The Body: Nutrition
Knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and how to choose an array of foods with nutritional value can be confusing. When we are hungry, our brains initiate a physiological response that prompts us to seek food for the energy and nutrients that our bodies require to maintain proper functioning.
Appetite is a learned psychological desire to consume food. Many factors influence our mental drive to eat, including: cultural and social meanings attached to food, convenience, advertising, habit, customs, emotions, perceived nutritional value, social interactions, and financial means. Our nutrition and what we consume is responsible for strong healthy muscles. We must always be aware that the consumption of a significant amount of carbohydrates does not promote muscle mass, but instead it gives us the energy to create the muscle mass. Competitive and non-competitive athletes should consume more calories from proteins than carbohydrates. As an athlete or someone looking to stay fit, we must understand that the body’s consumption of calories must be higher than the amount burned. If we are consuming fewer calories than we burn during the day, we interfere with creating strength, power, and muscle mass.
The nutrients we must stay focused on while exercising are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Other nutrients such as vitamins and trace minerals are needed in smaller amounts, these are called micronutrients.
