Body Composition &

Nutrition for Sport

 Body Composition

Φ Appropriate size, body build & body

composition are critical to success in
almost all athletic endeavors.

Φ Size & body build can be altered slightly,

while body composition can change
substantially with dieting & exercise.
 Body Composition

Φ Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are

established standards for optimal nutrient
intake.

Φ The DRIs provide estimates of the range of

intake of various food substances needed
to maintain good health.
 Body Composition

Φ Body composition refers to the body’s

chemical composition.

Φ An accurate assessment of the athlete’s

body composition provides valuable
insight into the weight that allows optimal
performance.
Body Composition
 Body Composition

Φ Densitometry involves measuring the

density of the athlete’s body.

Dbody = Mbody : Vbody

D: density; M: mass; V; volume

 Nutrition & Sport

Φ A person’s diet should contain a relative

balance of carbohydrate, fat, & protein.
Φ The recommended balance for most
people:
- Carbohydrate: 55 – 60%
- Fat: <35% (<10% unsaturated)
- Protein: 10 – 15%
 Nutrition & Sport

Φ Food can be categorized into six classes:

1. Carbohydrate
2. Fat (lipid)
3. Protein
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Water
Nutrition & Sport
 Nutrition & Sport

Φ Carbohydrate (CHO) is classified as either

a monosaccharide, disaccharide, or
polysaccharide.

Φ All carbohydrate must be broken down to

monosaccharide before the body can use
them.
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport
 Nutrition & Sport

Φ Carbohydrate (CHO) serves many

functions in the body:
Φ It is a major energy source, particularly during
high intensity exercise.
Φ Its presence regulates fat & protein metabolism
Φ The nervous system relies exclusively on
carbohydrate for energy
Φ Muscle & liver glycogen are synthesized from
carbohydrate
 Nutrition & Sport
Φ In the early 1940s, the Food and Nutrition Board of the
National Academy of Sciences established the United
States Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
guidelines for all food nutrients.
Φ The latest edition of the RDAs in their original form was
released in 1989. The RDAs provide estimates of safe
and adequate daily dietary intakes and estimated
minimum requirements for selected vitamins aid
minerals.
Φ The RDAs have been replaced by new
recommendations called Dietary Reference Intakes.
Φ The DRIs reflect a joint effort between the United State
and Canada to provide dietary intake recommendations
grouped by nutrient function and classification
 Nutrition & Sport
 The new DRIs were released in a series of reports
starting in 1997 and continuing through 2005. They
include four different reference values:
 Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): the
intake value estimated to meet the requirement
for 50% of healthy individuals in an age- and
sex-.specific group.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): the
intake value sufficient to meet the nutrient
requirements of nearly all (97-98%) individuals
in a specific group.
 Nutrition & Sport
 The new DRIs were released in a series of reports
starting in 1997 and continuing through 2005. They
include four different reference values:
 Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): the highest level
of daily nutrient intake that is unlikely to pose no
risk of adverse health effects to almost all
individuals in a specific group
 Adequate Intake (Al): a recommended intake value
based on observed or experimentally determined
approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by
healthy individuals in a specific group that are
assumed to be adequate. This is used when an RDA
cannot be determined
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport
 Nutrition & Sport
 Carbohydrate is the primary fuel source for most
athletes and should constitute at least 50% of their
total caloric intake.
 For endurance athletes, carbohydrate intake as a
percentage of total caloric intake might need to be
higher 55% to 65%.
 However, most important is the total number of
grams of carbohydrate ingested.
 It appears that athletes need from 5 to 13 g/kg of
body weight per day in order to maintain glycogen
stores.
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport
 Nutrition & Sport
Glycemic Index (GI)
The increase in blood glucose &
insulin in response to a standard
amount of food.
GI = 100 X (blood glucose response
over 2 h to 50 g of test food/ blood
glucose response over 2 h to 50 g of
glucose or white bread)
 Nutrition & Sport
Glycemic Index (GI)
 High glycemic index foods (GI>70) such as sport
drink, jelly beans, baked potato, french fries,
popcorn, cornflakes, Corn chex, and pretzels
 Moderate glycemic index foods (GI 56-70) such as
pastry, pita bread, boiled white rice, bananas,
Coca-Cola, and regular ice cream
 Low glycemic index foods (GI 55) such us white
boiled spaghetli, kidney and baked beans, milk,
grapefruit, apples, pears, peanuts , M&M’s and
yogurt.
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport
Nutrition & Sport