The Role of Folate in Athletes
Nutrition is crucial in optimizing training, performance, recovery, injury prevention, and overall health for endurance athletes. Proper nutrition and supplementation, such as with Quatrefolic®, are essential to counter these effects and support recovery.
Interesting research highlights that inadequate energy and nutrient intake over extended periods can increase the risk of overtraining syndrome, where the intensity of training surpasses the body’s ability to recover. It can also lead to a higher likelihood of infectious diseases and stress fractures. Long-term insufficient energy balance or relative energy deficiency in sports can cause various health complications, affecting the gastrointestinal, endocrine, reproductive, skeletal, renal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems.
Despite the clear importance of nutrition, studies reveal that many athletes fail to meet the recommended intake for energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients.
Cross-sectional studies consistently show that a significant percentage of athletes are not achieving optimal dietary intake levels: 54,7% of endurance athletes did not consume the recommended amount of folate, potentially putting their health and performance at risk.
Folate offers several key benefits for athletes, supporting both physical and mental performance:
- Enhanced Mental Function: Folate aids in producing neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, improving cognitive function and processing.
- Cardiovascular Health: Folate regulates homocysteine metabolism, supporting heart health and overall cardiovascular function.
- Energy Metabolism: Folate is a key nutrient in red blood cell synthesis and enhances oxygen transport, which is crucial for improving endurance performance.
- Muscle Growth and Recovery: Folate supports muscle tissue formation (myogenesis) and improves blood flow to muscles, enhancing muscle growth, strength, and recovery after exercise.
Discover all the advantages of Quatrerolic®, the essential nutrient for athletes looking to optimize their performance and recovery.
Deep Dive Into Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid, is a water-soluble essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in many physiological processes in the body, such as healthy cell growth, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell formation.
