It doesn't matter if you are a golfer, a runner, or a pro football player, as an athlete you need your vitamins for one critical reason above all others; you need them to prevent sickness and injury.

Injuries, such as broken bones, sprains, strains, bruises etc. are often a result of poor nutrition in the body. Vitamins keep all parts of your body in top shape which can help you fend off annoying injuries that keep you sidelined. Also you get sicknesses such as the flu and the common cold because your body's immune system is worn down and susceptible for an attack. Vitamins also ensure that your immune system is functioning at its best.

Don't get me wrong, high quality vitamins are not going to make you invincible, but they should give you the confidence that your body is at its best. The rest of your athletic ability is then up to you and your training.

What kinds of vitamins athletes take is more important than just taking them because many store bought vitamins and minerals are useless because they are never absorbed by the body. They literally go right through you.

Why Are Most Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Useless for Athletes?

Well, just simply put, they are poorly made. They are more like vitamin bricks than fuel for athletes.

Why would companies do this to athletes? Easy answer, money. They are more concerned with making the cash than how well you perform as an athlete. Don't be too disappointed, however, because there are several different natural nutrition companies that do make exceptional vitamins that are proven to not only be absorbed by your body, but also be absorbed by the correct part of the body.

You see, each vitamin and mineral has its own specific job in a specific part of your body. This is why you need so many different vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. For example:

* Folic acid should be released only into the stomach

* B vitamins and vitamin C should have a sustained release function so they can maintain blood nutrient levels for over 12 hours

* Amino acids should only be released when they reach the upper intestine. Most amino acids are destroyed by stomach acids because they are absorbed in the stomach, not where they should be, in the intestines.

* Vitamin supplements should always be taken with food to ensure proper absorption

As an athlete you may have never heard of some of the great natural vitamin companies because they don't waste tons of money on advertising, they spend it on research and scientists to develop top notch products that actually make a difference for athletes. Then they spread the word through Olympic and world class athletes who actually use their vitamins without being paid to.

Where Can Athletes Find High Quality Vitamins?

Most vitamins for athletes will be found online or at your local health food store. To determine if the vitamins are high quality the company should have:

* Integrity - make sure that they have a track record of success

* Clinical studies published in scientific journals proving that the vitamins are absorbed and used by the body

* Easy customer access to the ingredients and any other info pertaining to the product

* A money back guarantee so you can return them if they don't work

* Proof that real athletes use them

To get published in one of the clinical journals is extremely difficult because the scientific community as a whole has to agree with the findings of the independent clinical study. Most companies hire their own scientists to put out studies that "may suggest this and that," but prove nothing and aren't even reviewed by the independent scientific community as a whole. Athletes can't afford to waste their time, talent, or money on vitamins that aren't "proven" to work.

Athletes should also try to get their vitamins through healthy food like organic fruits and vegetables, as a healthy diet is also necessary for an athletes body to perform at its best.