Chapter One

An Overview of Sport
Nutrition
 Introduction

 Interest in the influences of food on the capacity

for physical activity is as old as mankind.

 From earliest times, certain foods were regarded

as essential preparation for strenuous physical
activity.

 A good base diet will provide adequate nutrients

and energy to enhance adaptations from training,
support optimal recovery and avoid excessive
food-related stress.
 Cont..
 Heavy training increases the need for nutrients,
particularly carbohydrate, protein and
micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

 Whether you exercise to keep fit, participate regularly

in an organized sporting activity, or are training to
reach the peak level of your sport, good nutrition is
an essential tool to help you perform at your best.

 Making smart choices about the type, timing and

quantity of food to eat can all play a role in realizing
your best.
 Cont….

 Eating well is specific to you and your individual

nutritional needs, as well as your training and
competition schedule.

 Sports and nutrition are directly related to each

other.

 To have enough energy for exercise and for life an

adequate number of calories must be consumed.
 Cont….

 The amount of calories needed depends on

many different factors such as:-
 Age Weight
 Sex Muscle mass and
 Height
 Occupation
 Physical activity Fat mass.
Too few calories can negatively affect workouts and
energy levels, as well as cause the breakdown of
muscle and bone, increasing the risk of injury.
 What is Food?

 Is anything that we eat and which

nourishes our body.

 It is essential because it contains
substances which perform important
functions in our body.
 Physiological Function

 Energy giving
 Body building

 Regulating body processes

Providing protection against diseases.

 What is nutrition?

 Nutrition is the scientific way of eating which

means what we eat and what we are not eat.
 Is the process by which food is taken in and
utilized by the body.
 Is the science of the action of food, beverages, and
their components in biological systems.

 Nutrition is the science that studies the interactions

between living organisms and food.
 Cont.

 We all know that food helps in the nourishment and health

of our body. The nourishment is brought about by small
units called nutrients present in food.

 Nutrients: are the chemical substances present in food

and are responsible.

 Is a compound that provides a needed function in the body.

 The study of nutrition encompasses all aspects of the ingestion,

digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, interaction, storage,
and excretion of nutrients by the body.
 Cont…
Human nutrition includes the study of:- 

 Nutrients and other substances found in foods;

 How the human body uses nutrients for growth

and maintenance

 The relationship between foods, food

components, dietary patterns, and health.
 Why is Nutrition Important?

 Good nutrition is essential to:

 Preserve and build muscle
 Maintain healthy bones
 Maximize oxygen transport and use
 Repair existing cells and create new tissue
 Maintain optimal fluid and electrolyte
balance
 Provide energy
 What is sports nutrition?

 Sports nutrition is a recent specialty area of

study and practice within the field of nutrition.
 Sport nutrition is built upon how nutrients
such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein
contribute to the fuel supply needed by the
body to perform exercise.
 Cont…
 Sports nutrition is the practical science of hydrating and
fueling before, during, and after exercise

 Executed properly, sports nutrition can help promote training

and performance

 Done incorrectly or ignored, it can derail training and hamper

performance
 Cont…

Sports nutrition can be defined as the application of

nutrition knowledge to a practical daily eating plan
focused on:_
 Providing the fuel for physical activity
 Facilitating the repair and rebuilding process
following hard physical work
 Optimizing athletic performance in competitive
events
 Also promoting overall health and wellness.
 Cont..

In a broader sense, the study of nutrition also

includes the various,
 Psychological
 Sociological
 Cultural
 Technological, and
 Economic factors that affect the foods and dietary
patterns chosen by an individual.
 Benefits of sports nutrition

 Enables you to train efficiently

 Helps provide energy you need to compete
 Helps you prepare for high performance activities

 Promotes muscle building and recovery by

providing important proteins

 Helps improve body composition

 Cont.
 Helps provide carbohydrate to working muscles

 Helps provide the necessary protein for muscle

building and repair

 Helps keep the body hydrated and replaces critical

minerals lost to sweat

 Helps support the maintenance of good health

 The 3 most important principles of sports
nutrition

 Stay hydrated
 Provide fuel for your muscles

 Promote optimal recovery after exercise

Apply these principles correctly as part of your

training, and it will help you compete at your best
 What is nutrients?

 Nutrients are the chemical substance found in the food

that we eat. An important aspect of nutrition is the daily
intake of nutrients.

 Nutrients consist of various chemical substances in the

food that makes up each person's diet.

