Essay on Physical Education. Sports Nutrition Paper.

Professional athletes and irregular athletes require nutrition for their athletic performance. Using the right diet for athletes enhances optimization of their energy levels and helping the body recovering more effectively (Hooper, 2011). Energy foods are used to fuel the body during the exercise. Athletes should supply the body with enough energy in (kilojoules) to meet the demand and to enable effective recovery between exercise sessions. When training or competition, there is an increased daily energy requirement and this depends on the duration, type, and intensity of the exercise or activity at the moment (Hooper, 2011). Prolonged exercises demand extra energy and therefore more energy foods are required to meet the body demand. The type of activity varies from light to heavy tasks and depending on this, heavy activities drive the body for more energy as compared to light activities. Concerning the intensity of the exercise, some activities require more endurance and therefore leading the body demanding for extra energy. Endurance athletes for example runners are supposed to take more calories and based on their body weight, gender, and duration, men should take 6-10% more calories than women. Men require more calories than women concerning body function and repair since they are muscular (Smith, Holmes, & McAllister, 2015). This report will compare the dietary intake of a specific athlete and give recommendations based on the recommended dietary needs.

Michael is an athlete, and he spends 45 minutes daily for exercise. This is an endurance exercise that requires sufficient energy. He is 19 years old, weighs 160 pounds, and 6 feet tall. The table below illustrates a two-day follow-up on nutrient intake. The investigation focused on major nutrients regarding calories intake that included carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fluids.

Current Dietary Intake Values in calories Recommended Dietary Needs

Carbohydrates 2000 60% = 2433.9

Proteins 400 15% = 608.475

Fats 600 25% = 1014.125

Fluids 2.5 L 2.5 L

Total Calories 3000 4056.5

Table 1: (Baker, Heaton, Nuccio, & Stein, 2014)

From the current dietary intake and as compared to the recommended dietary needs, this particular athlete needs to increase the total calorie intake as well as the fluid intake to facilitate good performance in his activities. Again, the increase calorie intake will also ensure there is sufficient energy for the endurance and recovery from the fatigue after the athletic activities. By increasing the total calorie intake, the athlete will also be required to balance the dietary micro-components according to the nutritional standards.

Recommended Dietary Intake

Endurance athletes for instance runners like Michael, require more calories based on their body weight and the distance covered in that day. Unlike other people who eat and rest, athletes and other sportspersons who take part in endurance exercise require above 3,000 calories per day. People who eat and rest require only 1,600 to 3,000 calories in a day (Baker et al., 2014). The difference in the number of calories can, therefore, be accounted for concerning the body demand for energy. Concerning endurance, athletes participating in cycling, marathon, swimming, and rowing have the highest need concerning the total calories in a day (3,000- 8,000) as compared to other sportspersons such as footballers and basketball players (3,000-4,500) (Baker et al., 2014). Endurance athletes should have the most calories because they compete for hours but other groups like basketball players go hard for shorter durations. Additionally, as much as energy is essential for athletes, a balanced diet is recommended, and it should contain the three macronutrients namely carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The three macronutrients are the main sources of calories. Athletes also require fluids to maintain their electrolyte balance in the body since they lose a lot of water during the field activities. Carbohydrates and protein produce about four calories per gram while fat provides nine calories per gram (Baker et al., 2014).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches, and they are the main source of energy for the body (Montfort-Steiger & Williams, 2007). The body also stores excess carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in both muscles and the liver. The stored glycogen supplements the body with sugars when levels get down. Athletes should balance their plates 45% to 65% carbohydrates. About eight calories of glycogen are then stored in the liver which can supply the energy required to run for approximately two hours. Additional carbohydrates are therefore required to sustain the body during the long races. Lack of supplementary energy stored in the body can lead to depletion, dizziness, and fatigue (Montfort-Steiger & Williams, 2007).

Proteins

Proteins also provide calories and are very important for athletes because they enhance performance during prolonged activities by promoting sparing of muscle glycogen as well as aiding in fluid uptake (Purcell & Canadian Paediatric Society, 2013). During digestion, proteins are broken down into amino acids which are bodybuilding blocks and are responsible for maintaining our muscles, bones, and other tissues. As a source of energy also, they provide four calories per gram. Proteins are never the primary sources of energy, but as the athlete prolongs the exercise duration, they help in maintaining the blood glucose through liver gluconeogenesis. They can also help in reducing hunger during longer efforts, especially in longer races. Contrary, excess of proteins can be harmful to the athlete because they slow gastric emptying which can lead to precipitation of nutrients, stomach distress, and muscle fatigue. Athletes, therefore, require about 12-25% of proteins in their daily food intake for better performance (Purcell & Canadian Paediatric Society, 2013).

