Vitamins and minerals are essential micronutrients that the body needs in small amounts to function optimally. Unlike macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), they don't provide energy but are critical for processes like energy metabolism, immune support, bone health, and recovery.

In endurance athletes, deficiencies in vitamins or minerals can significantly impair performance, recovery, and training adaptations. As micronutrients can be harder to monitor and assess, often requiring blood tests, using supplements can be an effective strategy to reduce the risk of deficiency and support consistent, high-level performance.

Whether or not you need supplements depends on a range of factors, including your diet quality, lifestyle, training volume, and individual physiology. While a balanced and varied diet should always be the foundation of your nutrition, athletes and those with demanding schedules may struggle to consistently meet micronutrient requirements through food alone. In such cases, supplements can help bridge nutritional gaps, supporting overall health and training outcomes. Consulting a healthcare professional or sports nutritionist can help you determine if supplementation is necessary for you.

Micronutrients play vital roles in the body, contributing to immune function, energy production, bone health, and recovery, all of which are crucial for athletic performance.

Vitamins like B12 and C support the immune system, while minerals such as iron and magnesium are essential for oxygen transport and muscle function.

Even marginal deficiencies can lead to fatigue, reduced training capacity, and delayed recovery, making consistent intake of essential micronutrients a key part of long-term performance and wellbeing.

Supplements can benefit a wide range of people, from high-performance athletes to individuals with limited dietary variety or increased physiological needs.

They are particularly useful for those on restrictive diets (such as vegan or vegetarian), those recovering from injury, or anyone facing challenges in meeting daily nutritional targets due to lifestyle or training demands.

Supplements are not a replacement for good nutrition, but rather a tool to help support health, performance, and resilience under pressure.