GLOSSARY

Protease Inhibitor limits target protease activity, with amount and processing-related inactivation relevant to food effects.

Antinutrient describes substances that can limit digestion or absorption under certain conditions, not proof of clinical harm at every amount. Proper cooking of legumes and suitable preparation can reduce some effects. Overall food value, dose and dietary pattern matter. Phytate, tannin or lectin names do not justify permanently excluding useful plant foods from an athlete's diet without considering preparation and replacement of their nutritional contributions.

Protease inhibitors limit target enzyme activity; lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins, not the same category. Some raw or inadequately cooked legumes can cause problems and require appropriate preparation. That does not imply banning properly cooked legumes. An antinutrient-free claim likewise establishes neither nutritional adequacy nor superior uptake or performance. Evaluate the actual food, processing and serving rather than treating a molecular category as a complete dietary judgment.

Phytate stores phosphorus in seeds and can bind minerals such as nonheme iron and zinc, reducing availability. Legumes and whole grains still provide valuable fiber and nutrients; phytate does not justify their universal exclusion. Suitable soaking, germination or fermentation can alter content, with effects depending on food, process and overall diet. No single reduction percentage applies to every preparation or predicts every person's mineral status.

Oxalate can form less soluble complexes with calcium, so table calcium in some vegetables does not equal usable supply. For stone-prone individuals, meal calcium and oxalate absorption are more complex than simply removing all calcium. Oxalic acid and its salts are related forms whose effects depend on source, amount and individual context. Therapeutic renal restrictions should not be generalized to every athlete without assessment.

Chelation is multipoint ligand binding to a metal ion, forming a complex; it does not simply mean better absorption. A complex can alter solubility or availability depending on substance and environment. A chelated nutrient differs in purpose from a medicinal metal-chelating agent. Check elemental amount, exact compound and human tolerance or efficacy evidence rather than substituting a marketing word for demonstrated product outcomes.

Minerals must become accessible before crossing through regulated or passive routes. Chemical form, dose, meal composition and body status matter; one fixed absorption percentage does not fit every mineral. Entry into an intestinal cell differs from export to blood and later retention. For supplements, actual elemental amount and interactions are more informative than total compound weight or a universal claim of superior uptake.