Vitamins are a pretty common topic in nutrition but what about essential minerals? Are they just rocks? Or are they in food sources?

There are a number of definitions of mineral as it pertains to the environment. For our purposes, we are only interested in essential minerals – the chemical elements that the human body needs to survive.

Types of Essential Minerals

There are TWO different categories of essential minerals…

Macro Essential Minerals

These elements are needed in larger quantities.

• Calcium – needed for strong bones and teeth. The top sources are dairy products ranging from milk to cheese, yogurt and ice cream.  Other sources are some leafy vegetable like broccoli and cabbage as well as calcium fortified foods like orange juice or flour.
• Chloride  - used with sodium to help distribute body fluids, is found in stomach acid, red blood cells and in the liver.  It is found primarily in salt, seaweed, lettuce and celery.
• Magnesium – like phosphorus, it is found in DNA, RNA and enzymes.  Common sources are some spices, nuts, cereals, coffee, cocoa, tea, and vegetables.
• Phosphorus – is found as phosphate in your DNA and RNA as well as your cell membranes. Source include any food that contains protein which contains phosphorus like meats, soy and nuts.
• Potassium – works closely with your muscles and nervous system. It helps regulate the amount of water in your muscles so a lack of potassium can cause muscle cramping during exercise. Important sources are fruit (especially bananas), nuts, fish, shellfish, citrus fruit, beans and peas.
• Sodium – is used primarily as an electrolyte: to help electrical charge move in the body (nerve impulses). The largest source is table salt (sodium chloride).
• Sulfur – found in all proteins including those in skin, nails and hair, in enzymes, in compounds used as fuel by the body and in some vitamins. Important sources are grapefruit and garlic (which gets its strong smell from sulfur), animal products and eggs (especially the yolk).

Trace Essential Minerals

These elements are needed in lower quantities.

• Cobalt – is used in the functioning of the brain and nervous system and the formation of blood.  The most common source is in Vitamin B12.
• Copper – is found in the liver, brain, bones and muscles as an enzyme to create hormones,  release of energy from cells and forming red blood cells. Sources include some cereals, legumes, nuts , chocolate and some seafood like shrimp.
• Iodine – is used to create thyroid hormones. Sources include iodized table salt , seaweed, cod, shrimp, eggs and milk
• Iron – needed by your body to produce hemoglobin which transports oxygen as a part of your blood. Rich sources include red meats, liver, dark green leafy vegetables, potato skins, eggs and fortified cereal. You can actually take the iron out of the cereal with a magnet! Try it: crush up your cereal then stir it with a magnet and see if it has iron flakes on it.
• Molybdenum – is necessary for the function and repair of cells.  Food source are black beans, walnuts and lentils.
• Selenium – is found in enzymes and is used to convert one thyroid hormone to another. Good sources are seeds, nuts, shellfish and liver.
• Zinc – works with your immune system to help fight illness and infections. Some people take zinc tablets to fight off a cold.  Good sources are meats like beef and pork, beans, peas and some cereals and  breads.

Many essential minerals are used in conjunction with vitamins  and other minerals but some do work against each other.  A high amount of iron of example can cause of decrease in the level of zinc.

A mineral supplement is rarely ever needed as a balanced, healthy diet will supply all of the minerals needed for normal body funtion.

Related articles

• Nutrient Guide for Infants and Toddlers

Pavl Williams, a professional football coach and author who specialises in grassroots and youth

pivot soccer (Photo credit: Wikipedia

development and is editor of www.betterfootball.net  and www.thecoachingmanual.com has the following advice for coaches, teachers and players when choosing football boots.

Studs

Screw-in studs: variable-length, screw-in studs are used on soft grass pitches and for extra traction when the surface is wet. Smaller rubber studs can be bought to convert the boot into a hard ground boot. Some players prefer the traditional 6-stud layout, these plates are being phased out for newer designs which spread the player’s weight more evenly across the foot and are generally more comfortable.

Moulded studs: more numerable, shorter plastic studs are used on harder surfaces such as firm grass and 3G astro-turf. These boots are more comfortable than screw-in models and are generally suitable for any but the most slick of grass surfaces, making them a good all-round choice.

F50.9 TUNIT (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Moulded Blades: Designed to combine the grip of metal/screw-in studs with the comfort of moulded studs, ‘blades’ and other alternative patterns are an excellent versatile option. In particular, plastic blades can be worn in almost any environment (offering good grip on even wet surfaces and comfortable and safe enough to wear on astro-turf). Metal blades are great specialist soft-ground boots but are not suitable for harder surfaces.

