Nutrition & Calories Linn-Mar High School Strength Training and Fitness

What is Nutrition? Is it Important  Nutrition is the food you intake (your diet)  Yes, it is VERY important!  In terms of fitness and wellness, in many ways its equally (if not more) important than exercise!

A CALORIE = Basis of it All!  A Calorie = Energy  Our bodies need energy to function and stay alive  That energy comes from the food we eat  One Calorie equates to the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of one Kg of water, one degree Celsius

How Many Calories do I need?  On Avg, your body needs 1800 calories per day, just to stay alive.  With normal daily life, your body will need more’  If you are extremely active, you could need as many as 3500 to 4000 calories per day.  It all depends on the individual

Basic Nutrients  Carbohydrates  Fats  Proteins  Water  Vitamins  Minerals

Carbohydrates  1 Gram of Carbohydrates = 4 Calories  Primary energy source for your body  Can be eaten and used for energy  2 Kinds of Carbs  Complex: grains, breads, cereal, fruits, vegetables (the good kind!)  Simple: Sugars (Not so good, little nutritional value

Fats  1 Gram of fat = 9 Calories  Very Dense Energy Source  Is also used to cushion the body’s organs  2 Kinds:  Saturated: From animal sources (bad kind - LDL)  Unsaturated: From Plants (good kind - HDL)

Proteins  1 Gram of Protein = 4 Calories  Are not used for energy  Are the building blocks for tissue growth, development and repair  Sources  Animal: Meat, eggs, dairy, fish, poultry (high quality)  Plant: Nuts, grains, some vegetables (lower quality)

WATER  Is EXTREMELY important  80% of your body is made up of water. Its stored everywhere  It is used in virtually all bodily functions  You should drink at least a ½ gallon of water per day (8-8 oz cups of water)  Thirst is not an indicator of dehydration.

Daily Requirements  Carbohydrates = 60% of calories (more complex, less simple)  Protein = 15% or more  Fat = 25% or less (more unsaturated, less saturated)

Does Nutrition Affect Body Composition?  If you expend the same amount of Calories you take in, your weight will stay the same.  If you expend MORE calories than you take in, you will lose weight.  If you TAKE IN MORE than you expend, you will gain weight.

Calories in 1 Pound  1 Pound = 3,500 Calories  To lose 1 Pound, you need to expend 3500 more calories than you take in  To gain 1 Pound, you need to take in 3500 more calories than what you expend.

Nutrition Assignment  Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)  The amount of calories your body needs at rest  Active Metabolic Rate (AMR)  Amount of calories you expend through different types of activities throughout the day  articles/bmr.html articles/bmr.html