Lee Swanson Research Update

Zinc Boosts Cardio Respiratory Function

August 2005

magnesium

Active people who get too little zinc in their diets may "hit the wall" earlier during exercise, according to a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the study, 14 active men ages 20-31 who followed a nine-week diet low in zinc had decreased cardio respiratory function compared to their performance during nine weeks on a zinc-fortified diet.

Study author Henry Lukaski, a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, ND, tied this effect to carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that helps the body expel carbon dioxide and relies on zinc for proper functioning.

When study participants followed a low-zinc diet, the enzymes were less active in their bodies and the men were less able to get rid of high levels of carbon dioxide, which increase during vigorous exercise. Following the low-zinc diet, four of the 14 participants were unable to complete a 45-minute endurance test on stationary bicycles.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 81(5):1045-1051, 2005

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