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Zinc For Runners: Why You Need It And Where To Get It
- 51 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Zinc probably isn't a nutrient that many runners think about when planning what to eat. Carbohydrates, protein, iron and electrolytes tend to receive much more attention, but zinc is an essential mineral involved in numerous processes throughout the body.
Its roles include supporting normal immune function, helping the body make proteins and DNA, and contributing to wound healing and cell growth. Exercise can also affect zinc metabolism, which has led researchers to investigate whether athletes have different zinc requirements and whether supplementation could improve performance.
For most runners, however, the aim should be getting enough zinc rather than trying to consume as much as possible. A varied diet can usually provide what you need, while taking excessive amounts in supplement form can cause problems of its own.
What Is Zinc?
Zinc is an essential trace mineral, meaning the body needs it in relatively small amounts but cannot function normally without it. Unlike some nutrients, the body doesn't have a specialised storage system for zinc, so a regular dietary supply is important.
Zinc is involved in the activity of hundreds of enzymes and plays a part in many biological processes. These include protein and DNA synthesis, cell division, immune function and wound healing, while zinc is also important for normal growth and development.
These functions make zinc relevant to everyone, not just runners. Regular training does, however, place additional demands on the body, making an adequate overall intake of vitamins and minerals an important part of a runner's diet.
Why Is Zinc Important For Runners?
One of zinc's most important roles is its involvement in protein synthesis. Runners continually place stress on muscles and other tissues during training, and the body subsequently needs to repair and adapt to that stress.
Zinc is also involved in normal immune function. This can be particularly relevant when training volume increases because demanding exercise, inadequate recovery, insufficient sleep and not eating enough can all contribute to periods when a runner may be more susceptible to illness.
It also contributes to normal cellular metabolism and numerous enzyme reactions. That doesn't make zinc an energy source in the way that carbohydrate or fat is, but having an inadequate zinc status could interfere with normal physiological functions that help support training and everyday health.
Does Running Affect Zinc Levels?
Exercise can produce short term changes in the amount of zinc circulating in the blood. Research has also found that trained athletes can have lower serum zinc concentrations than people who are less active, even when their reported dietary zinc intake is higher.
The reasons aren't completely understood. Zinc can be lost in sweat and urine, while exercise can alter the way zinc is distributed between the blood and tissues, making the relationship between training and zinc status relatively complicated.
This doesn't mean that every runner is at risk of zinc deficiency or that runners automatically need a higher daily intake. There isn't currently a universally accepted separate zinc recommendation for athletes, so the focus should remain on obtaining enough through a balanced diet unless an individual assessment suggests otherwise.
Does Zinc Improve Running Performance?
Zinc is sometimes included in sports supplements and products marketed towards athletes, but that doesn't mean taking additional zinc will make you run faster. Research hasn't established a clear performance benefit from zinc supplementation in athletes who already consume enough.
A genuine deficiency is different. Because zinc is involved in so many biological processes, inadequate zinc status can affect normal health and could potentially compromise someone's ability to train and perform at their best.
The distinction is important. Correcting an inadequate intake may help restore normal function, but consuming extra zinc beyond your requirements shouldn't be expected to provide an additional performance advantage.
Zinc And The Immune System
Zinc has an important role in the development and function of immune cells, which is one reason it frequently appears in products marketed for immune health. An inadequate zinc intake can impair normal immune function, but that doesn't mean large doses provide additional protection for a runner who already gets enough.
Runners should also look beyond individual nutrients when thinking about their immune health. Adequate energy intake, a varied diet, sufficient sleep, sensible recovery and avoiding excessive training loads are all important alongside consuming enough essential vitamins and minerals.
If you're frequently becoming ill during periods of heavy training, automatically reaching for a zinc supplement may therefore miss the bigger picture. Your overall training, recovery and nutritional intake are worth considering rather than assuming one particular nutrient is responsible.
Does Zinc Help With Running Recovery?
Because zinc is involved in protein synthesis, cell division and tissue repair, an adequate supply forms part of the nutritional background that allows the body to function and recover normally. That is different from saying that taking additional zinc after a run will speed up recovery.
There isn't convincing evidence that zinc should be treated like carbohydrate or protein as a specific post run recovery nutrient. For most runners, the immediate priorities after demanding exercise remain replacing energy and carbohydrate, consuming sufficient protein, rehydrating where necessary and getting adequate rest.
A balanced recovery meal may naturally contain zinc anyway. Foods such as meat, seafood, dairy products, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains can contribute zinc alongside protein, carbohydrate and other important nutrients.
What Are The Best Sources Of Zinc?
Some of the richest sources of zinc are animal foods. Oysters and other shellfish can contain particularly high amounts, while meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products can all contribute to dietary intake.
Plant based sources include beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Fortified breakfast cereals and other fortified foods can also provide useful amounts, although the products available and the level of fortification vary considerably between countries.
This means zinc can be obtained from many different diets around the world. The amount your body actually absorbs is also important, however, particularly when most of your zinc comes from plant foods.
Can Plant Based Runners Get Enough Zinc?
Yes, but runners following vegetarian or vegan diets may need to pay more attention to both the amount of zinc they consume and how well it is absorbed. Plant foods can provide plenty of zinc, but they also frequently contain phytates.
Phytates are naturally occurring compounds found in foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They can bind to zinc in the digestive system and reduce the amount that the body absorbs, meaning two diets containing the same amount of zinc don't necessarily provide the same amount of absorbable zinc.
