Diet and Nutrition Flashcards
What is the recommended calorie intake that a 19-50 year old should consume
men - 2,550
women - 1,940
What is the make-up that a healthy balanced diet should contain
-55% carbohydrates
-15% protein
-no more than 30% fats
-varied food, including 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day
What is the function and importance of carbohydrates
-main fuel for 75% of energy requirements (aerobic and anaerobic)
-energy for cell division, active transport and formation of molecules
-crucial for endurance performers
What are the sources of carbohydrates
Starches, such as rice and potatoes, which are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles
Sugars, such as fruit and honey, which circulate in the blood stream as glucose
What is the function and importance of proteins
-Amino acids essential for growth and repair of cells and tissues
-Used to make muscle proteins haemoglobin, enzymes, antibodies and collagen
-Can be a fuel source for aerobic energy production if no other fuel is avaliable
-Athletes consume a higher protein to repair and build new muscles cells after intense training
What are the sources of proteins
Milk, eggs, meat, soya
What is the function and importance of fats?
-Insulate nerves, form cell membranes, cushion organs
-Can be broken down to provide energy for aerobic respiration, producing double the yield than carbohydrates
-Provide essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins A,D,E
What are the sources of fats?
Saturated fatty acids, such as butter, bacon, should be limited due to risk of cardiovascular disease
Unsaturated fatty acids, such as avocado, soya beans and omega 3s, beneficial to athletes as boost O2 delivery, improve endurance and recovery rates, reduce inflammation and joint stiffness
What is the function and importance of minerals?
-inorganic nutrients required in small quantities
-maintain bodily functions
-bone and teeth health, controlling body fluids, enzyme formation, breaking down food to release energy, and normal nerve function
-calcium: important for bone health, muscle contraction, blood clotting, nerve transmission
-iron: formation of haemoglobin, enzyme reactions, immune system
-phosphorous: bone health, energy production
What are the sources of minerals
Meats, cereals, fish, dairy foods, vegetables, fruit, nuts
What is the function and importance of vitamins?
-essentials organic nutrients required in small quantities to maintain healthy bodily functions
What are the two types of vitamins?
Fat soluble, water soluble
What are the fat-soluble vitamins?
Vitamin A,D,E,K
What is the importance of vitamin A
antioxidant, important for eye health, cell and bone growth
What is the importance of vitamin D
bone health, protect against cancer and heart disease
What is the importance of vitamin E
antioxidant, skin, eye and immune health
What is the importance of vitamin K
blood clotting, bone health
What are the water soluble vitamins
Vitamin B, C
What is the importance of vitamin B
breakdown of food, haemoglobin formation, skin, eye, nervous system health
What is the importance of vitamin C
skin, blood vessel, tendon, ligament, bone health
What are the sources of vitamins
Fat-soluble: Fatty food, animal products such as vegetable oils, dairy products, eggs
Water-soluble: Fruits, vitamins, vegetables, grains, dairy foods
What is the function and importance of fibre?
-normal function of large intestine
-decreases cholesterol, risk of diabetes and obesity
What are the sources of fibre?
Cereals, breads, beans, lentils, fruit
What is the function and importance of water?
-makes up 2/3 of body weight
-essential for chemical reactions and dissolving + moving substances around the body
-thermoregulation
-essential for exercise
What is the definition of energy?
The ability to preform work (Joules)
What is the definition of energy expenditure?
the sum of the basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food and energy expended through physical activity
What is the definition of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
The minimum amount of energy required to sustain essential physiological function at rest (up to 75% of total energy expenditure)
What is the definition of Thermic Effect of Food?
The energy required to eat, digest, absorb and use food taken in
What is the definition of physical activity energy expenditure?
The total number of calories required to preform daily tasks (approx. 30% of total energy expenditure)
What is the definition of Metabolic Equivalent Activity?
The ratio of working metabolic rate to BMR
What is the conversion between calories and joules
1 calorie = 4.18 joules
What is the effect of failure to consume sufficient calories
muscle loss, decreased intensity and duration of performance, slower recovery rates, increased risk of fatigue, injury and illness
What is the effect of failure to consume sufficient calories
muscle loss, decreased intensity and duration of performance, slower recovery rates, increased risk of fatigue, injury and illness
What is the definition of Energy Intake?
The total amount of energy from food and beverages consumed (J or calories)
What is the definition of Energy balance?
The relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure
What is the relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure?
