Minerals & trace elements - small substances, big effect

A milligram here, a microgram there - sounds insignificant, but without these tiny amounts, nothing works in your body. Minerals and trace elements are like silent switchboards: They trigger nerve impulses, enable muscle contractions, transport oxygen and keep your immune system in balance. They are often overshadowed by vitamins, but their effect is just as crucial. At hotelsINshape, this topic has long played a role: our partner hotels focus on nutritional concepts that combine regeneration and fitness - and thus place minerals at the centre as a matter of course.

Minerals are categorised according to their occurrence in the body:

Calcium is known for strong bones and teeth, but it also regulates blood clotting and the conduction of excitation in muscles and nerves. Together with vitamin D and K2, it determines whether calcium actually ends up in the bones - or remains unutilised. A deficiency favours osteoporosis, cramps or cardiac arrhythmia.

Magnesium activates over 300 enzymes, controls ATP production (energy) and relaxes muscles after exercise. It acts as a natural antagonist to calcium: while calcium causes muscles to contract, magnesium ensures relaxation. Magnesium deficiency manifests itself in muscle twitching, cramps and nervousness.

These two minerals are opponents and partners at the same time. Potassium maintains the tension in cells, sodium regulates the fluid volume. Together they control heart rhythm, blood pressure and muscle contractions. An imbalance - caused by too much salt or too little potassium, for example - increases the risk of high blood pressure.

Phosphorus is found in every cell, is part of ATP (the energy carrier) and is important for bones and teeth. A deficiency is rare, but an excess - due to too many soft drinks with added phosphate, for example - can block calcium absorption and weaken bones.

Iron is a component of haemoglobin and transports oxygen in the blood. Deficiency is the most common deficiency worldwide - symptoms: Tiredness, pallor, reduced performance. In athletes, iron deficiency lowers VO₂max and therefore endurance performance.

Zinc is involved in over 200 enzymes, strengthens the immune system, supports wound healing and regulates the hormone balance - from testosterone to insulin. Deficiency manifests itself in susceptibility to infections, poor skin healing or hair loss.

Iodine is crucial for the formation of thyroid hormones, which regulate the entire metabolism. Selenium protects the thyroid gland from oxidative stress during this energy-intensive process. A deficiency can lead to goitre or hypothyroidism.

Small in quantity, big in effect - and often neglected.

Minerals are doubly important for athletes. Sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc are lost through sweat. Those who train a lot are at a higher risk of deficiencies - with consequences for regeneration, muscle strength and the immune system. Many hotelsINshape partner hotels take this into account: mineral-rich water, regeneration dishes with iron-rich ingredients or snacks with magnesium and zinc have long been part of everyday life there.

A conscious combination - such as wholegrains with pulses plus vegetables rich in vitamin C - compensates for deficiencies. The nutritional programmes of many hotelsINshape hotels focus precisely on these synergies.

As with vitamins, nutrition is the basis. However, supplementation can make sense if there is an increased need:

Minerals and trace elements are tiny in quantity but gigantic in effect. They control fundamental processes - from muscle contraction to DNA protection. Anyone who understands their importance recognises that health does not happen by chance, but through daily, conscious supply. Nutrition provides the basis, supplements can provide targeted support - it's the interplay that makes the difference. And it is precisely this combination of nutrition, training and regeneration that makes the hotelsINshape approach so strong.

In the next article in the series, we will focus on intestinal health - your inner power centre. After all, what good are the best vitamins and minerals if your gut can't absorb them? We show how the microbiome, nutrition and immune system work together - and why your gut is much more than just digestion.