Nutrition and Diet Therapy – Lecture

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET BS NURSING / SECOND YEAR

Session # 10

LESSON TITLE: Fitness and Nutrition Materials:

Pen and notebook
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the lesson, you can:

1. Describe the health benefits of being physically fit;
2. Explain how to develop the components of fitness;
3. Identify the factors that influence macronutrient use
during and after physical activity;
4. List the vitamin and mineral supplements athletes may Reference:
need and explain why; and, DeBruyne, L.K., Pinna, K., & Whitney E., (2016).
5. Identify the factors that influence an athlete’s fluid and Nutrition and diet therapy: Principles and practice
electrolyte needs and the symptoms of heat stroke and (9th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning.
hypothermia.

LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW
Let us have a review of what you have learned from the previous lesson. Kindly answer the following questions on the
space provided. You may use the back page of this sheet, if necessary. Have fun!

Instruction: State the major functions of the following minerals.

1. Sodium: Sodium is the principal electrolyte in the extracellular fluid (the fluid outside the cells) and the primary regulator
of the extracellular fluid volume.Sodium also helps maintain acid–base balance and is essential to muscle contraction
and nerve transmission.

2. Potassium: Inside the cells, potassium takes the role of the principal positively charged ion. Potassium plays a major role
in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance and cell integrity.

3. Calcium: An adequate intake of calcium early in life helps grow a healthy skeleton and prevent bone disease in later life.

4. Iron : Most of the iron in the body is a component of the proteins hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle
cells. The iron in both hemoglobin and myoglobin helps them carry and hold oxygen and then release it. Hemoglobin in
the blood carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. Myoglobin holds oxygen for the muscles to use
when they contract. As part of many enzymes, iron is vital to the processes by which cells generate energy. Iron is also
needed to make new cells, amino acids, hormones, and neurotransmitters.

MAIN LESSON
You will study and read their book, if available, about this lesson.

A. Fitness

Fitness depends on a certain minimum amount of physical activity or exercise. Both physical activity and exercise involve
bodily movement, muscle contraction, and increased energy expenditure, but “exercise” is often used to describe
structured, planned physical activity. This chapter focuses on how the active body uses energy nutrients—whether that
body is pedaling a bike across campus or pedaling a stationary bike in a gym. Thus, for our purposes, the terms physical
activity and exercise will be used interchangeably.

B. Benefits of Fitness

As a person becomes physically active, the health of the entire body improves. Compared with unfit people, physically fit
people enjoy:
⎯ More restful sleep. Rest and sleep occur naturally after periods of physical activity. During rest, the body repairs
injuries, disposes of wastes generated during activity, and builds new physical structures.
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 ⎯ Improved nutritional health. Physical activity expends energy and thus allows people to eat more food. If they
choose wisely, active people will consume more nutrients and be less likely to develop nutrient deficiencies.
⎯ Improved body composition. A balanced program of physical activity limits body fat and increases or maintains
lean tissue. Thus, physically active people have relatively less body fat than sedentary people at the same body
weight.
⎯ Improved bone density. Weight-bearing physical activity builds bone strength and protects against osteoporosis.

⎯ Enhanced resistance to colds and other infectious diseases. Fitness enhances immunity. *
⎯ Lower risks of some types of cancers. Lifelong physical activity may help to protect against colon cancer,
breast cancer, and some other cancers.
⎯ Stronger circulation and lung function. Physical activity that challenges the heart and lungs strengthens both
the circulatory and the respiratory systems.
⎯ Lower risks of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity lowers blood pressure, slows resting pulse rate, lowers
total blood cholesterol, and raises HDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Some
research suggests that physical activity may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in another way as well—by
reducing intra-abdominal fat stores.
⎯ Lower risks of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity normalizes glucose tolerance. Regular physical activity reduces
the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and benefits those who already have the condition.
⎯ Reduced risk of gallbladder disease (women). Regular physical activity reduces the risk of gallbladder
disease—perhaps by facilitating weight control and lowering blood lipid levels.
⎯ Lower incidence and severity of anxiety and depression. Physical activity may improve mood and enhance
the quality of life by reducing depression and anxiety.
⎯ Stronger self-image. The sense of achievement that comes from meeting physical challenges promotes self-
confidence.
⎯ Long life and high quality of life in the later years. Active people live longer, healthier lives than sedentary
people do. Even as little as 15 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity can add years to a person’s life.16 In
addition to extending longevity, physical activity supports independence and mobility in later life by reducing the
risk of falls and minimizing the risk of injury should a fall occur.

