Читать реферат по английскому: "Correlation Between Proper Nutrition That Enhances Performance" Страница 5

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There are some minerals that play a role in performance and an important one is Iron. `Endurance athletes especially women athletes are prone to iron deficiency . The effects that this has upon performance is that an `Iron deficiency impairs performance because Iron helps deliver the muscles oxygen. ( Sizer & Whitney 397). The aerobic work capacity is reduced with iron reduced oxygen delivery, so the individual fatigues quickly. Calcium is a different mineral that is essential for replacement by athletes. The main reason for this is in increasing bone density for the prevention of osteoporosis later in life. Light physical activity is beneficial to bone health yet `extremes in physical activity may be detrimental to bone health . (Sizer & Whitney 397). Many of the athletes involved in this study undergo rigorous physical activity and if calcium intakes are low they may become susceptible to stress fractures and osteoporosis. By obtaining adequate calcium intakes it will protect athletes against later bone loss. However, after analyzing the nutrient intake of athletes the mean of the daily average was only at 84% of the RDA. The range lies from 73% to 93% of the RDA by athletes and this lies at the 95% level of confidence.

Other minerals also play an important role and one is Potassium. Many athletes lose potassium through profusive sweating which comes about through rigorous activity. The nutritional analysis discovered that only 68.3% of the RDA was being met by the sample of the (ENTER YOUR SCHOOL) athletes. There is a 95% level of confidence that the intake of Potassium by athletes lies between 60% and 75% of the RDA. Another mineral that is also important is Sodium. Large amounts of Sodium are also lost through sweating, however increased Sodium intakes may be bad for health. This is because it may greatly increase the risk of suffering from hypertension at later periods in life. It appears that the average sodium intake by the athletes was a little high at 138% of the RDA being obtained. The range for Sodium intake lies between 118% and 157% of the RDA, this is determined at a 95% level of confidence. Although this may not be a problem now, it is important that proper habits are set for later in life so as to prevent the onset of any diseases such as hypertension.

Each of these classes of nutrients are responsible for energy production as the `body extracts the required energy from either dietary or body stores of carbohydrate, fat and protein to rebuild the energy rich ATP. (p.24). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an energy rich chemical compound that is used for all processes that require energy within the cell. The energy that is released is used for all body functions and these include muscular contractions. Energy is also derived from Creatine phosphate and it provides a small reserve of quick energy. It is the breakdown of these two molecules that provide energy necessary in all-out exercise for about 6-8 seconds, such as the 100 meter dash.

A balanced energy supply is necessary throughout the day for athletes. This comes about through regular eating and the intake of all three meals. The most important of these three meals is breakfast. If an athlete does not consume breakfast a decrease in performance will result. This is because there will be a low blood glucose level as the `overnight fast lowers liver glycogen stores.’ (Coleman & Steen 35). With depleted liver Glycogen stores an athlete’s blood sugar drops and may feel fatigued and light headed. By an athlete eating a high carbohydrate breakfast `before morning exercise it will help to maintain blood glucose levels so that an athlete can perform at their best.’(Coleman & Steen 35). It appears that the regular intake of meals is another area where performance may be affected by the athletes at (ENTER YOUR SCHOOL). After analyzing the surveys it appears that 67% of the athletes skip meals sometimes and 71% of these skipped breakfast, while the remaining 29% skipped lunch. The results also showed that 19% of the athletes skipped breakfast three times a week and the remaining 14% never skipped meals.

The total caloric intake is also essential in the energy supply for athletes which in turn greatly reflects performance. Too little an intake may result in fatigue, poor performance, lowered body weight and lowered body fat composition. It appears that the (ENTER YOUR SCHOOL) athletes met 102% of their RDA, which falls into the ideal range. At a 95% level of confidence it appears that the total caloric intake of the RDA lies 95% and 100%. It is recommended that athletes consume between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day. This number is a little lower for female athletes. There was a little variance between that of the (ENTER YOUR SCHOOL) male athlete s mean caloric intake which was 3,344, and the LCSC female athlete s mean caloric intake which was 2467. This is not unusual and in many cases males require a greater number of calories to account for their larger body mass.

Overall, I feel that my Research Project was fairly successful. There are some areas that were a little disappointing. One of these include the response to the surveys. I only received 42% back and I think that there are some reasons for this. One of these include the fact that many of the athletes were travelling, they had either been on the road or they were about to travel. A different reason is that for many of the athletes time is a big factor, especially while in season it may be very hectic for them. I also feel that some of the athletes felt that their coach may see the survey. This seemed to be of concern to

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