Exercise is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. An active lifestyle can reduce risks for heart disease, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. What most people are unaware of however, is that in order to keep up with an active lifestyle and feel the benefits, they must put good nutrients into their body. Macronutrients play a key role in physical activity. “They make up the largest part of the food we eat and supply us the energy for everyday life and physical activity” (Page 376). For optimal performance in physical activity, macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats must be consumed. The key in consuming these are to do so in a healthy balance.
Carbohydrates make up a major part of the human diet. When people think of carbs, it is generally viewed in a negative way, as it is considered a
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This is common misconception as they are the most important nutrient besides water. They play a key role in the success of physical activity. In many studies, they have reported that consumption of carbohydrates pre-exercise enhances performance in long duration. In one of the early studies looking at the links between exercise and diets, they found that “after a high carbohydrate diet, the endurance capacity on a cycle ergometer doubled” (FAO, 2017). This indicates that carbohydrates have a direct link to enhanced performance. “Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose molecules which are stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen. Following exercise, the stored glycogen is released from the liver to restore blood glucose levels to normal” (Page 394). Muscle glycogen is not released into the bloodstream as it is a preferred energy source for muscle. In order to restore muscle glycogen, a diet of sufficient
Osterberg KL, Pallardy, SE, Johnson RJ, Horswill CA. Carbohydrate exerts a mild influence on fluid retention following exercise-induced dehydration. J Appl Physiol 108:245-250, 2010.
Rosenkranz, R. R., Cook, C. M., & Haub, M. D. (2007). Endurance Training on Low-Carbohydrate and Grain-Based Diets: A Case Study. International Journal Of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 17(3), 296-309
In the year 2010, the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was released. In the film, Australian native Joe Cross has realized that his health is worsening very fast. So Cross finally decides that he will turn his life around by taking an extreme diet that will deprive him of macronutrients for 60 days. Macronutrients are nutrients found in foods other than fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients are those nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Micronutrients provide minerals such as Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron, Folate, and Zinc. While the body does not need these in large amounts, they are essential to the body because they help develop disease prevention and promote well-being. Micronutrients are important to include
Low carbohydrate (carb) diets have been used as a weight loss treatment for many years. Recently low carbohydrate diets are being used with athletes as a performance enhancement method by changing training adaptations. This essay will examine the health risks and benefits of a low carb diet, as well as the effects of low carb diets on the endurance athlete in regards to their training and performance. There are many short term benefits of low carb diets. However there are also many long term risks that outweigh the benefits for the general population. Evidence shows that exercising on a low carb diet has positive adaptation to training for aerobic athletes. However there is not enough evidence on what the long term effect of this could be, and so the net health benefits for a low carb diet cannot be determined for athletes.
Good nutrition and its role in positively affecting athletic performance has become more and more evident almost daily. Specific macro and micronutrients are better understood as to their specific functions within the body and from that how they can influence the body’s ability to perform while under duress. An example of such would be the stress of athletic performance. Vitamin D, which is also referred to as cholecalciferol, is one of the fat soluble vitamins that have been attributed to influencing athletic performance. However, vitamin D is not as much a “performance enhancing” nutrient in the sense that when taken in higher amounts it will aid athletic performance, but rather when in deficient amounts it can hinder athletic performance.
When a person exercises the body uses either sugar or fatty acids as fuel to create energy. During the beginning of an exercise most of the sugar that is used as fuel comes from the bloodstream or the muscles. After about 15 minutes the fuel starts to come from the liver. When one exercises after 30 minutes the body receives energy from free fatty acids and glycogen gets stored resulting in a decrease in blood sugar levels. Glycogen is the sugar stored in the liver and muscles.
