Alpha Progression
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements that the body needs for structure, regulation, or metabolism. They are micronutrients because they provide no energy and are required in much smaller quantities than protein, carbohydrate, or fat, even though some minerals are present in the body in substantial amounts.
Nutrition frameworks often divide them into major minerals and trace elements according to the amount required or present in the body. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride are commonly treated as major minerals; iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, and molybdenum are examples of trace elements. The exact classification boundary can vary by authority. "Trace" describes quantity, not importance.
The term also overlaps with, but does not equal, electrolytes. Several minerals form charged ions in body fluids and thereby help control fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction. Other mineral functions include forming bone and teeth, carrying oxygen, supporting enzymes, and contributing to thyroid hormones. Each element has its own chemistry and requirement, so a total "mineral" number has little nutritional meaning.
Reference values depend on the specific mineral, age, sex, and life stage. The DGE/ÖGE reference-value collection and EFSA dietary reference values should therefore be consulted nutrient by nutrient. These are intake references for population groups, not bodybuilding doses or proof of an individual's status.
A varied diet can supply minerals through dairy or fortified alternatives, meat and fish, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and mineral water. Absorption varies with the food matrix, chemical form, other nutrients, medication, and health. For example, phytate can reduce zinc absorption, while vitamin D supports calcium absorption.
Deficiency can matter for health and training capacity, but vague symptoms such as tiredness or cramps do not identify which mineral is involved. Excess intake can also be harmful, particularly from concentrated supplements, and minerals may compete for absorption or interact with medicines. Athletes do lose minerals in sweat, yet training alone does not establish a need for a broad mineral blend.
