The relatively new science of nutrition is taking on a much larger role in athletics today. The current fitness and health food craze has dramatized the potential danger poor nutrition can have on performance. The purpose of this report will be to discuss the nutritional needs of athletes, both professional and amateur. Included in the study will be a look at the latest information on elements of nutrition such as vitamin needs, diets and liquid requirements.
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 body with minimum amounts of both nutrients and energy. By ensuring that several different foods are consumed, the body's necessary requirements will be met. Athletics has taken the concept of a balanced diet a step further, converting it to a science in an attempt to achieve that edge of success.
The search for the proper nutrition in sports has been around since ancient times. Charmis of Sparta, winner of the Olympics in 668 B.C., is supposed to have...