Nutrition and
Physical Activity
People who are very active may have
special nutritional needs. They usually don't need more protein. But they do
need more carbohydrate (grains, vegetables, fruits) than the amount recommended
for the average person.
Eating a balanced diet and being
physically active are two of the most important things you can do to be and
stay healthy at any age.
A balanced diet includes eating the
right amount of calories and nutrients to maintain a healthy weight. Choose My Plate
and the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide recommendations for most
Americans on what and how much to eat to nourish your body.
Physical activity is any form of
movement that uses energy. People of all shapes and sizes and abilities can
benefit from being physically active. Some physical activity is better than
none and the more you do the more benefits you gain. The US Physical Activity
Guidelines provide guidance for most Americans on types and amounts of physical
activity that are linked to health benefits.
Eating smart and being active have similar effects on our health.
These include:
·
Reduce
the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, and some cancers and associated disabilities
·
Prevent
weight gain and/or promote weight loss
·
Improve
overall well-being
·
Being
active can also improve your personal appearance, encourage fun with family and
friends, maintain the ability to live independently, and enhance fitness for
sports.
·
Regular
physical activity Promotes health ,Reduces risk of developing many diseases
Heart disease, Cancer Stroke, Diabetes and Hypertension.
More Benefits of Fitness
Restful sleep Nutritional health Optimal
body composition Optimal bone density Resistance to infectious diseases Lower incidence
of anxiety & depression Lower risk for some types of cancer Strong
circulation & lung function Stress reduction Cortisol reduction Strong self image Lower risk of
dementia
Nutrition &
Physical Performance
Performance and recovery both enhanced by optimal nutrition We need all
essential nutrients to power movement energy systems :ATP-CP, lactic acid, and
oxygen All 3 systems always active and work together ATP-CP (creatine
phosphate)Stores of ATP and CP only power muscles 3-15 seconds Muscle and liver
glycogen needed to continue contraction
Timing of Meals
30 min-1 hour pre-workout During workout Post-workout
Protein-based snack or small meal Timing is individual Not for everyone!
Depends on GI picture. During workout Sip water Post-workout Best time to
consume CHO-rich foods Include protein! Balance. Fitness goals: highly
individual! Timing strategies vary depending on goal Ex: carbohydrate loading
Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
•
Food is made up of 3 different
macronutrients that provide calories (energy):
– Carbohydrates
– Protein
– Fat
• A balanced diet is made up of a distribution of these macronutrients
• Carbohydrates, protein and fat all play different and important
functions in the body
• They are called macronutrients because our body needs them in larger
amounts compared to micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
Carbohydrates
•
Provide
the main energy that fuels your
muscles for physical activity
•
Once
eaten, carbohydrates break down into smaller sugars (glucose, fructose, and
galactose) that get absorbed and used as energy
•
Any
glucose that is not needed right away gets stored in the muscles and the liver
as glycogen
•
Glycogen
stores are converted back into glucose as the body needs more fuel
•
Glycogen
is the source of energy most often used for exercise
Good sources of carbohydrates:
-
Fruit
-
Milk and yogurt
-
Whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa,
barley) and whole grain products (bread, crackers, pasta)
-
Starchy vegetables – potato, corn, squash
• The best carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates such as whole grains,
whole fruit and vegetables as these give you energy for longer
• Complex carbohydrates contain more vitamins, minerals, and fibre
• Simple carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, white rice) are more refined and
contain less fibre. These are broken down quickly and don’t give you lasting
energy
Protein
•
Protein
is important to help build and repair muscles that you need for exercise
•
It
is also important for growth and development
•
Proteins are part of every cell in your
body and are needed to build and repair muscle tissue, skin, nails and hair
•
Many people think they need to eat more
