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Chapter 10: Nutrition in Fitness

  • Page ID
    21546
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    • 10.1: Fitness and Health
      Physical fitness is an important part of the pursuit of optimal health. Regular exercise yields multiple benefits in terms of preventing disease and promoting health. The four essential elements of physical fitness are cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, and flexibility.
    • 10.2: Fuel Sources
      The human body uses carbohydrate, fat and protein in food and from body stores as energy. These essential nutrients are needed regardless of the intensity of activity you are doing. If you are lying down reading a book or running the the Honolulu Marathon, these macronutrients are always needed in the body. However, in order for these nutrients to be used as fuel for the body, their energy must be transferred into the high energy molecule known as Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).
    • 10.3: Sports Nutrition
      Nutrition is essential to your performance during all types of exercise. The foods consumed in your diet are used to provide the body with enough energy to fuel an activity regardless of the intensity of activity. Athletes have different nutritional needs to support the vigorous level they compete and practice at.
    • 10.4: Water and Electrolyte Needs of the Athlete
      During exercise, being appropriately hydrated contributes to performance. Water is needed to cool the body, transport oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste products from the muscles. Water needs are increased during exercise due to the extra water losses through evaporation and sweat. Dehydration can occur when there is inadequate water levels in the body and can be very hazardous to the health of an individual.
    • 10.5: Food Supplements and Food Replacements
      Vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, and supplements of all kinds constitute big business and many of their advertising claims suggest that optimal health and eternal youth are just a pill away. Dietary supplements can be macronutrient (amino acids, proteins, essential fatty acids), micronutrient (vitamins and minerals that promote healthy body functions), probiotic (beneficial bacteria such as the kind found in the intestines), and herbally (often target a specific body part) based.
    • 10.E: Exercises


    Chapter 10: Nutrition in Fitness is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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