Macro vs Micro Nutrition
If you consider your body as a computer, or an electronic system (which actually is) you would value the significance of a “reboot” or “updates” regarding your health (software).
Your body consists of ~70 trillion cells, treat each one as a “command” and you’re basically a living breathing functioning PC – You’re actually much more. You get the concept.
The “commands” carried throughout our bodies are to heal, restore, and recover.
For that reason, we want to make sure the “software” is not corrupted. Bad data, leads to a “crash” or “system malfunction”. So how do we keep our bodily system up to date?
Well, we consider all sources of energy that sustain our functionality.
That’s where macro vs micro nutrition and our B-Vitamins come into play; essential to our nervous system and cellular regeneration, b-vitamins keep our system functioning optimally and keep it from “crashing”.
B-Vitamins: Charging and Updating
B-vitamins are essential, meaning the body cannot produce them. Therefore, you must consume through means of a nutrient rich diet or supplementation.
The eight B vitamins are
- thiamine (B1)
- riboflavin (B2)
- niacin (B3)
- pantothenic acid (B5)
- vitamin B6
- biotin (B7)
- vitamin B12
- folic acid.
Most B vitamins are considered to be “nootropics” which basically entail of active compounds or substances that serve to improve cognitive function.
B vitamins play an important role in our neurological system (consider it as part of the “software “that we are).
Testosterone, a steroid hormone, must bind to androgen receptors via the endocrine and adrenal systems which are interrelated to the neurological systems in the body.
If neural function is impaired (“lagging or corrupted”), the production and uptake of testosterone can negatively reflect.
Another significant take away from our B-vitamins is the production of HDL testosterone “the good kind”.
Why is that significant?
It’s because testosterone is actually derived from cholesterol.
B-Vitamins could also be considered as antioxidants due to their ability to bind to free radicals/toxins.
So in all, to keep our computing system not only in check, but also “rebooting and updating”, we should incorporate the full spectrum of B-vitamins to our everyday diet.
Again, your B-vitamins heal, restore, and regenerate by: releasing toxins, boosting neurological system health, producing more red blood cells (increased oxygen production promotes more effective workouts).
How to maximize my intake of B-Vitamins
To best benefit from the health properties of B-Vitamins, we have to incorporate through a dietary or supplemental means. If you are feeling slow/sluggish then you just might be deficient in these essential vitamins.
Food sources consisting thiamin include pork, lentils and nuts. Riboflavin can be found in dairy products and lean meats.
Niacin-rich foods include legumes and certain grains. Folic acid also included in the presence of dark green leafy veggies like spinach, chard, and kale.
Vitamin B6 can be found in poultry, seafood, and root vegetables. B12 is naturally found in shellfish but is also used as an additive ingredient for other foods and supplements.
Biotin and pantothenic acid (B5) can be found in liver, egg yolk, salmon, and dairy, as well as some legumes and mushrooms
What you probably didn’t know
Back in the good old bodybuilding days, the sports nutrition/supplement market was not as saturated as today. I don’t think that there was even a market leading to the 20th century.
Anyways, bodybuilders then, more so then now, depended on a micronutrient rich diet as opposed to a macronutrient loaded diet. Diets rich in fat soluble vitamins “Like our B-Vitamins” meant more energy, which meant more gains.
Bodybuilders then had the knowledge and application of wholefood nutrition. Now they have the accessibility to science supplementation (biochemistry).
If you ask me, the rise of the industrial revolution brought in itself a rise in ignorance. If you consider the quantity of your essentials (protein, fats, fiber) but fail to consider the quality (vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, etc) you’re only seeing one side of the coin.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva, Leroy Colbert (first to have built 21in arms naturally) incorporated desiccated beef liver and brewer’s yeast into their diet which provided a broad spectrum of natural occurring compounds. Amongst them, B-vitamins.
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Works Cited
- How many cells are in the human body? by Yella Hewings-Martin PhD – Link
- Effects of high-dose B vitamin complex with vitamin C and minerals on subjective mood and performance in healthy males. David O. Kennedy, Rachel Veasey, Anthony Watson, Fiona Dodd, Emma Jones, Silvia Maggini, and Crystal F. Haskell – Link
- Beneficial effect of liver feeding on swimming capacity of rats in cold water. ERSHOFF BH. – Link
- The need for regulation of dietary supplements–lessons from ephedra. Fontanarosa PB, Rennie D, DeAngelis CD. – Link
- Men, muscles, and body image: comparisons of competitive bodybuilders, weight trainers, and athletically active controls. Pickett TC1, Lewis RJ, Cash TF. – Link
