B vitamins are about the least understood group of vitamins the body needs.  A lot of people don’t realise there’s 8 B vitamins in total and each one is absolutely crucial to a healthy body and mind.  What’s even scarier is the number of people deficient in many of these.  For example in one study over a qurater of those tested were deficient in vitamin B2 (Riboflavin).

Considering a deficiency in Riboflavin can cause a range of horrible skin conditions such as dry cracked lips, ulcerations, etc.

The key B vitamins and their uses are:

  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – Vital for central nervous system health.  Deficiencies can cause mood problems and malaise.
  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – Needed for all the bodies major cellular systems such as metabolism.
  • Vitamin B3 (niacin) – Required for DNA repair and production of steroid hormones in the adrenal glands.
  • Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – Essential for the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbs.
  • Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – Promotes red blood cell production and balances your sodium levels.
  • Vitamin B7 (biotin) – Required for cell growth and the metabolism of essential fatty acids.
  • Vitamin B9 (folic acid) – Required for new cell production and growth.
  • Vitamin B12 – This B vitamin is involved in every cell of the body but is especially important for metabolism, cell growth and fatty acid metabolism.

As you can see all of the above are pretty damn Essential for your health.  With even a slight lack in any one of those it’ll make your training worthless.