Anabolic Mineral Compounds
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is common knowledge that calcium builds strong bones—an often overlooked aspect of building a world-class body. As you gain size, you need a strong skeletal foundation to hold all of that new lean muscle. Substantial evidence confirms the need to supplement calcium during intense workouts. New data reveal that during a two-hour workout the body can lose via sweat up to 400 milligrams of calcium. That can severely compromise your efforts in reaching your long-term bodybuilding goals, by decreasing your workout capacity and making you more susceptible to skeletal injuries.
Calcium is also mainly responsible for regulating muscular contractions, and it controls heartbeat. Because you probably take in lots of protein, you should get adequate calcium and its cofactors (phosphorus, vitamin D, magnesium) to limit the withdrawal of calcium from bones.
By the way, vitamin D assists in calcium absorption, while low magnesium levels cause hypocalcaemia, or low calcium. High protein intake can increase calcium’s excretion. You should maintain a calcium-phosphorus balance in the bones of two parts calcium to one part phosphorus. An imbalance will increase calcium loss, which can cause bone loss. The recommended dose is 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams daily.
According to the Food and Drug Administration’s most recent reading of the experimental literature, chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance. Studies suggest that chromium picolinate promotes the anabolic affect of insulin on skeletal muscle by sensitizing insulin-dependent brain receptors that control appetite and fat burning.
Supplemental chromium leads to improvements in lean body mass and percentage of bodyfat and bodyweight loss. In a study appearing in the International Journal of Biosocial and Medical Research, investigators concluded that chromium picolinate, because of its ability to accentuate the development of lean body mass and concurrent loss of bodyfat, could serve as a safe alternative to anabolic steroids. You need 50 to 200 micrograms daily.
The mighty mineral magnesium has recently gained much press for its ability to relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Most of its prominence, however, centers on its ability to control blood pressure and treat ischemic heart disease, a deficiency of blood to the heart.
Magnesium is best known for its ability to help preserve precious bone and its regulation of more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. As a bodybuilder, you should know that it’s essential to all energy-dependent reactions, including the use and production of ATP, the body’s main intercellular energy molecule.
Additionally, magnesium assists in amino acid synthesis, fat metabolism, neurological transmissions and muscular contractions and relaxation. Magnesium actually activates amino acids and helps the body construct protein. Low magnesium levels can definitely affect the way your body makes proteins. As with calcium, a high protein intake can adversely affect your magnesium levels.
In many ways magnesium stands alone, but it’s also a cofactor of the enzyme creatine kinase, which transforms creatine to creatine phosphate, or phosphocreatine, the storage form of creatine. It’s more powerful than creatine monohydrate because of its ability to recycle ATP at a faster pace. What that comes down to is that it increases your anabolic endurance threshold, which gives you more energy and strength for short, powerful lifts or the reps that are key to resistance training.
There’s also considerable evidence that magnesium prevents muscle cramps and muscle spasms, which can occur when you lose it during strenuous exercise. Studies have shown that the more anaerobic the workout, the more magnesium is withdrawn from blood plasma into the red blood cells. That’s why your need for magnesium may be greater. You need 300 to 500 milligrams every day.
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