SPORTS AND NUTRITION
Content
• Balanced Diet and Nutrition: Macro and Micro Nutrients
• Nutritive and Non- Nutritive Components of Diet
• Eating for Weight control – A Healthy Weight, The Pitfalls of Dieting, Food Intolarance and Food Myths
Learning Outcomes
After studying this unit, the students will be able to:
• understand the concept of balanced diet and nutrition
• classify Nutritive and Non-Nutritive components of Diet
• identify the ways to maintain healthy weight
• know about foods commonly causing food intolerance
• recognize the pitfalls of dieting and food myths
2.1.1 Nutrition
It is well known that food is essential for survival. Food refers to any substance that nourishes our body or in other words, it is anything that we can digest, absorb and utilize, for various physiological functions of the body including growth and development . Since the time of conception in the mother's womb, providing energy for our sustenance, regulating activities of the body and repairing day to day wear and tear, the role of food is enormous. Food provides nutrition to the body. Hence, Nutrition is the science of food and a study of the process that includes everything happens to food from the time it is eaten until it is used for various functions in the body. It is the scientific study of foods and the nutrients therein; their action and interaction and balance, in health and diseases. It is the study of ingestion, digestion, absorption, utilisation and assimilation of nutrients present in food.
When we see any food product we recognise it as chapatti, rice, dhal, ladyfinger, apple etc.but as the food enters our mouth it starts breaking down and our body identifies it as different chemicals present therein. These chemical substances which are present in food are called nutrients. Nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals,water and fibre (roughage). Different food stuffs contain these nutrients in different amounts and proportions and our body needs each nutrient in a certain specific amount for various physiological functions and overall growth and development.
Nutrients, as mentioned earlier are those chemical substances in foods that are required by the body for energy, growth and maintenance. Nutrients can be broadly classified as macroand micro-nutrients depending upon their daily requirements by the body. Some nutrients are needed in larger amounts, these are called macronutrients. Nutrients like Carbohydrates, proteins and fats along with water are macronutrients. Other nutrients like vitamins and minerals are required in small amounts and are called micronutrients. Although these are required in smaller amounts but they are all equally essential for our health. Each of these nutrients plays a significant role in the body.
Macronutrients are required by the body in relatively large amounts. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are macronutrients and are also called ‘proximate principles’ because they form the main bulk of the diet. In Indian meals, they contribute to the total energy intake in the following proportion: carbohydrates: 55-60%; protein: 10-15% and fats: 20-30%. Water does not provide energy but is a vital nutrient required in large quantity for functioning of metabolic processes in the body and various regulatory functions. Therefore, it is also considered a macronutrient.
2.1.2 Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are organic compounds made up of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Carbohydrates are a major source of energy and provide 4kcal per gram. Carbohydrates are found in abundance in plant foods. There are three types of carbohydratesmonosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple single units of sugars like glucose, fructose and galactose. Disaccharides are when two monosaccharides are combined together; these are maltose (glucose + glucose), lactose (glucose + galactose) and sucrose (glucose + fructose). Simple sugars (mono and disaccharides) are found in fruits (sucrose, glucose and fructose), milk (lactose) and sweets that are produced commercially and added to foods to sweeten, prevent spoilage, or improve structure and texture.
Polysaccharides are more than two units of monosaccharides joined together. These are starches and fibre (cellulose). These are also called complex sugars and are found in whole grain cereals, rice, oats, potatoes, bread, legumes, corn and flour.
All these carbohydrates have to be broken down to the smallest unit ie., glucose to get absorbed and utilised in the body. However, cellulose and other large carbohydrate molecules cannot be digested in the human digestive tract, and are termed as fibre or nonavailable carbohydrates. Sugars and starches can be digested and utilised for various bodily functions, hence are known as available carbohydrates. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates are healthier than low-fibre diets based on refined and processed food.
Sources of carbohydrates are pasta, rice, cereal grains, breads, milk, fruit, root vegetables,sugar and products that are sweetened like jams, jellies etc., honey, jaggery. Fibre is present in whole grains cereal (whole wheat atta), whole pulses, green leafy vegetables, peas,carrot, beans and other vegetables, fruits like guava, apple, orange, pineapple etc.
Do you Know?
Carbohydrates are essential in the diet to prevent ketosis
Diets for weight-loss usually recommend avoiding carbohydrates. It is however, essential to have at least 50-100gm of carbohydrate per day for complete oxidation of fat and avoidance of excessive production of ketone bodies. Inadequate supply of carbohydrates causes break down of body fat reserves for energy. This not only supplies energy but also produces ketone bodies. Some ketone bodies are used by muscle and other tissues for energy, but when produced in excess they accumulate in blood and cause ketosis (disturbance of normal acid- base balance). This condition is generally seen in Diabetics and is a life- threatening situation.
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