Sports Nutrition Guide; Minerals, Vitamins & Antioxidants for Athletes – Apple Publishing

157 Pages·2016·3.13 MB·English

by  Colgan M.

SPORTS
NUTRITION
GUIDE
Minerals, Vitamins &
Antioxidants for Athletes
Dr. Michael COLGAN
www.applepublishing.com
Copyright ©2002 by Michael Colgan
Cartoons by David Alavoine
Cover Design by Norman Fournier
Book Layout by Amy Pon
Apple Publishing Company reserves all rights to this edition. No part of this work may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except for
those wishing to quote brief passages in connection with a review.
Printed in Canada.
The Information contained in this book was prepared from medical and scientific sources
which are referenced herein and are believed to be accurate and reliable. However, the
opinions expressed herein by the author do not necessarily represent the opinions or the
views of the publisher. Nor should the information herein be used to treat or to prevent any
medical condition unless it is used with the full knowledge, compliance and agreement of
our personal physician or other licensed health care professional. Readers are strongly
advised to seek the advice of their personal health care professional(s) before proceeding
with any changes in any health care program.
National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Colgan, Michael
Sports nutrition guide
ISBN 0-9695272-8-4
1. Athletes—Nutrition. 2. Vitamins in human nutrition.
3. Minerals in human nutrition. I. Title.
TX361.A8C582 2002 613.2’8 C2002-900956-1
Apple Publishing Company Ltd.
220 East 59th Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V5X 1X9 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.applepublishing.com
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
INTRODUCTION
Eight exciting years have passed since I wrote Optimum Sports
Nutrition1 which, became somewhat of a nutrition standard for
athletes. This new book continues our quest for excellence with the
amazing new discoveries in sports nutrition. I can share with you only
a fraction of the 8,000 plus research papers published from 1995 to
today. But I’ll do my damnedest to cover enough of them to enable
you to design a personal nutrition program that will give your body all
the materials it needs to excel.
The latest discoveries in sports nutrition show clearly that the old
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), formulated primarily to
prevent deficiency diseases in sedentary folk,1- 3have no relevance for
athletes.4-6 Nor do the recent Daily Recommended Intakes (DRI), or
Daily Values (DV), which are essentially the old RDA, in a garish
new waistcoat.7,8 And the even newer, Recommended Daily Intakes
(RDI), and Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), are simply
further pedantic extensions of the same old minimal nutrition. You
can safely ignore them. They do not incorporate most of the new
science, and do not even address the nutritional quest of athletes, and
focus of this book – to discover the parameters of optimal nutrition?
The new nutrition science also soundly condemns the processed pap,
masquerading as food, that fills fast-food franchises and crowds
supermarket shelves. Confused by slick advertising, however, in
which the best of American bodies are handsomely paid to pretend
iii
they grew from eating garbage, the majority of Americans, continue
to gobble processed pap as their major food source.9-11
And numerous confused “health professionals”, continue to recom-
mend the pap as the only nutrition you need. As you will see from the
evidence ahead, those who do so are probably similarly confused
about the relative whereabouts of the arse and the elbow.
If you want to excel in sport, you will reject both pap and RDI, and
instead put your trust in science. I am confident in the new science,
not only because of the meticulous research, but also because we have
used it at the Colgan Institute to help hundreds of athletes develop into
champions, over the whole alphabet of sport from archery to yachting.
It will work equally well for you, whether you are bound for Olympic
glory, a worthy weekend warrior, or simply a stubborn old coot like
me still pushing to heights long dreamed. Seize this science today and
go for all the gusto!
- Michael Colgan
OTHER BOOKSby Dr. COLGAN
• NEW NUTRITION
• HORMONALHEALTH
• BEATARTHRITIS
• PROTECTYOUR PROSTATE
• NEW POWER PROGRAM
• YOU CANPREVENTCANCER
• PROGRESS HEALTH SERIES (7 booklets)
• COLGANChronicles (Newsletter)
For more information, visit www.applepublishing.com
The above titles are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales
promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and education needs. Special books or book
excerpts also can be created to fit specific needs. For details, telephone [phone]
or fax [phone] or email [email protected]
iv
Table of CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii
1 One System of Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
2 Synergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
3 Nature Made All the Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
4 Physiological Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
5 Some Folk Have Fat Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
6 Seven Steps to Glory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
7 Mineral Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
8 Calcium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
9 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
10 Potassium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
11 Sulfur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
12 Sodium & Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
13 Magnesium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
14 Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
15 Zinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
16 Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
17 Iodine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
18 Chromium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
19 Selenium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
