Not getting enough of these five minerals affects testosterone production, protein synthesis, energy levels, and carb utilization. Let's fix that.

If you work out in any way, it's a safe bet that you're deficient in these minerals:

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Chromium
• Vanadium

For example, up to 85% of the American population is deficient in magnesium and between 12 and 40% is deficient in zinc. When you add working out to the equation, it gets worse: these two minerals leave the body through perspiration. It's a big deal because magnesium and zinc each play a big role in approximately 300 enzymatic reactions. A deficiency in one or both minerals leads to sub-optimal protein synthesis and sub-optimal testosterone production.

The other minerals listed are often in short supply in athletes, too. And not only taking, but ABSORBING additional amounts of them could influence the way you build muscle, the way you lose fat, your sexual performance, and your health in general.

Biotest's answer to this epidemic of mineral deficiencies is ElitePro Vital Minerals, which is comprised of pure amino acid chelates that ensure complete absorption and utilization. Here's why they're important.

1. Magnesium

A magnesium deficiency can manifest in poor athletic performance, excessive lactic acid build-up, muscle cramping, difficulty losing fat, poor recovery, and even heart arrhythmias.

A couple of studies even show that testosterone prefers to bind to magnesium rather than steroid hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). By binding to magnesium instead of SHBG, you end up having greater levels of free testosterone, thus explaining the magnesium's anabolic effect.

Plenty of dietary habits make getting enough magnesium difficult, too. Carbonated drinks screw with it (the phosphate binds with magnesium). Too much sugar and caffeine cause the body to excrete it. Phytates in grains affect magnesium absorption.

Also, keto diets or Paleo diets generally don't provide enough magnesium. Even the best conditions sometimes make it hard to take in enough magnesium – unless you don't mind eating 10 cups of seaweed, seven bananas, or large amounts of the other foods that contain the mineral. That's why supplementation is almost a must.

2. Zinc

If any mineral is sexy, it's zinc. It's required to produce and regulate several hormones, including testosterone, androstenedione, and androstanediol. It's also vital to the development of the male sex organs, as individuals with a deficiency have been found to have underdeveloped testes and low sperm counts.

Zinc also plays a major role in the production of prostatic fluid. Some studies found a relationship between zinc deficiencies and the ability to achieve and maintain an erection. (Oysters are rich in the mineral, which helps explain their reputation as an aphrodisiac.)

Zinc also acts as a strong aromatase inhibitor, therefore blocking the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.

While getting enough zinc doesn't have as many roadblocks against it as magnesium, deficiencies can arise from exercise in general, sweat losses, and poor absorption from zinc supplements that aren't chelated.

3. Selenium

While this trace element is also known as a natural testosterone booster, it's not nearly as potent as zinc. Regardless, it takes the whole mineral team to work together to ensure optimum levels of the hormone. Other than that, selenium blunts some of the oxidative stress caused by strenuous exercise, thereby prolonging exercise. So, taking additional amounts may improve exercise capability.

4. Chromium

This trace element is best known for its ability to facilitate the effects of insulin – it helps your body use carbs for energy, which is why athletes who supplement with chromium get a performance boost.

People who don't have enough chromium, though, are more prone to suffer from glucose intolerance. While most people seem to be slightly deficient, athletes have even less as they lose a good amount through urine as a side effect of exercise.

5. Vanadium

Vanadium acts like an insulin "mimetic," meaning it copies some of the effects of insulin. However, chromium, its physiological partner, acts as an insulin potentiator. Together, they make a formidable force and allow the body to use carbohydrates more efficiently.

This insulin-like interaction, as some studies support, leads to increased exercise recovery, increased athletic endurance, and increased muscle mass. The duo also supercharges the uptake of creatine, thereby increasing its effects.

Why Chelated Minerals?

The actual definition of a chelated mineral is long-winded, but it involves double binding an amino acid to a mineral. The process ensures an amino acid chelate that's small enough to pass through the intestine and then small enough to be transported into the cell itself.

Non-chelated mineral formulations are problematic. At worst, they're not absorbed. At best, they're absorbed nominally because most of the foods we eat have chemicals in them that inhibit their absorption.

The chelated minerals in ElitePro Vital Minerals can be taken with food (or on an empty stomach) without fear of absorption problems or stomach upset.

References

1. Cinar V. Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion. 2011.
2. Lefavi R. Efficacy of chromium supplementation in athletes: emphasis on anabolism. Int J Sport Nutr. 1992.
3. Margaritis I. Increase in selenium requirements with physical activity loads in well-trained athletes is not linear. Biofactors. 2005.
4. Prasad A. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition. 1996.
5. Sakurai H. The therapeutic potential of insulin-mimetic vanadium complexes. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2003.