Food preparation techniques including soaking, sprouting, fermenting and using leavened breads can reduce phytate levels and improve zinc availability. A well planned plant based diet can still provide adequate zinc, but variety and food preparation can become more important when animal sources are excluded.
How Much Zinc Do Runners Need?
There isn't a separate internationally accepted zinc recommendation specifically for runners. Requirements for the general population also differ between countries and nutritional authorities, partly because the amount of zinc absorbed from food can vary substantially.
In the United States, the recommended daily amount for adults is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women, with requirements increasing during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Other authorities use different figures, and some recommendations take greater account of the amount of phytate in the diet.
That variation is particularly relevant to a global audience because diets differ considerably around the world. Rather than treating one number as universally correct, runners should consider the nutritional recommendations where they live and the type of diet they normally eat.
Which Runners Might Be At Greater Risk Of Low Zinc?
Runners who eat a varied diet containing adequate energy are less likely to have problems, but some circumstances can increase the possibility of an inadequate intake. A highly restrictive diet, consistently eating too little food or excluding numerous zinc rich foods can make it harder to meet nutritional requirements.
Vegetarian and vegan runners may also need to think more carefully about zinc because of the reduced absorption from some plant based diets. This doesn't mean plant based runners will be deficient, but it makes good dietary planning more important.
Runners with certain digestive conditions or other health problems that affect nutrient absorption can also be at increased risk. In these circumstances, individual medical or nutritional advice is more appropriate than simply adding a high dose supplement.
What About Runners Who Don't Eat Enough?
One of the most important nutritional issues in endurance sport isn't necessarily a shortage of one particular vitamin or mineral but simply failing to consume enough energy overall. A runner who chronically underfuels may struggle to obtain enough zinc alongside iron, calcium and numerous other essential nutrients.
This is another reason to be cautious about looking at nutrients in isolation. Taking a zinc tablet won't correct a diet that doesn't provide enough energy, protein, carbohydrate and other micronutrients to support the amount of training being undertaken.
If your training volume is increasing while your food intake remains very restricted, the overall nutritional picture deserves attention. Adequately fuelling your running should come before trying to solve potential nutritional gaps with a collection of supplements.
What Are The Signs Of Zinc Deficiency?
Zinc deficiency can affect many different systems within the body. Possible signs include impaired wound healing, changes in taste or smell, loss of appetite, hair loss and problems with immune function, although the symptoms and their severity depend on the extent and duration of deficiency.
The difficulty is that many of these symptoms can have numerous other causes. Feeling tired, recovering poorly or repeatedly getting ill doesn't automatically mean that a runner has low zinc levels.
Assessing zinc status can also be complicated because blood zinc concentrations are affected by factors including time of day, infection and inflammation. If there is a genuine concern about deficiency, it is therefore better to seek appropriate medical or nutritional advice than diagnose yourself based on symptoms or a single number.
Should Runners Take Zinc Supplements?
Most runners shouldn't need to routinely take zinc supplements if they are obtaining enough through their diet. There is little evidence that additional zinc improves running performance when someone already has an adequate zinc status.
Supplements may be appropriate when a deficiency or inadequate intake has been identified, or when there is a particular medical or dietary reason for using them. The appropriate amount will depend on the circumstances, and high dose products shouldn't be taken simply because zinc is an essential nutrient.
It is also worth checking other supplements you already use. Multivitamins and some products marketed for immune support can contain zinc, making it possible to consume more than you realise when several supplements are taken together.
Can You Take Too Much Zinc?
High zinc intakes can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite and stomach problems, while taking excessive amounts over a longer period can interfere with the body's ability to absorb copper.
This interaction with copper is particularly important because prolonged high zinc intake can contribute to copper deficiency and associated health problems. More zinc is therefore not automatically better, even though getting enough of the mineral is essential.
Upper intake limits also vary between nutritional authorities around the world. In the United States, the tolerable upper intake level for adults is 40 mg per day from food, drinks and supplements combined, but runners shouldn't interpret an upper limit as a target they should try to reach.
Is Zinc More Important During Heavy Training?
A demanding training programme can alter nutritional requirements and increase the importance of eating enough overall. Exercise can also affect zinc metabolism, but current evidence doesn't support a simple recommendation that every runner should increase their zinc intake whenever their mileage goes up.
Instead, periods of heavy training are a good time to look at the quality and quantity of your whole diet. If you're eating enough and regularly consuming zinc rich foods, you may already be meeting your needs without making any special changes.
The situation can be different if higher mileage is accompanied by deliberate calorie restriction, a limited diet or reduced appetite. In those circumstances, zinc may be one of several nutrients that deserve attention rather than the only one.
Final Thoughts
Zinc is an essential mineral with important roles in immune function, protein synthesis, cell growth and tissue repair. Exercise can influence zinc metabolism, which makes it an interesting nutrient for runners, but that doesn't turn zinc into a performance enhancing supplement.
For most runners, the priority is simply getting enough. Meat, seafood, dairy products and eggs can provide zinc, while beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fortified foods provide alternatives for people eating partly or entirely plant based diets.
Taking extra zinc isn't a shortcut to faster running or better recovery, and excessive supplementation can interfere with copper absorption and cause other problems. As with many aspects of running nutrition, a varied diet that provides enough energy remains the best place to start.
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