Enhanced aerobic exercise performance in women by a combination of three mineral chelates plus two conditionally essential nutrients (634.7)

Abstract

Active, young adult women often eat less than optimal levels of iron, zinc and copper, a situation not always corrected by use of multi‐vitamin‐mineral supplements (which often omit iron and often only include zinc and copper in non‐ideal forms). Similarly, intake of carnitine and phosphatidylserine, two conditionally essential nutrients (CENs), may fall below what maximally enhances aerobic energy metabolism. Therefore, a study was done where aerobically fit, young adult, non‐anemic women consumed one of the following for about a month: placebo, glycinate complexes of the 3 minerals + the CENs, or generic versions of the 3 minerals + the CENs. Before and after the treatment, subjects were tested for time in a 3 mile run, followed shortly by distance covered in 25 minutes of stationary biking, followed shortly by performance in a 90 second step test. The mineral glycinates + CENs produced substantial improvements in all three tests (ie mean run time decrease of 54 seconds). The placebo had a significant effect only on the biking distance, though it was less than the mineral glycinates + CENs. The generic minerals + CENs only significantly affected the step test. In summary, a combination of certain mineral complexes plus two non‐essential organic nutrients improved aerobic exercise performance in fit young adult women.Grant Funding Source: Gatorade Institutue