Aussies lack selenium

The average Australian is more than likely lacking in selenium, and the more active you are, the higher the deficiency, according to strength coach Gary Himing.

 

A former competition bodybuilder, Himing believes selenium is an essential mineral commonly overlooked by bodybuilders who rate protein, creatine and glutamine as standard issue during recovery.

 

"Training to maximum intensity depletes the body of many essential nutrients, not just protein. If you're an Australian male who trains at this level, chances are your body's demand for selenium replenishment is higher than normal," Himing says.

 

"The reason being, in some countries where the soil is well cultivated, Australia included, selenium levels are low. Yet it's one of the most recent trace elements to be identified as essential in the diet.

 

"Exercise-induced oxidative stress is another reason. This is a common condition in both endurance and resistance-trained athletes. By taking in extra amounts of oxygen, you increase your chances of free radical entry or activity in the body.

 

"Free radicals are unpaired electrons which, if unchallenged by antioxidants, can delay the recovery period, and, over the long term, accelerate ageing and susceptibility to illness.

 

"Intense exercise depletes glutathione, our body's own powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are our body's first line of defence against free radical invasion. Supplementing with selenium is a powerful way to help boost your antioxidant levels, as selenium plays an integral role in helping the body form its own glutathione.

 

"Selenium is an antioxidant that seems tailor made for men as it carries an impressive track record in prostate cancer prevention trials.

 

"Unlike supplements like creatine, you won't notice results immediately, but after three or four weeks you will notice an improved ability to bounce back and train harder at the gym."

 

Found mostly in brazil nuts, selenium is a challenge to get into the diet in the recommended amounts, according to nutritionist and physiologist Leigh Blashki.

 

"To obtain just the recommended daily allowance of 52 micrograms you need to eat half a cup of brazil nuts, two cups of fresh mushrooms and two servings of shellfish each day. This is not only an inconvenience to source and plan, but it can create other nutritional imbalances," Blashki says.

 

"For men who regularly undertake strenuous or prolonged training, the recommended intake for selenium is undoubtedly higher than 52mcg. While this amount is considered the maximum allowable daily supplemental dosage in Australia, as much as 200mcg daily has been found to be safe and healthy and is in fact the amount used in scientific studies supporting the role of selenium in the reduced risk of cancer.

 

A recent study, led by Larry Clark PhD, at the Arizona Cancer Center, followed over a ten-year period a group of healthy people at high risk for cancer. This population was chosen for its proximity to low levels of natural selenium in the soil, as is the case in Australia.

 

The study found that people supplementing with 200mcg selenium per day had 71% fewer prostate cancers, 67% fewer esophageal cancers, 62% fewer colorectal cancers and 46% fewer lung cancers than people who were taking placebos.