What does a person have to do to reap the health rewards of physical activity? To gain substantial health benefits, most
guidelines recommend a minimum amount of time performing aerobic physical activity. The minimum amount of time
depends on whether the activity is moderate-intensity physical activity or vigorous-intensity physical activity

⎯ Aerobic physical activity: activity in which the body’s large muscles move in a rhythmic manner for a sustained
period of time. Aerobic activity, also called endurance activity, improves cardiorespiratory fitness. Brisk walking,
running, swimming, and bicycling are examples.
⎯ Moderate-intensity physical activity: physical activity that requires some increase in breathing and/or heart rate
and expends 3.5 to 7 kcalories per minute. Walking at a speed of 3 to 4.5 miles per hour (about 15 to 20 minutes
to walk one mile) is an example.
⎯ Vigorous-intensity physical activity: physical activity that requires a large increase in breathing and/or heart
rate and expends more than 7 kcalories per minute. Walking at a very brisk pace (.4.5 miles per hour) or running
at a pace of at least 5 miles per hour are examples.

Whether moderate- or vigorous-intensity, a minimum length of 10 minutes for short bouts of aerobic physical activity is
recommended.19 Of course, more time and greater intensity bring even greater health benefits: maintaining a healthy
body weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) and further reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

C. Developing Fitness

A person who practices a physical activity adapts by becoming better able to perform it after each session. People shape
their bodies by what they choose to do (and not do). Muscle cells and tissues respond to a physical activity overload by
building, within genetic limits, the structures needed to perform it.

Muscles are continually under renovation. Every day, particularly during the fasting periods between meals, a healthy body
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degrades a small portion of its muscle protein to amino acids and then rebuilds it with available amino acids during
feeding periods.

This balance between protein degradation and synthesis maintains the body’s muscle tissue. To gain muscle tissue,
protein synthesis must be greater than degradation, a condition called hypertrophy. When protein degradation is greater
than synthesis, the result is atrophy. Physical activity tips the balance toward muscle hypertrophy. The opposite is also
true; unused muscles diminish in size and weaken over time, tipping the balance toward muscle atrophy. The muscles
adapt and build only the proteins they need to cope with the work performed.
Muscles engaged in activities that require strength develop more of the proteins needed for greater muscle mass;
bodybuilders have large, well-developed muscles. By comparison, those engaged in endurance activities develop more of
the proteins needed to combat muscle fatigue; distance cyclists can pedal for many hours before fatigue sets in.

D. The Components of Fitness

To be physically fit, a person must develop enough flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, and cardiorespiratory
endurance to meet the everyday demands of life with some to spare, and achieve a healthy body composition. Flexibility
allows the joints to move freely, reducing the risk of injury. Cardiorespiratory endurance supports the ongoing activity of
the heart and lungs. Muscle strength and muscle endurance enable muscles to work harder and longer without fatigue.
Body composition improves as physical activity supports lean body tissues and reduces excess body fat.

Although nutrition influences each component of fitness to some extent, its role in flexibility is not as apparent as for the
others. For this reason, cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle strength and endurance are emphasized in the following
sections. As the heart and lungs improve their capacity to sustain physical activity and the muscles become stronger and
less readily fatigued, body composition improves: body fat decreases and lean body mass increases. C

Cardiorespiratory Endurance

Cardiorespiratory conditioning:
⎯ Increases cardiac output and oxygen delivery
⎯ Increases blood volume per heart beat (stroke volume)
⎯ Slows resting pulse rate
⎯ Increases breathing efficiency
⎯ Improves circulation
⎯ Reduces blood pressure

Cardiorespiratory endurance reflects the health of the heart and circulatory system, on which all other body systems
depend. To improve your cardiorespiratory endurance, activities must be sustained for 20 minutes or longer and use most
of the large muscle groups of the body (legs, buttocks, and abdomen). The level of training must be intense enough to
elevate your heart rate.

