Chapter 16: Physical Fitness and Nutrition
Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Ability to sustain cardiorespiratory exercise for an extended time.
Measured by VO2max, indicating maximum oxygen consumption.
Benefits include improved body composition and reduced heart disease risk.
Muscular Strength and Endurance
Strength: Ability to produce force briefly; Endurance: Exert force over time.
Strength training involves heavy weights with low reps; Endurance with light weights and high reps.
Rest between sets and workouts to prevent overworking muscles and injuries.
Flexibility and Body Composition
Flexibility: Range of motion around joints, enhanced through stretching.
Body composition: Proportion of muscle, fat, water, and tissues in the body.
Balanced body composition crucial for overall health and fitness.
FITT Principle
Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type guide program design.
Frequency: How often activities are performed per week.
Intensity: Degree of difficulty, categorized as low, moderate, or vigorous.
Time: Duration of activity; Type: Specific activity performed.
Progressive Overload Principle
Enhances fitness by challenging the body with varied workouts.
Prevents fitness plateau by adjusting frequency, intensity, time, or exercise type.
Ensures continual improvement and adaptation to exercise routines.
Energy Sources during Exercise
Anaerobic energy production for quick, intense activities.
Aerobic metabolism uses a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy.
Carbohydrates are primary for high-intensity exercise, fat for low to moderate intensity.
Carbohydrate Utilization
Blood glucose and muscle glycogen are key energy sources.
Depletion affects performance; Carbohydrate loading optimizes glycogen stores.
Different types of carbohydrates for immediate and pre-exercise consumption.
Fat and Protein Importance
Fat as energy source during low to moderate intensity exercise.
Protein crucial for muscle building and repair, especially in athletes.
Protein needs vary based on activity level, with higher requirements for athletes.
Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Allow digestion time before exercise to avoid discomfort.
Balanced meals provide necessary energy for optimal performance.
Timing and composition of meals impact energy levels and workout efficiency.
Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Allow time for digestion: 3-4 hours for large meals, 2-3 hours for smaller meals, 30 min to 1 hour for liquid supplements/snacks.
Consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during exercise lasting over 1 hour.
Before exercise, intake 1-4.5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight 1-4 hours prior; focus on simple carbohydrates.
Avoid high-fat foods before exercise; consume moderate protein with carbohydrates for muscle glycogen synthesis.
Nutrition During Exercise
Start consuming food early in exercise to maintain blood glucose levels and delay glycogen depletion.
Recommendations: 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour; endurance athletes may need up to 90 g per hour.
Prefer sports drinks, bars, and gels; avoid fructose for reduced GI distress; combine carbohydrate and protein for net protein balance.
Consume carbohydrate to replenish glycogen post-exercise; include protein for muscle protein synthesis.
Post-Exercise Recovery Nutrition
Consume carbohydrate within 30-45 minutes post-exercise; follow with protein and a low-fat, moderate-protein, high-carbohydrate meal within 2 hours.
Consider low-fat chocolate milk for whey protein and carbohydrate post-exercise recovery.
Antioxidants and Exercise
Vitamins E and C protect cells from exercise-induced damage by free radicals.
Deficiencies in minerals like iron and calcium can impact highly active individuals.
Iron is crucial for energy metabolism and oxygen transport; supplementation may be necessary, especially for women with low levels due to menstruation.
Calcium and Fitness
Calcium reduces bone injury risk and may be lost in sweat, necessitating adequate dietary intake.
Supplementation is advised only if dietary sources are insufficient to meet recommended levels.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are generally unnecessary if a balanced diet is maintained.
The Female Athlete Triad
Involves low energy availability, amenorrhea, and decreased bone density in active females.
Caused by disordered eating, low calorie intake, and hormonal imbalances.
Manifests as stress fractures and other health issues.
Fluid Intake and Performance
Adequate fluid intake optimizes performance, prevents dehydration, and maintains electrolyte balance.
Replace electrolytes lost during exercise to avoid heat cramps, low blood pressure, and edema.
Fluid needs vary with weather conditions and exercise intensity.
Fluid Intake Guidelines
Consume fluids before, during, and after exercise; aim for 20-24 ounces per pound of body weight lost during exercise.
Sports drinks with carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium are beneficial for longer exercises; water suffices for shorter durations.
Avoid suboptimal beverages like juice, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and caffeine during physical activity.
Risks of Inadequate or Excessive Hydration
Too little fluid intake can lead to dehydration; thirst is not a reliable indicator.
Chronic dehydration may result from prolonged inadequate fluid consumption.
Excessive fluid intake without electrolytes can cause hyponatremia, leading to various symptoms.
Ergogenic Aids Overview
Ergogenic aids like creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate, amino acids, and sports drinks are used to enhance athletic performance.
Creatine improves strength and muscle mass but may cause water retention and side effects at high doses.
Caffeine boosts endurance performance but has no effect on short-duration events; excessive intake is regulated in sports.
Supplement Considerations
Bicarbonate may counter pH drops during intense exercise but can cause digestive issues.
Amino acid supplementation aids recovery but does not significantly enhance performance.
Sports bars and shakes, while convenient, should not replace whole foods in the diet for optimal nutrition.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Ability to sustain cardiorespiratory exercise for an extended time.