- if energy intake matches energy expenditure, weight will be maintained
- if energy intake is greater than energy expenditure, weight will be gained, % of body fat may rise, negative health and performance implications
- if energy intake is lower than energy expenditure, weight will be lost, should be carefully monitored for a athlete to minimise loss of muscle mass and performance
What is the definitions of an Ergogenic aid?
a substance, object or method used to improve or enhance performance
What are three pharmacological aids?
Anabolic steroids, Erythropoietin, Human Growth Hormone
Why are pharmacological aids used?
Used to increase the levels of hormones or neural transmitters produced by the body.
What are the factors to consider when establishing energy requirements?
Age, Gender, Size, Environment, Lifestyle, Metabolic rate
What are Anabolic Steroids and their use to enhance performance?
-group of synthetic hormones which resemble testosterone
-taken to promote protein synthesis and muscle growth
-associated with maximal and explosive strength-based performers
What athletes would benefit from use of Anabolic steroids?
-maximal and explosive strength-based performers
eg. sprinters, throwers, baseball
What are the benefits of Anabolic Steroids?
-Increased muscles mass and strength
-Increased intensity and duration of training
-Increased speed of recovery
What are the risks of Anabolic Steroids?
-Irritability, aggression, mood swings
-Liver damage, potential heart failure
-Acne, hormonal disturbances
What is the WADA status of Anabolic Steroids?
ILLEGAL
What is Erythropoietin (EPO) and how does it enhance performance?
-Naturally produced hormone responsible for production of RBC’s
-A synthetic copy can be supplemented to increase RBC’s production, increase oxygen transport, aerobic capacity, intensity and duration of performance before fatigue
What type of athletes does EPO benefit?
Endurance performers
eg. marathon, triathlete
What are the benefits of EPO?
-Increased RBC and haemoglobin count
-Increased oxygen transport and aerobic capacity
-Increased intensity and duration of performance before fatigue
What are the risks of EPO?
-Increased blood viscosity
-Decreased cardiac output
-Increased risk of blood clots and heart failure
-Decreased natural production of EPO
What is Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and their use to enhance performance
-Synthetic copy of naturally producing growth hormone
-Natural hormone decreases with age, supplementation increases protein synthesis for muscle growth, recovery and repair
What athletes of HGH associated with
-Maximal and explosive strength-based performers
eg. powerlifters, sprinters, bodybuilders, throwers
What are the benefits of HGH?
-Increased muscle mass and strength
-Increased fat metabolism and decreased fat mass
-Increased blood glucose levels
-Increased speed of recovery
-Increased intensity and duration of training
What are the risks of HGH?
-Abnormal bone and muscle development
-Enlargement of the vital organs, potentially leading to multi-organ failure
-Increased risk of certain cancers and diabetes
What are pharmacological aids used for?
Used to increase the rate of adaptation by the body to increase performance?
What are the three Physiological aids?
Intermittent hypoxic training, blood doping, cooling aids
What is blood doping, how is it used?
-Used to increase RBC count
-A volume of blood is removed from the athlete and RBC’s are frozen around 4 weeks prior to the competition
-The body naturally replenishes the lost blood
-A couple of hours before event the RBC’s are reinfused in saline solution to increase the total volume of RBC’s and oxygen-carrying capacity
What type of athletes benefit from blood doping?
Endurance athletes
eg. Tour de France cyclists, Marathon runners
What are the benefits of blood doping?
-Increased red blood cell and haemoglobin count
-Increased oxygen transport and aerobic capacity
-Increased intensity and duration of performance before fatigue
What are the risks of blood doping?
-Increased blood viscosity
-Decreased cardiac output
-Increased risk of blood clots and heart failure
-Risk of transfusion reactions and infections such as HIV, hepatitis
What is the WADA status of blood doping?
ILLEGAL
What is Intermittent Hypoxic Training?
-Where athletes live at sea level but train under hypoxic conditions
-Body receives a reduced amount of O2 through a mask (or sleeping tent) which is worn during exercise
-Interval training under conditions of low oxygen
-Altitude generator is used to decrease the pp of O2 down to 9.5% stimulating conditions of around 6000m
What athletes benefit from Intermittent Hypoxic Training?
Endurance performs such as marathon runners and triathletes as well as team game players, especially to acclimatise before event at altitude
What are the benefits of Intermittent Hypoxic Training?
-Acclimatisation before events at altitude
-Increased RBC, haemoglobin and oxygen-carrying capacity
-Increased intensity and duration before fatigue
-Increased mitochondria density
-Increased buffering capacity
-Delayed OBLA
What are the risk of Intermittent Hypoxic Training?
-Any benefit is quickly lost when IHT stops
-May lose motivation and disrupt training patterns
-Hard to reach normal work rates
-Dehydration
-Decreased immune function
-Increased risk of infection
What is the WADA status of intermittent Hypoxic Training
LEGAL
How are Cooling aids used pre-event?
