A balanced diet is the basis for every successful training program. The nutrition plan should be suited to the special demands of the individual training program. Basically, anybody exercising should ensure that they provide their body with all the essential nutrients in sufficient quantities. These are: Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate, Vitamins, Minerals. The necessary amount depends upon your energy requirement, but you should also consider the composition of meals to ensure a balanced diet.
Protein
Protein is a nutrient which builds tissue, provides energy and which consists of 20 different amino acids. Eight of these, the so-called essential amino acids, cannot be synthesised by the human body and, therefore, have to be supplied through food. Protein cannot be stored in the body and must therefore be supplied daily and in sufficient quantities. Be wary of taking in too much protein, however, since the body converts any excess protein into fat. Protein is not only the building material of every cell in the body but also a component of blood, muscle, enzymes and of some hormones. It also plays an important role in the construction, restoration and preservation of muscle tissue. Food contains both animal and vegetable protein. Because of its similarity to human protein, animal protein is the more valuable of the two and so at least half the daily intake of protein should be of animal origin. The daily requirement for protein can be covered by milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, cereals, peas and beans, potatoes, mushrooms and nuts.
Fat
Fat is the nutrient which provides the body with the most energy. If it is not used, however, it will be stored as body fat resulting in an increase in weight. It can then be released again and used as energy if required. In addition to providing energy, it cushions and protects organs as well as shielding the body from cold. The kind of fat we eat (melting property, taste, significance for our health) is determined by the content of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. For example, many vegetable fats (sunflower oil, corn oil, soya oil) contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential for the body because it is unable to produce them itself. By contrast, animal fats contain primarily saturated fatty acids. Furthermore, fat also carries fat soluble vitamins. The approximate daily requirement is 1g per kg of bodyweight and should consist mostly of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Foods with a high proportion of saturated fatty acids are beef, lamb, pork, chicken, egg yolk, milk, cheese, butter and chocolate. Unsaturated fatty acids are contained in avocados, olives, olive oil and peanuts. Foods with polyunsaturated fatty acids are almonds, fish, mayonnaise, soya oil and walnuts. When you put together your nutrition plan, pay particular attention to hidden fats - those that are invisible yet readily available in food (e.g. in cheese, sweets, cakes and pastries, sausage, meat and eggs).
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are energy-supplying nutrients which consist of either monosaccharides, disaccharides or polysaccharides. Examples of monosaccharides are glucose and fructose. Cane and beet sugar (sucrose or cane sugar = household sugar), maltose (malt sugar) and lactose (milk sugar) are all examples of disaccharides (oligosaccharides). An example of a polysaccharide is the starch in cereal products, bread, rice and potatoes (also termed complexed carbohydrates). All carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides in the alimentary tract before being absorbed into the blood to be used for energy and cerebral activity. Absorbed carbohydrates can be stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen and provide the body with the energy it needs for intensive training. The muscles also grow by storing glycogen in muscle cells. Around 55-60% of the energy requirement should consist of a high proportion of complexed carbohydrates. If too much carbohydrate is consumed, it is transformed and stored as fat.