Measured by VO2max, indicating maximum oxygen consumption.
Benefits include improved body composition and reduced heart disease risk.
Muscular Strength and Endurance
Strength: Ability to produce force briefly; Endurance: Exert force over time.
Strength training involves heavy weights with low reps; Endurance with light weights and high reps.
Rest between sets and workouts to prevent overworking muscles and injuries.
Flexibility and Body Composition
Flexibility: Range of motion around joints, enhanced through stretching.
Body composition: Proportion of muscle, fat, water, and tissues in the body.
Balanced body composition crucial for overall health and fitness.
FITT Principle
Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type guide program design.
Frequency: How often activities are performed per week.
Intensity: Degree of difficulty, categorized as low, moderate, or vigorous.
Time: Duration of activity; Type: Specific activity performed.
Progressive Overload Principle
Enhances fitness by challenging the body with varied workouts.
Prevents fitness plateau by adjusting frequency, intensity, time, or exercise type.
Ensures continual improvement and adaptation to exercise routines.
Energy Sources during Exercise
Anaerobic energy production for quick, intense activities.
Aerobic metabolism uses a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy.
Carbohydrates are primary for high-intensity exercise, fat for low to moderate intensity.
Carbohydrate Utilization
Blood glucose and muscle glycogen are key energy sources.
Depletion affects performance; Carbohydrate loading optimizes glycogen stores.
Different types of carbohydrates for immediate and pre-exercise consumption.
Fat and Protein Importance
Fat as energy source during low to moderate intensity exercise.
Protein crucial for muscle building and repair, especially in athletes.
Protein needs vary based on activity level, with higher requirements for athletes.
Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Allow digestion time before exercise to avoid discomfort.
Balanced meals provide necessary energy for optimal performance.
Timing and composition of meals impact energy levels and workout efficiency.
Pre-Exercise Nutrition
Allow time for digestion: 3-4 hours for large meals, 2-3 hours for smaller meals, 30 min to 1 hour for liquid supplements/snacks.
Consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during exercise lasting over 1 hour.
Before exercise, intake 1-4.5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight 1-4 hours prior; focus on simple carbohydrates.
Avoid high-fat foods before exercise; consume moderate protein with carbohydrates for muscle glycogen synthesis.
Nutrition During Exercise
Start consuming food early in exercise to maintain blood glucose levels and delay glycogen depletion.
Recommendations: 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour; endurance athletes may need up to 90 g per hour.
Prefer sports drinks, bars, and gels; avoid fructose for reduced GI distress; combine carbohydrate and protein for net protein balance.
Consume carbohydrate to replenish glycogen post-exercise; include protein for muscle protein synthesis.
Post-Exercise Recovery Nutrition
Consume carbohydrate within 30-45 minutes post-exercise; follow with protein and a low-fat, moderate-protein, high-carbohydrate meal within 2 hours.
Consider low-fat chocolate milk for whey protein and carbohydrate post-exercise recovery.
Antioxidants and Exercise
Vitamins E and C protect cells from exercise-induced damage by free radicals.
Deficiencies in minerals like iron and calcium can impact highly active individuals.
Iron is crucial for energy metabolism and oxygen transport; supplementation may be necessary, especially for women with low levels due to menstruation.
Calcium and Fitness
Calcium reduces bone injury risk and may be lost in sweat, necessitating adequate dietary intake.
Supplementation is advised only if dietary sources are insufficient to meet recommended levels.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are generally unnecessary if a balanced diet is maintained.
The Female Athlete Triad
Involves low energy availability, amenorrhea, and decreased bone density in active females.
Caused by disordered eating, low calorie intake, and hormonal imbalances.
Manifests as stress fractures and other health issues.
Fluid Intake and Performance
Adequate fluid intake optimizes performance, prevents dehydration, and maintains electrolyte balance.
Replace electrolytes lost during exercise to avoid heat cramps, low blood pressure, and edema.
Fluid needs vary with weather conditions and exercise intensity.
Fluid Intake Guidelines
Consume fluids before, during, and after exercise; aim for 20-24 ounces per pound of body weight lost during exercise.
Sports drinks with carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium are beneficial for longer exercises; water suffices for shorter durations.
Avoid suboptimal beverages like juice, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and caffeine during physical activity.
Risks of Inadequate or Excessive Hydration
Too little fluid intake can lead to dehydration; thirst is not a reliable indicator.
Chronic dehydration may result from prolonged inadequate fluid consumption.
Excessive fluid intake without electrolytes can cause hyponatremia, leading to various symptoms.
Ergogenic Aids Overview
Ergogenic aids like creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate, amino acids, and sports drinks are used to enhance athletic performance.
Creatine improves strength and muscle mass but may cause water retention and side effects at high doses.
Caffeine boosts endurance performance but has no effect on short-duration events; excessive intake is regulated in sports.
Supplement Considerations
Bicarbonate may counter pH drops during intense exercise but can cause digestive issues.
Amino acid supplementation aids recovery but does not significantly enhance performance.
Sports bars and shakes, while convenient, should not replace whole foods in the diet for optimal nutrition.
