Chromium(Cr)

The most important chromium role in organism is to influent glucose metabolism as a cofactor with insuline, and along with that on metabolism of other nutritive materials. Related to that, diet that does not allow sufficient chromium intake has harmful effects on glucose tolerance, insuline and glucagon levels in blood, especially at athletes with light glucose tolerance worsening.

Chromium level in serum isn’t thought to be a good shower of amount of this mineral in organism. Urine loss is cumulative total of small transitory changes in blood, so it is thought that is better shower for chrome metabolism changes.

It is thought that athletes with big energy consumption, or huge carbohydrates intake, have increased need for chromium intake. Level of glucose in serum, and amount of carbs intaked, directly influent to the size of insuline secretion, what is related to increased decontamination and chromium excretion through urine.

Researches till today that were related to chromium supplementation did not show that need of chromium supplementation is necessary.

Chromium loss through sweat is not quantified through use of available analytic techniques.

Chromium intake

It is recommended that daily chromium intake is 50-200µg(RDA=120µg). There are indications that intake of this microelement is under recommended at sedentary people, even if diet is well balanced.

Chromium intake in food depends on elaboration way in industrial process, and it is non-related to geographic origins.

Chromium excretion is increased along with high carbohydrates intake, and absorption in intestines decreases high content of diet fibers. It is proved that interaction of chromium with iron and zync exists, due to competition for transport protein exists.

Groceries with big amount of chromium
Groceries	Amount	Chromium µg/portion
Plum	3	60
Peas	1 cup, cooked	60
Corn	1 cup, conserved	55
Chicken breast	120g	50
Cucumber	1	50
Peanuts, butter	1 spoon	40
Mushrooms	1 cup, cooked	30
Wheat flakes	60g	30
Potato	1 medium sized, roasted	30
Beer	360g	30-60
Oysters	6 medium sized, fresh	22
Apple	1 middle, non-peeled	19
Bread, wholemeal	1 piece	12
Wheat germs	1 cup	6

Chrome is as a supplement most often found in the shape of chromium-picolinate, stabile complex that is well absorbed in intestines.

Athletes are recommended to use nutrition rich with micronutrients. At athletes which diet intake of vitamins and minerals is thought to be insufficient, supplementation with resources that contain multivitamins/minerals could be prescribed.  

“Athletes’ nutrition”, Marina Djordjevic Nikic