Material

Leather: Ideally players will be able to pick-up some genuine leather boots. They are softer, adapt to player’s feet over time and provide exceptional feel for the ball. Unfortunately they are usually the most expensive type of boot to buy; the top models use the same materials as the professional’s boots and can be very expensive. However, it is occasionally possible to find an affordable pair.

Plastic: The cheapest model often bears only an aesthetic resemblance to the professional boot – they are usually made of plastic and any other features are merely cosmetic. Plastic boots stubbornly hold their shape, even when that bears no resemblance to the player’s foot. These boots often rub against the toes and heel giving some players blisters.

Synthetic: A third option is a synthetic material which is often used on mid-range boots. It is a polyurethane base but modified with micro-fibres to create a more flexible and softer material. These boots are only slightly less comfortable than leather boots and are often half the price. For the majority of players these boots are ideal.

Did you know that there are different ways to lace your shoes to make them more comfortable or customize them for your feet? Obviously, everyone’s feet are different and it is important to lace your shoes correctly!

How do you determine which lacing style is right for you?

First you need to determine what type of foot you have; wide foot, high arches, low arches, narrow heal or foot. We fit shoes has great tips for lacing shoes.

 Heel Slippage:

If your heel slips too much or you need more room for your toes, try a lace lock at the top of your shoe. This method will pull your foot back to the heel of the shoe which will prevent any further slippage.

High Arches: The splay lacing technique removes the pressure points created when laces cross over each other on the center of the shoe tongue.

Narrow Heel/Foot: Use two short sets of laces to get a snug fit along the length of your foot. The first lace runs through the middle eyelets where you tie them off, and the second continues through the last pair of eyelets.

Toe problems: Threading one end of the lace diagonally lifts the toe box up to help relieve problems like hammer toes, toe corns, bleeding toes and toe nail problems.

Top-of-foot pain Skip a set of eyelets in your lacing pattern to relieve pressure on points along the top of your foot.

source

 Now you can determine which lace type is right for you. Happy Running!

1. Don’t play the role of coach.

It can definitely be tempting to yell out some instructions whenever the team — or worse, your own child — just can’t seem to get a successful spike or fails repeatedly to defend the goal. But please, for the sake of the sanity of the players, resist the urge. A loud field or gymnasium is already a distracting environment in which athletes often struggle to hear the tips of their own coaches, and additional commands from parents can further threaten the necessary focus. I’ve noticed in my years of volleyball that playing advice from the bleachers is frequently contradictory to the coach’s instructions, not to mention a lot ruder. Leave the coaching to the professionals, and stick to those embarrassing but much more parentally-appropriate cheers.

2. Focus on the positive aspects of the game

Believe me, if your kid’s team has just been brutally slaughtered by the opposition, they’re already feeling bad enough. Even when a loss is simply the result of poor performance, it is never productive for parents to dwell on the mistakes made. Instead, mention a few shining moments — and if you are unable to muster up the ability to concentrate on the positive, just avoid saying anything. The most unstable athletes I’ve played alongside are those whose parents criticize their every move.

3. Stay away from team conflicts

It’s an inconvenient truth of the sports world that as tensions run high and competitive streaks take over, conflicts tend to arise within even the strongest of teams. Parental interference is almost a guaranteed way to worsen such issues. One of my own worst team experiences came as a result of parents attempting to form an army of allies after their own children were called out for unsportsmanlike behavior. Our minor problem was transformed into nothing short of a battle once parents decided it was their place to join the fray, and their participation came at the cost of team coherence. Most conflicts can be solved without the involvement of adults — kids are much more capable of settling disputes than many believe them to be.

4. Remember: It’s your child’s sport, not yours

At all costs, parents should avoid becoming more emotionally invested in their child’s sports team than the kid himself is. The danger of the club teams that have recently grown exponentially in popularity is that both coaches and parents often encourage kids to abandon their other interests or at least prioritize the sport above all else. This mindset prevents kids from trying new activities or keeping up with old ones during a time when such exploration is crucial. Your child should not have to be the star athlete. Your child should not feel constant pressure to succeed coming from those who should only be acting as her biggest supporters. Try your best to decompress — I know it can be difficult — and let the kids determine their own athletic careers. You’ll both be happier for it.

