Optimal Nutrition

Endurance athletes generally do a pretty good job of getting the “basics” accomplished when it comes to their diets:

• Getting enough whole grain carbs to support energy demands…
• Eating 5-10 servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables each day to provide tissue-protecting antioxidants…
• Consuming enough nuts and fatty fish for their natural fatty acids and ability to control inflammation throughout the body…
• Ensuring adequate servings of lean protein to provide the amino acids and other nutrients to build and repair soft tissues such as muscles, as well as provide vitamins and minerals for energy metabolism…

BUT, if you’re NOT doing all of the nutrition strategies above, then you may be asking yourself whether a daily nutrient supplement might be right for you. The answer depends on your eating and lifestyle habits, as well as your activity patterns and your exposure to stress. You may want to consider adding a daily dietary supplement if you’re not eating optimally or if you’re training hard.

Sub-Optimal Diet
If you eat fewer than 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, it may be difficult to get all of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that your body needs. Even vegetarians, who generally eat plenty of fruits and veggies, may want to supplement their diets, especially because they may not consume enough calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins B-12 and D. Also, if you’re trying to lose weight or shed a few pounds of fat, then you should keep in mind that low-calorie diets limit the types and amounts of foods you eat and, in turn, the types and amounts of nutrients you receive.

Intense Training
Intense exercise training can also lead to depletion in body stores of several vitamins and minerals including calcium, folate, iron, vitamin C, magnesium, B-complex vitamins (especially B1, B2, B6, and B12), iron, zinc, magnesium, and chromium. Endurance athletes (male and female) who want to keep bones strong and decrease bone loss, need extra amounts of magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D — the vitamin essential for absorbing calcium. Male and Female endurance athletes may also need additional iron to replace the iron depleted by exercise training. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition in which blood is low in hemoglobin, the substance which carries oxygen to tissues – and the obvious drop in endurance performance associated with oxygen deprivation.

If you’re looking for a daily dietary supplement, that is balanced between providing enough of each nutrient (but not too much) in an absorbable form, and well-balanced with other nutrients – then take a look at Intense Defense from Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition.

Intense Defense satisfies your needs for Optimal Nutrition, Antioxidant Balance, and Inflammation Control – 3 balanced formulas in a single product.