Nutritional Health
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Nutrition
Proper nutrition is a vital need in our bodies today. Without it, we couldnt perform our daily tasks
such as going to school, playing sports, or just walking around a store. All of these activities require your
body to be in good physical health. A good way to do that is to plan a regular exercise workout, and to eat
the proper foods that give you the much needed nutrition.
Prior to strenuous activity it is imperative that the body has the required amounts of nutrients to carry out an
activity. At the latest reference it is recommended that a person consume an average of 2200 mg of calories, 60 g of
fat, less than 5000 IU of vitamin A, more than 60 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin D, more than 2000 mg of potassium,
2000 mg of sodium, 65 g of protein, 1.5 mg of thiamin, 1.7 mg of riboflavin, 20 mg of niacin, and 18 mg of
iron. Nutritionists of today simplify this into an equation of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein that the
entire day?s meals should be divided into. The total calorie intake must increase for active persons from 2200 to 2200
plus the total number used while exercising. This will ensure replenishment of the body?s system.
With the wide variety of athletic competitions, the specific meal a competitor may need to eat to benefit
themselves differs widely, as do the events. The last meal or two are extremely important in both their time of
consumption and content. It is these two factors that can cause a person to make or break their day just by their
choices. Experience plays a large role since one must attempt many different pre-competition meals before they will find
one that suits the individual. For most, the high carbohydrate diet is the choice; packing in as many as possible since
it is such a huge energy source. Also, judging by time, one must decide the size of the meal. To digest a large meal
takes 3-4 hours, a small meal 2-3 hours, liquid meal 1-2 hours, a...