-Ice vests and cold towel wraps to reduce core body temperature to help sustain intensity and spread while reducing thermal strain and cardiovascular drift
-Reduce overheating, sweating, dehydration, cramp, dizziness
-Mainly used by endurance athletes in hot climates
-Worn for 10-30 minutes during warm-up or before event
How are Cooling aids used for injury treatment?
-Ice packs and sprays
-Reduce pain and swelling
-Nerve endings numbed to reduce pain and arterioles vasoconstrict to reduce blood flow and minimise swelling
-Used by games players following PRICE treatment
How are Cooling aids used post-event?
-Ice baths
-To speed up recovery by reducing muscle damage and decreasing DOMS
-Blood vessels vasoconstrict, removing waste and lactic acid from muscle tissue
-After ice bath, blood vessels dilate, flushing the muscle tissue with nutrient-rich oxygenated blood flow, healing and repairing damaged cells
-Associated with rugby players, endurance athletes also benefit
What are the benefits of cooling aids?
-Reduced core body temperature
-Decreased sweating, dehydration and early fatigue
-Decreased injury pain and swelling
-Increased speed of recovery and tissue repair
-Decreased DOMS
What are the risks of cooling aids?
-Difficult to perceive exercise intensity
-Ice burns and pain
-Hide or complicate injuries
-Chest pain and reduced efficiency in elderly
-Dangerous for hypertensives or those with heart conditions
What is the WADA status of cooling aids?
LEGAL
What is the glyceamic index?
a rating scale showing how quickly a carbohydrate affects blood glucose levels
What is hypoglycaemia?
Low blood glucose levels associated with dizziness, shaking and raised heart rate
What should the diet of an athlete preforming endurance training be?
-Train at moderate intensity for 1 hour a day: 5-7g of carbohydrates per kg of body mass, per day
-Training for 4+ hours a day: 10-12g per kg per day
What should an endurance athlete eat pre-event
-3 hours before: slow-digesting carbohydrate meal (eg. porridge) with 1-4g per kg of low glyceamic index carbohydrates to maximise glycogen stores and prevent glycogen depletion
-1-2 hours before: smaller, fast digesting carbohydrate meal to maintain blood glucose (eg. bagel)
What should an endurance athlete eat during an event?
-regular small amounts (30-60g) of fast-digesting carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose levels and preserve muscle glycogen stores
eg. tablets, gels, sports drinks
-if performance is less than 45 mins this has little benefit
What should an endurance athlete eat during post-event?
-within 30 mins: 1-1.5g/kg of fast digesting carbohydrates
-repeated at 2 hour intervals for up to six hours post event to promote recovery faster
What should a strength based athletes diet be like?
-5/6 small meals per day every few hours
-up to 30% lean protein to enhance muscle building and repair (eg. tuna, turkey)
-complex carbohydrates to release slow energy, control blood sugar and minimise fat storage (eg. oatmeal)
-limited fat intake, provides energy, important for hormone production (eg. flaxseeds)
What should a pre-training meal be like for a strength athlete?
-30-60 minutes before, fast digesting carbohydrates and protein (eg. bagels, egg)
What should a post-training meal be like for a strength athlete?
-Within 2 hours, meal consuming of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein
-To rerelease lost glycogen and boost protein synthesis, muscle and strength gains
-Proteins shapes = less prep and digestion time
What is glycogen loading?
The manipulation of carbohydrate intake in the week before competition to maximise stores of glycogen
What performers benefit from glycogen loading
endurance
What is the protocol for glycogen loading?
Day 1: glycogen-depleting bout of endurance exercise
Day 2-3: high protein, high fat diet
Day 4: glycogen-depleting bout of endurance exercise
Day 5-7: high carbohydrate diet while training is tapering or reduced to resting
What are the benefits of glycogen loading
-Increased glycogen stores
-Increased endurance capacity
-Delays fatigue
-Increased time to exhaustion by 30%
What are the risks of glycogen loading?
-Hypoglycaemia in depletion phase
-Poor recovery rates in depletion phase
-Lethargy and irritability in depletion phase
-Gastrointestinal problems
-Increased risk of injury
-Affects mental preparation pre-competition
What does the glycogen loading protocol result in?
-Up to 50% higher glycogen stores ready for competition day
-Larger fuel store for aerobic energy production, increasing intensity and duration of performance while reducing fatigue
What happens as a result of dehydration?
