Nutrition and Athletics

The term "nutrition" describes the method by which materials from the environment are consumed in order to provide the nutrients and energy necessary to support a healthy body (Wootten, 1988, 5). Nutrients, comprised of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, alcohol, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, dietary fiber and water, are found in varying quantities in all foods. No one food contains enough to meet the body's needs, however, so nutritionists say it is important to eat a wide variety of foods.

The other factor, energy, comes from the sun and is harnessed by green plants as they synthesize the complex organic substances of nutrients from simple inorganic materials, such as carbon dioxide and water, by a process known as pphotosynthesis (Wootten, 7). In man, all energy is obtained from plant sources either directly by eating cereals, fruit and vegetables or indirectly by eating animal tissue.

The idea of a "balanced" diet stems from the knowledge that an appropriate mixture of foods is necessary to provide the

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und in a wide variety of foods, including all grains, fruits and vegetables. Most doctors and nutritionists now recommend that a person eat a diet that is comprised of 55 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 15 percent protein and no more than 30 percent fat (Bakoulis, 76). However, on average, most American diets contain about 40 percent fat and are low in carbohydrates. Athletes have found that eating right gives them the competitive edge. As a result, better nutrition now seems to be important to athletes in all sports. A big push in this direction came several years ago when tennis champion Martina Navratilova gave credit to an improved diet for making her the best in the world. Today, many professionals have their own nutritionists. Some of the tips experts have found for better eating to win include the following: 1. Get enough calories. Not eating enough to support a high level of activity is one of the biggest mistakes an athlete can make. Many athletes double their calorie intake over the national average, with most coming from carbohydrates, not fats. Further, it is important to eat a high level of carbohydrates consistently, not sporadically as in loading up for an event. 2. Drink plenty of fluids. If t
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Approximate Word count = 1667
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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