List of vitamins

List of vitamins

The best way to get enough vitamins is to follow a healthy diet that includes a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

• Vitamin A
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids (including beta carotene).
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia (eye disorder that results in a dry cornea)
  - Good sources include: liver, cod liver oil, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon, milk.
• Vitamin B₁
  - Chemical name (vitaminer) - thiamine
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome
  - Good sources include: yeast, pork, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver, and eggs.
• Vitamin B₂
  - Chemical name (vitaminer) - riboflavin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause ariboflavinosis
  - Good sources include: asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and green beans.
• Vitamin B₃
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - niacin, niacinamide - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause pellagra
  - Good sources include: liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer's yeast.
• Vitamin B₅
  - Chemical name (vitaminer) - pantothenic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause paresthesia
  - Good sources include: meats, whole grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly, fish ovaries.
• Vitamin B₆
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause anemia, peripheral neuropathy
  - Good sources include: meats, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried it loses about half of its B₆. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.
• Vitamin B₇
  - Chemical name (vitaminer) - biotin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause dermatitis, enteritis
  - Good sources include: egg yolk, liver, some vegetables.
• Vitamin B₉
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - folic acid, folinic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause pregnancy deficiency linked to birth defects
  - Good sources include: leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, baker's yeast, some fortified grain products, sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.
• Vitamin B₁₂
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
  - Good sources include: fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and dairy products. Some fortified cereals and soy products, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.
  Vegans are advised to take B₁₂ supplements.⁴
• Vitamin C
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - ascorbic acid
  - Water soluble
  - Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
  - Good sources include: fruit and vegetables. The Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods. Liver also has vitamin C.
• Vitamin D
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause rickets, osteomalacia
  - Good sources: produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.
• Vitamin E
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - tocopherols, tocotrienols
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency is uncommon. May cause mild hemolytic anemia in newborns
  - Good sources include: kiwi fruit, almonds, avocado, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and wholegrains.
• Vitamin K
  - Chemical names (vitaminer) - phylloquinone, menaquinones
  - Fat soluble
  - Deficiency may cause bleeding diathesis
  - Good sources include: leafy green vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contain a lot of vitamin K.

The US National Library of Medicine³ says that the best way to get enough vitamins for good health is to follow a balanced diet with a wide range of foods. Some people may need to take a daily multivitamin.

Vitamins

What are Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds which are needed in small quantities to sustain life. We get vitamins from food, because the human body either does not produce enough of them, or none at all.

Vitamin wheel reference diagram to learn about the vitamin groups and common foods containing them.

An organic compound contains carbon. When an organism (living thing) cannot produce enough of an organic chemical compound that it needs in tiny amounts, and has to get it from food, it is called a vitamin.

Natural Sources of Vitamins

Bodybuilding workout types

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise (also known as cardio) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process.

 Aerobic  means requiring free oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism.Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time

Among the recognized benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:[citation needed]

• Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs
• Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate, known as aerobic conditioning
• Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure
• Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen
• Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression, as well as increased cognitive capacity.
• Reducing the risk for diabetes. One meta-analysis has shown, from multiple conducted studies, that aerobic exercise does help lower Hb A1C levels for type 2 diabetics

In addition to the health benefits of aerobic exercise, there are numerous performance benefits:

• Increased storage of energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscles, allowing for increased endurance
• Neovascularization of the muscle sarcomeres to increase blood flow through the muscles
• Increasing speed at which aerobic metabolism is activated within muscles, allowing a greater portion of energy for intense exercise to be generated aerobically
• Improving the ability of muscles to use fats during exercise, preserving intramuscular glycogen
• Enhancing the speed at which muscles recover from high intensity exercise
• Neurobiological effects: improvements in brain structural connections and increased gray matter density, new neuron growth, improved cognitive function (cognitive control and various forms of memory), and improvement or maintenance of mental health

Some downfalls of aerobic exercise include:

• Overuse injuries because of repetitive, high-impact exercise such as distance running.
• Is not an effective approach to building muscle.
• Only effective for fat loss when used consistently.

Both the health benefits and the training effect, require a minimum duration and frequency of exercise. Most authorities suggest at least twenty minutes performed at least three times per week

Variants of Aerobics exercise

Indoor: 

• Stair climbing
• Elliptical trainer
• Indoor rower
• Stairmaster
• Stationary bicycle
• Treadmill

Outdoor

• Walking
• Cycling
• Running
• Cross-country skiing
• Cross-country running
• Nordic walking
• Inline skating
• Rowing

Indoor or outdoor

Swimming 

• 

Kickboxing 

Skipping rope or jump rope

Circuit training

Jumping jacks

Jogging

Anaerobic

Anaerobic exercise is the type of exercise that enhances power and builds muscle mass. Muscles trained under anaerobic conditions develop differently, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities, which last up to about 2 minutes.

The most common form of anaerobic exercise is strength exercise. Strength exercise is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles. 

There are many different methods of strength training, the most common of which are weight and resistance exercise. These two types of exercise use gravity (through weight stacks, plates or dumbells) or machines to oppose muscle contraction, and the terms can be used interchangeably. 

When properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being including increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, toughness and endurance, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury resulting from weak muscles, improved cardiac function and elevated “good” HDL-cholesterol. It can also help maintain lean body mass (important for individuals attempting weight loss), decrease the risk of osteoporosis, develop coordination and balance.

Aerobic vs Anaerobic

Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression. 
Strength training appears to have continuous energy-burning effects that persist for about 24 hours after the training, though they do not offer the same cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercises. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise also work to increase the mechanical efficiency of the heart by increasing cardiac volume (aerobic exercise), or myocardial thickness (strength training).

When generalized fitness is a professional operational requirement, as for athletes, combat services, police and fire personnel, aerobic exercise alone may not provide a well-balanced exercise program. In particular, muscular strength, especially upper-body muscular strength, is usually neglected. Also, the metabolic pathways involved in anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis and lactic acid fermentation) that generate energy during high intensity, low duration tasks such as sprinting, are not exercised at peak rates. Aerobic exercise is, however, an extremely valuable component of a balanced exercise program and is good for cardiovascular health.

Aerobics notably does not increase the basal metabolic rate as much as some forms of weight-training, and may therefore be less effective at reducing obesity. However, this form of exercise also allows for longer, more frequent activity and consumes more energy when the individual is active. In addition, the metabolic activity of an individual is heightened for several hours following a bout of aerobic activity.


Not everyone benefits equally from the different types of exercise . There is tremendous variation in individual response to exercise: where most people will see a moderate increase in endurance from aerobic exercise, some individuals will as much as double their oxygen uptake, while others will never get any benefit at all from the exercise. Similarly, only a minority of people will show significant muscle growth after prolonged weight training, while a larger fraction experience improvements in strength. This is why people should experiment and try different types of physical activity, so that they can find what type they really like and what works for them.

Protein

Bodybuilders often supplement their diets with a powdered form of protein. The powder is mixed with water, milk or juice.

Protein powder is generally consumed immediately before and after exercising, or in place of a meal.

Some types of protein are

√ whey protein: taken directly before and after a workout
√ Casein protein: taken before going to bed

The theory behind this supplementation is that bodybuilders, by virtue of their unique training methods and end-goals, require higher-than-average quantities of protein to support maximal muscle growth.

"The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for both men and women is 0.80 g of good quality protein/kg body weight.

Ex: if you weight 80 kg,
Then your recommended protein intake will be 0.80* 80= 64 grams.
* may vary depending on individual.

"In view of the lack of compelling evidence to the contrary, no additional dietary protein is suggested for healthy adults undertaking resistance or endurance exercise."

No consensus has been reached in determining whether or not an individual in exercise training can benefit from protein and amino acid supplements.

Protein supplements come in various forms:
√ Ready to drink shakes
√ Bars
√ Bites
√ Oats
√ Gels
√ Powders, Protein powders are available in a variety of flavors.

Whey protein contains high levels of all the essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids. It also has the highest content of the amino acid cysteine, which aids in the biosynthesis of glutathione.

For bodybuilders whey protein provides amino acids used to aid in muscle recovery.Whey protein is derived from the process of making cheese from milk.

There are 3 types of whey protein:

√ Whey concentrate: Whey concentrate is 29–89% protein by weight

√ Whey isolate: whey isolate is 90%+ protein by weight

√ Whey hydrolysate: Whey hydrolysate is enzymatically predigested and therefore has the highest rate of digestion of all protein types

whereas Casein protein (or milk protein) has glutamine, and casomorphin.

•Soy protein from soybeans contain isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen.

•Egg-white protein is a lactose- and dairy-free protein.

• Hemp seed contains complete and highly-digestible protein and hemp oil is high in essential fatty acids.

•Rice protein, when made from the whole grain, is a complete protein source that is highly digestible and allergen free. Since rice protein is low in the amino acid lysine, it is often combined with pea protein powder to achieve a superior amino acid profile.

• Pea protein is a hypoallergenic protein with a lighter texture than most other protein powders. Pea protein has an amino acid profile similar to that of soy, but pea protein does not elicit concerns about unknown effects of phytoestrogens[citation needed]. Pea protein is also less allergenic than soy.

Bottles
Shaker Bottle commonly used to mix supplements. Has mesh inside to avoid lumps in the mixture.
Although it is generally believed that athletes and bodybuilders need an increased intake of protein, the exact amount is highly individualized and dependent on the type and duration of the exercise as well as the physiological make up of the individual. Age, gender, and body size may vary this protein intake.

"Few health experts have criticized protein shakes as being unnecessary for most people that consume them, since most users already get enough protein in the normal varied diet with enough calories. However, there is some evidence to support the idea that protein shakes are superior to whole foods with regards to enhancing muscle hypertrophy in the one hour window following intensive exercise"[citation needed].

