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B Vitamins and Energy Production
The vitamins of the B-complex (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin/niacinamide, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and its derivatives, biotin, folic acid, choline, and cobalamin) are a set of water-soluble essential micronutrients that have a variety of roles in metabolism. B vitamins are often considered the “energy vitamins”, because several perform critical functions in the production of cellular energy.
Cells power most of their metabolism using an “energy currency” molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Our cells create ATP through the breakdown of common “fuels” (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, also called macronutrients) through a series of biochemical reactions performed by enzymes. The complete breakdown of the simple sugar glucose into chemical energy, for example, requires 23 separate enzymes; the breakdown of fats and proteins are similarly complex.
Many of these enzymes require the help of one or more B vitamins to perform their metabolic roles. If a single B vitamin is absent, or present at a suboptimal amount, then the enzymatic pathway ceases to function efficiently, and cells cannot produce adequate amounts of energy. B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6 are all required for the conversion of macronutrients into ATP.
B vitamins can have indirect roles in energy production as well. Most notably are B5, B12, and folic acid, which are necessary for the production of red blood cells and heme, the oxygen carrier. Oxygen is required for most ATP production, therefore, proper circulation is critical for extracting the maximum energy from the macronutrients in our diet. Red blood cells, and the heme contained within them, are responsible for distributing oxygen throughout the body.
Because of the well-established roles of several B vitamins in the metabolism of macronutrients into chemical energy, many have posited that high doses of B vitamins may exhibit performance-enhancing effects. For people with adequate nutrient intakes, this observation has not been borne out by the scientific data. However, not everyone is vitamin-replete, and there are situations where levels of B vitamins are suboptimal; increasing intakes in these situations can lead to perceptible improvements in performance.
During times of large energy expenditure (as strenuous exercise), our vitamin and mineral needs can increase. For example, while thiamin deficiency is rare, short term insufficiencies can increase the buildup of the waste product lactic acid during exercise, contributing to fatigue (Lukaski, 2004). Subclinical deficiencies (deficiencies that are significant to affect health, but not significant to cause classical deficiency symptoms) in physically active people have been observed for B2 and B6, and increases in B2, B6, and B12 intakes have been recommended for older athletes (Campbell, 2004).
Dieting (which can limit the intake of both calories AND vitamins), combined with strenuous exercise, can further increase the possibility of a deficiency for several of the B vitamins (Lukaski, 2004). Many diet strategies (especially those with caloric restrictions), while seemingly healthy, deliver insufficient levels of many vitamins (especially B5 and folate) (Calton, 2010). Age is one of the largest determining factors for suboptimal vitamin status, especially for B6 and B12. Both are absorbed less efficiently as we age (Stover, 2010; Spinneker, 2007) B12 deficiency may be fairly prevalent, affecting up to 8% of adults according to one study (Tucker, 2000). Data from the same study also suggest that suboptimal levels of B12 (which may increase the risk of neurological and cardiovascular problems) may affect almost 40% of adults over a wide range of ages (23-83 years old) (Tucker, 2000).
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