Carbohydrates are biomolecules that consist of a chain or ring of carbon atoms attached to hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The simplest formula for carbohydrates is (CH2O)n. Carbohydrates are important to organisms for a variety of reasons. They are used to form the structural components of the cell, aid in energy storage, and serve as intermediary compounds for more complex molecules. Carbohydrates are classified as either monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides. Both monosaccharides and disaccharides dissolve easily in water. Carbohydrates are produced in plants through the process of photosynthesis and animals obtain these carbohydrates by eating the plants. ("BIO 1510 Laboratory Manual," 2016)
In order to perform at peak potential an athlete must fuel their body with nutritious foods. Proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables; these three-core food groups fuel a winning athlete. Proteins help build, teeth, bones and muscles, and create enzymes, red blood cells, long-term energy, as well, boost the immune system. Its functions are the most diverse of any food group. Protein consists of combinations of structures called amino acids that combine in various ways to make muscles, bone and tissues. They serve other functions as well including nutrient transportation and enzyme production for overall health beneficence. Adequate, regular protein intake is essential because the body does not easily store it. Various foods supply protein in different amounts with the highest quantaty coming mostly from animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs.
“With the exception of nutrition, more fallacies exist in the area of exercise than in any other area of health” (Dintiman, Stone, Pennington, & Davis, 1984). Exercise produces significant physical and mental benefits and is extremely vital to life. It substantially improves stamina, strengthens and tones muscles, helps prevent diseases, enhances flexibility, controls weight, and prolongs the quality of life. In order to gain all the benefits from exercise and be truly healthy, it is very important to understand and take action with both types of exercise: anaerobic and aerobic. With the combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, an individual will greatly increase their overall health and wellness significantly.
The macronutrients a person consumes are what the body needs to function properly. They are the nutrients from protein, fats and carbohydrates that make up a person's daily nutrition. The amount of macronutrients and ratio of one to the other is what people alter to achieve a certain result. For example, lowering carbs and fats while amping up on protein is what body builders do to gain more muscle. Runners will lower protein while increasing carbs to give themselves a rush for a big races.
Following a healthy lifestyle has now become an emerging trend. Research and many studies have proven that merely exercise will not entitle an individual as healthy. A good nutrition
Nutrition and fitness play two of the most important roles in human health, and it is not difficult to understand some of the consequences for ignoring their significance. Ignoring proper nutritional and fitness habits can lead to extreme health risks such as obesity, most of which will eventually cause serious health issues up to and including death. To decrease these serious health risks and promote favorable personal health, one should incorporate positive nutritional and fitness habits. The food that we put into our bodies is one of the most vital aspects of promoting good health because it acts as our personal fuel. If the food we consume contains mostly empty calories and few nutrients, our bodies’ performance levels will be far less than standard.
Certain foods can make a difference in sports competition. Conditioning, strength, and speed have been the focal points of athletic training for years; however, the research on nutritional elements indicates their importance to an athlete's optimal performance. Knowing the proper food to eat before, during, and after a physical activity can help an athlete in achieving their desired performance.
Innumerous scientists confirm that nutrition and dietary supplementation can deeply affect molecular and cellular processes that occur in the body during the exercise and the recovery process. This brief review analyzes the potential for performance enhancement through protein supplementation ingestion, and the importance of nutrition education for sports supplement users.
There is a relationship between food and exercise and people do not understand that. Everyone needs food in order for their body to work properly and do their daily activities, especially exercising. Without good nutrition, one will not be able to exercise effectively. To exercise effectively, one need the right caloric intake, energy, and nutrients in one’s body. The human body needs have carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water to fuel it up, just like the car needs gas to run. Everyone should fuel their body with right foods so that they can maintain their energy levels. Bananas and lean white meats are examples of excellent sources of natural energy that can help the function properly and achieve fitness goals. Bananas are an excellent food to eat because they contain high potassium, makes the mind alert making the brain smarter, builds strong bones, and keeps the digestive system regulated. Lean white meat such as chicken and fish are good to eat because they make the tissues in the body healthy. Good nutrition is more important because if the body absorbs the nutrients it needs, one will be able to exercise very