-Decreased heart regulation and increased temperature
-Increased blood viscosity
-Increased heart rate
-Increased fatigue
-Decreased cognitive function and skill level
-Loss of electrolytes through sweating can cause cramp and fatigue
How should an athlete maintain hydration?
-for every 1kg of body mass lost during activity, 1 litre of fluid should be consumed
What the 3 classifications of sports drink used to gain glucose and electrolytes?
-Hypotonic solutions
-Isotonic solutions
-Hypertonic solutions
What are hypotonic solutions?
Drinks which contain a lower concentration of glucose than the blood stream
-Replaces fluids lost by sweating while still providing small amounts of glucose for energy production
-Used by athletes for hydration without energy boosts
eg. gymnasts, jockeys
What are isotonic solutions?
-Drinks which contain equal concentrations of glucose to the bloodstream
-Absorbed at the same rate as water, quickly rehydrate and supply glucose for energy producing
eg. middle-long distance runners, games players
What are hypertonic solutions?
-Drinks which contain a higher concentration of glucose than the blood stream
-Absorbed at a slower rate than water, usually used post-exercise to maximise glycogen replenishment during recovery
-High concentrations of glucose can cause dehydration and additional water is needed to dilute the carbohydrate
-Used by ultra-distance athletes to meet their energy requirements
-Should be used in conjunction to isotonic solutions
What are the benefits of effective hydration?
-Maintain blood viscosity, less change of HR rising
-Keep core temperature down
-Decrease muscle cramping
-Maintain cognitive function
-Maintain electrolytes
What are the risks of overhydration?
-Hyponatermia, low sodium due to dilution
What is creatine supplementation?
-Naturally produced in the body and stored in the muscles as PC to make energy for very high-intensity exercise
-Can increase muscle PC stores by up to 50% allowing performer to train at high intensity for longer
What athletes benefit from creatine supplementation?
-weightlifters, sprinters
-very high intensity performers
What are the benefits of creatine supplementation?
-Increased PC stores
-Increased fuel for very-high intensity energy production (ATP-PC system)
-Increased intensity and duration of training
-Increased maximum and explosive strength
What are the risks of creatine supplementation?
-Increased weight gain
-Increased water retention
-Muscle cramps
-Gastrointestinal problems
-Long-term effects on health unclear
What is the WADA status of creatine supplementation?
LEGAL
What is caffeine? How much should be used?
-Stimulant used to heighten the central nervous system and mobilise fats to prolong aerobic energy production
-3-9 mg/kg one hour before performance can increase aerobic capacity
What athletes benefit from caffeine?
-Endurance athletes to increase aerobic capacity
What are the benefits of caffeine?
-Increased nervous stimulation
-Increased focus and concentration
-Increased mobilisation of fats
-Preservation of muscle glycogen
-Increased endurance performance
What are the risks of caffeine?
-Diuretic effect leading to dehydration
-Insomnia and anxiety
-Gastrointestinal problems
How is bicarbonate used as a nutritional aid?
-alkaline so acts as a buffer to neutralise a rise in acidity in the blood stream
-0.3g of sodium bicarbonate per kg of mass consumed an hour before competition
What athletes use bicarbonate as a nutritional aid?
-events lasting 1-7 minutes
eg. 400m-1500m, rowing
What are the performance benefits of Bicarbonate?
-Increased buffering capacity
-Increased tolerance to lactic acid, delaying OBLA
-Increased intensity and duration of performance
What are the risks of Bicarbonate?
-Possible gastrointestinal problems
-Unpleasant taste, causing nausea
What are the risks of Bicarbonate?
-Possible gastrointestinal problems
-Unpleasant taste, causing nausea
What is the WADA status of Bicarbonate?
LEGAL
What is the WADA status of Bicarbonate?
LEGAL
How are nitrates used as nutritional aids?
-Inorganic compounds consumed by eating root vegetables eg. beetroot
-Stored in body as nitrates and used under low oxygen, acidic conditions
-Converted in nitric oxide which plays a important role in vascular and metabolic control
-6-12mg per kg per day starting 6 days before event
-Final dose taken 1 hour before
What athletes benefit from nitrates?
-endurance performers close to the lactate threshold
eg. 5000, 10000m or athletes who compete over 5-30 minute duration
What athletes benefit from nitrates?
-endurance performers close to the lactate threshold
eg. 5000, 10000m or athletes who compete over 5-30 minute duration
What are the benefits of Nitrates?
-Reduced blood pressure
-Increased blood flow
-Increased intensity of performance
-Delays fatigue
What are the risks of nitrates?
-Headaches
-Diziness
-Light-headedness
-Long term effects unclear
-Possible carcinogenic risk
What is the WADA status of nitrates?
LEGAL
