Diet And Nutrition And Their Effect On Physical Activity And Performance Flashcards
What are the 6 food types needed in a balanced diet?
- Carbohydrates
- Vitamins
- Fats
- Minerals
- Protein
- Water
What is a simple carbohydrate?
Found in fruit and are easily digested, found in processed foods and anything with refined sugars
How to calculate energy balance?
Energy balance = energy intake - energy use
What is a natural form of simple carbohydrate?
Fruit and milk
What is a complex carbohydrate?
Found in nearly all plant based foods, take longer to digest, commonly found in bread, pasta, rice and vegetables
What are natural forms of complex carbohydrates?
Fruit, whole grains (bread), legumes
What is the glycemic index?
How quickly you can break stuff down
Why are fats important?
They provide energy slowly
What is cholesterol?
Fatty deposits in the blood
What are fats used for?
- Low intensity energy source
- Absorption of fat soluble vitamins
- Spares glycogen stores for higher intensity activity
- Important for health
- Insulation
Why are fats unhelpful for the body?
- Limits joint flexibility
- Trans fats can lead to heart disease
Why are fats unhelpful for the body?
- Limits joint flexibility
- Trans fats can lead to heart disease
Examples of sports performers who require lots of fats?
- Heavyweight wrestlers
- American football players
- Judo
What is a high-density lipoprotein?
Transport excess cholesterol in the blood navy to the liver. Classed as ‘good cholesterol’ as they lower risk of heart disease
What are low-density cholesterol?
Transport cholesterol in the blood to tissues. Classed as ‘bad cholesterol’ as they increase heart disease
What are proteins used for?
Muscles growth and repair of damaged tissues
How much of overall intake should protein make up?
15-20%
What foods are protein found in?
Lean meats, poultry, fish
What are the fat-soluble vitamins?
A, D, E, and K
What do fat-soluble vitamins do?
Found predominantly in fatty foods and animal products, milk, dairy, vegetable oils, eggs, liver, oily fish. Stores these vitamins in liver and fatty tissue for later use
What are the water-soluble vitamins?
B vitamins and vitamin C
What do water-soluble vitamins do?
Found in fruit, vegetables, dairy, are not stored so need to be taken daily
Where can vitamin C be found?
Green vegetables and fruit
How does vitamin C benefit an athlete?
- Protects cells and keeps them healthy
- Helps maintenance of bones, teeth, gums and cognitive tissues
Where is vitamin D found?
Made under skin with sunlight exposure, can come from oily fish and dairy
How does vitamin C even fit an athlete?
Helps absorption of calcium to keep teeth and bones healthy
Where can vitamin B1 be found?
Yeast, egg, liver, whole grain bread, nuts, red meat and cereals
How does vitamin B1 benefit an athlete?
- Works with other B group vitamins to help break down and release energy
- Keeps nervous system healthy
Where are B2 vitamins found?
Dairy, liver, vegetables, eggs, cereal, fruit
How does B2 vitamins benefit an athlete?
- Works with other B group vitamins to help break down and release energy
- Keeps skin, eyes and nervous system healthy
Where are B6 vitamins found?
Meat, fish, eggs, bread, vegetables, cereals
How does B6 vitamins benefit and athlete?
- Helps form haemoglobin
- Helps body use store energy from protein and carbohydrates
Where are B12 vitamins found?
Red meat, dairy products, fish
What happens if dehydration occurs?
- Blood viscosity increases
- Reduced sweating to prevent water loss
- Muscle fatigue and headaches
- Reduction in exchange of waste products
- Increased heart rate
- Decreased performance
What happens when blood viscosity increases?
Rescued blood flow to working muscles and skin
What happens when sweating is reduced?
Increase in core temperature
What happens when sweating is reduced?
Increase in core temperature
What 3 components make up carbohydrates?
Fibre, starch and sugar
How does fibre make you feel full?
It is non-digestible, making you less likely to overeat
How does fibre help regulate bowel movements?
It encourages healthy bacteria growth in the colon and acts as a bulking agent
How is performance affected by increased blood viscosity?