20 Manganese & Molybdenum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
21 Silicon & Boron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
22 Vanadium & Arsenic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
23 Fluoride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
24 Cobalt, Tin, Nickel, & Germanium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
25 Vitamins in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
v
26 Vitamin A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
27 Vitamin B1, Thiamin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
28 Vitamin B2, Riboflavin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
29 Vitamin B3, Niacin, Nicianamide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
30 Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
31 Vitamin B12, Cobalamin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
32 Folate, Folic Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
33 Biotin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
34 Pantothenic Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
35 Vitamin C Ascorbates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
36 Vitamin D Calciferol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
37 Vitamin E, Tocopherols, Tocotrienols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
38 Vitamin K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
39 Testing Vitamin Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
40 Acetyl-L-Carnitine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
41 Phosphatidylserine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
42 Melatonin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
43 S-adenolsylmethionine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
44 Creatine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
45 Glucosamine and Chondroitin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
46 Soy Isoflavones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
47 Pygeum, Saw Palmetto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
48 Save Your Breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
49 Antioxidant Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
50 Going For The Gusto! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
About Dr. Colgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292
vi
1
ONE SYSTEM
OF CHEMISTRY
Athletes tend to be independent, self-reliant individuals. But these
desirable traits also predispose them to think they are separate from
the world, in complete control of their bodies, each cozy and secure in
a little skin bag. If you believe that, I have a guaranteed method to
leap tall buildings that might interest you too.
To gain the athletic edge, you need to realize that you are no more
than a localized bit of the mass of solids, liquids, gases, and vibrations
that flow around you and through you every living day. The world,
including you, is all one single system of chemistry. Changes in that
chemistry, whether they occur inside your skin or outside in the
environment, completely determine what you think, what you feel,
and how well you are able to perform. Even your most secret beliefs,
are little more than a reflection of the ongoing chemistry inside you
and out in your surroundings.
You are constructed from a mix of natural chemicals that have
formed part of the Earth since life began. Science can track the bene-
2 SPORTS NUTRITION GUIDE/Minerals, Vitamins & Antioxidants for Athletes
ficial chemicals that construct your body, and the detrimental chemi-
cals that damage it, through the soil, through the air, through the plants
and animals we use for food, through you, and back to the soil again.
The science of sports nutrition consists of designing your individ-
ual nutrition, training, and lifestyle, so that your body can retain and
use sufficient of the beneficial chemicals, and avoid or expel the
detrimental. The first step is to realize that you and your environment
are one single interacting system of chemistry.
You Are Recycled
You should also know where you are coming from. In the Archaen
era, 400 million years ago, a miraculous combination of gases
produced a few simple bacteria. Physicists, including my late mentor,
Nobel Laureate Dick Feynman of MIT, consider that it could not have
been a random event. Ahand of intelligence reached into the chaos,
and the evolution of life began.
SPORTS NUTRITION GUIDE/Minerals, Vitamins & Antioxidants for Athletes 3
At that time the atmosphere was mainly carbon dioxide with a lit-
tle methane and nitrogen, but almost no oxygen. Over countless
millennia the Archaen bacteria multiplied across the face of the Earth.
They absorbed the carbon dioxide and excreted oxygen as a waste
product. Gradually the atmosphere changed so that plants could
survive. Vast forests grew up and consumed the carbon dioxide and
excreted oxygen at a prodigious rate. Carbon dioxide declined to its
present 0.09% of the atmosphere, and oxygen increased to its present
21%, making possible the evolution of human life.
The next step in understanding the body and its needs is to ask:
what is human life made of? As Table 1 shows, the body is 99.9%
gaseous and mineral elements. Your 65 % of oxygen comes from the
air as a waste product of plants. Most of the rest of your oxygen, plus
your 10% of hydrogen, comes from the water you drink. And the car-
bon, calcium and other minerals come from the plants you eat, either
directly or through the animals we use as food. All the other minerals,
all the vitamins, and all other nutrients make up less than 0.1% of your
flesh.
Table 1 shows clearly that the usual emphasis on vitamins as pri-
mary nutrients is entirely wrong. The primary nutrients are the
gaseous and mineral elements. That is why this book places minerals
first in the title. You and I are almost entirely recycled products made
from a mix of ancient elements that have been used over and over
again for countless millennia. Unless we get these main chunks of our
flesh right first, taking mineral and vitamin pills is a waste of time,
because there is no way they can correct, or compensate for, basic
faults in the bulk of the mix.