ENERGY FUELS AND

OPTIMUM NUTRITION
FOR FITNESs

Kavya . T
MPT (women’s health)
A well-balanced and varied diet will usually be enough to meet the nutritional needs of most physically active
people.

A normal diet containing 1,800-2,400 calories per day (25-35 kcal/kg bodyweight) typically provides enough
energy for exercise (where one exercise session burns 200-400 calories).

 We get our energy and nutrients mainly from the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat.

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS DURING EXERCISE:

• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fats and
• Fluids
Carbohydrates are the most important form of fuel for exercise and sports activities.

 The body can store carbohydrates in the muscles and liver as glycogen, and use these stores
as a source of fuel for the brain and muscles during physical activity.

A normal diet, where approximately half (45-55%) of the daily calories come from
carbohydrates, provides enough for most moderately active people.

 For example, a person weighing 70 kg needs about 210-350 g carbohydrates per day,2
preferably coming from complex carbohydrates which contain fiber including whole grains,
fruits and vegetables.
 The main role of carbohydrates is to provide energy.

 When they are digested, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose to provide readily available energy
for the body to use quickly and effectively

 The body can store carbohydrates in the muscles and liver as glycogen, and use these stores as a source
of fuel for the brain and muscles during physical activity.

 These glycogen stores are limited, so it is important to be fully fuelled at the start of any exercise
 By not having adequate carbohydrate in your diet for exercise, you may feel tired and lacking in energy
and not be able to perform at your best.

 During exercise of high intensity and brief duration, this nutrient provides most of the energy needs

 As a practical rule, both men and women should eat 7‐10 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight per day .

 Each gram of carbohydrate will produce 4 calories of energy and in the process will use 0.7 litres of
oxygen
 During a workout, carbohydrates fuel your brain and muscles.

 Carbs for the average workout — If you are in good shape and want to fuel a daily, light-intensity
workout, eat about 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of body weight. For someone who
weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) that's between 200 and 340 grams a day.

 Carbs for longer workouts — If you exercise more than an hour a day, you may need 6 to 10 grams of
carbs per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-pound person, that's 408 to 680 grams a day.
 During prolonged, submaximal exercise the magnitude of the contribution that carbohydrate makes to
the total fuel consumed depends upon a number of factors, including
(1) The intensity of the exercise
(2) The duration of the exercise
(3) The state or type of training that the individual has engaged in, or both
(4) The diet previously consumed.
Carbohydrates should constitute around 60% of the total daily energy intakes.
Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the liver (80‐100 g) and in the muscle (300 ‐400 g); both stores
can be exhausted by hard exercise; the entire store of this fuel in the body will last for about 100 minutes
of strenuous steady paced cycling, running, dancing, etc.
Good sources of carbohydrates are :

 Bowl of oats (45 g)

 2 slices of bread
 ½ serving of pasta or rice (~40 g uncooked)
 1 large banana (~145 g)
 3 servings (3 x 80 g) of high-carb vegetables like
lentils, peas, sweetcorn, carrots
 1 large potato (~150 g)
 Fruit smoothie (250 ml)
 or Sports drinks (500 ml)
Estimated carbohydrate needs are outlined and depend on the
intensity and duration of the exercise sessions
 Protein is also important for health and physical activity. The main role of protein in the body is for growth,
repair and maintenance of body cells and tissues, such as muscle.

 Protein is important in sports performance as it can boost glycogen storage, reduce muscle soreness and promote
muscle repair. For those who are active regularly, there may be benefit from consuming a portion of protein at
each mealtime and spreading protein intake out throughout the day.

 Different foods contain different amounts and different combinations of amino acids (the building blocks of
proteins).

 Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot make itself and so are needed from the diet.

 The current protein recommendations for the general population are; 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight per
day for adults and most people are consuming more than this, so it’s unlikely that you need to eat extra protein if
doing activity within the current guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.
 If you are participating in regular sport and exercise like training for a running or cycling event or lifting weights
regularly, then your protein requirements may be slightly higher than the general sedentary population, in order to
promote muscle tissue growth and repair.

The full range of essential amino acids needed by the body

(high protein quality) is found in:
 Fat is an essential nutrient for the body, but it is also a rich source of energy.

 Consuming too much fat can lead to excess energy intake which can lead to weight gain over time.

 It is important to follow current healthy eating guidelines, ensuring fat intakes are no more than 35% of total
energy intake from food, with saturated fat intakes not exceeding 11% of total energy intake from food.

 Fats (or lipids) serve a variety of functions, including all three purposes of nutrition:
 to form and maintain body structures,

 to regulate metabolism, and

 to provide the second main source of energy.