Muscle Conditioning. One of the benefits of cardiorespiratory training is that fit muscles use oxygen efficiently, reducing
the heart’s workload. An added bonus is that muscles that use oxygen efficiently can burn fat longer—a plus for body
composition and weight control.

Muscle Strength and Endurance Resistance training has long been recognized as a means to build and maintain
muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance. Additional benefits of resistance training, however, have also emerged.
Progressive resistance training helps prevent and manage several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease,
and enhances psychological well-being. Resistance training can also help to maximize and maintain bone mass. Even in
women past menopause (when most women are losing bone), resistance training can improve bone density, especially in
combination with adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D intakes

Resistance training builds muscle strength, muscle power, and muscle endurance. To emphasize muscle strength,
combine high resistance (heavy weight) with a low number of repetitions (8 to 12)

E. The Active Body’s Use of Fuels

⎯ Glucose is supplied by dietary carbohydrates or made by the liver.
⎯ Glucose is stored in both liver and muscle tissue as glycogen.

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 ⎯ Total glycogen stores affect an athlete’s endurance.
⎯ The more intense an activity, the more glucose it demands.
⎯ During anaerobic metabolism, the body spends glucose rapidly and accumulates lactate.
⎯ Physical activity of long duration places demands on the body’s glycogen stores.
⎯ Carbohydrate ingested before and during long-duration activity may help to forestall fatigue.
⎯ Carbohydrate loading is a regimen of physical activity and diet that enables an athlete’s muscles to store larger-
than-normal amounts of glycogen to extend endurance.
⎯ Highly trained muscles use less glucose and more fat than do untrained muscles to perform the same work, so
their glycogen lasts longer

Fat Use During Activity

⎯ Athletes who restrict fat below 20 percent of total energy intake may fail to consume adequate energy and
nutrients.
⎯ In contrast to dietary fat, body fat stores are extremely important during physical activity, as long as the activity is
not too intense.
⎯ The intensity and duration of activity, as well as training—repeated aerobic activity—affect fat use.

Protein Use During Activity

⎯ Physical activity stimulates muscle cells to break down and synthesize protein, resulting in muscle adaptation to
activity.
⎯ Athletes use protein both for building muscle tissue and for energy. Diet, intensity and duration of activity, and
training affect protein use during activity.
⎯ Although athletes need more protein than sedentary people, a balanced, high carbohydrate diet provides sufficient
protein to cover an athlete’s needs.

Vitamins and Minerals to Support Activity

⎯ With the possible exception of iron, well-nourished active people and athletes do not need nutrient supplements.
Athletes who do not eat enough food to maintain body weight during intense training or competition, however, may
need a multivitamin-mineral supplement.
⎯ Female athletes need to pay special attention to their iron needs.
⎯ Iron-deficiency anemia impairs physical performance because iron is the blood’s oxygen handler.
⎯ Sports anemia is a harmless temporary adaptation to physical activity.

Fluids and Electrolytes in Physical Activity

⎯ Hyperthermia and heat stroke can be a threat to physically active people in hot,
⎯ humid weather.
⎯ Hypothermia threatens those who exercise in the cold.
⎯ Physically active people lose fluids and must replace them to avoid dehydration.
⎯ Water is the best drink for most physically active people, but endurance athletes
⎯ need beverages that supply glucose as well as fluids.
⎯ During events lasting longer than three hours, athletes need to pay special attention to replacing sodium losses to
prevent hyponatremia.
⎯ Caffeine-containing drinks within limits may not impair performance, but water and fruit juice is preferred.
⎯ Alcohol use can impair performance in many ways and is not recommended.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

You will answer and rationalize this by yourself. This will be recorded as your quiz. One (1) point will be given to the
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correct answer and another one (1) point for the correct ratio. Superimpositions or erasures in your answer/ratio is not
allowed.

