Performance is affected by many things, including lifestyle & _diet_. If we neglect our body then our performance will decline & our _health_ will suffer. A healthy lifestyle and diet can also _slow_ our aging process & help prevent death from _disease_ at an early age.
Our muscles get the energy they need from the food we eat. Without _food_ we don’t make _oxygen_, which is what makes our muscles work. Food contains all the _ingredients _ we need for our body to function properly. A _balanced_ and varied diet provides us with all the _energy_ we need.
The foods which supply us with energy – _carbohydrates_, fats & proteins – need to be limited in our diet. It is recommended that we only take in the following;
50-60% Carbohydrates
25 – 30 % _fats_ (from unsaturated sources)
10-15% protein (from _meats_ such as fish, chicken & plants)
Salt use should be minimal & we should boost the quantity of _nutrients_, calcium & vitamin C that we consume. Carbohydrates are the most important as they give us _glycogen_ quickly & efficiently. Fats & proteins also provide us with energy but not as well. Glycogen made from carbohydrates is stored in the _artery_, muscles & the blood. Intense exercise _burns_ carbohydrate quickly so it is an important part of a sports person’s diet. Any carbohydrate we don’t use is _stored_ as fat on our body.
Fats are important as they provide energy. They provide it more slowly but in bigger quantities. They need extra _fibre_ to burn. This is our main source of energy when we are asleep or at rest. They also keep our skin in good condition, helps keep us _warm_ & protects our vital organs. Extra fat is stored as _adipose_ tissue around the body. Too much extra weight is not helpful to sportspeople. Too much fat leads to _obesity_ & high cholesterol levels. This substance travels in our blood & the extra that isn’t used by the body builds up on _liver_ walls causing circulatory problems.
For our body