 People depend on nutrients in their diet because the

human body is not able to produce many of these
nutrients or it cannot produce them in adequate
amounts.
 Cont.
Foods and beverages are composed of six nutrients that
are vital to the human body for:

 Producing energy

 Contributing to the growth and development of

tissues

 Regulating body processes

 Preventing deficiency and degenerative diseases.

 The six major classifications of nutrients:-

 Carbohydrates
 Proteins
 Fats
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water
 The body requires these nutrients to function
properly; however, the body is unable to
endogenously manufacture them in the quantities
needed daily, and therefore these nutrients must be
obtained from the diet.
Nutrients are broadly classified in to two:
Macro nutrients: - are present in large quantities in foods and
are also required in large amounts by the body.
• Are nutrients they have energies and we need large quantity:-
 Carbohydrates
 Proteins
 Fats
 Water
Micro nutrients: - Important nutrients which are present in
small quantities in foods but are essential for our body.
• are nutrients they have no energies and we need in small
quantity:-
 Vitamins.
 Minerals.
 Cont…
 The requirements for nutrients and fluids should be met
according to the level of daily physical activity and exercise.
 The type, intensity and duration of exercise will determine
which nutritional measures and dietary interventions can be
taken, particularly in the phases of preparation, competition
and recuperation.

THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF NUTRIENTS

 Provide Energy:- Carbohydrates, Proteins and fats

 Regulate body functions: - Proteins and fats

 Promote growth and development: - proteins, fats, vitamins,

minerals and water.
 Benefits of Proper Nutrition for
sport performance
 Decreased time of recovery
 Increased energy
 Decreased loss of muscle tissue In-season
 Increased stamina
 Decreased percent body fat
 Injury prevention
 Improved health
 improved performance!!
 Cont.

Every player is different, and there is

no single diet that meets the needs of
all players at all times.
 The Energy Value of Different Food
Components

 The body uses most of its energy intake for

basal metabolic work needs.

 Food energy is changed into body energy

and cycled throughout the body to do work.
 Basic Energy Needs

 The body needs constant energy for voluntary and

involuntary activity

 Voluntary work and exercise

 Includes all physical actions related to usual

activities and additional physical exercise

 Cont..
 Involuntary work: includes all activities of the body
that are not consciously performed
 Circulation, respiration, digestion, other internal activities

 Requirements include:
 Chemical energy: in many metabolic products

 Electrical energy: in brain and nerve activities

 Mechanical energy: in muscle contraction

 Thermal energy: to keep the body warm

 Cont..

 Fuel is provided in the form of nutrients

 Three energy nutrients:
 Carbohydrate is primary fuel
 Fat assists as storage fuel
 Protein is a back-up fuel source
 If sufficient carbohydrate is not consumed to meet
energy needs, the body burns fat
 Measurement of Energy
 Calorie: Amount of energy in food or expended in
physical actions (common usage)
 Kilocalorie (1000 calories): Amount of heat
necessary to raise 1 kg of water 1 degree
Centigrade
 Large calorie unit used in nutritional science to avoid
dealing with large numbers
 Abbreviation: kcalorie or kcal
 Fuel Factors

 Carbohydrate: 4 kcal/g

 Fat: 9 kcal/g
 Protein: 4 kcal/g

 Alcohol: 7 kcal/g
 Caloric and Nutrient Density
 Density: the degree of concentration of
material in a given substance
 Caloric density: concentration of energy in a
given amount of food
 Foods high in fat have the highest caloric density

 Nutrient density: concentration of all

nutrients in a given amount of food
 Energy Balance

 A balance between intake of food energy and

output of body-work energy maintains life and
health.

 States of being underweight and overweight

reflect degrees of body energy imbalance.
 Two energy systems support human life

 External energy cycle: plants transform the

sun’s radiation into stored chemical energy;

 Internal energy cycle: humans eat plant and

animal foods
 Energy Intake

 The body’s energy balance depends on energy

intake in relation to energy output
 Energy intake
 Three energy nutrients in food
 Energy intake is the calculated energy value
of actual food consumption
 Energy Output
 Activities to sustain life require energy from food and
body reserves
 Three demands for energy determine the body’s
total energy requirements
 Basal Metabolic Rate
 Physical activity
 Thermic effect of food
 Basal Metabolism
 The minimum energy expended to keep a resting, awake
body alive
 It accounts for 60 – 75% of the calories you burn daily.

Generally, men have a higher BMR than women.

