Vitamin B12 is a micronutrient, a nutrient needed in small quantities. It is part of the vitamin B complex, a group of eight independent vitamins that are often called the "energy vitamins" due to their role in human metabolism, governing the reactions in the body that sustain life. The efficacy of vitamin B12 as an energy boosting nutrient, however, may vary.
Function
Vitamin B12 is required for proper red blood cell formation, neurological function and DNA synthesis. It is also used to help synthesize several different organic compounds including hormones, which are chemicals released to affect the cells in another part of the body; lipids, which are used as a structural component in cell membranes and a potential source of energy in the body; and proteins.
Significance
Because of its role in energy metabolism, vitamin B12 is often promoted as a way to enhance energy, endurance and general athletic performance. Vitamin B12 is obviously needed to facilitate the necessary production of energy in the body, but some people take it like caffeine to get a sudden infusion of energy. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 is also believed to alleviate fatigue and weakness from the condition known as megaloblastic anemia---a decrease of hemoglobin in the blood resulting from the inhibition of DNA synthesis in the production of red blood cells. In other words, it is a paucity in the amount of oxygen transported to the cells to produce energy for the body. This can occur when levels of B12 or folic acid become low.
Studies
Only a few studies have been conducted to explore the effects of vitamin B12, and they have shown variable results. A 2004 paper published in the journal Nutrition did not find a beneficial effect of B12 supplementation on performance in the absence of a nutritional deficiency. However, in a 1973 study in the British Journal of Nutrition, subjects were administered an active form of vitamin B12 through injection. Researchers found a statistically significant improvement of general well-being and happiness.
Considerations
There is no strict correlation between the intake of vitamin B12 and the degree to which our body uses energy. Vitamins cannot be thought of as "packets of energy" states Hope Barkoukis, an associate professor of nutrition at Case Western Reserve University. Instead, they are used to make cofactors---molecules that bind to enzymes to help facilitate chemical reactions---so they cannot directly give us energy. Furthermore, a person can get the full dietary allowance from a mere 3-oz. slab of beef or a couple of dairy products, and because vitamin B12 is water soluble, extra vitamins tend to be flushed out of the system, rendering them unusable to the body.
Recommendations
Unless you have a specific deficiency, the proper daily adult recommended vitamin B12 intake of 2.4 micrograms should be enough to maintain a proper working metabolism that produces a sustainable amount of energy. However, it cannot always cure fatigue symptoms or boost your energy beyond the normal levels, so it should not be used as a panacea.
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