Speaking from experience, I used to be a laissez faire runner.  I ran and raced willy nilly when I felt in-shape enough and when my social calendar was wide open.  While I slowly improved and got closer to my loftier goals over time, I came to the realization that I had to do something different.  I realized that in order to expedite my growth and push my goals higher and faster, I needed to plan.

Here’s how I did it:

1. Set both a short term and long term goal.  I picked PRs (personal records) that I wanted to achieve in 3 months and PRs that I wanted to achieve in 1 year.  This way I wasn’t going to lose sight of a far away 1 year goal because I had a 3 month goal to reach.

2. Plan your competition dates. To achieve my short term goals I needed to thoughtfully schedule competitions.  In my planning I made sure I was entered in races with appropriate competition to push me, and that I was entered in a handful a races so I could have several chances at achieving my goal.

3. Plan your training to cater to your competition dates. Based on when I wanted to peak and race fastest, I planned my training workouts up to and also around those dates.  I accounted for days I would need for rest and recovery and the days of the week I could push workout intensity to the max.

4. Plan your social life into your training plan and tweak.  You can have a life and compete in a sport, you just have to plan more than the average, recreational athlete.  Try to account for social events in advance so you don’t have to shift or adjust your training last minute, instead adjust for it upfront and early.  That being said…

5. Accept that life happens and you will have to adjust.  Know that life happens and it’s rare for a plan to be executed flawless.  However by having a plan in place generally all you will need to do is tweak or swap workouts around.  Without a plan in place you’ll end up winging workouts and jeopardizing your consistency.

Written by Victoria Barnaby

Brought to you by:    

CoachUp is a website that connects athletes with private coaches. We believe that private coaching is the secret to reaching the next level in sports and life. Find the perfect private coach at CoachUp.com

Being a women’s basketball coach for the last 8 years, I’d never believe women to be lesser athletes due to their physiology. The uninformed may believe that men are better at basketball due to their improved strength, endurance, and speed, but for women, their advantages from a mental perspective come out perfectly only, if they are used wisely. I strongly believe that a player’s efficiency, independent of gender, in playing the sport of basketball still depends on how determined a player is to train, play, and win basketball games. These differences should serve as a guide on how to nourish, and improve men, and women basketball players.

Coaches of women’s basketball teams have a significantly different approach than coaches of the men’s teams. These approaches are very important for the physical, emotional, social, and psychological development of players with regards to playing the game of basketball, as well as any other team sport.

These are some of the similarities and differences that one must be cognizant of when training women and men. Take a read and let me know if you have any comments below!

Similarities:

1. Anatomical features

Obviously, both men and women, except with their genitalia, have the same body parts and systems. I guess everyone would agree to that. They have hands, arms, legs, feet, eyes, ears, etc., and organ systems that comprise the formation of a human being. Oftentimes, differences arise in their shapes and sizes. Nevertheless, all of these parts are being used in sports, more or less.

2. Human Needs

This is not really sport-specific, but it is a fact that humans have the same needs. The needs of food, fresh air, shelter, love, belongingness, security, and many others. These are the common denominators of both sexes which gives them the ability to sustain life. Or in sports, these needs give them the energy and inspiration to perform their tasks well. You cannot play a game with an empty stomach. You might get caught in the middle of the action and collapse. Foods give us the energy to do specific tasks. On the other hand, love, belongingness, and security, gives players a sense of positive attitude or self–confidence. This helps them develop a character in playing the sport superbly.

Observe their similarities; they are more on the basics of humanity. It is like looking into two similar animals. They look the same, their needs are almost the same, but when they try to move and function as they are, differences become evident.

Differences

1. Psychological

a. Brain:

Women have larger Broca’s and Wernicke’s area of the brain. These areas of the brain are responsible for the ability of humans to speak and understand both written and spoken language. This puts the idea that women have the tendency to easily understand things, and are more good speakers and listeners.

On the other hand, men have more pronounced left inferior parietal lobes. This lobe is commonly known for sensory integration, particularly in the determination of spatial sense and navigation. This means that men have more ability in perceiving objects visually and then coordinate it accordingly in their body positions. Perhaps, this is one of the factors that leads to men being more visually perceptive than women on the basketball court.

b.      Hormones

Men’s cognitive spatial abilities are influenced by testosterone. With a normal level of testosterone they usually perform better in spatial tests. However, women are influenced by estrogen. Their cognitive abilities change depending on the levels of estrogen, and are associated by their menstrual cycle.

c.       Senses

Women are better in distinguishing colors, while men are more capable in discerning movements. Women have more pain receptor sites in their skin than men. This predisposes them to lower tolerance in induced pain. In the sport, it is impossible for a person not to experience pain, therefore women usually have to do extra work in physical conditioning and strengthening.

