Download Basic Nutrition

Basic Nutrition
Nutrients
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Everyone must eat to survive
Nutrition~ science of certain food
substances, nutrients, and what they do in
the body
Athletic performance can be enhanced by a
sound understanding of nutritional principles.
Nutrients~ Perform three major roles
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Grow, repair, and maintain all body cells
Regulate body processes
Supply energy for cells
Energy
The power used to do work or to
produce heat or light.
 Cannot be created or destroyed
 Plants—solar energy—chemical
energy—CHO, fats, and proteins:
photosynthesis
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Energy
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Measured in calories: energy needed to raise
temperature of one gram of water from 14.515.5 degrees Celsius (C).
1 kilocalorie= 1,000 calories
1 food calorie = one kilocalorie
1 gram of CHO= 4 cal
1 gram of Protein = 4 cal
1 gram of fat = 9 cal
1 gram of alcohol = 7 cal
Nutrients
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6 major categories of nutrients
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Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Water
Vitamins
Minerals
Some made in body
Essential Nutrients must be supplied to the
body
Carbohydrates (CHO)
Sugars, starches, or fibers
 The body’s most efficient source of
energy
 Should account for at least 55% or
more of total calories
 Simple (sugars) or complex (starches)
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Which is better???
Sugars
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Monosaccharide
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Disaccharides
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Glucose, fructose, and galactose
Sucrose, maltose, and lactose
Polysaccharides
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Starch, cellulose, and glycogen
CHO Cont’d
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During digestion:
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Complex CHO are broken down into glucose
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The human brain is almost totally dependent on glucose
for its fuel
If not needed, stored as glycogen in the liver and
muscle cells
Glucose levels are controlled by the hormone
insulin and glucagon produced in the pancreas
Body has limit to what it can store
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Any extra glycogen is stored as fat
Fat
Essential component of the diet
 Most concentrated source of energy and
helps the body store and use vitamins
 Minimal amount of fat is essential for
normal growth and development
 Should be limited to less than 25% of
total calories with saturated fat less
than 10% of total calories
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Fat’s Cont’d
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Saturated Fats~ main dietary cause of
high blood cholesterol
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Found mostly in foods from some animals
and plants
Hydrogenated Fats~ chemical process
dealing with carbon chains foods
undergo
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Common in margarine and shortening
Fat’s Cont’d
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Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats
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Poly: oils from plants; liquid or soft
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May help lower blood cholesterol when used in
place of saturated fats
seafood
Safflower, sesame, and sunflower seeds, corn and
soybeans, many nuts and seeds
Mono: liquid at room temp
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canola, olive, peanuts oils, and avocados
Fat’s Cont’d
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Trans-fatty Acids~ the new evil?
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Refers to the physical positioning of
hydrogen atoms around carbon chain
Found in various animal products
 Formed in hydrogenation process
 Raise total blood cholesterols more than
saturated fats
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Proteins
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Make up the major structural components of
the body
Needed for growth, maintenance, and repair
of all body tissues
Body tends not to use much protein for
energy
Intake Should be 12-15% of total calories
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Approximately 0.8g PRO/kg body wt
Proteins Cont’d
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Made up of amino acids
Body’s proteins are made up of about 20 different
amino acids
Essential amino acids are needed by the body
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9 must be provided
Other amino acids are produced in the body
Complete
Incomplete
Diet large in protein needs to contain the essential
amino acids
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Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, and dairy
Vitamins
Nutrient that helps the body use CHO,
proteins, and fats
 Body cannot break them down to
release energy
 Classified into two groups:
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Fat-soluble and water soluble
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Dissolved in fats and stored in the body
 Taking large doses can be toxic!
