Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category
The Importance of Bodybuilding Nutrition
Nutrition is everything in body building. It is the single most important part of body building. The body is stimulated to grow using exercises but the growth is achieved through proper nutrition. Without proper nutrition, even the most effective training routine will not achieve results. The success of a body builder, contrary to popular believe, is in the plate not in the weight room. These two elements of body building must however be balanced and adequately catered for in a body building program.
The champions know it. They practice it, and more importantly they live it. That is why they are champions. The former Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, said it better in 1965. He said, “Body building is a constituted of over 90% nutritional provision”. The body building legend, Shawn Ray, repeated the same purified wisdom in 1993. He said, “I can easily lift the weights, hit the gym and attend to my training. I think I can even do that in my sleep. But it is the other stuff that makes it a tough bone to chew. Body building success is in the dieting, the supplementation and in the dieting again. Here, the demands of discipline and consistency are what makes muscles in my body so precious.”
These two among other prominent body building pace setters of the last one decade, ought to know what they are speaking about. They know what it takes to succeed in the pursuit of muscles. They know the cost, the price that they themselves had had to pay to be the legends they were and still are. If success in body building can be measured and achievements tallied, then these professionals really know what they mean when they say theta nutritional sense is the only route towar4ds body building success.
Nutrition is primarily determined by what we eat, how often we eat it, when we eat it and sometimes even, how much of it we eat. Professional body builders who ever walk the stage and gain the trophy usually measure and look every single bite they ever put in their mouths. They determine the course towards that trophy by being stringent and meticulous about their diets.
Nutrition perfection in body building results from dedicated efforts, relentless persistence, painstaking consistence and an amazing level of exactitude. Even among armatures, nutrition remains the key ingredient to muscle gains. When a body builder neglects nutrition, when he or she fails to adopt a scientific program on nutrition, he or she devolves the body building regimen into one of purely training for weight. The difference between most fat loss programs in practice today is largely in the nutrition plans followed and not essentially on the exercises.
When we talk of nutrition, we mean the types of foods eaten. Are they natural or synthetic? What nutritional components does each have? Proteins, minerals, carbohydrates? How much of each component does the food have? How much of the food is eaten in one day? How much of each component is included in each meal? At what time should the food or the nutrient be consumed and at what ratios? How often should a body builder eat? How should he or she balance the nutrients in each meal? Now, when we talk of such issues, we talk nutrition. Each body builder should endeavor to design and maintain the optimal nutrition program specifically targeted at his or her body building objectives.
Cherry Nutrition
High levels of cherry nutrition are a very important reason why millions of people are starting to include cherries as part of their healthy diet. Tart cherries, or sour cherries as they are also known, can be consumed in many different forms, including juice, dried, or frozen, and cherries are often used for cooking or in jams. Wild cherries can be eaten fresh.
Apart from being exceptionally tasty, cherries contain zero amounts of fat, cholesterol, or salt, all of which are major factors in diet related health problems such as heart disease and obesity.
One portion of cherries contains 12% of the recommended amounts of carbohydrate, which makes them a good source of healthy energy. They also contain 16% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, plus smaller amounts of Vitamin A, calcium, and iron, as well as trace amounts of a multitude of other vitamins and minerals.
Cherries are a known source of high levels of anthocyanins and antioxidants, which offer a number of great health benefits. Anthocyanins give cherries the distinctive red color and have been compared to ibuprofen and aspirin for their powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Studies have shown that cherries in the form of juice are very effective at reducing the inflammation and discomfort experienced by athletes following strenuous exercise.
The anthocyanins in cherries can have a positive effect on controlling diabetes as well as reducing the symptoms. Studies on mice have indicated that anthocyanins from cherries can increase insulin production by 50%, which means that cherries could be useful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Scientific studies on the benefits of sour cherry nutrition have shown that they are a rich source of other phenolic antioxidant compounds including gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, and quercetin. Research has proven that these compounds are an effective tool in the fight against cancer. Cherries have also been linked to a reduction in the incidence of colon and other intestinal cancers.
Cherries have been found to contain higher levels of beta carotene compared to other similar fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. Cherries, particularly the black variety, are known to reduce the symptoms of gout. Sufferers of gout and arthritis often experience a significant reduction of their symptoms following a cherry enriched diet.
Cherries also contain melatonin, which is an important factor in regulating natural sleep patterns. If taken as part of a healthy diet, cherries can help to relieve the symptoms of jet lag, as well as encourage effective sleep cycles, all of which can help to prevent long term health problems.
Recent important studies on the links between cherry nutrition and heart health benefits has shown that consuming a cherry enriched diet helped to significantly lower the overall body weight and body fat, especially the unhealthy “belly fat”. It also helped to reduce cholesterol risk factors and the inflammation that is associated with heart disease.
