A6: Diet, health and hygiene

By Fairlie and Horti

A6: Diet

• Seven factors of a balanced diet: • Carbohydrates • Fats• Proteins • Vitamins • Minerals• Water• Fibre

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are important because they maintain our bodies energy source,

• e.g. bread, pasta and potatoes

• the two types are sugars and starch.

• They are stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen, this can be quickly converted to glucose and used as energy.

Fats

• Fats are important because they provide energy and help to make other things work

• the three types of fat are saturated fat (oils), polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Protein• Protein is important for growth,

training, repair when recovering from injury and also to provide small amounts of energy.

• Animal protein is found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.

• Plant protein is found in pulses, nuts and bread e.t.c.

Vitamins• Vitamins are only needed in small amounts and

are supplied in a normal diet. • They can help good vision, good skin, red blood

cell formation, healing, healthy bones and blood clotting.

• They come in two groups: fat soluble and water soluble.

• They are found in cheese, nuts, fruit and vegetable oil.

Minerals• Minerals are inorganic substances that our bodies

need for different functions.• Calcium is vital to health, especially during growth. It

forms and maintains bones and teeth and strengthens the bones.

• Iron is very important for the blood because of its link with haemoglobin and its effect on formation of red blood cells and how much oxygen they can carry.

• Other minerals are needed in smaller amounts, they help cells and muscles function.

Water

• Water is a means of transports for nutrients waste and hormones.

• Water holds oxygen and is the main component of many cells.

• Most of the body (70%) is made up of water, and so we must keep our water levels up to avoid dehydration.

• Water controls body temperature.

Fibre

• Fibre adds bulk to food and is important to the digestive system

• Fibre is in the leaves, stems, roots, tubers, seeds and fruit of plants.

• There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble.

• Good sources are wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables and oats.

Diets in sport

• Athletes in different sports will need different types of diet.

• E.g. a marathon runner will

need a lot of carbohydrates

for energy and lots of water to

prevent dehydration.

• However a weight lifter will need a lot of protein to build up muscles

Overweight, Over-fat and Obese

• Obese: extreme overweight often considered as 20-35% above normal.

• Overweight: having weight in excess of normal

• Over-fat: having too much body composition as fat, for men more than 19% and 26% for women.

Somatotypes

• Body physique can be measured and the result is known as your somatotype.

• There are three somatotypes:

• Endomorph

• Mesomorph

• Ectomorph

Somatotypes- continued

• Endomorphy is fatness• Mesomorphy is muscularity• Ectomorphy is thinness• Different athletes will need different levels

of each somatotype.• E.g. a prop forward will need to be a

mesomorphic endomorph compared to a gymnast who will need to be a mesomorphic ectomorph.

Under eating and over eating

• Under eating can lead to shortages in energy and can effect the performance of a sportsmen as they may tire earlier, e.g. boxers reduce their weight before the game and this can lead to dehydration.

• Overeating can lead the sportsmen to becoming fat, affecting their performance, e.g. George Foreman.

Optimum weights

• Most sports people know the weight at which they perform best and will try to remain at this level.

• Height, sex, bone structure and muscle girth all affect optimum weight.

• Men generally have higher optimum weight.

Drugs in sport

There are three different types of drugs in sport:

• Socially acceptable drugs

• Socially unacceptable drugs

• Performance enhancing drugs

Socially acceptable drugs

• These are drugs which the doctor prescribes.

• E.g. paracetamol and aspirin

• They are described as socially acceptable because they are not illegal.

Socially unacceptable drugs

• These drugs are illegal.

• This group includes heroin, cocaine cannabis e.t.c.

Performance enhancing drugs

• The group includes the socially acceptable drugs and some illegal ones as well.

• They fall under two categories:

• Prohibited classes of substances

• Prohibited methods

Prohibited classes of substances

• There are five different groups in this category (pg150, 151, 152 in textbook):

• Stimulants

• Narcotics/Analgesics

• Anabolic agents

• Diuretics

• Peptide, chemical and physical manipulation

Hygiene in sport

• Sports people need to recognize the link between health and hygiene.

• Their kit should reflect this.

• After playing sport a full kit of clean clothing should be worn.

Athlete’s foot

• An infection of the skin caused by a fungus.

• It is easily transmitted to other people, e.g. by the wet swimming pool floors.

• It can be prevented by wearing different socks when taking part in sport.

• It can be treated with special powders which are available from chemists.

Verrucae

• A viral infection which is normally found on the sole of the foot.

• Like athlete’s foot they can easily be passed on.

• They can be removed in a special operation.

• Also by applying liquid nitrogen.