 Extra amounts are not easy to eliminate
from the body in urine
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Instead stored in liver or body fat until
needed, therefore potentially toxic
Vitamins A, D, E, K
Fat Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Vitamin A~ Helps in
manufacturing of
protein and DNA
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Milk, egg yolk, green
& yellow
fruits/veggies
Deficiency: Night
blindness, dry skin,
growth failure
Excess: Headaches,
nausea, loss of hair
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Vitamin D~ Normal
bone growth and
development
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Exposure to sunlight,
fortified dairy
products
Deficiency: Rickets in
children leading to
bone deformity
Excess: Appetite
loss, failure to grow
Fat Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Vitamin E~ Protects
cell membranes from
destruction
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Vegetable oils, some
fruits/veggies, whole
grains
Deficiency: Breakage
of red blood cells –
anemia
Excess: Nausea and
diarrhea; interferes
with vitamin K if
vitamin D is deficient
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Vitamin K~ Production
of blood-clotting
substances
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Green leafy veggies;
normal bacteria that live
in intestines produce K
that is absorbed
Deficiency: Increased
bleeding time
Excess: No toxicity level
known
Water Soluble Vitamins
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Dissolved in watery solution and are not
stored
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Therefore should be supplied in the diet
each day
Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin
(B3), Pyridoxine (B6), B12, C, Folic acid,
Pantothenic acid
Water Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Thiamin (B1)~ Helps
the brain process
energy from glucose
and proteins
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Cereals, pork, peas
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Riboflavin (B2)~
Helps maintain the
nerve’s myelin, assists
making energy
available to the brain
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Deficiency: Lack of
energy, nerve problems,
poor sleep
Excess: No known
toxicity levels
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Milk, liver, fruits, and
veggies
Deficiency: Dry skin,
cracked lips, behavior
problems in children
Excess: No known
toxicity levels
Water Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Niacin (B3)~ Helps the
brain produce essential
chemicals: aids in
protein manufacturing
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Liver, meat, poultry,
peanut butter, enriched
breads and cereals
Deficiency: Skin
problems, diarrhea,
mental depression
Excess: Skin flushing,
intestinal upset/ulcers
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Pyridoxine (B6)~ Helps
the brain produce
essential chemicals:
aids in protein
manufacturing
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White meats, whole
grains, liver, egg yolk
Deficiency: Poor growth,
anemia, mood swings,
poor sleep
Excess: Severe loss of
coordination from nerve
damage
Water Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Vitamin B12~
Production of
genetic material;
maintains central
nervous system
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Foods of animal
origin
Deficiency:
Neurological
problems
Excess: No known
toxicity
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Folic Acid~ Helps
produce RNA/DNA- both
important in the
formation of nucleic
acids and storage of
recent memories
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Wheat germ, liver, yeast,
mushrooms, green leafy
veggies, fruits
Deficiency: Anemia,
apathy, irritability,
impaired memory
Excess: No known
toxicity
Water Soluble Vitamins Cont’d
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Vitamin C~ Helps in
the utilization of
protein: improves
absorption of certain
forms of iron needed
by the brain
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Fruits and veggies
Deficiency: Scurvy,
fatigue, swollen joints,
depression
Excess: Kidney stones,
diarrhea
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Pantothenic Acid~
energy from CHO,
fats, and Proteins
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Widely found in
foods
Deficiency: Not
observed in humans
under normal
conditions
Excess: No known
toxicity
Minerals
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More than 20 mineral elements need to be
supplied by the diet
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6 very common: iron, magnesium, potassium,
zinc, chromium, and water
Role is unclear
Needed for a variety of jobs such as forming
strong bones and teeth, generating energy,
activating enzymes, and maintaining water
balance
Most stored in the body: bones and liver
Iron
Assists in the processing of nutrients
required in brain activity
 Helps process neurotransmitters and
DNA
 Found in red meats and beans
 Deficiency: conduct disorder,
inattentiveness, hyperactivity, poor
concentration, anemia
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Magnesium
Helps get energy from nutrients for the
brain
 Found in most foods
 Deficiency: Irritability, nervousness,
lethargy, depression, and confusion
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Potassium
Required for normal levels of brain
neurotransmitters
 Helpful for preventing cramps
 Found in fruits (bananas)
 Deficiency: Feelings of weakness, loss
of appetite, nausea, irrational thinking,
confusion
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Zinc
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Required in virtually every enzyme reaction in
the brain
Helps manufacture RNA, DNA, and protein
Helps provide energy from glucose and
protein
Found in most foods (fortified)
Deficiency: Lethargy, irritability, poor eating
habits, poor appetite, fatigue, and confusion
Chromium
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Essential for glucose metabolism
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Brain in almost totally dependent on
glucose for its fuel
Found: Fortified in most foods
 Deficiency: poor concentration,
impaired short-term memory, mood
fluctuations, general feelings of
tiredness
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Water
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Most essential nutrient
Live for weeks/months without the other nutrients
Perish after a few days without water
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2%-3%: impair performance
7%-10%: fatal
60% adults body weight = water
Takes part in the digestion process and maintaining
homeostasis
Adult requirement is 2.5 liters of water a day
Deficiency: Dehydration symptoms = death
Hydration
6-8 glasses for average
 Prehydrate two of fluids within an hour
of exercise
 During and after exercise drink as much
as possible
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Sports Drinks
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Sugar
Minerals
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Sodium
Potassium
Water
Vitamins
Ephedra (ma huang)
Advantages:
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Sugar content: allowing muscles to gain energy
and delay fatigue
Dietary Fiber
Indigestible component of plants
 Soluble
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Insoluble
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Helps lower cholesterol levels
Adds bulk to intestinal contents
25 grams a day
Daily Values
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2000 calories per day (DRV)
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30% fat
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10% saturated fat
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65 grams
Less than 20 grams
60% CHO
10% protein
Cholesterol less than 300 milligrams
Sodium less than 2,400 milligrams
Food Guide Pyramid
Nutritional Quackery
Without scientific research
 Not treated by the FDA
 Prey on innocent
 Be an informed consumer
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Making Weight
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Gaining weight
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Weight training
Losing weight
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Females: 1,000-1,200
Males: 1,200-1,400
Combination of diet and exercise
Ideal Weight Calculations
BMI =Weight (lb.) / height (in.)/height
(in.) x 703
 Normal weight:
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Overweight
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18.5 to 24.9
25 to 29.9
Obesity
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30 or greater