 The importance of fat as an energy source depends on the intensity of exercise as well as on the availability of
carbohydrates .
 As exercise strength increases, carbohydrate metabolism takes over. It is more efficient than fat
metabolism, but has limited energy stores.
 This stored carbohydrate (glycogen) can fuel about 2 hours of moderate to high level exercise
 After that, glycogen depletion occurs and if that fuel isn’t replaced athletes performance may impaired.
Fats are used along with carbohydrates when the body performs low intensity/long duration type of
work, thus, sparing the store of carbohydrate.
Fats provide 40‐45% of the total daily energy intake in sedentary people living in industrialized
countries
Athletes are generally advised to reduce fat intakes to 20 ‐30%, with a simultaneous increase of
carbohydrate intakes.
 Sufficient fluid intake is essential for exercise and optimum
recovery.

 Exercising causes the body to get warmer, so the body tries to

cool down by sweating.

 This causes the loss of water and salts through the skin.
The amount an individual sweats varies from person to person and depends on:

 Intensity and duration – longer and higher intensity exercise can cause greater sweat loss.

 Environmental temperature – in hot, humid conditions sweat loss can increase.

 Clothing – the more clothing that is worn, the quicker you are likely to heat up which may cause greater sweat
loss.

 Genetics – some people are just more likely to sweat than others.
 Generally, the more a person sweats, the more they will need to drink.

 Small water losses are not harmful. However, dehydration (water loss
in excess of 2-3% body mass) can cause tiredness and hinder
performance by reducing strength and aerobic capacity (especially in
longer duration exercise), as well as having a negative effect on any
further exercise sessions.

 So, try and stay hydrated before, during and after exercise to prevent
dehydration – water is generally best, but in cases of high-intensity
exercise and excessive sweating, an isotonic drink may be better
 FOOD INTAKE AND EXERCISE:

 The timing of meals affects fitness and athletic performance

 Important to allow sufficient time for food to digest before exercise
Large meals 3–4 hours
Smaller meals 2–3 hours
Liquid supplement or small snack 30 min–1 hour
 Food intake is important to maintain blood glucose supply in exercise lasting greater than 1 hour
 Carbohydrate intake recommended at 15–20 min intervals
 30–60 g of carbohydrate should be consumed per hour
Optimal foods before exercise
 1–4.5 g/kg carbohydrate 1–4 hours prior to exercise
 Consumption of protein and carbohydrate recommended
 High-fat foods should be avoided several hours before exercise
Optimal foods during exercise
 Sports drinks, bars, and gels
 Fructose (fruit sugar) may cause GI distress
 Consuming carbohydrate and protein improves net protein balance for endurance athletes
Optimal foods after exercise
 Consuming carbohydrate after exercise helps to replenish muscle and liver glycogen. It is most effective 30–45
minutes after exercise.
 Consuming protein and carbohydrate after exercise increases muscle protein synthesis
 Low-fat chocolate milk is a low-cost option to provide when protein and carbohydrate to assist in recovery
 A high-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, low-fat meal should be consumed within 2 hours
Vitamins and Minerals in Fitness
 Intense, prolonged exercise increases production of free radicals
 Antioxidants such as vitamins E and C protect cells from the damage of free radicals
Certain minerals may be a concern in highly active people
Iron
 Necessary for energy metabolism and oxygen transport
 Levels may be low due to menstruation in women, intravascular hemolysis, or sports anemia
Calcium
 Lost in sweat, thus losses may be high in athletes
Dietary Supplements Contribute to Fitness?
An ergogenic aid is any substance that is used to improve athletic performance
Most commonly used aids include
 Creatine
 Caffeine
 Anabolic steroids
 Growth hormone

Creatine
 Improves athletic performance in high-intensity, short- duration activities such as weight training
 Shown to increase muscle strength and muscle mass
 No negative effects on blood pressure, kidney, or liver function in healthy people
Caffeine
 Stimulates the central nervous system and decreases perception of effort
 May increase metabolism of fatty acids for energy and spare glycogen stores
 Enhances athletic performance during endurance events
 NCAA classifies as a banned substance when urine concentrations exceed 15 micrograms per milliliter

Anabolic Steroids
 Testosterone-based substances that promote muscle strength and development
Many negative side effects including
 Impotence in men
 Amenorrhea in women
 Changes in hair growth
 Extreme mood swings and aggressiveness
Growth Hormone
 Increases protein synthesis, causing an increase in muscle mass but not strength
 Could impair performance by reducing power, speed, and endurance
 Decreases glycogen breakdown and increases the use of fatty acids for energy which can decrease body
fat
 Abuse of growth hormone can lead to development of diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, or
acromegaly
 REFERENCES

1) ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness & Health

2) websites