There are six major nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water) necessary for a healthy body. A deficiency in any one of these nutrients can reduce chances of success in reaching fitness goals.
- 1. Carbohydrates are any of a group of chemical compounds including sugars, starches, fiber, and containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen with a 2:1 hydrogen-to-oxygen atom ratio.
a. The glycemic index refers to the relative degree to which blood sugar increases after the consumption of food.
b. Fiber is a compound that only plants contain. Dietary fiber only comes from plant foods (grains, oats, fruits); it is never in animal foods (meats, dairy).
- 2. Proteins are any of a group of complex nitrogenous organic compounds that have amino acids as their basic structural units. Proteins are found in ALL living matter and are required for the growth and repair of all animal tissue. Protein is an organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.
a. Whey is known as the anabolic protein because it increases protein synthesis with a greater efficiency than other sources. There are three different types of whey proteins, whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate.
b. Casein and whey are both derived from milk. Casein has a lesser value of nitrogen retention than whey but it does release more slowly into the bloodstream. Casein’s value as a protein of choice for late evening consumption is its strong point.
c. According to the research, 0.8 grams a day per pound of bodyweight is a good range in which to maintain positive nitrogen balance and enable the trainee to continue to make muscular gains.
- 3. Fats are any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds comprising the glyceride esters, ketones, and related compounds of fatty acids and associated sterols, alcohols, hydrocarbons. Fats are classified as free fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol.
a. MCTs are fatty acids produced from coconut oil and palm kernels (among others). These fatty acids are more rapidly absorbed than long-chain triglycerides.
b. Cholesterol (complex 4-ringed structure) functions in cell membranes and is the starting material for building bile salts, vitamin D, and steroids.
- 4. Vitamins are relatively complex organic substances found in plant and animal tissue, which are required in small quantities for controlling metabolic processes.
a. Water-soluble vitamins include B and C.
b. Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K.
- 5. Minerals are naturally occurring homogenous inorganic substances with a specific chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure.
- 6. Water is the most abundant substance in your body. All of your cells are soaked in water. Water makes up 55 to 75 percent of your total bodyweight.
a. I do recommend eight to twelve glasses of water per day.
b. Dehydration is a depletion of electrolyte levels (sodium and potassium) and the loss of water from the body.
c. I do recommend that you drink 16 ounces of water for every pound of weight lost during exercise. (It takes your body 15 to 20 minutes to absorb 16 ounces of water).
More about Nutrients and How Nutrients Work go to: NUTRILITE
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