B Vitamins and Their Significance in Exercise
You have probably noticed many sports drinks and fuels that have added B vitamins. Maybe you have even heard your fellow athletes talk about their ‘energy enhancing’ benefits. Have you ever wondered if getting extra B vitamins is actually helpful to your performance? This page summarizes the role of B vitamins in relation to athletic performances.
B-Vitamins and Exercise Performance
B vitamins, often referred to as B-complex vitamins, are very intertwined and many are dependent on each other to function (which is why they are called B-complex vitamins).
It is common to see sports drinks and fuels with added B vitamins. The reason B vitamins gained their popularity in the athletic community is due to their main and critical roles in energy production. For example, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin are all necessary for converting a metabolic intermediate in CHO metabolism into another that goes into the TCA cycle (energy producing cycle). Riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, for example, are critical coenzymes for the TCA cycle and for β-oxidation of fatty acids. Vitamin B6 is primarily found in muscle tissue and needed for glycogen and amino acid metabolism, and heme synthesis (as part of hemoglobin). Whereas, folate and B12 are more known for their essential roles in new cell production and repair.
B-Vitamin Supplementation and Performance
Exercise increases the need for riboflavin and vitamin B6, but most individuals consume amounts above the RDA for these vitamins, which would easily cover the increased need from exercise. If not, the increased need would likely be met through the additional energy requirements from being physically active. In general, as activity levels increase, energy requirements increase. Therefore, consuming additional food, as part of a balanced and healthy diet, will provide the additional nutrients needed for exercise. There is preliminary research that demonstrated decreased muscle soreness and improved recovery time from riboflavin supplementation before and during an ultraendurance running event. However, considering some limitations of the study, further research should be done before making that claim.
If you consume a well-balanced diet with adequate energy (calories) to meet your needs, you most likely are meeting your B-vitamin requirements. Supplementing with additional B-vitamins when your diet is already meeting your needs, will not further improve performance and is mostly a waste of money. However, if you are deficient in one or more of the B vitamins, then your performance will likely suffer. In that situation, you should first try to make changes to your diet to better meet your B vitamin needs (see the table at the bottom of this page for B vitamin rich food sources). If you are unable to make the necessary changes in your diet, then a multivitamin supplement or a B complex supplement might be beneficial. Keep in mind that some of the B vitamins (i.e. niacin, B6, and folic acid) can cause adverse side effects if consumed In excess. may have adverse effects.
Take-away
Consume a well-balanced, non-restrictive diet to include:
A variety of whole grains
Lean protein sources (e.g. lean meat, eggs, legumes, fish, soy products, nuts)
Low fat dairy or fortified milk alternative
A wide variety of fruits and vegetables
Healthy fat sources (e.g. olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado)
Incorporating nutritional yeast into meals is another way to increase B-vitamins
Supplementation of B-vitamins will only improve performance if you are deficient in B vitamin(s)—and most athletes are not, especially if they follow the guidelines above.
References:
Woolf, K., & Manore, M. M. (2006). B-Vitamins and Exercise: Does Exercise Alter Requirements?, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 16(5), 453-484. Retrieved Feb 28, 2021, from https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/16/5/article-p453.xml
Hoffman, M.D., Valentino, T.R., Stuempfle, K.J. et al. A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Riboflavin for Enhancement of Ultramarathon Recovery. Sports Med - Open 3, 14 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-017-0081-4
Dunford M & Doyle JA. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise 4th ed. Cengage. 2019