Tag: Inadequate Calcium

The Feminine Side of Sports Nutrition

Women have an entirely different body system compared to males. That is why your, assuming you are a woman with interest in sports, nutritional needs are different too. And like men, women are also capable of involving themselves in sports.

Sports nutrition for women is also different. Women involved in sports and regular exercise have some special nutritional needs. Although the basic principles of sports nutrition for you and men are similar, you, and the other women, involved in regular sports activities do have some increased needs for certain nutrients.

This is because you are prone and at risk of dietary deficiencies. This does not mean to say that men are completely immune, only that since women have ongoing cycles inside their body, it is highly imperative for them to keep nutrients up to be able to prevent disorders.

The key nutritional issues in sports nutrition for women include calcium and iron. Weight control and eating disorders are also concerns of sports nutrition for women. You need these nutrients for their body to perform properly.

There still has been no scientific explanation for this, but it is in truth that women are very conscious of weight. So having a normal weight will give you a healthy psychological system.

Calcium is a mineral that plays an essential role in growth. In sports, muscle and mind coordination is important. It also helps in muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses.

Another area where it is very helpful is in the development and maintenance of strong bones. It will really play a big part in the sports nutrition for women.

Having adequate amounts of calcium during your childhood and adolescence is important for deveoping an optimal peak in bone mass by your mid twentys to your early thirtys. This will then help you reduce your risk of acquiring osteoporosis or the thinning of your bones.

Some women who are into sports are at risk of inadequate calcium intake, while some are at risk of early osteoporosis due to the absence of appropriate amount of calcium, or an irregularity of their menstrual cycle. So conclusively, sports nutrition for women should have higher intakes of calcium.

There is a list of recommended dietary intakes of calcium for sports women according to their ages. For girls with ages twelve to fifteen, they must have at least one thousand milligrams of calcium per day. For teenagers with ages sixteen to eighteen, on the other hand, should have a normal calcium intake per day, which is eight hundred milligrams. For women who are having their menstrual periods, they should also take eight hundred milligrams of calcium a day.

Post menopausal women should have at least one thousand milligrams per day of calcium, while women who are pregnant and who are also breastfeeding should have one thousand two hundred milligrams per day.

Keeping your bodys fat levels low is the aim of many female athletes. Excess fats may be detrimental to performance. However, less fat or no fat at all compromises the energy level of a female athlete. Low energy also affects your performance, so it is really important that you keep the nutrients in your body and follow sports nutrition for women for a performance of a superstar that you have long been searching to experience.

Calcium Deficiency – Are Your Bones Ready for It?

Calcium is the kind of mineral that is most likely to be a deficient in an average human diet. Currently, calcium deficiency is a common condition to every individual. According to the official statistics gathered by the Federal government, only 21 percent of the total population in the United States is getting the required amount of calcium.

Importantly, having calcium deficiency may result to a long term thinning of the bones, osteoporosis or the softening of the bony tissue and commonly called as osteomalacia. Also, the defective metabolism of the calcium in the body during childhood may result to the condition called rickets A recent study showed that lack of the required calcium level may cause hypertension or high blood pressure and colon cancer.

Perhaps youve heard it many times that calcium deficiency may result to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, is often diagnosed when its too late just to reverse the conditions development. In United States, close to about 10 million individuals have osteoporosis that is caused by calcium deficiency. Close to another 34 million people is experiencing low bone mass, placing them to the risk of having the disease.

Having insufficient calcium intake to the body may result to the drawing of the reserves of calcium levels in your teeth and bones. With calcium deficiency, your bones will become lighter, hollow, and be porous. In weak bones, possible fractures in spine and weakened hips can take place easily and may end to permanent disability, cruel pain, hospitalization, and even death.

Moreover, there are other calcium deficiency symptoms that can be observed by anyone. Since calcium is also present in nails and teeth, having calcium deficiency may bring brittle nails and tooth decay. In view of the fact that your body requires a small level of calcium to move through soft tissues and bodily fluids every time, inadequate calcium intake can bring these additional symptoms and these are:

Experiencing muscle cramps
Having muscle spasms in arms and legs
Leg and back cramps
Tingling and numbness, and
Joint pain

Fortunately, to prevent having calcium deficiency, you must take enough amount of calcium whether its in dietary form or in calcium supplements. On the other hand, one of the popular ways to prevent calcium deficiency is to take the calcium supplement commonly called coral calcium. However, you must consult first a health care provider for you to have the right amount of calcium.