Nutrition and Exercise

Sufficient nutrition is essential if the benefits of the exercise are to be achieved and both should go hand in hand. During an exercise, the rate of metabolism increases and that burns up a lot of the calories. It means that there is a reduction of our energy levels and thus must be substituted by the appropriate nutrition.

During an exercise, the body demands increase tremendously and will take sufficient amount of energy from carbohydrates to power the level of metabolism going on. Protein foods will supply the amino acids required for muscle building. All these including antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, micro nutrients like B vitamins and chromium, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium will be required at extra quantities. The level of metabolism releases even more free radicals and as such, increase mop up action will be required by anti-oxidants.

There is an increase in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats, during an exercise. They all need to be replaced and in cases where the essence is to build the muscles, adequate amino acid sources are ingested to allow the new rate of muscle building triggered off by the exercise.

During an exercise, you will need to drink much water than usual. You will loss very much fluid from sweat and insensible loses due to the increase of respiration, and so you will be easily dehydrated. This can lead to heat stroke, renal stone formation etc. So you will require a lot of water to cool off the exothermic reaction that is occurring in your body.

There will be an increase in every single chemical reaction in the body. Just as everything else is working overtime, so are the heart muscles. You will need to supply the heart with sufficient vitamins like B and C, oxygen and other nutrients to make sure that the electrical activities in the heart continue to meet up the new demands. More sodium and potassium ions influx and efflux occur and nutritional intake should be such that can meet up with these activities. Reduction of these ions could cause the heart block.

The strong grip and balance in the legs of athletes, wrestlers, boxers and other sports can not be developed if the exercise is not properly balanced by good nutrition. For a strong grip, the muscles of the hands need to grow bigger and stronger, the leg muscles must grow bigger too for the balance, and the bones are not going to be strong enough without the supply of sufficient calcium from a diet rich in fruits, fish and milk.

Sufficient carbohydrate which is the main energy source for physical activities should be taken before or after an exercise. If you want to do before an exercise, you need to allow time for adequate digestion to occur and commence when the food is no longer much in the stomach to avoid Angina as blood flow is more to the abdominal organs thereby depriving the heart. Preferably, we should eat after a good rest following an exercise, watching to the needs of the body.