Sports Nutrition - Limiting Factors

For more details about sports nutrition, training and motivation, visit http://visportsnutrition.ca With Sports Nutrition, there are FIVE key areas to consider when developing a training program. A brief description is given then we dig deeper into the FOUR important criteria of a GOOD sports nutrition plan. Limiting Factors There are a large number of limiting factors that will determine how well a person will lose weight and gain muscle mass as a part of a training program. There are FIVE key areas to consider. 1. Genetics There are numerous claims made by people who will argue they cannot be skinny or a good athlete. It is true that there are upper limits to what people can achieve. Most people do not attempt to get to the upper limits of their potential. Anyone can improve their overall health, body composition and performance to some degree with some consistent effort. 2. Exercise Physical activity as a limiting factor can easily be changed if a person has the desire. A person's daily activity will determine how their body will look. Someone who sits at a desk all day and then goes home to sit in front of a TV or computer will likely end up with a decrease in metabolism. This can cause fat gain, muscle loss and lifestyle-related diseases. As a general rule, the number of steps a person takes in a given day can be used to determine their activity level - sedentary or active. A sedentary (low activity) lifestyle would take less than 5,000 steps per day. Active lifestyles take 10,000 steps per day. If you add a few hours per week of high intensity exercise, real change in physical fitness and overall health is possible. 3. Physiology There are times when results in overall health are difficult and it may require checking with a medical expert to determine if there are other causes. 4. Mindset Mental attitude can make all the difference. It can determine whether or not a person sticks to a nutrition and exercise plan. Research has shown that a person is far more likely to succeed in their quest if they have a goal in mind. 5. Nutrition Nutrition is the most important limiting factor. A healthy diet will promote fat loss and help feed muscles so they grow. When the body is not craving a nutrient it needs, recovery from intense exercise is shorter so exercise can be harder, longer and more frequent. Defining "Good" Nutrition All good nutrition plans need to meet FOUR important criteria: 1. Properly controls energy balance Energy balance is the direct relationship between energy in (food calories) and energy out (calories burned by the body). There are three possibilities: • positive energy balance: more energy in than out. If taken too far, can lead to weight gain. • negative energy balance: more energy out than in. An intense negative balance can create an "I'm starving" response by the body causing it to slow or shut down any non-essential functions like reproduction, metabolism and brain function. • neutral energy balance: energy in and out are the same so weight is maintained 2. Nutrient and Calorie Density Nutrient density is the ratio of vitamins, minerals and fiber to the total calories of the food eaten. Calorie density is the ratio of energy in food (calories) to the total weight of the food eaten. The best combination to promote better health and fat loss is to eat foods with a high nutrient density and a low calorie density. For those looking to gain muscle mass, food high in nutrient density will be important but calorie intake will need to increase so higher calorie dense food will need to be eaten. 3. Achieves Health, Body Composition and Performance Goals A large number of people will tend to focus on ONE of the three goals with most just really wanting to look good. Results tend to come over time but most think it happens easily and will try the "quick fix" by using drugs and aggressive programs. Unfortunately, they are not sustainable in the long term. Set realistic goals which involve how you look, feel and perform to create a consistent nutrition plan that will work for years to come. 4. Honest and Out-come Based Without actually tracking what is being eaten, it is difficult to determine what a person's diet really looks like. People think they are eating healthy but they feel sluggish all day, have health issues like obesity and generally feel lousy. Eating habits do not match the outcome they expect. To understand where their diet is lacking, they need to take an honest look at what is being eaten every day then change it. The out-come will indicate if their changes are making a difference. Understanding these areas will help you to develop a better nutrition plan that will show real results over time.