Micronutrients and Energy: Prof. Dr. Elmar Wienecke on Performance, Stress, and Men’s Health
Prof. Dr. Elmar Wienecke
Understanding Micronutrients and Hormonal Balance
1. Prof. Wienecke, you have been researching micronutrient diagnostics and men’s health for many years. What scientific evidence is there regarding how an adequate supply of micronutrients can contribute to normal hormonal function and overall well-being?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: Yes, I’ve been interested in this topic for years. My team and I have conducted our own research on this, and my students have already written 143 master’s theses and final projects on the topic during the ten years my program has existed. The program is called “Micronutrient Therapy and Regulatory Medicine” at the University of Applied Sciences for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (FHM) in Bielefeld. I developed it ten years ago through my foundation, and it is the only one of its kind in Europe. Why? Because this topic is consistently neglected. In medical circles, you sometimes get nothing but head-shaking or even very dismissive comments when you bring up the topic of micronutrients.
So I told myself: I’m going to start approaching this topic scientifically—that is, evidence-based, just as we do in medicine. To the dismissive remarks I’ve often heard on this subject, I now simply say: You’re welcome to enroll in my program. You wouldn’t believe how many doctors have a lot of catching up to do on this topic. I was appointed to the German Health Senate by the German Oral Health Foundation. This shows that my work is gaining increasing acceptance in Germany, but also internationally. If you had asked me 10 or 15 years ago, I would never have believed it. But if you approach the matter with persistence, meticulous care, and science, you will achieve long-term success.
“You have to measure correctly! Conventional blood tests do not provide exact indications of nutrient status, since our body draws all resources from the blood cells to keep the serum level constant—but what matters is the cellular level.”
Why Individual Diagnostics Are Crucial
2. You work with individualized micronutrient diagnostics. Why is it so important to precisely determine deficiencies before deciding on targeted supplementation?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: We humans have a natural defense mechanism: If we do not supply the body with the energy it needs, the body attacks its own structural proteins and draws on its own reserves—the so-called extracellular matrix and the compartment system (matrix). These systems form the basis of micronutrient therapy, and here it is possible to precisely determine whether an individual’s micronutrient status falls within the clusters of our globally unique micronutrient database. From this individualized assessment, it can then be determined whether supplemental therapy should be considered.
And I must emphasize: You have to measure correctly! Conventional blood tests do not provide exact indications of nutrient status, since our body draws all resources from the blood cells to keep the serum level constant—but what matters is the cellular level1.
Regarding nutrient intake, scientific studies suggest that fewer than one-third of people achieve the recommended amounts of micronutrients such as magnesium—in part because nutrient concentrations in today’s foods have declined.2 However, the goal cannot, of course, be to compensate for poor dietary habits with supplements. The first step is to focus on diet and eat more vegetables and low-sugar fruits such as berries with lower fructose content.
In addition to a healthy diet, one can then consider, on an individual basis and after consulting a doctor following a thorough diagnosis, whether supplemental micronutrient therapy is appropriate. From the perspective of micronutrient therapy, supplementation serves to support the body’s regulatory mechanisms. Of course, one must always keep the gut in mind as well.
Side fact: Extracellular Matrix and Compartment System (Matrix)
Our body tissue consists of cells as well as the interstitial space between them, which comprises tissue fluid and the so-called extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix consists of ground substance and fibers, the ratio of which varies depending on the type of tissue.
The compartment system comprises distinct spaces within a cell, which are usually separated from one another by biomembranes, thereby creating different reaction spaces (compartments). Source: Alberts, B. et al. (2014). Molecular Biology of the Cell. 6th ed. Garland Science. (Chapters 12 & 19).
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21054/
Energy, Hormonal Changes, and Lifestyle in Old Age
3. Many men over 40 report having less energy or resilience. What connections do you see between lifestyle, hormonal changes, and an adequate supply of micronutrients when it comes to performance and well-being?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: First of all, mental performance plays a role as we age. Stress resilience declines, particularly in men, but also in women entering menopause. When faced with personal or professional stressors, people often react with restlessness, sleep poorly, sweat at night, feel unwell, and do not recover sufficiently. All these factors indirectly interact with the thyroid gland, which in turn is influenced by micronutrients. This is a complex cycle based on regulatory mechanisms—including hormonal pathways3.
And we’ve found that nearly half of the population experiences significant issues in this area, both men and women, once they reach a certain age.
One factor we frequently observe in men, for example, is arginine deficiency. Arginine is an amino acid that activates the release of human growth hormone (HGH)—the body’s own growth hormone. This hormone is crucial for male hormonal regulation, particularly for vitality and sexual function, including erectile capacity.
