Calcium Supports Skeletal and Muscle System Health
Calcium is a type of mineral responsible for the formation of bones and teeth. It is the most abundant mineral in the body. From infancy, strong bones are essential for healthy aging. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the calcium levels in the body. Calcium is crucial for the formation and maintenance of the skeletal system and teeth and the function of the heart and muscles. It helps with muscle contraction, providing the required blood pressure and blood coagulation, essential to moving the muscles. It also plays a role in transporting blood to different areas in the veins and releasing hormones and proteins. This highlights calcium's importance to the body and healthy life.
Calcium also keeps the blood pressure level healthy and strengthens the muscles. Adequate calcium is essential for bone health and preventing the risk of fracture or osteoporosis (bone loss). For normal physiological functions to occur, the calcium level in the blood must be within a narrow concentration range. If the body isn't taking in enough calcium, calcium transfers from the bones to the blood to maintain the calcium level. Therefore, the physiological functions of calcium are essential for the maintenance of life.
Calcium Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Nourishment is of great importance for health in every area of life. It is necessary to pay attention to nutrition to develop and protect the bones that structure the human body. When calcium is mentioned, dairy products come to mind, but this mineral can be found in many different food groups. For example, many vegetables such as green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, and arugula contain calcium.
What is RDA? Often used to plan nutritionally balanced diets, RDA suggests the average daily intake for around 98% of healthy individuals. The daily calcium requirement of adults is 1000 - 1200 mg. Although calcium is stored in the teeth and bones, it is excreted daily through the hair, stool, urine, etc. The body cannot produce calcium, so food or supplements can provide calcium support naturally.
Calcium and Sport Performance
According to their sport, athletes pay attention to their diets to improve their training and athletic performance. If we translate what we define as a sport into a more comprehensive word, we can define it as exercise. Whether you walk, do pilates, fitness, or train for a marathon, whatever sport you do, you require a healthy diet to maintain health, increase endurance, have good concentration and attention skills, and get the maximum benefit from the activity. When exercise intensity increases, the body's sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron stores are affected. Mineral resources are effective in nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and oxygen transport in athletes. The most important minerals for athletes are calcium and iron. Calcium is responsible for blood coagulation and nerve conduction. Therefore, as the intensity of the sport increases, it is necessary to pay attention to the calcium ratio that should be taken into the body. Calcium is one of the essential mineral resources used to maintain a healthy life and get the highest efficiency from sports.
Calcium Loaded Sport Meals
Food and drink provide the necessary fuel for the human body. Athletes need to pay attention to their food and drink choices because they have specific energy requirements. Therefore, the timing of food and beverage selection and nutrition positively affects training and competition performance. Since the energy is stored in the muscles, the food eaten before and after sports should be easy to digest. Calcium helps bones become strong against cracking and fractures. Calcium-loaded foods include dairy products such as yogurt and cheese and green vegetables such as broccoli. After sports, it is necessary to consume plenty of fluids to replace lost electrolytes and fuel up with calcium-rich food and drink. One option can be something like calcium-fortified orange juice. In addition, foods prepared with molasses, sesame, and similar oily seeds, green leafy vegetables, dried legumes, and dried fruits are also very rich in calcium. They can be considered good selections to consume after sports.
