1.1.5 Health and well being
Exercise, diet, work and rest
It is important to understand the conection between exercise, diet, work and rest.
Each has an equal part to play in ensuring happiness and wellbeing.
A 'balanced diet' contains the best ratio of nutrients to match your lifestyle.
You get nutrients from lots of different food groups. The proportions of each for the avarage person are shown in the
pie chart below:
It is important to understand the conection between exercise, diet, work and rest.
Each has an equal part to play in ensuring happiness and wellbeing.
- We need to exercise to keep fit and healthy and allow us to work succesfully and enjoy life in our free time.
- Adequate rest maintains a balance between the two and allows us to function at our best.
- Finally a balanced diet provides all the essential nutrients our body needs for health, fitness, strength and wellbeing.
A 'balanced diet' contains the best ratio of nutrients to match your lifestyle.
You get nutrients from lots of different food groups. The proportions of each for the avarage person are shown in the
pie chart below:
The 7 components of a balanced diet
Remember Fat Men Can't Play Football Very Well
Fat
Minerals
Carbohydrate
Protein
Fibre
Vitamins
Water
Macronutrients (you need a lot of these in your diet):
Fats
We all need some fats in our diet!
Fats are also used for energy, but only when stores of carbohydrate run low
Fat provides very slowly released energy
Saturated fats (bad fats - avoid) butter, cheese, cream, milk
Unsaturated (Good fats) seeds, salmon, tuna, unsalted nuts)
Remember Fat Men Can't Play Football Very Well
Fat
Minerals
Carbohydrate
Protein
Fibre
Vitamins
Water
Macronutrients (you need a lot of these in your diet):
Fats
We all need some fats in our diet!
Fats are also used for energy, but only when stores of carbohydrate run low
Fat provides very slowly released energy
Saturated fats (bad fats - avoid) butter, cheese, cream, milk
Unsaturated (Good fats) seeds, salmon, tuna, unsalted nuts)
Protein
Proteins are used to generate energy only when the body has exhausted its stores of carbohydrates and fats.
Protein also allows us to grow and repair muscle
Proteins are especially important for sports people who need to build up large, powerful muscles as they are used to repair muscles and soft tissue. Most important for sports people to have a high protein diet!
Sources of protein:
Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs
Carbohydrates
Most important food type for athletes
Carbohydrates contain the fuels that provide us with energy to sustain our performance.
Glucose in the form of Glycogen is broken down from carbs to provide energy.
Carbohydrates come in two forms:
Sugars - quick release (High instant energy - not so good for healthy diet)
Complex - Slow release (good for consistent energy release & healthy diet)
Sources of carbohydrates: Bread, Potatoes, Pasta
Micronutrients: (you don't need as much of these in your diet)
Vitamins
Your body needs vitamins to help it function. They:
> help resist infection and disease
>regulate chemical reactions in the body
Proteins are used to generate energy only when the body has exhausted its stores of carbohydrates and fats.
Protein also allows us to grow and repair muscle
Proteins are especially important for sports people who need to build up large, powerful muscles as they are used to repair muscles and soft tissue. Most important for sports people to have a high protein diet!
Sources of protein:
Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs
Carbohydrates
Most important food type for athletes
Carbohydrates contain the fuels that provide us with energy to sustain our performance.
Glucose in the form of Glycogen is broken down from carbs to provide energy.
Carbohydrates come in two forms:
Sugars - quick release (High instant energy - not so good for healthy diet)
Complex - Slow release (good for consistent energy release & healthy diet)
Sources of carbohydrates: Bread, Potatoes, Pasta
Micronutrients: (you don't need as much of these in your diet)
Vitamins
Your body needs vitamins to help it function. They:
> help resist infection and disease
>regulate chemical reactions in the body
- >help your bones, teeth, skin etc.. to grow
Vitamin A
Needed for growth and helps with vision.Found in vegetables, eggs and liver!
Vitamin D
Needed for strong bones. Helps prevent bone softening disease (like osteoporosis) Found in milk, fish, eggs. Can be produced by body in skin when in sunlight.
Vitamin C
Is good for your skin and helps body tissue to form properly and hold together. If you don't have it you develop a nasty disease called scurvy. Found in fruit and veg - especially citrus fruits
Minerals
Needed in small quantities but are vital for the body. Help keep bones and teeth healthy and to build other
tissue. Used in various chemical reactions.
Calcium
Needed for strong bones and teeth and also used when muscles contract.Found in dairy (milk, cheese etc..), green vegetables and some fish.
Iron
Used in red blood cells for oxygen to be carried around body. Found in liver, beans and green vegetables.
Water
Used by body to keep organs and systems working properly. It is lost in your breath, sweat, urine and faeces! You need to drink lots to replace the water your body looses or uses. If you don't
you become dehydrated and your body doesn't work as well as it could.
Exercise performance is impaired when an individual is dehydrated by as little as 2% of body weight. Losses in excess of 5% of body weight can decrease the capacity for work by about 30%
Fibre
You only use fibre to keep your digestive system working properly. It is not absorbed by the body.
There is lots of fibre in fruit and vegetables.
Diet and Exercise:
Blood shunting
When you exercise the body redirects blood around the body to increase the supply of oxygen to your working muscles. Blood is diverted away from some organs, including your digestive.
Your digestive system doesn't work well without a good blood supply. If you eat before or during exercise your
more likely to get indigestion, cramp or feel sick.
Carbo-loading
Endurances athletes use carbo-loading in preparation for races or events. They do this by eating low carbohydrate foods but high in protein for 3-4 days 1 week before their big event. This will allow the body to repair fully and recover from all training. 3-4 days before the final event they will eat high carbohydrate foods such as pasta. This raises the glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. High levels of glycogen is stored as the body is shocked into storing as much energy as possible as it didn't get much carbohydrate earlier in the week.
This energy will then be stored for the big event.