The rising sentience of the dealings between nutrition and physical activity sparks interest in the roles that micronutrients (a vitamin, mineral, or another element that is indispensable, even in very small amounts, for growth or metabolism) play in the attainment of health. The nutrient content of vitamins and minerals is inconsequential (micrograms to milligrams) when compared to that of carbohydrate, fat, and protein (up to hundreds of grams). Micronutrients, nevertheless, put forth influential biological effects as components of proteins.

In this light, micronutrients sanction the multifaceted reactions that are essential to employ the latent energy in macronutrients to fuel the natural processes intrinsic in sustaining life. The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are authorizations for intake to prevent nutritional shortage that could lead to deficit, and consequently, damage health and function. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is a gauge that meets the requirements of about 98% of healthy persons, while the Adequate Intake (AI) is the value that is set appropriately high to circumvent said inadequacy. An RDA is determined from figures derived from challenging scientific studies while the AI is derived from the less in-depth examination.

Remarkably, physical activity was actually a considered element in the DRI for only 1/3 of the nutrients. Micronutrients include minerals, which are inorganic components that exist as solids, and vitamins, which are organic compounds (compounds made typically of carbon atoms).

They cannot be shaped by the body and thus must be consumed in sustenance. They are not the direct fountain of energy intrinsically but facilitate energy production and use from protein, fat, and carbohydrate, not including the fact that they transport oxygen and carbon dioxide, regulate fluid balance, and shelter against oxidative impairment. Many of the B vitamins (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid) and certain minerals (copper, magnesium, iron, and zinc) are mandatory for the breakdown of carbohydrate into energy for muscle contraction. Folate, iron, and copper (among others) are essential for red blood cell (RBC) growth and oxygen delivery to muscle cells. Zinc is crucial for the removal of carbon dioxide from functioning musculature and reprocessing of lactate to glucose. In the adrenal gland, vitamin C is indispensable for the production of epinephrine, which serves to release free fatty acids (FFA) from adipose tissue.

[1][2][3]

Bibliography

1. Institute of Medicine, Food, and Nutrition Board. 2003. Dietary Reference Intakes. Applications in dietary planning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

1. Lukaski, H. 2004. Vitamin and mineral status: Effects on physical performance. Nutrition 20(7-8): 632-644.
   1. Rodriguez, N.R., N.M. DiMarco, and S. Langley. 2009. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109(3): 509-527.