ABSTRACT
As athletes seek to improve and optimize performance, they explore various sources of information ranging from radical changes in diet to the use of nutritional supplements to advances in training and technique. The role of macromineral, excluding the electrolytes, supplementation on exercise metabolism and physical performance has been the topic of occasional interest among sports scientists. This chapter summarizes the fundamental roles of these mineral elements in physiological functions relating to energy expenditure and critically reviews the findings that describe the effects of supplemental magnesium, phosphate, and calcium on physiological and biochemical aspects of human performance. Generalized magnesium supplementation may impact cellular function in physically active individuals. Supplementation of magnesium to magnesium-depleted individuals results in significant improvements in physiological function and some measures of performance. Calcium, phosphate, and magnesium are mineral elements that are stored principally in bone. Generalized use of mineral supplements can have adverse effects on function and health.