As they age, many men experience problems in this area and seek urological advice. In such cases, arginine can be a sensible recommendation following consultation with a doctor. However, the body can only absorb the amino acid arginine in conjunction with B vitamins; therefore, simply taking this amino acid alone would not help—as mentioned, it is always a complex cycle that must be kept in mind.
Other important factors include omega-3, phenylalanine, and tyrosine—these are all essential micronutrients that should be considered for both men and women past a certain age4.
ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is also very important, especially for active athletes.5 As most people know, mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells and they supply energy. And if a person doesn’t have a sufficient energy supply over extended periods—that is, too little ATP—then various organ structures can no longer function optimally. And then what I explained earlier happens: the body turns to structural proteins to somehow produce energy, and this can trigger a wide range of unexplained health issues6.
But the first challenge is simply to even start talking about topics like stress resilience—and men in particular rarely talk about it; a man doesn’t really want to admit that he has problems. Women are much more sensitive to the topic of health.
And that’s a real problem; I always try to explain this to men in particular: It’s like when you’re driving a car—at first there are only minor issues, but they accumulate, they get bigger and bigger, and you’re running on bad gas until eventually you come to a standstill. And it’s exactly the same with the body. If it doesn’t get the building blocks it needs, eventually it won’t be able to perform the way we want it to.
Stress, in particular, is an issue we don’t just have to accept, since there’s a lot of new research on it. We can measure it precisely—we can assess people’s stress levels through cortisol measurements via saliva tests and HRV, which stands for heart rate variability.
There is also a new parameter: BDNF—Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. This is a blood parameter that—and this may sound very complicated—reflects the brain’s neural plasticity, meaning its ability to reorganize neural structures to adapt and optimize processes. And there are interesting studies that measure this factor and investigate to what extent the targeted supplementation of missing micronutrients, such as magnesium, leads to better stress resilience7.
This is, of course, highly complex and very specific; it’s not simply a matter of “Take a little magnesium and everything will be fine!” That would be nonsense! You have to carefully determine what is missing, and then you can consider how to specifically regulate that with supplements.
But this is a much more general problem. I once filmed a TV show on the topic of pill scams. Because it’s pretty brutal: Many people take a whole range of supplements and don’t even know exactly what they’re doing. That’s completely wrong. I often see this haphazard approach with my patients who come to me and lay out 20 different pills. I always have to intervene and ask: What are you actually doing? If you’re doing it in a targeted way, then it’s necessary, but not just taking everything haphazardly!
I simply have to emphasize this again: Micronutrient therapy doesn’t just mean a little zinc here, a little selenium there! No, it’s about the complex, synergistic supply of various substances to achieve normalization and harmonization of the metabolism. We must not merely treat symptoms but must begin to truly seek solutions to the problem, because in many cases the body can regulate itself if it receives what it needs.
And that is a very essential aspect that is gaining traction in more and more fields, and that’s a good thing. Especially in the field of dental implantology, there are currently interesting developments, and that’s just one example among many.
There was also a study in Switzerland where 1,500 patients in hospitals were examined regarding their micronutrient status. Admittedly, not quite as I would have liked—at the cellular level—but at least they did it and looked at how it affected the length of hospital stays, that is, healing or inflammatory processes following surgery; that, too, is highly interesting.
“If a person doesn’t have an adequate energy supply over extended periods—that is, too little ATP—then various organ structures can no longer function optimally. […] This can trigger a wide range of unexplained health issues.”
Stress, Recovery, and Micronutrient Status
4. As a former competitive athlete and coach, you are well acquainted with the effects of stress and recovery. What role do stress, overtraining, or sleep deprivation play in conjunction with hormonal balance and micronutrient supply?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: This is a very, very important topic. Unfortunately, I myself was not able to enjoy a professional career as a soccer player because I was already a sports invalid at the age of 19, but that was also the reason I decided to study at the German Sport University Cologne back then. I simply wanted to know why I kept suffering such severe injuries—all without any external factors, but rather due to overuse reactions in the tendinous-ligamentous apparatus. And nutrition is, of course, a factor there! Back then, though—30 years ago—I had a huge sweet tooth. I’d eat a whole, large bar of Marabou chocolate for lunch, and it tasted great. But of course, that had an impact on my metabolism—to an extent that simply wasn’t known back then. We’re much further along today, and if you look into what we’ve done—we’ve worked with elite and top-level athletes, including Olympic champions, world champions, and European champions across all sports—they’ve all been with us. It’s worth taking a closer look at every sport and asking: Where exactly is the crux of the issue when it comes to micronutrient supply? This is incredibly important, also for injury prevention!8 And then, of course, there’s another important aspect: individuality. Every person is very different—this is what’s known as human biochemical individuality. That’s why I can’t work with standard dosages, but must always look at each case individually: What are the cellular requirements of each person? How does their body metabolize these nutrients? And then I can make a concrete decision on a case-by-case basis!
