B-group vitamins (complex) C
Important in deficiency, they do not improve performance in athletes with adequate intake
Citable fact
«B-group vitamins (complex)» — evidence level C. Dosage: A guideline is 1-2 recommended intakes of each vitamin: thiamine 1.1-1.4 mg, riboflavin 1.1-1.6 mg, pyridoxine 1.3-1.7 mg per day. Upper levels are established for niacin (35 mg), pyridoxine (100 mg), synthetic folate (1000 mcg) and choline (3500 mg). Megadoses give no advantages, and pyridoxine above 100 mg per day causes sensory neuropathy. Source: PMID 37358750, permanent link to the source in the list below.
How it works
Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenate and biotin work as coenzymes of carbohydrate and fat metabolism and participate in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. A deficiency limits oxidative metabolism.
Dosage and intake
A guideline is 1-2 recommended intakes of each vitamin: thiamine 1.1-1.4 mg, riboflavin 1.1-1.6 mg, pyridoxine 1.3-1.7 mg per day. Upper levels are established for niacin (35 mg), pyridoxine (100 mg), synthetic folate (1000 mcg) and choline (3500 mg). Megadoses give no advantages, and pyridoxine above 100 mg per day causes sensory neuropathy.
With food, daily: water-soluble vitamins are not stored. With high loads the intake is divided.
Forms
Individual vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide, pyridoxine, pantothenate) and complexes have been studied. Megadose forms and injectable solutions are indicated only as prescribed by a physician.
What is confirmed
- Prevents and corrects a deficiency that reduces performance and recovery
- Needed for carbohydrate and fat energy metabolism
- Support erythropoiesis together with iron and folate
Adverse effects and limitations
- Pyridoxine above 100 mg per day - sensory peripheral neuropathy
- Niacin at doses from 500 mg - flushing, itching, a rise in liver enzymes
- Injectable forms - only as prescribed by a physician
Interactions
- High doses of pyridoxine reduce levodopa concentration
- Niacin enhances the effect of antihypertensive drugs
Who must not use it
- Under 18 years: Dietary intake is usually sufficient; supplements - as indicated.
- Pregnancy and lactation: The requirement for folate and B12 increases; doses above the recommended ones - only as prescribed by a physician.
- alcohol dependence
- malabsorption and bariatric surgery
- a strictly vegetarian diet
- taking levodopa
Sources
- Considerations for the Consumption of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in Athlete Populations · Peeling P, Sim M, McKay AKA · Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2023 · PMID 37358750
- Micronutrients and athletic performance: A review · Beck KL, von Hurst PR, O'Brien WJ · Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 2021 · PMID 34662692
See also
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