingested mineral supplements during a four week period before an ultramarathon. The vitamins included A, B, C, and a multivitamin, and the minerals included magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, and a multi-mineral.
The authors compared the performances of these runners with runners who did not consume vitamin or mineral supplements. Based on the times run in an ultramarathon, the authors found no evidence that a certain vitamin or mineral actually improves a runner’s performance.
It is important to emphasize that this study had a very small sample size and it would be interesting to research whether taking vitamins and minerals for a period longer than four weeks affects performance. Nevertheless, it appears that runners should not expect a huge gain in performance from taking vitamins and minerals.
With that said, I still believe that vitamin and mineral supplementation is an important part of a runner’s diet. While they may not directly improve performance, they may allow a runner to train hard without getting injured. For example, studies have shown that an intake of calcium helps prevent stress fractures, and there is some evidence that Vitamin C helps prevent a cold or flu, which can stop a training program in its tracks. Therefore, while vitamins and minerals may not directly improve running performance, they may have indirect benefits that are very important for runners.
Photo courtesy of Ragesoss
