When it comes to fitness and health, building muscle, increasing endurance as well as strength, athletes know that nutrition is the key pillar of reaching those noble goals.

No matter how hard you train, how much you sleep for the sake of better recovery, if you’re not doing your best with your menu, then you’re inevitably restricting your success as well as wellbeing.

Too many recreational as well as professional athletes only focus on macronutrients to maximise their performance and reach their goals faster. Although there’s no denying the importance of balancing macros, you might be surprised to learn that your micronutrient intake also plays a major role in performance and recovery.

In order to optimize your nutrition, help your body perform better during training, but also to relax after those intense workouts, you need to tweak your micronutrient intake and ensure that you’re not suffering from any deficiencies. Let’s take a look at several very potent minerals every athlete needs in their diet, how to increase their intake, and how they improve your recovery.

Calcium for a strong skeletal system

As someone who trains on a regular basis, you know all too well that your muscles are not the only part of your body that exerts the effort needed to complete a grueling workout.

Your bones also need to be able to withstand the pressure of the weight you pack on that barbell, or preserve their consistency and stay uninjured due to consistent strain on your joints through endurance activities such as running.

Add to that the impact the environment may have on your bones, such as running on pavement instead of joint-friendly ground, and you can only assume the damage your bones can endure.

Without a healthy dose of calcium, your body and especially your bones cannot possibly stay strong and healthy for too long. In addition to strong and sturdy bones and preventing skeletal injuries, calcium is key in optimal testosterone production, as well as healthy muscle contraction, and hormonal balance. All of those body-wide processes are essential in order to help your body recuperate properly and withstand your diligent training routine.

Magnesium for strength and sleep alike

This humble mineral is a true beast in terms of its relevance for athletic performance and optimal recovery. Responsible for a myriad of complex biological processes, it affects nerve functioning, proper absorption of other micronutrients (including calcium), it regulates blood pressure, and it’s one of the most helpful minerals that improves sleep quality.

Alas, many an avid athlete is deficient in this particular mineral, as it can be quite challenging to consume enough of it through your diet. In addition to increasing your intake of foods loaded in this mineral, you can also add a quality magnesium supplement to your eating plan in order to help your body recover with ease. Finally, make sure to choose the kind of magnesium whose bioavailability lets your body truly absorb this mineral.

Sodium for fluid balance in your body

You’ll typically hear that too much salt isn’t such a great idea for your long-term health. However, when you train vigorously, your body might be in desperate need for the mineral found in salt – sodium!

When we sweat, we excrete plenty of this particular electrolyte, which leaves your muscles exposed to potential cramps, and your entire body to dehydration. Ensuring that you consume enough sodium in your diet will not only help you perform better in workouts, but also improve your post-workout relaxation routine to avoid those painful cramps and dehydration.

Some athletes will use electrolyte-infused drinks that give them plenty of energy, while others will use salty snacks if they need to train for a marathon or any other similar athletic event. Since sodium helps with balancing fluids in your body, it’s a key component to each athlete’s recovery program, especially that of endurance athletes.

Zinc for improved resilience

Training requires your body to go through certain truly difficult and challenging scenarios. Especially when you’re training for a competition or a particular event, and you’re putting your body through more arduous training than you normally would. However, this exposes most people to drops in their immune systems, as recovery can be rather difficult in such situations. This is where zinc steps in to save the day, as it enhances our immunity and resilience through a number of metabolic processes.

Zinc takes care of everything from proper nutrient absorption, all the way to tissue repair after your workout. Due to its immensely important role in our health and wellbeing, athletes deliberately test themselves for a zinc deficiency and they introduce supplements to prevent such deficiencies before an event. That way, you’ll not only boost your performance during training, but also make sure that your body can recover optimally after a tough workout.

Let this be your key takeaway: make sure to check your micronutrient needs with your physician before you start increasing the dosage of any of them on your own. Achieving optimal micronutrient balance will help you recover faster and improve relaxation after a grueling workout session, but only if you take a smart, calculated approach.