And speaking of metabolism: That’s also a very important topic. For example, many people don’t even know that omega-3 must always be taken with a high-fat meal. Or vitamin D, which is often taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and unfortunately that doesn’t help at all. This applies to a whole group of vitamins like A, D, E, and K—these are fat-soluble vitamins and should always be taken with a high-fat meal.
If you don’t do that, you won’t see any change. Or take another example: magnesium and iron—that just doesn’t work. Magnesium and iron cancel each other out. It’s very similar with zinc and copper. So there are many biochemical reaction mechanisms that you need to know, and that’s exactly what I try to teach therapists in the program so they can learn how to explain this to the end user.
Side Fact: Why Serum/Plasma Levels Alone Are Often Insufficient
Serum or plasma concentrations of micronutrients do not always reliably reflect tissue or cellular levels. Especially in cases of inflammation or disease, blood levels can rise or fall without this automatically indicating a true deficiency or sufficient supply in the tissue. For this reason, professional publications recommend interpreting blood values always in context (e.g., inflammatory markers) and—depending on the clinical question—considering additional functional or cellular markers. Source: Berger, M. M., Shenkin, A., Schweinlin, A., et al. (2022). ESPEN micronutrient guideline. Clinical Nutrition, 41(6), 1357–1424.
Link: https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(22)00351-X/abstract
Opportunities and Limitations of Supplements
5. Where do you see the potential, but also the limitations, of dietary supplements—within the scope of their approved effects—in supporting normal bodily and metabolic functions in men?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: The potential is enormous—but one shouldn’t expect miracles, especially without a thorough understanding of the subject. Let’s say you take some multivitamin supplement; in the therapeutic context for men who already have significant health issues, this is often insufficient to bring the body into balance.
Magnesium, for example, should not only be taken in the evening but spread out throughout the day. A dosage of, say, 150 mg in the morning, at noon, and in the evening ensures continuous relaxation—that is, tension is reduced throughout the entire day. Therefore, for relaxation, it is not only important to take micronutrients before bedtime but to ensure a consistent supply for general calming.
Caution is important when taking medications. Especially if someone is taking an antidepressant or an antiepileptic, for example, one must naturally be careful with anything that can influence neurotransmission to avoid an overreaction.
These supportive vitamins, trace elements, and amino acids are important. However, if certain underlying conditions or existing medication are present, caution is advised: The intake must not exceed high dosages, as this could otherwise have a counterproductive effect.
And that is why the topic of micronutrients often draws criticism from the medical community, because many people simply take everything indiscriminately. And I have to honestly say that this is partly justified, because the end consumer is often not well-informed and can also cause harm with the wrong supplements. Let me give a small example: multivitamin tablets containing iodine with over 150 to 200 micrograms of iodine—you shouldn’t take these without knowing your thyroid levels.
Another frequently cited example is vitamin D, which is currently experiencing a real hype.
Many users are taking doses of 6,000, 7,000 units, or even more, which can be problematic. In particular, taking such high amounts of vitamin D in the evening can lead to sleep disturbances. In people with pre-existing thyroid issues, this overdose can even dysregulate the entire autonomic nervous system. In these cases, the originally positive intention turns into the exact opposite.
And here too, I’m afraid I have to say, it’s men in particular who pay too little attention to such connections. Women often do this much more deliberately.
And that’s always my appeal to patients and also to therapists who want to help patients. They need to engage with the topic, measure, and then always decide on an individual basis: What can I do? How can I do it? And when it comes to “how,” I remain completely neutral. I tell my patients the same thing: I don’t care what you take. I can only measure and make a recommendation. You can supplement what is missing. How you do that is of no concern to me—and that’s important, because otherwise I would be extremely vulnerable to criticism.
My focus is on micronutrients, and there are many good products available in Germany; each individual must come to terms with this on their own. I also require this of my students; I have everyone select a product to analyze based on scientific criteria: Is what’s being promoted there actually valid, or should one steer clear of it? You have to be able to reflect on this critically.