Moreover, for athletes who do not have the time to prepare whole food meals on the run or immediately after exercise, a protein shake may be preferred for practical as well as performance reasons.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
suggestions & theories

A dietitian has suggested that low-calorie dieters, vegetarians, haphazard eaters and those who train very heavily may benefit from protein supplements. However, at least in the case of people following vegetarian diets, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies states: "Available evidence does not support recommending a separate protein requirement for vegetarians who consume complementary mixtures of plant proteins."

Overdose

Taking an overdose of protein can lead to a loss of appetite, which may be useful for some dieters.
Nutritionists claim that osteoporosis occurs from excessive protein intake because protein can put pressure on the kidneys and lead to bone loss due to calcium leaching, recent research has cast doubts on these claims, and suggests that higher calcium excretion may be due to increased calcium absorption in the intestines due to protein intake.Indeed, it is well known that dietary protein is itself important for bone growth, and some studies have found increased bone formation in response to exchanging dietary carbohydrates for protein.

Nutritionists also argue against increased protein consumption because weight gain may occur because, as the body cannot store protein, excess protein will either be burned as energy or stored as fat (if you are already getting the calories you need). However, dietary protein is converted to fat far less efficiently than either carbohydrates or lipids, so consuming a calorie excess in protein will result in far less fat gain than would a calorie excess of other macronutrients.

Researchers

Research by Tarnopolsky et al. (1988) showed that for bodybuilding individuals, 0.96g of protein per kg of body weight per day is recommended, whereas endurance athletes require 1.34g per kg per day. Their findings indicated that protein requirements are actually much lower than might be expected and that protein supplements therefore may not be as effective as is popularly believed. It should be noted that both of these levels are significantly higher than the levels recommended for the general population (0.8 g protein / kg body weight).The study concluded that "Bodybuilders during habitual training require a daily protein intake only slightly greater than that for sedentary individuals in the maintenance of lean body mass and that endurance athletes require daily protein intakes greater than either bodybuilders or sedentary individuals to meet the needs of protein catabolism during exercise."

Another study suggest that the protein requirements for anaerobic and aerobic exercise are opposite those presented by Tarnopolsky. Endurance athletes in aerobic activity may have increased daily protein intake at 1.2–1.4 g per kg body weight per day—the same as the aforementioned study—where strength training athletes performing anaerobic activity may have increased daily protein intake needs at 1.4–1.8 g per kg body weight so as to enhance muscle protein synthesis or to make up for the loss of amino acid oxidation during exercise.

Essential fatty acids

The essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid) may be especially important to supplement while bodybuilding,[dubious ][medical citation needed] these cannot readily be made in the body, but are required for various functions within the body to take place.[citation needed]

Fatty fish, such as fresh salmon and trout are rich in essential fatty acids and fish oils can also be taken in supplement form.

Flaxseed oil, often sold as a supplement on its own, is an ideal source of alpha-Linolenic acid, which can also be found in walnuts and pumpkin seeds

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in human muscle and is commonly found in supplements or as a micronized, instantly soluble powder because supplement manufacturers claim the body's natural glutamine stores are depleted during anaerobic exercise.

Some studies have shown there to be no significant effect of glutamine on bench press strength, knee-extension torque or lean muscle mass when compared to controls taking a placebo, though another study found that glutamine is beneficial in raising T-helper/suppressor cell ratio in long-distance runners.

BCCA

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, the body breaks consumed protein into amino acids in the stomach and intestines.

Amino Acids are classified as
√ Essential, conditionally essential
√ Non-essential.

There are three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine, and valine. All three branched-chain amino acids are essential amino acids. Each has numerous benefits on various biological processes in the body. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are metabolised in the muscle and have an anabolic/anti-catabolic effect on it. BCAAs account for 33% of muscle protein.

Creatine

Creatine is an organic acid naturally occurring in the body that supplies energy to muscle cells for short bursts of energy (as required in lifting weights) via creatine phosphate replenishment of ATP.

A number of scientific studies have shown that creatine can improve,
Known benefits of creatine:

√ Strength.
√ Energy.
√ Muscle mass.
√ Recovery times.

In addition, recent studies have also shown that creatine improves brain function. and reduces mental fatigue. Unlike steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs,

creatine can be found naturally in many common foods such as herring, tuna, salmon, and beef.

Creatine increases what is known as cell volumization by drawing water into muscle cells, making them larger.[citation needed] This intracellular retention should not be confused with the common myth that creatine causes bloating (or intercellular water retention).

Creatine is sold in a variety of forms, such as
√ creatine monohydrate.
√ creatine ethyl ester.

Though all types of creatine are sold for the same purposes, there are subtle differences between them, such as price and necessary dosage.

In The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger states:

"Creatine monohydrate is regarded as a necessity by most bodybuilders. Creatine monohydrate is the most cost-effective dietary supplement in terms of muscle size and strength gains.

There is no preferred creatine supplement, but it is believed that creatine works best when it is consumed with simple carbohydrates. This can be accomplished by mixing powdered creatine with grape juice, lemonade, or many high glycemic index drinks".

Some studies have suggested that consumption of creatine with protein and carbohydrates can have a greater effect than creatine combined with either protein or carbohydrates alone.