The Code of Metabolism: Dr. Torsten Albers on Micronutrients, Cellular Energy, and Healthy Aging

Maintaining performance - not just in sports, but over decades

1. Dr. Albers, you have been working in sports medicine, nutritional medicine, and performance diagnostics for many years. Which principles from competitive and elite sports do you consider most valuable for people who want to maintain their physical and mental performance for as long as possible?

Dr. Albers: When it comes to training, my rule is: the older you get, the more strength training you need. Preserving muscle mass is the decisive advantage for longevity and, above all, a pain-free quality of life. Endurance training and maintaining good mobility are important complementary pillars.

Nutrition with sufficient protein (1.3–1.6 g/kg of body weight daily) always forms the foundation for me. Even if a person does little to no exercise, an increased protein intake is essential for weight management.

Training and nutrition therefore always go hand in hand—for both physical and mental performance. This translates 1:1 from elite sports to the average person.

"Preserving muscle mass is the decisive advantage for longevity and, above all, a pain-free quality of life. [...] Training and nutrition therefore always go hand in hand—for both physical and mental performance."

Why Sustainable Performance Begins at the Cellular Level

2. Many people focus on training and exercise but pay little attention to the biochemical foundation of their performance. In your view, how important is an optimal supply of essential micronutrients for a functioning energy metabolism and sustainable physical performance?

Dr. Albers: A balanced energy budget is the baseline, as is a sufficient intake of protein, carbohydrates (depending on physical activity), and valuable unsaturated fatty acids. Micronutrients are essentially the "spark plugs" in the engine. Without them, even the most powerful engine fueled with the best gasoline won't run optimally. Only the interplay of optimal macronutrient intake and an adequate supply of micronutrients creates the framework for peak performance.

Understanding the Language of Lab Values

3. You work extensively with modern performance and laboratory diagnostics. Which laboratory parameters give you the earliest indications of how efficiently cellular energy production is running and whether the mitochondria are working optimally?

Dr. Albers: I place great emphasis on lipid metabolism parameters (blood lipids, fasting insulin, and insulin after a defined glucose intake) as well as carbohydrate metabolism (changes in blood sugar levels after glucose intake). I also specifically look at urea and uric acid to identify potential ways to optimize protein intake. Thyroid, sex, and stress hormones complement the diagnostics. Through spiroergometric performance testing, I draw further conclusions regarding the development of fat metabolism at rest and under physical stress.

When Vital Metabolic Building Blocks are Missing

4. Some people train consistently, watch their diet, and get enough recovery, yet they still fail to see the progress they want. Which deficits in essential micronutrients or metabolic cofactors do you observe most frequently in these situations?

Dr. Albers: Practically all of my patients show a vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, vitamin D3 and K2 supplementation is standard practice for me. Sunlight alone simply isn't enough here. Based on the omega-3 index, I regularly see an undersupply of essential omega-3 fatty acids. To maintain normal brain and heart function, these fatty acids are a standard part of my advice. Magnesium bisglycinate helps many of my patients achieve subjectively better sleep quality. Creatine is also a standard recommendation of mine when it comes to both physical and mental performance.

Electrolytes—More Than Just a Topic for Hot Training Days

5. Electrolytes are often only paid attention to when performance or well-being already seems compromised. In your view, why is it worthwhile to consider electrolyte balance early on as part of a long-term performance and recovery strategy?

Dr. Albers: In my consultations, I place great emphasis on a diet that is as varied as possible, featuring plenty of whole, unprocessed foods to secure a broad baseline of micronutrients. For athletes, I often target performance with specific sports drinks containing a precisely defined carbohydrate content and added electrolytes.

Magnesium as a Key Factor in Cellular Energy

6. Magnesium is involved in numerous enzymatic reactions and is most commonly associated with muscles. Beyond that, what role does magnesium play in normal energy metabolism and cellular energy production?

Dr. Albers: Magnesium is indeed much more than just a "muscle mineral." It serves as a cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, and a central area of this directly affects energy metabolism.

Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Specifically, magnesium is required to activate ATP: ATP, our cellular "energy currency," mostly exists in the body as a magnesium-ATP complex. Without sufficient magnesium, the enzymes involved in generating energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins cannot work optimally.

From this, we can also deduce that magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. This is particularly relevant for people with an increased demand, such as during physical activity or in phases of high stress.

Magnesium also plays an important role in muscle function. In a sense, it acts as a natural counterpart to calcium: while calcium triggers muscle contraction, magnesium is co-responsible for muscle relaxation. This interaction is crucial for normal movement.

What Lab Values Can Tell Us About Magnesium Levels

7. In your practice, you regularly look at metabolic and micronutrient parameters. How reliable is a classic magnesium blood test, and why can a holistic assessment of magnesium levels be valuable for evaluating performance and resilience?

Dr. Albers: I always aim to lift my patients' magnesium levels into the upper normal range (in serum > 0.9 mmol/l, and > 2.3 mmol/l in erythrocytes). By doing this, I try to establish an ideal starting point for energy metabolism and muscle function.

Longevity Begins in the Metabolism

8. Personalized nutrition and preventive medicine are evolving rapidly. What role will micronutrient analyses, metabolic diagnostics, and individualized nutrition plans play in the future when it comes to preserving health, performance, and quality of life for as long as possible?

Dr. Albers: An optimal body composition (above-average muscle mass, lowest possible visceral fat percentage, high phase angle as a general marker of cellular health), a varied diet with increased protein, and an optimal supply of vitamins D3 and K2, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids are key players for a long healthspan and maintaining mental and physical performance into old age. Based on lab diagnostics, body composition analysis, and spiroergometry, we can create highly personalized plans. These must be practical and realistic for the individual's daily life.

Because stress management and good sleep are still massively underestimated in personalized medicine, I also integrate coaching elements for these areas. For me, the ultimate "pro-aging" factors (in the sense of accelerated aging) are (Explanation: Was formulated in a slightly misleading way) : too little sleep (< 6 hours), high stress levels (the "hamster wheel" phenomenon, feeling unappreciated), high insulin levels due to excessive sugar and processed foods, and "no time" for exercise. Doing this can easily shorten your healthspan by 15 to 20 years. Or even more...

"For me, the ultimate 'pro-aging' factors (in the sense of accelerated aging) are: too little sleep (< 6 hours), high stress levels [...], high insulin levels due to excessive sugar and processed foods, and 'no time' for exercise. Doing this can easily shorten your healthspan by 15 to 20 years."

Note: This interview is for general informational purposes only. The assessments and opinions presented reflect the personal scientific views and clinical experience of the interviewed expert and are based, among other things, on their own research.

The shared information reflects the expert's personal, professional experience and does not constitute official statements or claims by VitaminExpress.

The content does not constitute authorized health claims under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and should not be understood as claims for the prevention, treatment, or cure of any disease. This interview is not a substitute for individual medical advice. For health-related questions, please consult a qualified medical professional.