2.       Physiological

a.       Musculoskeletal System:

Men have more muscles while women have shorter muscle fibers, and more fats. Notice that men have stronger capabilities than women. Oftentimes, they are the ones who perform tasks wherein heavy things have to be carried. Also, this is why men weigh heavier than women, due to the fact that muscles are heavier than fats. Since men have more pronounced muscles than women, they usually are stronger. There may be exceptions, but men usually are taller than women. This gives men the advantage in playing basketball because height is a major plus in this sport. Of course, everybody knows that most basketball players are tall. Aside from height, men have bigger and longer bone structures, giving them much longer arms, a bigger trunk, and larger hands. These qualities are very helpful for defensive and offensive skills. Having large hands gives players the ability to control the ball appropriately.

b.      Cardiovascular/Respiratory System:

In the stage of puberty, men develop an increase in size of their lungs leading to a more prominent chest. This enables them to consume significant amounts of oxygen, and gives them the advantage of having a longer endurance in any activity.

c.       Hematopoietic System:

Women have less volume of blood and less number of oxygen carrying red blood cells, or RBCS. This in turn means, women have lesser production and circulation of oxygen compared to men. As you surely know oxygen is highly needed to produce energy, and energy is vital in filling out the specific roles in the game of basketball.

You may have noticed the massive changes that have affected Sports on the Brain overnight. As Bluefields  has grown beyond its football (soccer) origins, we’ve made an enormous effort to diversify the content and articles featured on the company blog to reflect the all-encompassing sports network that Bluefields seeks to unite. We now have blog posts covering everything from swimming to basketball to (of course) soccer.

The newly launched Bluefields blog is a clean and fresh rebrand of our original blog. We’ve designed the new blog to look visually similar with the sleek lines of Bluefields (check it out).

In addition to the design changes of the blog, we’ve also revamped the content to have a more health and coaching-based focus. We’re all about going out there and physically playing sports, and we wanted this blog to motivate people to do just that!

Hope you enjoy what we’re doing,

The Bluefields Team

Dietary fiber is the non-digestible portion of plant food that flows through your digestive system and creates the bulk of the feces you eliminate. How important is dietary fiber? What does it really do?

Types of Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber can come in two forms:

1. Water soluble fiber

This type of dietary fiber is broken down in the colon via fermentation which will produce gases and some useful by products.

2. Insoluble dietary fiber

This is the fiber that creates the feces you eliminate from your system. It will absorb water as it travels the digestive system and will aid in the absorption of other nutrients.

Sources of Dietary Fiber

Soluble dietary fiber:

• legumes: beans, peas
• grains: oats, rye, barley
• fruits: plums, apples, pears, berries
• vegetables: broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, onions
• nuts like almonds

Insoluble dietary fiber:

• wheat
• corn bran
• nuts and seeds
• potato skins
• vegetables: green beans, cauliflower, celery
• fruits: kiwi and avocado, unripe bananas

Benefits of Dietary Fiber

• treatment of constipation
• rolled oats helps lower blood cholesterol levels
• possible links to the reduction of colon cancer
• gives a “full” feeling to help people lose weight

Daily Intake of Dietary Fiber

What does this translate into for food needed to reach these intake levels?

Dietary fiber is far better than fiber from supplements. As you eat food in your regular diet, you will receive the dietary fiber you need as well as a number of nutrients.

Hydration is a common topic of discussion in sports nutrition. You probably are exposed to it all of the time – drink lots of water, use sports drink to get your electrolytes, use energy drinks to get the boost you are looking for, etc, etc. How much of this information is true?

Why Water?

The human body is composed of 60 – 70% water so having good hydration is essential. Water is used to:

• break down food and aid in digestion
• transport nutrients around the body to feed cells and remove waste, both gases and solids
• aid in circulation (blood)
• optimum performance of organs like the brain, kidneys, muscles, skin, joints and the eyes
• metabolism of fats
• protection in cells
• regulate body temperature

Negative Effects of Not Being Hydrated

• feeling thirsty
• urine will turn yellow
• the brain will start to function poorly creating headaches, fatigue and lack of concentration
•  joints will lack moisture needed for movement and begin to ache
• muscles will start to cramp
• removal of waste is more difficult causing constipation
• hair and nails become brittle
• calcium can begin to accumulate and cause kidney stones
• serious dehydration will cause issues with the kidneys, heart and blood pressure

Is Too Much Even Possible?

