NUTRITION
Good nutrition is a diet in w hich foods are eaten in
proper quantities and with the ne eded distribution of
nutrients to m aintain good health. Malnutrition, on
the other hand, is the result of a diet in which
there is an underconsum ption, overconsum ption, or
un balanced consum ptio n of nutrients that leads to
disease or an increased suscep tibility to disease.
W hat is stated in the ab ove definitions is the fact that
proper nutrition is essential to good health. A history of
poor nutritional choices will eventually lead to poor
health consequences.
There are many substances ne cessary for the proper
functio ning of the body. Nutrients are the su bstances
that the bo dy requires for the m aintenance of health,
growth, and to repair tissues. Nutrients can be divided
into six classes: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitam ins,
m inerals and water. C arbohydrates, or "carbs", are
nutrients that are co m posed of carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen, and are essential sources of energ y in the
body. Grains, ve getables, and fruits are excellent
sources of carbohydrates. It is re com m e nded that
at least 55% to 60% of the total num ber of calories
co nsum ed co m e from ca rb o h y d rates (A m erican
Diabetes A ssociation, Diabetes & Exercise, 1990). It is
further recom m ended that 10% or less of the total
calories consum ed co m e from sim ple sugars like a
candy bar.
One of the m any benefits o f co nsum ing foods that are
high in co m plex carbohyd rates, such as rice, pasta,
and w hole grain breads, is that they also typically
contain die tary fiber. Dietary fiber is a term used when
referring to su bstances found in plants that cannot be
broken down by the human digestive system. Although
fiber cannot be digeste d, it is im portant in he lping to
avoid ca ncers of the digestive system, hem orrhoids,
constipation, an d diverticular disease because it helps
food move qu ickly an d easily through the dig estive
system. It is recom m ende d that peop le consum e
20 to 30 gram s of fiber per day (Am erican Diabetes
Association, Diabetes & Exercise, 1990). E xcellent
sources of d ie tary fib er are grains, vegeta ble s,
legum es, and fruit.
Fats are an essential pa rt of a healthy diet and serve
vital functions in the hum an body. Am ong the functions
p e rfo rm e d by fa ts are tem pe ra tu re regula tion,
protection of vital organs, distribution of some vitam ins,
energy productio n, an d form ation of co m ponent parts
of cell mem branes. Like ca rbo h ydrate s, fats are
co m po se d of ca rb o n , h ydrogen , a n d oxygen.
However, their chem ical structure is different.
Both anim als and pla nts provide sources of fat.
Saturated fats com e prim arily from anim al sources
and are typically solid at room tem perature. Plant
sources of saturated fats are palm oil, co co nu t oil,
and co c o a butter. A high intake of saturated fats is
directly related to increased ca rdio vascu lar disease.
Unsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature.
Corn, peanut, canola, and soybean oil are sources of
unsaturated fats. It is recom m ende d that no more than
30% of on e’s die t be co m po sed of fats. Ten percent or
less of the total calorie s consum ed should com e from
saturated fats. One way to reduce saturated fat intake
w ould be to substitute m argarine for butter.
Proteins are substances com posed of carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, and nitrogen. Proteins are m ade by com bining
am ino acids. A m ino acid s are nitrogen-containing
building blocks for proteins that can be used for energy.
Am ino ac ids can com bine in innum erable ways to form
proteins, and it is estim ated that tens o f thousand s of
different types o f proteins exist in the body. It is the
ordering of the am ino acids that provides the unique
structure an d function of proteins.
There are proteins in both m eat prod ucts and plant
products. Anim al sources of protein such as milk,
m eat and eg gs contain the e ig ht essential am ino
acid s (am ino acid s that the bo dy ca nnot synthesize
and therefore must be ingested). Plant sources of
protein such as beans, starchy vegetables, nuts, and
grains do not alw ays co ntain all eight am ino acids.
Because of this, vegetarians m ust consum e a variety
of protein-containing foods. It is recom m ended that
proteins m ake up 10% to 15% of one’s daily calories.
This will en sure a d e q u a te protein fo r grow th,
m ainte na nce, and the rep a ir of cells. P rotein
requirem ents for adults are not as high as those
re com m ended for infants, children, and young adults.
Note: individuals who are training intensely will have
an increase in their protein requirem ents.
Vitam ins are orga nic su bstances that are essential to
the norm al functioning of the human body. A lthough
vitam ins do not contain energy to be used by the body,
these substa nces are essential in the m etabolism of
fats, carbohyd rates and proteins. B ecause of the
critical role vitam ins play, it is necessary th at they exist
in proper quantities in the body.
M inerals are ino rganic molecules th at serve a variety
of functions in the human body. The m inerals that
app e ar in the largest quantities (calcium , phosphorus,
potassium , sulfur, sodium , chloride, and m agnesium )
are often ca lle d m acrom inerals. O ther m inerals are
also essential to norm al functio ning of the body, but
be cause they exist in sm aller quantities (chrom ium ,
iron, copper, fluoride, iodine, m anganese, m olybdenum ,
selenium , and zinc) they are ca lled m icrom inerals.
A mineral that is often consum ed in inadequate
am ounts by A m ericans is calcium . Calcium is a
m ineral im portan t in the m in eralization of bone,
m uscle contraction, and the transm ission of nerve
impulses. O steoporosis is a disease ch aracterized by
a decrease in the total am ount of bone m ineral in the
bo dy an d by a decrease in strength of the rem aining
bone. This condition is m ost com m on in the elderly
but m ay also exist in yo unger people w ho have diets
ina dequate in calciu m or vitam in D or both.
Iron is another mineral that is often underconsum ed
by A m ericans. This is especially true of wom en. The
oxyge n -carryin g propertie s of hem oglobin (blood)
de pend on the presence of iron. Anem ia is a condition
ch ara cterized by a de creased cap acity to transport
oxygen in the blood, and is also com m on in those
lackin g a sufficient am ount of iron intake. Red m eat
and eg gs are excellent sources of iron. A dditiona lly
spinach, lim a and navy beans, and prune juice are
excellent vegeta rian sources of iron.
Sodium, on the other hand, is a m ineral that many
Am ericans over-consum e. High sodium intake has
been linked with hypertension, as well as high blood
pressure. P eople can su b sta n tia lly redu ce th eir
sodium intake by lim iting consum ption of processed
foods and decreasing the am ount of salt a d de d to
foods w hen cooking.
In co n c lu s io n ...d o n ’t fo rg e t hydra tion. W ater is
considere d an essential nutrient because of its vital
role in the norm al fu nctioning of the body. Water
contribute s approxim ately 60% of the total bo dy
w eig h t and is essential in creating an environm ent
in w hich all m etab olic processes occur. W ater is
necessary to regulate tem perature and to transport
substa nces th roughout the body.
FOLLOW THESE BASIC NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
FOR GAINS IN STRENGTH AND LEAN MUSCLE MASS:
1. Choose your foods carefully. Try getting your
carbohydrates from sources such as rice,
vegetables, beans, whole grains, pasta and fruit.
Good protein sources include fish, chicken, turkey,
lean meat and low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
2. Minimize your fat intake.
3. Drink a minimum of 10 eight-ounce glasses of
water each day.
4. Eat four to six small meals a day, about three
hours apart. Small meals are more easily digested
and result in greater nutrition absorption.
5. Avoid eating junk food and fast food.
6. Time your protein intake of 40-55 grams
approximately 75 minutes after your workout.
7. Immediately following your workout, replenish
your glycogen stores with approximately
50-75 grams of carbohydrates.
For more inform ation on nutrition visit yo ur local
library or book store. There are m any excellen t books
available.
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