protein if they are exercising (e.g. using protein powders)
•
But if you enjoy being physically active
(playing sports for fun or jogging/exercising occasionally), then following
Canada’s Food Guide will be enough to meet your protein needs
•
For teens aged 14-18, Canada’s Food Guide
recommends 2 servings of Meat & Alternatives per day for females and 3
servings per day for males
Recommended
Protein Intakes for Athletes •
Endurance athlete: 1.2-1.4 g/kg body weight • Strength athlete: 1.6-1.7 g/kg
body weight • Everyday adults: minimum of 0.8 g/kg body weight • Max. usable
amount for adults: 2.0 g/kg body weight •
Sources of protein:
• High protein sources: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu
• Moderate protein sources: Legumes, nuts, nut butters, seeds, seed
butters, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, soy beverages, yogurt
• Aim to include a variety of protein sources (including plant-based
proteins) at every meal and at snacks
Fat
•
Provides
energy for long lasting physical activity
•
Helps
protect
organs
•
Assists in the absorption of fat soluble
vitamins (A, D, E and K)
•
Fat is needed to help access the stored carbohydrate (glycogen)
•
Include a small amount of unsaturated fats
in your diet every day. This includes oil used for cooking, salad dressings,
margarine, and mayonnaise
•
Limit foods like hard margarine, lard and
shortening, higher fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat and chicken with the
skin on
Physical
Activity and Weight Management
Benefits of regular exercise:
•
It
burns calories, which promotes loss of body fat
•
It tones
and builds muscles to give a firm, lean body shape
•
Helps
promote a normal appetite response
•
Helps
relieve stress that often leads to overeating or undereating
•
Helps
increase metabolic rate
•
Increases
self-esteem
Don’t Forget
About Hydration!
•
Being
active increases your needs due to the fluids you lose through sweat
•
If
you don’t drink enough to replace your sweat losses, you can become dehydrated.
•
This
can leave you overheated, tired and hurt your performance
•
Signs
of dehydration are thirst, dizziness, headache, and muscle cramps.
•
Severe
dehydration can increase the risk for heat illness and heat stroke.
Eating Around Exercise
•
Depends on length and intensity of activity
Before:
• 2-3 hours before activity
•
Choose foods high in carbohydrates, lower
in fat, protein, and fibre
After:
•
Snack with protein and carbohydrates to
restore energy and repair muscles
•
If you are doing moderate physical activity
(e.g. playing sports, going for a jog), you likely don’t need to eat any extra
fuel on top of your balanced meals and snacks
•
Eating too close to doing exercise can
leave you feeling sluggish or give you cramps, but if you haven’t eaten in too
long beforehand then you may feel tired or like you don’t have enough energy
•
Carbohydrates are quick to digest and will
give your body the glucose it needs to fuel your activity
•
Fat, protein, and fibre are slower to
digest and may leave you feeling sluggish during exercise
•
After
playing sports, your body is ready to store energy again, repair muscles and
re-hydrate
•
Again,
what you should eat after exercise depends on the length and intensity of the
activity
•
If
it was a low-intensity activity, you might not need to eat anything
• But if it was a high intensity sport or training session, have a
snack that contains protein and carbohydrates to restore energy and repair
muscles
Conclusion
Exercise and eating healthy are two of the most important things you
need to do to take care of your body properly. Both exercise, and eating
healthy, have many advantages and benefits. They help with multiple things
needed throughout your life. These things include growing physically, mentally,
and if you are religious, spiritually as well. All of this adds up to your body
functioning in the highest and best way possible. Exercise, or physical activity helps your body in many ways.
For example, exercise helps control the weight of a human. It helps prevent
people gaining unwanted weight and helps people who have unwanted weight to
lose it. When we eat, we are taking in calories, and then when we exercise we
burn off.
This is what causes us to be sore. The muscles then build back up, becoming
stronger than before. (lifehacker.com) People still need to be careful when
they exercise because they can hurt themselves or overexert themselves while
doing it. Being a little sore for a 24-48 hour period is normal but when being
sore is a severe pain, it was probably caused by overexertion.