 Includes energy needed for maintaining a heartbeat,
respiration, body temperature
 Amount of energy needed varies between individuals

 Approximately 0.9 kcal/kg/hr for women and 1kcal/kg/h is

for men.
 Estimate Basal Metabolism

 Female: Wt (kg) x 0.9 kcals/hour x 24

50 kg (110 lb) x 0.9 x 24 =

1080 kcals
 Male: Wt (kg) x 1 kcal/hour x 24
100 kg (220 lb) x 1 x 24 =
2400 kcals
Factors that Increase Basal Metabolism
 Body surface area (weight, height)

 Male gender

 Body temperature

 Thyroid hormone
 Nervous system activity

 Kcal intake

 Pregnancy

 Use of caffeine and tobacco

Factors that Decrease Basal Metabolism

 Age

 2% drop each decade after 30

 Low calorie diet

 10-20% decrease
Factors Influencing Basal Metabolic Rate
 Lean body mass (muscles and organs)
 Greater metabolic activity in lean tissues

 Growth periods
 Growth hormone stimulates cell metabolism and raises BMR

 Body temperature
 Fever increases BMR

 Hormonal status
 Ex. Hypothyroidism = decreased BMR
Measurement of Resting Metabolic Rate
 How can resting or basal metabolic rate be measured?
 Indirect calorimeter
 Metabolic rate calculated based on the rate of
oxygen utilization
 Thyroid function test
 Measures the activity of the thyroid gland and
the blood levels of the hormone thyroxine
 Physical Activity

 Increases energy expenditure beyond BMR

 Varies widely among individuals

 More activity, more energy burned

 Lack of activity is the major cause of obesity
 PAL Factors
 Is the ratio of your overall daily energy
expenditure to your BMR.

 Categorize physical activity level (PAL)

according to standard values (1.2 to 1.9,
depending on lifestyle) and then multiplying by
resting metabolic rate
 A rough measure of your lifestyle activity.

 Mostly inactive or sedentary (mainly sitting): 1.2

 Fairly active (include walking and exercise 1–2 x week):

1.3
 Moderately active (exercise 2–3 x weekly): 1.4

 Active (exercise hard more than 3 x weekly): 1.5

 Very active (exercise hard daily 6-7d/w): 1.7

 If you are super active/very hard exercise &physical job/

1.9
 Thermic Effect of Food
 After eating, food stimulates metabolism

 Extra energy for digestion, absorption, and

transport is required.
 This stimulating effect is called the thermic effect
of food (TEF).
 5% - 10% of the body’s total energy needs for
metabolism relates to the processing of food
 Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
 Energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize
food nutrients
 TEF is higher for CHO and protein than fat

 Less energy is used to transfer dietary fat into

adipose stores
 Your daily calorie needs will depend on

 Your genetic make-up

 Age

 Weight

 Body composition

 Your daily activity

 Your training program.

 Total Energy Requirement
 Total energy requirement = Resting energy
expenditure + physical activity + thermic effect of
food
 To maintain daily energy balance:
 Food-energy intake = body-energy output
 Intake > output = weight gain (extreme: obesity)

 Intake < output = weight loss (extreme: anorexia)

Total Energy Requirement
 Life Cycle
 Growth periods

 Extra energy per unit of body weight is

necessary to build new tissue
 Infancy, adolescence, pregnancy

 Adulthood
 Energy needs level off

 With aging, energy needs decline

 Dietary Reference Intakes
 Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of
Medicine created recommendations for energy
intake based on,
 Gender,
 Age, and

 Other considerations
 Dietary Guidelines
 Dietary Guidelines for healthy Americans indicate
energy needs based on two recommendations:
 Maintain a healthy weight

 Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and

cholesterol; use sugars in moderation; eat plenty
of fruits, vegetables, and grain products
 Daily Calorie Needs

• Multiply your BMR by your PAL to work out your

Daily Calorie Needs
• If you eat fewer calories, you will lose weight; if you
eat more then you will gain weight.

Daily calorie needs =

BMR x PAL
 Activities
1. Define Food, Nutrition, Nutrient and Sport Nutrition?
2. Discuss The Benefits of Sport Nutrition?
3. Write the three most important principles of sport nutrition?
4. Write and Define the Two broadly classified Nutrients?
5. The body’s total energy requirements determined by? Write
them?
6. Calculate your daily caloric needs based on your Age,
Gender, weight and physical activity level?
THANK YOU!!