Side Fact: Changes in Nutrient Density in Foods Specialized literature indicates that the concentration of certain micronutrients in some fruits and vegetables has declined as a result of modern agricultural developments. Possible causes discussed include high-yield breeding focused on yield and resilience, as well as changes in soil composition. This underscores the importance of consciously selecting nutrient-rich foods for daily intake.
Source: Wienecke, E. (2021). Micronutrients. Milestones in Health Medicine. Meyer & Meyer Verlag, Chap. 2.1.
A Look at Research: Micronutrients and Men’s Health
6. Which research findings or developments in the field of micronutrients and men’s health are you currently following with particular interest?
Prof. Dr. Wienecke: My main interest lies in demographic trends; after all, we are all getting older, and as a result, we have an increasing number of people who suffer from illnesses and who, as a consequence, are taking multiple medications. We know from statistics that one in every two to three men in Germany over the age of 50 takes at least three to four medications per day9.
And that makes me wonder: What does this mean for micronutrient intake? For example, if they take certain blood pressure medications that have a diuretic effect—meaning they increase excretion through the kidneys. That’s just one example; there are many mechanisms at play here.
I’m a sports scientist by training, so naturally I’m interested in everything related to competitive and elite sports. In that world, only success counts—gold medal or no gold medal. But I’m not just focused on gold medals—we’ve certainly achieved those, having successfully supported many athletes across all sports. But it’s also about maintaining the athletes’ health. Because especially in elite sports, athletes are always pushing themselves to the limit, and that means an incredibly high demand for micronutrients that we have to meet.
I’m currently writing a new book: Micronutrient Therapy and Regulatory Medicine in Competitive and Elite Sports. Naturally, I’m looking at everything current research has to offer. And the insights into how to keep athletes healthy and how they can automatically tap into their peak performance—those can, of course, also be applied to non-competitive athletes, that is, ordinary people.
It’s similar to Formula 1. There, they kept developing new and better engines, and eventually they were able to incorporate that technology into regular cars as well. Or take space travel: suddenly the German Oral Health Foundation comes to us and says, “We need help for our astronauts because they’ll be in space for a few months.” And up there in space, in zero gravity, they have to exercise every day for at least 45 minutes; otherwise, they’ll lose muscle mass—sarcopenia is the technical term for that. For this training, they naturally need more energy and an optimal supply of micronutrients, which raises the question of how best to achieve this.
“Micronutrient therapy doesn’t just mean a little zinc here, a little selenium there! No, it’s about the complex, synergistic intake of various substances to achieve normalization and harmonization of the metabolism.”
Note: This interview is intended solely for general information. The assessments and statements presented reflect the personal scientific opinion and clinical experience of the interviewed expert and are based, among other things, on their own research.
The content does not constitute health claims approved under EU Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 and should not be understood as statements regarding the prevention, treatment, or cure of diseases.
This interview does not replace individual medical consultation. For health-related questions, please consult a healthcare professional.
1. Wienecke, E., Gruenwald, J. Nutritional supplementation: Is it necessary for everybody?. Adv Therapy 24, 1126–1135 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877718.
2. Elmar Wienecke: Micronutrients. Milestones in Health Medicine. Meyer & Meyer 2021, Chap. 2.1.
3. Elmar Wienecke: The Thyroid Gland as a Regulator of “Internal Balance.” In: FHM Series, Bielefeld (Issue 12) “Milestones in Health Medicine,” 2020, pp. 36–55. https://www.kingnature.de/content/uploads/Schriftenreihe_12_web.pdf#page=37
4. For further reading: Elmar Wienecke: Micronutrients. Milestones in Health Medicine. Meyer & Meyer 2021, Chapter 5.1.
5. For further reading: Elmar Wienecke: Performance Explosion in Sports. An Anti-Doping Concept. Meyer & Meyer 2011, Chapter 4.3
6. Elmar Wienecke: Micronutrients. Milestones in Health Medicine. Meyer & Meyer 2021, Chapter 2.1.
7. Wienecke, E., Nolden, C. Long-term HRV analysis shows stress reduction through magnesium supplementation. MMW - Fortschritte der Medizin 158 (Suppl 6), 12–16 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15006-016-9054-7
8. Elmar Wienecke: Active Living With an Optimal Micronutrient Supply for Young Athletes: Energy by Recipe. Global Journal of Health & Physical Education Pedagogy, 3(2).
9. Elmar Wienecke: Micronutrients. Milestones in Health Medicine. Meyer & Meyer 2021, Chap. 1.1.
About the author
Prof. Dr. Elmar Wienecke
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