Nutrition and Physical Activity

 

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.