Foundations of Personal Fitness

Chapter 4 – Nutrition and Your Personal Fitness

Lesson 1: The Importance of Nutrition

Healthful Eating

� Taking in the proper amount of nutrients each day�Nutrients – substances in food that your body

needs for energy, proper growth, body maintenance and functioning.

�Nutrition – the study of food and how your body uses the substances in food.

Influences on Food

� Hunger� Appetite� Culture (shared customs, traditions, and beliefs

of a particular group)� Ethnic foods

� Family and Friends� Emotions� Convenience and Cost� Advertising

Nutrients

� Carbohydrates – starches and sugars found in food. (body’s main source of energy)

� Proteins – nutrients that help build, maintain and repair body tissues.

� Fats – supply a concentrated form of energy and help transport other nutrients to locations in the body where they are needed.

� Vitamins – help the body with chemical reactions� Minerals – regulate bodily processes.� Water – essential for life.

Carbohydrates

� Simple Sugars� Found mostly in fruits, candy, cookies, & soda.

Absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and provide a quick form of energy

� Complex Carbs� Starches, found in certain vegetables such as corn &

potatoes as well as breads, pasta, rice, cereals and dry beans. They are broken down more slowly by your body and create a better source of sustained energy than simple sugars.

Dietary Fiber

� Dietary Fiber – a special subclass of complex carbohydrates that has several functions, including aiding the body in digestion.� Not digestible by humans,

no calories� Help you to feel full, while

being low in calorie.� Include whole-grain

products, vegetables and many fruits

Protein

� Muscles are 29 percent protein.� Protein is also in your bones, connective

tissue, skin, blood and vital organs.� Protein helps the body grow and repair,

and also supplies energy in the form of calories.

Fats

� Stored in body as triglycerides and used as energy for exercise and physical activity (for periods longer than 30 minutes)

� Eating too many fats is linked to serious health problems

� Most fat that is not used is stored as adipose tissue, which can lead to unhealthful weight gain and obesity.

Cholesterol

� Cholesterol – a fatlike substance that is produced in the liver and circulates in the blood. (only found in foods of animal origin)�High levels of cholesterol in blood have been linked to heart problems

Lipoproteins – good or bad

� Cholesterol circulates through the bloodstream in special fat-protein “packages” called lipoproteins.� Low-density Lipoproteins (LDL) – a type of compound that

carries cholesterol from the liver to areas of the body where it is needed. LDL is considered the bad cholesterol because when too much is circulating, it can build up in the arteries, which increases risk of heart disease and stroke.

� High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) – a type of compound that picks up excess cholesterol and returns it to the liver. Since it carries the cholesterol to the liver before it can do harm, it is referred to as the “good” cholesterol.

Fats and Daily Calories

� Limit solid fats (butter)

� Use fat-free or low-fat dairy products

Lesson 2: Vitamins, Minerals and Water

Vitamins

� Vitamins – micronutrients that help control the body process and help your body release energy to do work.

Minerals

� Minerals – substances that the body cannot manufacture but that are needed for forming healthy bones and teeth and for regulating many vital body processes. (calcium, potassium, sodium and iron)

Minerals

� Calcium – builds and maintains strong bones� Potassium – aids normal muscle contraction and

sends nerve impulses� Sodium – maintain fluid balance of nerve

impulses. Hypertensive people need to monitor their sodium intake

� Iron – part of the hemoglobin in RBC’s. Helps in transportation of oxygen from lungs to the body

Water

� You should drink 64 ounces (8 cups) of water per day.

� When exercising:� Drink 1½ cups, 1 hour

before exercising.� Drink ½ cup of cold

water every 15 minutes.� Drink 2 cups of cold

water for every pound lost.

Lesson 3: Choosing Foods Wisely

VS.

MyPyramid.gov

� A visual guide to help make healthful food choices

Daily Food Intake

� Begin your day with breakfast.� You may snack as long as you are eating

small portions of healthy food (fruits make great snacks)

� Don’t forget lunch and dinner.

Lesson 4: Nutrition for Peak Performance

Pre-Event Meal

� The last full meal consumedbefore an event.�Should be eaten about 3 hours

before the activity

�Should be a meal high in complex carbohydrates (pasta, rice, whole-grain bread)

Risks of Supplements

� Ephedrine – a compound that increases the rate at which the body converts calories to energy. Increases resting heart rate & body temperature. May lead to heart-related injuries, heart problems, even death.

� Creatine – a supplement that increases muscle size while enhancing the body’s ability to use protein. Especially risky for teens because the long term effects on growth and development are unknown.

� Androstenedione – a chemical agent that aids the body in its production of testosterone. Its use may increase the risk of heart disease.

Questions ?