1. Get Adequate Vitamin B12 Through Good Diet By Eric Ritts Beloit College Introduction About 3 years ago I started taking workout supplements so that they would help me become stronger. After doing some research I found one I liked and bought it. But there was one thing that bothered me about the supplement; on the RDA there was 1,000% of the daily value for vitamin B-12. This observation led to the hypothesis for this study; does B-12 affect athletic performance? Vitamin B-12 has the largest and most complex chemical structure of all the vitamins. It is unique among vitamins in that it contains a metal ion, cobalt. Thus it is named cyanocobalamin, shown in the poster background. B- 12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain, the nervous system, and blood formation. It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production (LPI, 2008). Two key metabolic functions are shown in Table 1. Table 1: Metabolic Role of Vitamin B12 Abstract In young people, deficiency of vitamin B-12 has an adverse effect on many facets of life, especially participation in sports at a high level. Vitamin B-12 deficiency and its negative effects on athletic performance were examined in peer-review journals, especially the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. I found that athletes with this deficiency have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair damaged muscles or build muscle mass, compared to their peers, who eat a diet rich with B-12. Based on my results I have concluded that deficiency of B-12 affects how an athlete performs in a negative way and that a diet containing foods with high levels of B-12 will help athletes perform at a higher level. Discussion One of the most astounding things I realized while doing my research was how little the general public knows about vitamins. I really had to search to find worthwhile articles about vitamin B-12. Much of what I found was that vitamin B-12 gives you energy, with no proof of deceptive claims about the vitamin and what it does. I found that B-12 is necessary during the body's process for converting proteins and sugars into energy, and is used during the production and repair of cells, especially necessary for the production of hemoglobin to carry oxygen in red blood cells. For active individuals a marginal deficiency in the nutrient may impact the body's ability to operate efficiently, fight disease, and repair itself,. Researchers at Oregon State University found that athletes who lack B-vitamins have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair damaged muscles or build muscle mass than their peers who eat a diet rich with B-vitamins (LPI, 2008). They also found that even a small vitamin B-12 deficiency can result in reduced performance and recovery. As shown by table 5. I also found that performing a high-intensity exercise puts more stress on the body (Woolf, Manroe). These include changes in tissues from training, the increase in excretion from the body such as sweat, urine, and fecal matter, and the need for additional nutrients to maintain and repair of the body. All of this causes an increased need for B-12. But even though a deficiency in B-12 impairs high-intensity exercise performance, supplementation does not increase performance in well-nourished individuals. Based on my research I found that, in athletes B-12 deficiency uncommon but vegetarians and other athletes that do not consume meats are at a greater risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency especially if they are not taking some kind of supplementation. References: 1.http://www.beloit.edu/~food/html/nutrition.htmlhttp://www.beloit.edu/~food/html/nutrition.html 2.Willett, Walter C., and Neur J. Stampfer. "Rebuilding the Food Pyramid." Scientific American (2003). 3.http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/127/5/765?maxtoshow=&HITShttp://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/127/5/765?maxtoshow=&HITS =10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=stress&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX =0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT 4.http://jn.nutrition.org:80/cgi/content/abstract/132/4/768?maxtoshow=http://jn.nutrition.org:80/cgi/content/abstract/132/4/768?maxtoshow &HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=nutrition+label& searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=hwcit 5. http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/healthyeating.htmlhttp://www.usda.gov/cnpp/healthyeating.html 6. Eat Smart: Guide to Diet and Nutrition. 2nd ed. New York: Random House, 1996. 7. Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Center, http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/figure9_1.htm (2008) http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/figure9_1.htm 8. B-Vitamins and Exercise: Does Exercise Alter Requirements? Woolf, Kathleen; Manore Melinda. IJANEM, Vol. Iss. 5 Oct. 2006. Conclusion Vitamin B-12 does in fact affect high- intensity exercise as verified by my research. After reviewing my information I found my hypothesis was correct that a deficiency in B-12 negatively affects performance of high-intensity exercise. I also concluded that to determin if the RDA is below what is needed for peak performanc during high-intensity exercise that more research needs to be done. There was not conclusive evidence that showed the RDA was adaquite or inadaquite. Method I analyzed many peer-review journals regarding B-12. I focused on how B-12 affects athletic performance. I also found the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for B-12 and how the RDA may be altered for high-performing athletes. Online sources were examined to find effects of B-12. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin B 12 Life Stage Age Males (mcg/day) Females (mcg/day) Infants 0-6 months 0.4 (AI) AI0.4 (AI) Infants 7-12 months 0.5 (AI) Children 1-3 years 0.9 Children 4-8 years 1.2 Children 9-13 years 1.8 Adolescents 14-18 years 2.4 Adults 19-50 years 2.4 Adults 51 years and older 2.4* Pregnancy all ages - 2.6 Breast-feeding all ages - 2.8 FoodServing Vitamin B 12 (mcg) Clams (steamed) 3 ounces84.0 Mussels (steamed) 3 ounces20.4 Crab (steamed)3 ounces8.8 Salmon (baked)3 ounces*2.4 Rockfish (baked) 3 ounces1.0 Beef (cooked)3 ounces2.1 Chicken (roasted) 3 ounces0.3 Turkey (roasted) 3 ounces0.3 Egg (poached)1 large0.6 Milk (skim)8 ounces0.9 Brie (cheese)1 ounce0.5 One half chicken breast, provides some.3 µg per serving or 6.0% of your daily value, (DV) 3 ounces of beef, 2.4 µg, or 40% of your DV, one slice of liver 47.9 µg or 780% of your DV, and 3 ounces of Molluscs 84.1 µg, or 1,400 % of your DV, while one egg provides.6 µg or 10% of your DV Chemical data FormulaC 63 H 88 CoN 14 O 14 P Mol. mass1355.37 g/mol Pharmacokinetic data Bioavailability readily absorbed in lower half ileum Protein bindingVery high to specific transcobalamins plasma proteins Binding of hydroxocobalamin is slightly higher than cyanocobalamin. transcobalamins hydroxocobalamin Metabolism hepatic Half life Approximately 6 days (400 days in the liver) Excretion renal = Hemoglobin synthesis B12 catalyzes the synthesis of methyl-malonic acid from succinyl CoA for the initial step of heme biosynthesis Methionine regeneration The hazardous biomarker homocysteine accumulates if there is insufficient B12 and B6 to regenerate folic acid after it has served as the methyl donor for converting uracil to thymine Table 5: Stages of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Table 3: RDA for Vitamin B12 Table 2: Food sources for Vitamin B12 Table 4: Technical Data for Vitamin B12 Results The tables represent the results that I have found during my research.