Too much water causes two conditions:  water intoxication and hyponatremia.  As water levels increase in the body, the cells will be surrounded by more water causing a difference in the level sodium. The cells want the same concentration of sodium (salt) inside and outside the cell so they will begin to absorb water AND move sodium out of the cell through a process called osmosis. The cells swell and lose sodium at the same time. This swelling has a drastic effect on the brain which has very little room to expand due to the skull. As it swells, it causes behavior changes like alcohol intoxication, seizures, coma and possibly death. To combat the effects, water intake is restricted and the sodium levels are increased by giving the person a concentrated saline solution.

Is over hydration a common occurrence? No. It is most common in marathon runners and infants. A really high intake of water in a short period of time would be needed because the kidneys can remove up to 15 liters per day from the body.  An average person will not drink anywhere near that amount.

How Much Water Should We Go For?

You hear a lot of sources stating a given amount of water to drink; 8 glasses of liquid per day for example. The problem with this statement is the other factors not taken into consideration. The size of the person, the activity level during the day, the temperature in their environment, etc. A better gauge is to definitely drink when you are thirsty but also try to drink at least 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight.  This will take body size into consideration.

Stay Hydrated from Energy Drinks and Sports Drinks

Energy drinks on the market have NO nutritional value and do very little to help the body train and recovery from exercise. Sports drinks replace electrolytes but are not needed all of the time. For further information on both energy drinks and sports drinks, download the FREE ebooks by clicking on the image below.

 Jacques Delorme is an expert in nutrition and runs a youth sports nutrition blog at http://visportsnutrition.ca

Jim Thorpe, an American pentathlon competitor, had just won two gold medals, only to have them swiftly taken away. His crime? Playing two seasons of professional baseball prior to the Games. Yes, that’s right: Until 1988, athletes were banned from participation  in the modern Olympiad if they had prior experience as a salaried player. It almost seems crazy to imagine our current Games without those from the big leagues: Kobe Bryant, Hope Solo, Kerri Walsh, LeBron James — there is no mistaking these athletes for amateurs. In most cases, it’s impossible for a country without our number of professional sports teams to even be a serious contender.

However, contrary to popular belief, Greek athletes weren’t amateurs either. They were often backed by sponsors from their hometowns and lived lavishly with the money they earned from prizes as well as paid appearances. These athletes were exempt from taxes and the draft, and though they represented their villages at competition, it was not uncommon for athletes to switch allegiance if there was better money elsewhere. Although current Olympic athletes are not paid for their participation in the Games, many have multi-million dollar sponsorships, usually from:

1. Restaurants that produce the kind of food an Olympian would never consume except when faced with a seven-figure endorsement
2. Sportswear companies.

Of course, hamburgers had yet to be invented in 776 B.C., and there was no need for clothing either, as athletes simply competed in the buff. But wealth has long been a priority for Olympians, and they too were not immune to a bit of corruption, whether through money or cheating attempts, after getting a taste of the high life.

Since the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 28 athletes have been stripped of 37 gold, silver and bronze medals. And every time this consequence has been enacted, it has been due to use of performance-enhancing drugs. Doping scandals are now nothing but routine and predictable; in recent years hardly a month has passed without new allegations. Considering the stringent testing that athletes undergo prior to competition and the devastating health problems linked to steroids, the prevalence of drug usage in sports is rather surprising.

While is no evidence to suggest that Greek athletes used any sort of early steroids to boost their performance, except for the occasional man who consumed psychedelic mushrooms before running, athletes did have to pass a drug test. (This involved swearing on a slice of boar meat that they did not use magic to get an edge on their competitors.) And, like our athletes, they were determined to win — and sometimes resorted to some unorthodox tactics, such as attempting to gouge each other’s eyes out during events.

Nearly 3000 years have elapsed since the inaugural Olympiad. Many aspects of the Games have changed — women are now eligible to compete (and sit alongside men in the stands). Athletes travel from all over the world, not just Greece, for the chance to make their nations proud, and even more of us have the opportunity to watch and even indirectly participate in the Games ourselves via the Internet. But human nature has never wavered. Technological advancements and extensive resources aside, we’re still tempted by money and we’re still far more interested in winning than in morality. And despite these less-than-ideal characteristics, the Games have always managed to unite a nation and a globe. There is no reason to bemoan the ruin of the Olympics. Because the people behind them haven’t changed a bit.