ABSTRACT
The growing awareness of the synergy between diet and physical activity to promote health and boost performance fuels an expanding interest in the role that micronutrients can play in attaining one’s genetic potential. Although the public press emphasizes the value of certain foods and nutritional products for health and fitness enhancement, the findings from valid scientific studies to support these claims are limited. Information about the needs of mineral elements, particularly zinc (Zn), for physically active individuals is accumulating. The growing awareness of the synergy between diet and physical activity to promote health and boost performance fuels an expanding interest in the role that micronutrients can play in attaining one’s genetic potential. The highest Zn concentrations are found in skeletal muscles, which are highly oxidative, with a large proportion of slow-twitch fibers. Control of Zn excretion in feces represents another regulatory mechanism for maintenance of body Zn.
