(NC)—Physical activity and athletic performance can be enhanced through good nutrition. This can be achieved by eating the right foods and drinking the right fluids at the right time, coupled with nutritional supplementation.

Regular physical activity might increase the body's nutritional needs. So it's important to have an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals every day. For athletes in particular, inadequate diets have been shown to result in less than optimal performance in otherwise fit individuals.

Here is what a diet with the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals can do for you:

• Help replace minerals lost through sweat and urination. Minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are necessary for muscle and nerve contractions.

• Provide antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, to boost the immune system and help reduce cell damage caused by free radicals generated by physical activity.

• Provide B vitamins to convert carbohydrates, fat, and protein into fuel for energy.

• Boost calcium, which is critical to bone health, muscle contractions, nerve impulses and metabolism.

• Correct an iron deficiency, which is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in North America. Iron stores can be depleted by physical activity, resulting in fatigue, lack of energy and an inability to concentrate.

It can be challenging to consume the recommended amounts of

For more information on vitamin and mineral supplementation, visit www.centrumvitamins.ca.

- News Canada

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