NUTRITION

A look at Nutrition and an understanding of how important it is to have a well balanced diet.

The Healthy Eating Paradigm

WHAT IS A CALORIE ?
A calorie is a unit of energy

WHAT ARE THE ENERGY SYSTEMS ?
Phosphate - Explosive intensity, 95% - 100% max energy, short duration (approx 10 secs)
Lactate - High intensity, 60% - 95% max energy, medium duration (10 secs to 2 mins)
Aerobic - Low intensity, 60% max energy, no limit to duration

WHAT IS METABOLISM ?
The process whereby energy changes it's form, is stored and eventually released.

WHAT ARE THE ENERGY FORMS AND HOW DOES THE BODY USE THEM ?
These are Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Alcohol.
Alcohol is a the least favourite of the engery forms and is the one the body uses first.
Proteins prime function is growth and maintenance and as such are the energy sources that are used last
Carbohydrates are by far the body's preferred fuel source followed by fats are burned slowly producing lots of energy
So the sequence in which energy is used by the body is Alcohol, Carbohydrates, Fats and finally Proteins.
Using an analogy of a fire Alocohol is like the lighter fuel, Carbohydrate acts like paper, fat is is the log on the fire and finally protein is like burning a brick on a fire.
Proteins will only be used when the body's store of glycogen is depleted, in exercise terms this is the equivalent of hitting the Wall where performace is decreased and high levels of fatigue set in.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ..... CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are to be found in food such as, Sugar, Breads, Cereal, Rice & Pasta and provides quick energy for the body.
The body breaks down carbohydrates to glucose which is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Muscles account for 80% of the body's glycogen store with the liver accounting for the remaining 20%
On average the body stores about 2000 calories of glycogen for energy production, this is very much dependent upon size, lifestyle and nutritional habits of an individual.
Performance is therefore impacted by the amount of glycogen an individual has.
On average the body has enough glycogen to last for about 2 hrs low intensity activity, it therefore follows that the greater the activity intensity the faster the glycogen stores are used up.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ..... FATS
Fat is found in food such as butter, dairy products, cakes, chocolate, oils and is a vital source of sustained energy.
It provides insulation and cushioning and is eventually broken down into free fatty acids through digestion.
It is either stored under the skin or around the organs.
The average body will contain about 10 to 15 kgs of fat.

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ..... PROTEIN
Protein provides the building blocks for the body to build and repair tissue such as muscles. Other examples would be skin, hair and nails.
When food is digested protein is broken down into essential amino-acids.
Proteins are found in fodds such as meat, diary products, poultry, vegetables, nuts and bread.