Fats

Fat is an essential macronutrient because it enhances absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) to provide essential fatty acids, insulation, and protection of vital organs. It is a calorie-dense source of energy whereby they produce nine calories per gram. The dietary intake should comprise about 25-35% fats for an athlete (Earnest & Rasmussen, 2015).

Fluids

Fluids, particularly water, are essential nutrients for athletes (Arnaoutis et al., 2015). They help in regulation of body temperature as well as replacement of sweat loses during athletic activities. The fluid demand varies with environmental temperature and humidity because they affect how people sweat and the fluid intake. Dehydration can lead to reduced performance, and it puts the athletes at risk for heat stroke (Kenefick & Cheuvront, 2012). Athletes require proper hydration before, during, and after the exercise that can be achieved by taking 400-600 ml of cold water before, 150-300 ml every fifteen minutes during the exercise more than 60 minutes long, and 1.5 liters following the activities (Arnaoutis et al., 2015).

Specific Nutrition Recommendations

Michaels athletic performance requires endurance because he spends about 45 minutes for exercise in a day. Based on endurance, one should take enough amounts of calories and fluid to sustain the energy and fluids demand. To determine the specific nutrition recommendations, the calculation below was used.

Daily calories needed

Weight= 160 pounds

(i) Weight in (Kg) = 160/2.2= 72.7 kg

(ii) Multiply the answer by the BMR factor (0.9 for females and 1.0 for males).

72.7 X 1.0 = 72.7 calories per hour.

(iii) Multiply the answer by the No. of hours in a day

= 72.7 X 24 = 1708 calories per day.

NB. This is the basic calories required per day to perform basic functions at rest.

Based on the activity, Michael is involved in exceptional activities that require a lot of endurance. The following table provides factors based on daily activities.

Activity Level Females Males

Sedentary 0.30 0.325

Light 0.50 0.60

Moderate 0.60 0.725

Heavy 0.90 1.05

Exceptional 1.20 1.375

Table 2. (Smith, Holmes, & McAllister, 2015)

Using the factor for exceptional activity (1.375),

Calories per day X activity factor = No. of extra calories needed.

1.375 X 1708 = 2348.5 calories

The specific caloric intake for Michael per day when exercising for 45 minutes should be:

Extra calories needed + number of calories per day

= 2348.5 + 1708 = 4056.5 calories.

According to the nutritional requirements, Michael doesnt meet the specific recommendations for carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. For better performance and to sustain a better health for his body, he is supposed to increase the amounts of each macronutrient and also maintain the percentage proportions. Depending on the daily activity, energy foods are essential for better performance and endurance (Baker et al., 2014). According to the nutrition recommendations, Michael will also be required to use light sources of carbohydrates because they are the major sources of energy, unlike proteins and fats. Liquid carbohydrates will be necessary for him to meet the body demand. In conclusion, the nutritional needs for athletics are quite high as compared to people at rest because the activity requires a lot of endurance.

References

Arnaoutis, G., Kavouras, S. A., Angelopoulou, A., Skoulariki, C., Bismpikou, S., Mourtakos, S., & Sidossis, L. S. (2015). Fluid Balance During Training in Elite Young Athletes of Different Sports. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29, 12, 3447-52.

Baker, L. B., Heaton, L. E., Nuccio, R. P., & Stein, K. W. (2014). Dietitian-observed macronutrient intakes of young skill and team-sport athletes: Adequacy of pre, during, and postexercise nutrition. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 24, 2, 166-176.

Earnest, C. P., & Rasmussen, C. (2015). Nutritional Supplements for Endurance Athletes. 253-272. Available from: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-18230-8_11

Hooper, B. (2011). Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes. Nutrition Bulletin, 36, 1, 146-147.

Kenefick, R. W., & Cheuvront, S. N. (2012). Hydration for recreational sport and physical activity. Nutrition Reviews, 70.

Montfort-Steiger, V., & Williams, C. A. (2007). Carbohydrate intake considerations for young athletes. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 6, 3, 343-52

Purcell, L. K., & Canadian Paediatric Society, Paediatric Sports and Exercise Medicine Section.(2013). Sport nutrition for young athletes. Paediatrics & Child Health, 18, 4, 200-5.Smith, J. W., Holmes, M. E., & McAllister, M. J. (2015). Nutritional Considerations for

Performance in Young Athletes. Journal of Sports Medicine (hindawi Publishing Corporation), 2015.