Vitamins
Vitamins are nutrients which play a vital role in the functions of the body as well as in the construction of cells and tissue and must be provided in sufficient quantities through food intake. Vitamins are divided into two groups and are either fat soluble or water soluble. The absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be increased by consuming them together with fat. Vitamin A ('Retinol') is essential for eyesight, healthy skin, growth and the metabolism and can be found in liver, cod-liver oil, herrings, butter, milk, egg yolk, vegetables (particularly carrots), apricots, almonds, pistachios and walnuts. Vitamin B complex. B vitamins are extremely varied substances. They share the following characteristics: easily soluble in water- necessary in every cell- involved in many enzyme reactions as coenzymes. B1, B2, B6, niacin, folic acid, B12, biotin and pantothenic acid are all examples of the vitamin B complex. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) is a coenzyme which plays an important function in cell metabolism and is necessary for sensitivity in nerve tissue. It is present in small quantities in virtually all animal and vegetable foodstuffs but high concentrations are found in lean pork and wholemeal products (e.g. rolled oats). Cases of deficiency are rare in Europe. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) plays an important role in energy conversion within the cells. It is found primarily in dairy and wholemeal products; cases of deficiency are rare. Vitamin B6 is a collective term for pyridoxin, pyridoxal, pryrodoxamin and its phosphate compounds. It is used in the body for the synthesis of proteins and the formation of blood and is found in many foods, particularly pork, liver, poultry and fish. In recent years, doctors have noticed an excessive intake of vitamin B6. Vitamin B12 is a collective term for many cobalamin compounds which are used for the formation and breakdown of amino acids and for maturing red blood corpuscles. They are to be found in animal foodstuffs and deficiency is rare in a balanced diet. Pantothenic acid is a component of the A coenzymes, important for many chemical reactions, and it plays an important role in the metabolism. It occurs in virtually all foodstuffs, most notably in liver, meat, eggs, milk, wholemeal products, fish, peas and beans. Deficiency is rare. The term folic acid encompasses many similarly constructed compounds which are important for cell division and formation. Folic acid can be found in many vegetable foods, for example, green leaves, peas and beans, broccoli, fennel, asparagus, wheatgerm, nuts and wholemeal products. Among animal foodstuffs, liver, milk and dairy products as well as eggs have a high folic acid content. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is important for tissue growth and repair, the immune system, improvement of iron supply and protection from the formation of nitrosamines. Contained in fruit, citrus fruits, liver, kidney, potatoes and vegetables. Vitamin D (calciferol) is used for the formation of bones and cartilage and handling calcium and phosphorous in the metabolism. Vitamin D is supplied mainly through the skin (through UV light). Only a few foodstuffs, such as fatty fish (herring, mackerel), liver, egg yolk and margarine are rich sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D is also contained in cod-liver oil, fish, meat, egg yolk, liver, butter and mushrooms. Vitamin E (tocopherol) prevents oxidation and, in this way, protects other vitamin substances and cell components from decomposition and destruction. Vitamin E is contained in corn oil, sunflower oil, soya products, wheatgerm, peas and beans, fish, liver and egg yolk. Vitamin K (phyllochinon) is essential for normal blood clotting and is contained in green leaves, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, liver, meat, fish, eggs and milk.
Minerals
Minerals are important building blocks, used by the body for maintaining the normal functions of the body and are essential for growth and for the metabolism. The body must be supplied with them on a daily basis in sufficient quantities. The most important minerals are as follows: Calcium: Function: blood clotting, the nervous system, a component of bones and teeth. Contained in: milk, yoghurt, cheese, curd cheese, fish, egg yolk, vegetables, nuts, peas and beans, rolled oats and bread. The absorption of calcium is only possible with a sufficient intake of vitamin D. Iron: Function: the formation of blood, building block of haemoglobin and enzymes. Contained in: liver, blood, meat, egg yolk, rolled oats, and wholemeal bread. For increased absorption of iron, foodstuffs containing iron should be consumed with products rich in vitamin C. Potassium: Function: preservation of tissue, exchange of fluids within the tissues, activation of enzymes, stimulant, muscle function. Contained in: potatoes, vegetables, fruit, meat, milk, cheese and coffee. Sufficient quantities are present in a balanced diet
The Nutrition Plan
Correct nutrition is an essential part of successful training, but although a balanced diet and sufficient energy intake are both important, the distribution of the individual meals throughout the day will also need some consideration. The daily supply of energy should be divided into four or five meals. These meals should each be of approximately the same composition and be easily digestible. Have your last meal about 2 hours before going to bed so you do not overload the body during sleep. Do remember, though, that the meal plan must follow the intensity of your training. On days with a particularly intensive session, ensure that the food you eat is easily digestible by reducing the amount of protein, which is difficult to digest, and increasing the amount of carbohydrate. During recovery phases, be sure to maintain the supply of vital amino acids. |
