Nutrition Basics

What are the 6 basic nutrients?

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, Water.

________ - a unit of measurement and food energy

Calories

How many calories/minute for normal activities of daily living?

5-8 calories/minute

TDEE consists of 4 categories. What are they?

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) 
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
Exercise

Burning more calories than we consume is known as a calorie _______.
Burning fewer calories than we consume is known as a calorie _______.

Deficit
Surplus

Carbohydrates are made up of which three elements?

Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)

Carbyhydrates can be grouped into what two main categories?

Simple carbohydrates (Sugars)
Complex carbohydrates (Starches and Fiber)

What is the simplest form of carbohydrate that the body uses for energy?

Glucose

What hormone helps move glucose from the blood into the body’s cells?

Insulin

How many kcal of energy does 1 gram of carbohydrate provide?

4 kcal per gram

In which two places is glucose stored as glycogen?

The Liver and Muscles

Which organ relies almost entirely on glucose for energy under normal conditions?

The Brain.

What does the liver with stored glycogen when blood sugar drops? How is the resulting compound transported and for what purpose?

Breaks down stored glycogen into glucose. It is then released into the blood so it can travel to other tissues like the brain and muscles.

The function of the liver is to maintain blood glucose. True or False?

True

Muscle can store glycogen, but for what purpose? Is it the same as the liver?

Muscles only store glycogen to break it down into glucose when needed. It is different to the liver because the glucose can only be used locally, for energy, within the muscle during activity.

Recommended Daily Allowance of CHO? (g/day)

130g/day

What percentage range is recommended for CHO in total caloric intake?

45-65%

Nutrition labels use what percentage of CHO as standard in total caloric intake?

60% of calories

What is the recommended adequate intake of fiber for women and men?

Women - 25g/day
Men - 38g/day

Cells cannot directly use glucose for energy, it must be converted to ___.

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

What are the two types of simple carbohydrates?

Monosaccharides
Disaccharides

What are the two types of complex carbohydrates?

Oligosaccharides
Polysaccharides

Which type of carbohydrate is this describing: Fast energy, but can lead to spikes/crashes.

Simple Carbohydrates

Which type of carbohydrate is this describing: Slower, steadier energy and more nutrients.

Complex carbohydrates

Which four main elements do proteins contain?

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen

Proteins are made up of what building blocks?

Amino acids

How many amino acids are essential and must come from the diet?

9

What enzyme in the stomach starts breaking down protein?

Pepsin

Where are amino acids absorbed into the body after digestion?

In the small intestine, into the blood.

What are the three important roles of protein in the body (other than energy)?

Building/repairing tissues.
Making enzymes/hormones.
Supporting immune function.

How much energy does 1 gram of protein provide?

4kcal per gram

Does the body store protein the same way it stores carbohydrates and fats?

No - extra amino acids are broken down, nitrogen is excreted, and the rets can be converted into glucose or fat

RDA of protein (g/day)?

0.8g/kg/day

Food and Nutrition Board recommends what protein percentage range of total caloric intake?

10-35%

Nutrition lables only lists the % Daily Value if the protein claims to be ____.

High

During exercise, at what point would protein be used as fuel?

When carb stores are nearly gone, the body may break down some protein (muscle tissue) for fuel. Very rare, and only in very long endurance events.

What are the 9 essential amino acids? PT HILL MTV

Phenylalanine
Tryptophan

Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine

Methionine
Threonine
Valine

Fats (lipids) are made up of what three elements? How is this different to carbs?

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
Like carbs, but with much more carbon and hydrogen - that’s why they hold more energy.

What are the three types of fats? what is each derived from?

Saturated fats - mainly animal products
Unsaturated fats - mainly plants and fish
Trans fats - artificially made

Unsaturated fats includes what two types?

Monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated 

What is the main type of fat found in food and the body? What is it composed of?

Triglycerides (glycerol + 3 fatty acids).

How many kcal of energy does 1 gram of fat provide?

9kcal per gram

Where in the body do fats begin to be broken down into triglycerides?

In the small intestine

What process in the small intestine helps break fat into tiny droplets for digestion?

Emulsification by bile.

Which enzyme breaks triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol?

Lipase

Where, and in what form, are fats mainly stored in the body?

As triglycerides in adipose tissue (body fat)
Inside muscle cells as intramuscular triglycerides

During what type of exercise does at become the main source of energy?