Since obesity is strongly linked to heart disease in the western world, increasing the amount of cherries in the average diet could well be the key to reducing the levels of heart disease amongst the adult population.
If you are a cherry lover, our website has a world of information about cherries, their health benefits and much more. We even include a few special recipes.
www.cherrieshealthbenefits.com
Nutrition in Sports and Healthy Living
A conference was held in Lausanne in 2003 on Sport nutrition, organised by International Olympic Committee. The meeting was attended by scientists, doctors, dietitians and many other experts and professionals on the topic. Also in attendance was Frankie Fredricks (one of the world’s all-time greatest sprinters) who made sure the issue was much practical. The conference was clear about the role and importance of nutrition in healthy living and sport. Resultantly, it was decided that each athlete taking part in the 2004 edition of the Olympics would be given a booklet on practical guidance on nutrition in sport. This suggests something about the imperatives of good and complete diet which needs to be carefully noted and studied.
The importance and impacts of good nutrition can not be exaggerated nor should it be underestimated. Sportsmen and sportswomen, and indeed active people should take nutrition seriously. Until recently, only body-builders took nutrition as a priority for optimum performance. For healthy living, nutrition is important but for a great performance in sport, it is indispensable. This eventually may determine winning or losing.
The nutrients needed majorly are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. Different sports have different needs. The requirements of these nutrients stretch between pre-exercise, during-exercise and post-exercise. An athlete’s diets should be the same with that which are needed by the generality, but due to intense training, he/she needs an increase in the amount of nutrients needed.
Nutrition is essentially important for energy (before exercise), recovery, repair, and growth (after exercise).
CARBOHYDRATE
Carbohydrate should be the basis of an athlete’s diet. It is important for storing glycogen. Glycogen is very important as a source of energy for the body. If carbohydrate is lacking, there will be a poor performance due to poor glycogen stores in the muscles and liver. Example of carbohydrate-rich food are bread, pasta, cereal, sports drinks. Eating large amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods can sometimes be difficult for an athlete but this can be conquered by eating smaller, more frequent meals thereby spreading food intake over the day and adding more refined carbohydrate sources such as sports drinks, liquid meal, fruit juices, honey and so on to add to the needed carbohydrates.
PROTEIN
Protein is also an important part of training diet. It performs an important role in post-exercise recovery and repair of broken-down cells. Protein can be derived from plants and animals. Food like fish, egg, milk, chicken, beans are baked beans are rich in protein. Undue emphasis on consumption of protein-rich food should be avoided to prevent
(I) Kidney failure (ii) weight gain (if the food is high in fat).
FATS AND OILS
Fats and oils are concentrated source of energy. They are good for delaying pangs of hunger because a food mixture containing fat remains longer in stomach. Therefore, this helps an athlete to stay long in training and delays fatigue. Margarine, butter, fried chips, chocolate, crisps, biscuits and pastries are some of the food containing fats and oils. However, an excess fat may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are very important both in sports and healthy living. Though there are several vitamins, almost all are needed for strong bone and teeth, and healthy body. For instance, vitamin A is needed for strong bones, good vision and healthy skin. Vitamin D helps calcium and phosphorus to form, strong bones and teeth. Vitamin B helps to maintain healthy skin and a well-functioning nervous system. Vitamin C is essential for healthy teeth, gums and blood vessels. Vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables.
MINERALS
Minerals are inorganic; they are neither animal nor plant. Most minerals are easy to obtain in quantities required by the body because almost all foods contribute to a varied intake of needed minerals. Calcium is a form of minerals and it is needed for strong bones and teeth, and blood clothing. Other important minerals are sodium, potassium, iodine, magnesium, zinc and copper.
WATER
Water makes up about 60% of an adult’s body weight. It helps to regulate body temperature especially during and after training. It also helps in many chemical reactions. High fluid intakes are needed to replace fluid loss from sweat and energy expenditure during and after exercise. Some studies have shown that an athlete that drinks water before thirst stays cooler and performs better than one who drinks on thirst. Therefore, the thirst mechanism should not be relied upon as an indication to drink in order to avoid dehydration which may hinder an athlete’s performance. It is advised and suggested that an athlete drink 400 – 600ml 2 to 3 hours before exercise, 150 – 250ml every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise and 450 – 600ml for 0.5kg of weight lost after exercise.
Incase of deficiency in any of these nutrients, natural food supplements may be needed. However, it should be taken under medical supervision. While natural food supplements work with the body, drugs work on the body. Moreover, it should be noted that excess or lack of any of these nutrients can be very dangerous and disastrous. It should be noted that the intake of a well balanced diet will make unnecessary the use of food supplements.
Diet should be well planned and balanced to optimise athletic performance, delay fatigue and aid recovery. This will also ensure good and healthy living. A good nutrition keeps one away from doctor. “Prevention is better than cure” goes that popular and famous cliche.