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Are you a gym enthusiast? Do you think you have enough calcium in your body? If you exercise often, you need to ensure your body has nutrients that make it strong and also replenish the energy that you lost in the gym. For many gym-goers, proteins and carbohydrates are the nutrients they need as they are essential for tired muscles.
However, high levels of calcium are also lost when you exercise vigorously and sweat. As a professional athlete, you require more calcium to avoid muscle cramps and make the bones strong for vigorous workouts. So, what are the benefits of calcium for gym rats?
Benefits of calcium
Calcium for the muscles
Did you know that calcium is essential for the muscles? Many people think that calcium is only essential for the bones but it is also useful for the muscles.
It is essential for the muscles and the entire muscle growth. You require calcium for muscle contraction. If you are low on calcium, you start experiencing muscle cramps, which is a natural reaction. If you have poor contractions, then you have little muscle growth, and you experience poor workouts. Calcium is useful in helping your muscles to relax.
Transporting other nutrients
Your body requires various nutrients, which are transported to different parts of the body. When you take iron, zinc, calcium, and other nutrients, the body will prefer calcium. Calcium is vital in distributing other nutrients. If you hit the gym without enough calcium, your body doesn’t intake the other essential nutrients in the workouts, which may lead to poor workout.
Increases metabolism
Increased metabolism is essential, especially if you are looking to lose weight. High metabolism ensures that no fats are stored in the body, which may cause more weight. If you take calcium at high levels, it enhances the metabolism of fats. As such, the notion that drinking milk leads to adding weight may not be true after all.
Calcium for the bones
When you go to the gym, there are a lot of daunting tasks that are involved, which includes weight lifting. Weight lifting requires you to have strong bones to avoid injuries and even fractures. As mentioned earlier, calcium is essential for muscle development. But is calcium necessary for the bones?
Yes, including a lot of calcium in your diet ensures that you have healthy bones essential for the gym. It helps the bones develop the strength to support weight lifting and other demanding activities in the gym.
Calcium and blood pressure
Does calcium help with blood pressure? A healthy diet is useful in maintaining blood pressure. If you want to have adequate blood pressure, you should ensure you take specific minerals, including calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Calcium is essential in maintaining healthy blood pressure as it helps the blood vessels to tighten and relax. When you have low blood pressure, you have fewer stress feelings, which also helps you sleep better and relax. When you have relaxed well, you are ready to hit the gym the next day with increased energy and enthusiasm.
You can take calcium-rich foods before or after a workout. When you take it after training, it helps a lot to replenish the nutrients that you lose by sweating while working out. If you don’t replenish the calcium nutrients, the body will try to get the nutrients from the bones, which may lead to weaker bones.
Calcium supplements
If you feel you are not getting enough calcium from your food to sustain your gym activities, you can use calcium supplements. Note that you may have a bloated stomach when you use calcium supplements and even give you gas.
For people who are lactose intolerant, it may be challenging for you to get enough calcium in your diet. You can use a calcium supplement to add calcium levels to your diet. The most popular types of calcium supplements include calcium nitrate and calcium carbonates.
Calcium carbonate is the cheaper option, and you can get it in most antacid medicines. Calcium supplements work best when you combine them with food. You don’t have to take calcium nitrate with food, and it is a perfect option for people with low levels of stomach acid.
You need vitamin D
If you are a gym enthusiast, the last thing you want is anything that would make it a challenge to absorb calcium. As such, vitamin D comes in handy to ensure that calcium is properly absorbed in the body. You can get the vitamin from egg yolks and salmon, among other foods.
Conclusion
If you are always at your local gym in Brisbane, you should make sure you have the necessary nutrients so that your body has the energy to support the exercises. Calcium is an essential nutrient in ensuring you have healthy bones and there is proper muscle contraction.