Prolonged, lower-intensity endurance exercise.

RDA for fats?

There is NO RDA

Food and Nutrition Board recommends what fats make up what percentage range of total caloric intake?

20-35%

Which stores more energy in the body - carbs or fat?

Fat - the body has larger fat stores

The basic building blocks of fats are called _____ _____.

Fatty acids

How many fatty acids attach to glycerol to form a triglyceride?

Three

Name two essential fatty acids that must come from the diet.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids

Total storage (g) for carbs (stored as glycogen) in the liver and muscles? Roughly what is this equal to in kcal?

400-500g, roughly equal to 1600-2000kcal

Once glycogen stores are full, can extra carbs be stored as glycogen?

No, the body converts excess carbs into fat through a process called lipogenesis. 

Where is the primary storage site for fat in the body?

Adipose tissue - as triglycerides. Found under the skin (subcutaneous fat) and around organs (visceral fat).

True or False:

Triglycerides, stored as adipose tissue, is the body’s long-term energy reserve.

True

What is the secondary storage for fat?

Intramuscular triglycerides - small amounts of fat stored inside muscle fibers.

Why are intramuscular triglycerides important for endurance exercise?

Muscles can tap directly into this fat supply

1kg of fat equates to roughly how much kcal of energy?

9000 kcal of energy.

Why is fat storage bigger than carb storage?

Glycogen binds water, therefore it’s bulky. 3g water per 1g glycogen. The body cannot store much.

Fat is compact and energy-dense. 9kcal/g, no water storage. Much easier to store in large amounts.

Which fuel is the body’s main source of energy at the start of exercise?

Carbohydrates (muscle glycogen first)

During prolonged, lower-intensity exercise, which fuel becomes the dominant source of energy?

Fat

Which fuel is the body’s “backup” and contributes the least to energy during exercise?

Protein

Why can’t fat be the main energy source during very high-intensity exercise (like sprinting)?

Because fat takes longer to break down - carbs provide faster energy.

Where is glycogen stored for exercise, and how is it used differently in the liver vs. muscles?

It is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
In the liver, it is broken down and released as glucose into the blood to fuel the whole body.
In the muscles, it is broken down and used only in that muscle for contraction.

Which fuel provides the most calories per gram?

Fat (9kcal/g) - carbs and protein provide 4 kcal/g.

If protein is not mainly used for energy, what is its main purpose?

Building and reparing.

Match the macronutrient to each phrase in an energy scenario:

Fast, preferred, limited.

Slow, long-lasting, huge supply.

Last resort

Carbs
Fats
Protein

Fats also have several important functions in the body. What role do they play concerning vitamins and sex hormones?

They help to transport vitamins.

They are required to produce sex hormones.

What are the two types of vitamins?

Fat-soluble - A,D,E,K

Water-soluble - B, C

Where are fat-soluble vitamins stored? What if it’s taken in excess?

Liver and fat tissue. Can build up if taken in excess.

Are water-soluble vitamins stored? What happens to excess?

Not stored much, extra is excreted in urine.
Need to be consumed more regularly.

What are the two requirements for a nutrient to be classified as a vitamin?

1 - The body cannot make enough of it on its own to maintain health.

2 - If you don’t get it for a long time, you develop a deficiency disease (e.g. no vitamin C = scurvy).

Are minerals organic nutrients?

No, they are inorganic.

Which are absorbed better: minerals from animal sources or plant sources?

Animal sources.

Why can minerals from plant sources sometimes be harder to absorb?

Because plants contain fiber and binders, and mineral content depends on soil quality.

Refined plant foods usually have _____ mineral content compared to whole plant foods.

Lower

Minerals are classified into which two groups?

Major minerals trace minerals.

Name one major mineral and one trace mineral.

Major = Calcium, sodium, potassium, etc.

Trace = Iron, zinc, iodine, etc.

Water makes up what % of body mass?

50-70%

Muscle is __% water.

Adipose is __% water.

73%

20%

Name two functions of water in the body.

Medium for chemical processes

Transports nutrients

Forms body fluids

Regulates temperature

Removes waste

What organ filters out waste using water to make urine?

The kidneys

How does water help in removing unusable substances?

It dissolves them so they can be excreted.

True or False:

Water directly provides energy to the body.

False - it has 0 calories, but it’s essential for processes that release energy.