Session

Exercise Nutrition

Unit 2: Applying the principles of nutrition to a physical activity programme

Aims
To understand the relationship between physical activity and
nutrition, accepted good practise and how to apply these
nutritional principles to a physical activity programme

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session the learner will
be able to describe safety and effectiveness with regard to protein
supplementation
be able to define the roles of carbohydrate, fat and proteins as fuels for
aerobic and anaerobic energy production
be able to evaluate the nutritional requirements and hydration needs of
clients engaged in physical activity
be able to design nutritional goals that are compatible and in keeping
with good practise and national guidelines
be able to review the clients understanding of how to follow nutritional
advice as part of their physical activity programme

Sports Nutrition

to exercise we need to harness energy from our

food

all macro nutrients supply us with fuel

should any one of our macronutrients dominate

the fuel for our body

through low level activities we use fat as a fuel

as the intensity increases we use more CHO

so should we fuel our bodies differently at

different levels of intensity

Sports Nutrition
What options are available for the athlete or recreational exerciser
It can be done solely with:
food alone
food with a sports drink
food with a protein shake
sports nutrition products - such as shakes and isotonic drinks
just rely on appropriate food and water

Energy for Exercise

Typically we have been taught that low intensity work is fuelled
aerobically and high intensity work is fuelled anaerobically
Modern research suggests it is not so simple and that both energy
pathways contribute
5 mile elite cross country utilised 58% from anaerobic pathways
The following table shows the energy contribution from track sprinting

Event
100m
200m

Gender
Male
Female
Male
Female

Aerobic
21%
25%
28%
33%

Anaerobic
79%
75%
72%
69%

Energy for Exercise

Exercise intensities for improving aerobic fitness and for sports performance are
normally advised to be quite high
Traditionally thought to be the domain of anaerobic work and hence the emphasis
on carbohydrates for fuel and anaerobic pathways predominantly use glucose
Even brief sprint events draw at least energy aerobically, suggesting that fats
may still contribute some of the needed energy
It is also known that proteins can provide a significant contribution to exercise,
especially towards the end of long endurance events

Glycaemic Index
The glycaemic index (GI) was devised as a ranking system to show
how quickly a given carbohydrate can feed glucose into the blood
Sample foods are compared to the rate of pure glucose absorption
(100) and given a comparative value
Glycaemic index range
High
Above 85
Moderate
60 - 85
Low
Below 60

Glycaemic Index Task

Students to determine whether the glycaemic index of the listed
foods are higher or lower than the food immediately previous to it
Once completed check answers against table
List 1

List 2

List 3

Banana

Parsnips

Soya beans

White rice

Honey

French fries

Lentils

Yoghurt

Bagel

Porridge oats

Baked beans

Watermelon

Kiwi fruit

Instant noodles

Cherries

Pre - Exercise

Research around high, moderate and low GI has

shown relatively small differences in relation to
physical performance
low GI response may be more favourable in
preventing reactive hypoglycaemia
low GI has not shown a significant difference
in performance compared to high GI
performance improvements have been
observed providing a pre-exercise meal is
ingested of any GI

During Exercise
There are a limited number of circumstances
when trying to fuel during exercise
is
needed

if the exercise session lasts more than 1hour

the match or race is longer than 90 minutes
a pre-exercise meal was not eaten

Post Exercise Meal

after exercise the body is in state ready for

refuelling the system
the digestive enzymes are working at a faster
level
particularly in the first 2 hours post exercise

Post Exercise Meal Timings

enzyme activity peaks approximately 15 minutes after

exercise has ended
ingesting a high GI food or drink in the first 15 minutes
posts exercise will take advantage of this heightened
period
over the next 2 hours a proper meal should be taken
including whole CHO
include other energy providing nutrients in this meal
such as protein and fats

Isotonic Drinks

isotonic drinks are popular and marketed heavily

an isotonic drink has the same concentration of
dissolved solids, both sugars and salts, as that
found within our blood
restores glucose levels in the blood whilst still
contributing to hydration

Isotonic Drinks

best suited for fuelling during activity

they are not the ideal option for pre / post

exercise fuel

advertising had indicated they are ideal for

before during and after sport to increase
sales

Commercial Isotonic Drinks

Concerns regarding commercially manufactured

sports drinks include

Added synthetic colourings and flavourings

highly refined sugars - glucose, fructose,

dextrose and maltodextrin

Added sweeteners - aspartame, acesulfame

k and saccharin

Make an Isotonic Drink

dilute 60g pure glucose in 1 litre water and add

1/5 teaspoon of natural, unprocessed salt

mix 500ml of pure, unsweetened fruit juice with

500ml water and add 1/5 teaspoon of natural,
unprocessed salt

Hydration
Factors that contribute to overall hydration include:
components of any fluid ingested (sugar, salts,
caffeine)
food eaten
environmental temperature
lean body mass
frequency, intensity and type of activity

Hydration Task
Identify the estimated water intake required according to body
weight, compare to your regular intake and determine how to
achieve that goal if lacking
Body Weight (kg)
55kg
60kg
65kg
70kg
75kg
80kg
85kg
90kg
95kg
100kg

Estimated Daily
Water Intake
(Litres)
1.70
1.85
2.00
2.15
2.30
2.45
2.60
2.75
2.90
3.05

Protein Shakes
What is in a protein shakes?
generally whey and/or casein based proteins
whey and casein are milk based protein
whey is by far the most commonly used
whey traditionally was a waste product of cheese
manufacture

Protein Shakes
6.5% of milk is protein of which 20% are whey
proteins
it is difficult to ingest enough natural foods to boost
our whey intake hence the concentrated protein
market
many protein powders are manufactured at
temperatures that denature fragile proteins
produced with virtually no fat content yet fat is
essential to protein metabolism as it carries vitamin
A
May have added sugars, sweeteners and colours

Protein Shakes Task

Study the following ingredients list from a genuine protein shake
and identify any beneficial and/or concerning ingredients contained
within. Explain the reasoning behind your observations.
Ingredients:
Whey Protein concentrate, VRF-5 (Volumising & Recovery Formula
Containing: Creatine, L-Glutamine, L-Glycine, Taurine, Beta Alanine),
Maltodextrin, Pro-TRAAM (Protein Blend & Time Release Amino Acid
Matrix, Containing; Milk Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, L-Leucine, LIsoleucine L-Valine, Egg Albumin), Fructose, Flavourings, Thickener
(Xanthan Gum, Guar gum), Dietary Fibre (Inulin), Potassium Phosphate,
Sodium Chloride, Tri-Calcium Phosphate, Colour (Curcumin), Vitamin Blend
(Containing; Dextrose Monohydrate, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E-Acetate,
Niacinamide, Biotin, Vitamin A-Acetate, Calcium D-Pantothenate,
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Cholecalciferol, Thiamine
Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12), Magnesium Oxide, Sweetener
(Sucralose), Zinc Oxide.

Learning Check
Can the learner
describe safety and effectiveness with regard to protein supplementation
define the roles of carbohydrate, fat and proteins as fuels for aerobic and anaerobic
energy production
evaluate the nutritional requirements and hydration needs of clients engaged in physical
activity
design nutritional goals that are compatible and in keeping with good practise and
national guidelines
review the clients understanding of how to follow nutritional advice as part of their
physical activity programme