Reduction in maximum capacity
How is performance affected by reduced sweating?
Reduce thermoregulation, meaning we heat up or slow down
How is performance affected by increased heart rate/cardiovascular drift?
Lower maximum intensity, have to slow down
How is performance effected by loss of electrolytes and cramps?
Affects the balance of electrolytes (potassium and sodium) in cells can lead to muscle cramps
How is performance affected by lower blood pressure?
Less blood going back to the heart (venous return)
Advantages to Creatine?
- Aims to provide ATP
- Replenished phosphocreatine stores
- Allows ATP-PC systems to last longer
- Improves muscle mass
Disadvantages of Creatine?
- Muscle cramps, diarrhoea, water retention, bloating, vomiting
- Hinders aerobic performance
- Mixed evidence to show benefits
Advantages of sodium bicarbonate?
- Reduces acidity in muscle cells
- Delays fatigue
- Increases the buffering capacity in blood
Disadvantages of sodium bicarbonate?
- Vomiting, pain, cramping, diarrhoea, bloating
Advantages of caffeine?
- Stimulant/increased mental alterness
- Reduces effects of fatigue
- Allows fats to be used as an energy source/delays use of glycogen stores
- Improves decision making/reaction time
- Benefits aerobic performance/endurance athletes
Disadvantages of caffeine?
- Loss of fine control
- Against most sporting rules in large quantities
- Dehydration, insomnia, muscle cramps, stomach cramps, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, diarrhoea
Advantages of glycogen loading?
- Increased glycogen stores
- Increased glycogen stores in the muscles
- Delays fatigue
- Increased endurance capacity
Disadvantages of glycogen loading?
- Water retention (bloating), heavy legs, affects digestion, weight increases, irritability (can alter training program due to a lack of energy)
What dietary supplements would an elite sprinter need?
- Caffeine (improved reaction time/alertness)
- Creatine (helps explosive activities)
What dietary supplements would a weight lifter need?
- Creatine (helps increase muscle mass)
- Protein (muscle repair and growth)
What dietary supplements would a long distance runner need?
- Glycogen loading
- Caffeine (helps alertness/reaction time)
What dietary supplements would a goal keeper need?
- Caffeine (helps alertness/reaction time)
- Creatine (helps power)
- Protein
What is Creatine monohydrate?
- A supplement used to increase the amount of phosphocreatine stored in muscles
- Allows ATP-PC systems to last longer and can help improve recovery times
What are herbal remedies?
- Often advertised as ‘natural’ products that decrease body fat, elevate blood testosterone levels, increase muscle mass, improve strength and stamina and even rally improve health and athletic performance
What are protein supplements?
- Used to enhance muscle repair and growth
- Can result in further enhance endurance
- Increase or maintain muscles mass to improve strength and size
What is sodium bicarbonate?
- Reduces acidity within the muscle cells to delay fatigue
- Allows the performer to continue at a high intensity fir longer
- Can increase the buffering capacity of blood to reduce the negative effects of lactic acid
What is caffeine?
- A stimulant to increase alertness and reduce fatigue
- Improves type mobilisation of fatty acids on the body, thereby sparing muscle glycogen stores
What is glycogen loading?
- A strategy to maximise the storage of glycogen in muscles
- Form of dietary manipulation involving maximising glycogen stores
- 6 days before an important competition a performer eats a diet high in protein and fat for 3 days and exercises at a relatively high intensity so the glycogen stores are depleted, followed by a 3 days before diet high in carbohydrates and very light training
Why is water important?
- Transports nutrients, hormones and waste products around the body
- Main component of cells
- Helps to regulate body temperature (sweating)
What are electrolytes?
- Substances that become ions in solution and acquire the capacity to conduct electricity
What is ‘Optimal Weight’?
By calculating a % of body fat and lean body mass…
Woman - No more than 30% body fat
Man - No more than 20% body fat
What are the % needed for an athlete to have a balanced diet?
Protein: 10-15%
Fats: 20-25%
Carbohydrates: 55-75%
