Williams’ Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport Thirteenth Edition

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the 'Introduction to Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance' lecture notes.

Major focal points of Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sports Performance

The role nutrition, complemented by physical activity and exercise, may play in determining one’s health status, and the role nutrition may play in the promotion of fitness and sports performance.

Leading causes of death related to unhealthy eating and/or physical inactivity

Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and Alzheimer's disease.

Genetics

The study of heredity, or how traits are passed from one generation to the next.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle, can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Epigenome

A multitude of specialized chemical compounds that influence the human genome by activating or deactivating DNA and subsequent genetic and cellular activity.

Genomics

The study of genetic material in body cells.

Nutrigenomics

The study of how nutrients influence gene expression.

Exercisenomics

The study of genetic aspects of exercise, as related to health benefits.

Sportomics

The study of the metabolic response of the athlete in a sport environment.

Requirements for high-level athletic competition

Athletes must possess a high genetic endowment for the sport, undergo prolonged and intense physical training, and receive proper nutrition through diet and supplementation.

Physical Fitness

A set of abilities an individual possesses to perform specific types of physical activity.

Health-Related Fitness Components

Healthy body weight and body composition, cardiovascular-respiratory fitness, adequate muscular strength and endurance, and sufficient flexibility.

Sports-Related Fitness

Fitness athletes develop specific to their sport, including strength, power, endurance, speed, agility, and neuromuscular skills.

Principle of Overload

The basic principle of exercise training, requiring intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise to be greater than what the body is accustomed to.

Principle of Progression

The gradual increase in the intensity, duration, or frequency of exercise for continuous adaptation.

Principle of Specificity

The adaptations to exercise are specific to the type of training undertaken.

Principle of Recuperation (Recovery)

The need for adequate rest and recovery between exercise bouts to allow for physiological adaptations.

Principle of Individuality

People respond differently to the same exercise training program due to genetic and other factors.

Principle of Reversibility (Disuse)

Without exercise, the body will lose the adaptations it made with exercise.

Principle of Overuse

Excessive exercise without adequate rest and recuperation can lead to injury or illness.

Exercise and Gene Expression

Exercise causes expression of genes with favorable health effects, which contrasts with physical inactivity that can cause genes to misexpress proteins, producing metabolic dysfunctions.

Cytokines

Small proteins released from muscle cells (myokines) and fat cells (adipokines) during exercise that influence gene expression and may prevent chronic disease.

Myokines

Cytokines produced specifically by muscle cells.

Adipokines

Cytokines produced specifically by fat (adipose) cells.

Inflammation and Exercise

Exercise produces anti-inflammatory cytokines to help cool local inflammation, which is a risk factor for several chronic diseases, thereby reducing health risks.

Other Health-Promoting Mechanisms of Exercise

Include promoting healthy body composition, improving insulin sensitivity, strengthening bones, and enhancing brain function (neurogenesis).

Components of Physical Activity Plans that Promote Health and Wellness

Individualization of exercise programs based on physical fitness level and health status, and reduction of daily sedentary activity.

Nutrient

A specific substance found in food that performs one or more physiological or biochemical functions in the body.

Basic Functions of Nutrients in Food

Promote growth and development, provide energy, and regulate metabolism.

Food is Medicine (Hippocrates' principle)

A philosophy emphasizing the significant role of diet in health, suggesting that 'Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.'

Nutrient Promoters

Lead to progression of chronic diseases

Nutrient Antipromoters

deter intention or precession of chronic diseases

Prudent Healthy Diet

A set of dietary guidelines advocating a balance of food intake with physical activity, consumption of a wide variety of nutrient-rich whole foods, moderate intake of total fat (low in saturated/trans), reduced added sugars and refined carbohydrates, moderate salt, adequate protein (plant-based focus), sufficient calcium/iron, adherence to food safety, and mindful consideration of supplements.

Complementary Effects of Diet and Exercise

A healthy diet and increased physical activity can exert combined effects to help prevent several chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Sports Nutrition

The application of nutritional principles to enhance sports performance, promote adaptations to training, and perform optimally during competition.

Ergogenic Aids

Any substance or phenomenon that enhances athletic performance, including performance-enhancing techniques (mechanical, psychological) and performance-enhancing substances (physiological, pharmacological, nutritional).

Nutritional Ergogenics

Performance-enhancing substances presented as nutritional products like powders, pills, ready-to-drink products, nutrition bars, gels, and sports/energy drinks, often marketed with performance-enhancement claims.

Safety of Nutritional Ergogenics

While many over-the-counter dietary supplements are safe when taken as directed, some may contain harmful chemicals, be mislabeled with unlisted substances, or lead to adverse effects if taken in excess.

Legality of Nutritional Ergogenics

Some dietary supplements are prohibited by sports governing bodies (doping), and contamination of sports supplements with banned substances is widespread, potentially causing athletes to fail drug tests.

Nutrition and Health Misinformation

The spread of claims regarding nutrition and health that are not supported by well-controlled research studies, often driven by hope, fear, and direct advertising.

Recognizing Nutrition and Health Misinformation

Involves questioning products that promise quick health/performance improvements, contain magical ingredients, are marketed by celebrities, exaggerate single truths, question scientific integrity, are sold by their recommenders, or whose claims seem too good to be true.

Sources of Sound Nutritional Information

Include reputable books with credentialed authors, government, health professional, and consumer organizations and their websites, scientific journals, trusted popular magazines with vetted authors, and academic professors.

Epidemiological Research (Observational Research)

A type of research that investigates relationships between nutritional practices and health outcomes in populations, using retrospective or prospective techniques, but does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Experimental Research (Randomized Clinical Trials)

Research essential for establishing a cause-and-effect relationship by comparing a treatment group to a control (placebo) group under tightly controlled conditions.

Contradictory Nutritional Advice

Often arises due to complexities in research, unknown extraneous factors, media exaggeration or oversimplification, and variability in the quality and credibility of studies.

Basis for Dietary Recommendations (in nutrition literature)

Derived from individual studies, reviews of randomized clinical trials and epidemiological studies, meta-analyses, and position statements from leading professional organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine or Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Biological Individuality

The concept that individuals respond differently to dietary and exercise interventions due to unique genetic and physiological factors, such as salt sensitivity or varying responses to standardized exercise programs.