Vitamin A keeps the skin, eyes, and reproductive system healthy. Sources of vitamin A are milk products, liver, fish, and dark green and orange veggies and fruits like broccoli, carrot, cantaloupe, spinach, squash, and sweet potato.
Vitamin B-complex (folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6, B-12, biotin, and pantothenic acid) protects your muscular and nervous systems and helps release energy from food. Niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin are found in whole grain products,
enriched breads, and cereals.
Vitamin C maintains your body cells and connective tissue and may help strengthen the immune system. Vitamin C is found in broccoli, citrus fruits, strawberries, peppers, and tomatoes.
Vitamin D, the "sunshine" vitamin, helps bones absorb calcium to make them strong. It is found in fortified milk, fish, and sunlight.
Vitamin E helps produce red blood cells and may help prevent heart disease. Vitamin E is found in nuts, vegetable oils, whole grains and spinach.
Vitamin K helps the blood clotting process. It is found in broccoli, cabbage, soybeans, liver and green leafy vegetables and alfalfa.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K require dietary fat to carry them into the body. These vitamins stay in your body for awhile, like fat, and don't need to be replaced daily.
Vitamins B-complex and C are transferred into your body by the water in foods. These vitamins move out of your body, like water, and need to be replaced daily.
Eating a wide variety of foods from the food pyramid is a young athlete's best source of vitamins and minerals. According to scientific studies, athletic activities do not significantly increase vitamin or mineral requirements.
Extra vitamins do not make a young athlete mature faster or become stronger. Some vitamins, especially vitamins A and D, are toxic at high doses and may cause fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
