- Events
- Warming up
- Training
- Training Tips
- Cells and Bones
- Joints and Muscles
- Movement and Muscle Fibers
- Energy Production in the Body
- The Cardio-respiratory System
- Nutrition and Calories
- Nutrients, Proteins and Carbohydrates
- Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, Water and Fiber
Featured site:
The International Amateur Athletics Federation
Nutrition, cont'd:
Nutrients
The essential components of food that the body
needs are called nutrients. The different types of nutrients are: protein,
carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, water and fiber.
Proteins
Proteins are the main body building nutrient. Proteins are needed to build
new body tissue during growth and are also used to repair any damaged tissue.
We constantly need protein. Proteins are made up of smaller parts called
amino acids. There are 21 different types of amino acids which combine in
different ways to make different proteins. Of those 21 amino acids, the body
can make 13 on its own. The remaining eight amino acids must come from food
and they are called essential amino acids. The more of the eight essential
amino acids a food provides, the better it is. Meats and eggs provide the
essential amino acids but for those people who do not eat meat, a variety of
plants and legumes also provide the essential amino acids.
Carbohydrates
The body gets the major part of energy from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates break
down easily to form glucose. Carbohydrates are found naturally in rice,
corn, potatoes, beans and fruit. Carbohydrates from "junk" food such as white
sugar, honey, soft drinks and candy bars are not as good for you. "Junk"
food has a lot of calories and not much else and they cause the body to produce
a lot of a chemical called insulin which takes glucose out of the blood. This
makes athletes feel low in energy, the athlete crashes from the quick energy
boost of the "junk" food.
