food intake

• Calorie


  The amount of energy that foods provide
• Calories needed


  Based on the food we eat
• Food Nutrients to boost energy and fuel performance

  • Protein
  • Fats
  • Carbohydrates
• Protein


  • Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (only found in protein)
  • Essential for building every part of the body: the brain, heart, organs, skin, muscles, and blood
  • 4 calories per 1 gram of protein
  • Examples: chicken, fish, eggs, milk, beans
• Fats


  • Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
  • Serves as a protective layer around our vital organs and a good insulator against cold
  • Highly concentrated energy source and add flavor and juiciness to food
• Carbohydrates


  • Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
  • The simpler type of molecule
  • Simple carbohydrates are the most readily usable form of energy in the body
  • Complex carbohydrates are the starches that break down sugar for energy but are slower than simple carbohydrates
  • Used by muscles for fueling energy
• Other Nutrients for Body and Performance Improvement

  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
• Vitamins


  • Organic compounds that are essential in small amounts for growth and development
  • Act as enzymes that facilitate many of the body's processes
• Kinds of Minerals That Body Uses

  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Potassium
  • Sodium
  • Chromium
  • Selenium
• Iron


  Important in developing hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood
• Magnesium


  • Helps activate the enzymes needed for energy transfer
  • Needed for effective muscle contraction
  • Magnesium decreases or is consumed when exercise is done
  • The absence of magnesium results in twitching, tremors, and undue anxiety
• Calcium


  • Makes our teeth and bones strong
  • Necessary for nerve transmission, blood clotting, and muscle contractions
  • Having low levels of calcium will affect bone strength and can cause muscle cramps
• Potassium


  • Minerals for cell growth, regulating the balance of the blood, and regulating blood pressure
  • Potassium deficiency will impair nerve and muscle functions, causing conditions such as paralysis to minor weakness, loss of appetite, depression, apathy, drowsiness, confusion, heart failure, and even death
• Sodium


  • Great partner for potassium because they are both used in maintaining the body's water balance
  • Sodium is the major mineral in sweating; therefore, it needs to be increased when an athlete perspires a lot
• Chromium


  An antioxidant that helps regulate blood sugar, metabolized fats, and carbohydrates
• Selenium


  • Part of the essential enzyme, glutathione peroxidase
  • Works together with vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene
  • Selenium lessens microinjuries to the small muscle fibers
• Water and Hydration


  • Replacing our body fluids before, during, and after training or exercise is important
  • Lack of water in the body may lead to dehydration, which can affect your performance and health
• Great Timing for Eating

  1. Before an Activity

  2. During an Activity

  3. After an Activity
• Before an Activity

  • Increasing carbohydrates in the few days before the event is advisable
  • This helps increase the amount of glycogen produced and stored in the muscles
• During an Activity

  • Just drink fluid, preferably water, to replace lost fluid
  • Both caffeine and alcohol should be avoided because they dehydrate the body
  • You should avoid eating while training
• After an Activity


  • Continue to replace body fluids, but do not rush yourself to eat
  • Wait a couple of hours before you eat and replace the energy you consumed