Summer is almost here, but it’s never too late to think about your health. With all the stress this past year, your body needs immune boosters now more than ever. Aside from getting outdoors and basking in the sunshine, there are key nutrients your body needs. You might already know about Vitamin C for your health, but what have you heard about zinc? This key nutrient does more than you could imagine for your immune system and for your muscles. Whether you need help overcoming a nasty man-cold or you need assistance building muscle, here’s how zinc can benefit you

Zinc Helps With Wound Healing

Working out puts you at risk of injury no matter how many precautions you take. Good nutrition including enough zinc helps protect you from injury and recover more quickly. When combined with other immune boosting supplements, you have a powerful combination to help you get better fast.

Zinc Helps You Avoid Colds

If everyone around you is sneezing from a generic cold, zinc is critical. Zinc activates cells that are the first line of defense in fighting off viruses. These killer cells go to war to attack invaders and keep you from succumbing to illness. Additionally, daily workouts tax your system and depletes your body of these key nutrients. If you want to avoid colds and stay healthy, take zinc daily.

Zinc Helps With Testosterone Production

When you’re aiming for gains, testosterone is what helps your body build up those muscles. Many men take steroids to help this process, but long-term use of steroids is harmful to your health and can have devastating effects. Getting proper nutrition is far more effective long-term and far better for your health. Zinc helps your body produce more testosterone naturally making it easier to get the gains you want. It also aids in the production of a hormone called IGF-1. This hormone is one of many that help you build muscle over time.

Workouts Deplete Zinc

The more you workout, the more your body needs zinc. Whether you’re lifting weights or running for miles, zinc is used up quickly by the body. Zinc deficiency makes your workouts less effective and over time not enough zinc leads to problems. High intensity workouts lead to more sweat, which contributes to the overall zinc loss. Additionally, your muscles use up zinc when lifting weights. All this depletion means that you need more than usual if you want to maintain your health.

Muscles Need Zinc to Rebuild

If you know anything about gains, you know that muscles tear and rebuild as you lift weights. This process is what helps men get stronger and stronger. There are several amino acids that are critical for this process, but zinc is even more important. The pathways that zinc regulates are what helps the muscles build back up. With zinc and protein, your muscles can more efficiently recover and rebuild after heavy training sessions

Zinc Acts as An Antioxidant

Antioxidants are crucial for the removal of toxins from the body. They also help regulate the immune system so it can function at the highest levels. One of the critical functions that zinc performs in the body is to reduce the stress on the cells by taking away toxins. When this stress is relieved, not only do your immune cells work more effectively, your muscles recover better in between training sessions reducing the risk of illness and injury.

Zinc Aids Food Absorption

Want your body to absorb all those other nutrients? You need zinc. In the digestive system, zinc helps your body have better GI health. Many times, conditions like diarrhea are the result of nutrient deficiencies and improper digestion. By taking enough zinc supplements, you can ease the burden on your digestion and gain better function.

Zinc plays a critical role in your immune system and is an essential nutrient. Deficiencies can lead to sickness, muscle loss, and poor wound healing. But by taking enough zinc tablets for your needs, you can develop more muscles, recover in between workouts, reduce the risk of injury, stay healthy during cold and flu seasons, and even improve your digestion. Don’t ignore this important nutrient especially if you want to get more gains.