1. Regular physical activity helps protect against:

a. backaches, cancer, and emphysema.
b. cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
c. obesity, kidney disease, and anemia.
d. high blood pressure, cancer, and allergies.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Physical inactivity is linked to the major degenerative diseases—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and
hypertension—the primary killers of adults in developed countries.Thus,regular physical activity helps protect against cancer,
diabetes, and heart disease.

2. Fitness benefits health by:

a. increasing lean body tissue and enhancing resistance to colds and other infectious diseases.
b. lowering the risk of heart disease, decreasing muscle mass, and improving nutritional health.
c. building bone strength, lowering the risk of some cancers, and increasing anxiety.
d. reducing diabetes risk, compromising lung function, and promoting a strong self-image.
ANSWER: A
RATIO: A balanced program of physical activity limits body fat and increases or maintains lean tissue. Thus, physically
active people have relatively less body fat than sedentary people at the same body weight.Fitness as well benefits by
enhanced resistance to colds and other infectious diseases. Fitness enhances immunity.

3. Which of the following characteristics is not a component of fitness?

a. Muscle endurance
b. Conditioning
c. Flexibility
d. Muscle strength
ANSWER: B
RATIO: The components of fitness are flexibility, muscle strength, muscle endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance

4. Vitamin or mineral supplements taken right before an event are useless for improving performance because the:
a. athlete sweats the nutrients out during the event.
b. stomach can’t digest supplements during physical activity.
c. nutrients are diluted by all the fluids the athlete drinks.
d. body needs hours or days for the nutrients to do their work.
ANSWER: D
RATIO: Most vitamins and minerals function as small parts of larger working units. After entering the blood, they have to
wait for the cells to combine them with their appropriate other parts so that they can do their work. This takes time—hours
or days. Vitamins or minerals taken right before an event do not improve performance, even if the person is actually
suffering deficiencies of those nutrients.

5. Physically active young women, especially those who are endurance athletes, are prone to:
a. energy excess.
b. iron deficiency.
c. protein overload.
d. iodine deficiency.
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Physically active young women, especially those who engage in endurance activities. Habitually low intakes of
iron-rich foods, high iron losses through menstruation, and the high demands of muscles for the iron-containing molecules
of aerobic metabolism and the muscle protein myoglobin can contribute to iron deficiency in young female athletes. In
addition, endurance activities temporarily increase the release of hepicidin, which limits iron absorption.

RATIONALIZATION ACTIVITY
The instructor will now provide you the rationalization to these questions. You can now ask questions and debate among
yourselves. Write the correct answer and correct/additional ratio in the space provided.

1. ANSWER:
RATIO:

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2. ANSWER:
RATIO:

3. ANSWER:
RATIO:

4. ANSWER:
RATIO:

5. ANSWER:
RATIO:

LESSON WRAP-UP

You will now mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help you
track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

AL Activity: CAT: MINUTE PAPER

This strategy provides feedback on whether or not you understand the lesson. Use the space provided in this activity
sheet to answer the following questions. Make sure to not miss a tiny detail!
How would you illustrate the benefits of fitness in our daily lives?

Once a person becomes physically active, the health of the

entire body improves.
Compared with unfit people, physically fit people enjoy: More
restful sleep; Improved nutritional health; Improved body
composition; Improved bone density; Enhanced resistance to
colds and other infectious diseases; lower risks of some types of
cancers; Stronger circulation and lung function; Lower risks of
cardiovascular disease; Lower risks of type 2 diabetes; Reduced
risk of gallbladder disease (women); Lower incidence and
severity of anxiety and depression; Stronger self-image; Long
life and high quality of life in the later years.

This document and the information thereon is the property of

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