Our Nutrition Site   My Womens Health Club is your opportunity to start a diet that you can enjoy - and stick with it throughout the year! My Womens Health Club is a state-of-the-art online program that allows you to personally adjust your diet and exercise regimen from your home, office, or your local Liberty Fitness club!   Features Include: Certified nutritionists to answer your questions and assist you with your nutritional goals Food journals, recipes and meal plans that suit your tastes and lifestyle Personalized exercise logs designed to coincide with your thirty minute workout and guide your diet structure A variety of tools to help track your progress! And much, much more! Give your Diet a Sporting Chance Traci Kaufman, RD   Nutrition and diet can conceivably influence performance during any physical activity.  Exercise, whether intensive or mild, increases both fluid and nutrient requirements. Combine good nutrition with proper training, adequate rest and recovery, and you'll have the key to success. There are several nutrients in the diet that are essential in keeping your performance at its best, namely, water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.   Water Of the six basic nutrients needed for a healthy body, water is the most important when it comes to exercising. Even though water provides no energy, it is essential for the proper functioning of muscles and regulation of body temperature. During exercise, working muscles cause the body's temperature to increase. Sweat, which is made up of water and salt, evaporates from the skin to keep the body cool, thus playing an essential role in regulating body temperature. Drinking enough of the right kinds of fluids in order to keep adequately hydrated allows your body to replace the water and salt lost during sweating and keeps fatigue, cramps and heat exhaustion at bay. Commercial sports beverages that contain electrolytes may enhance absorption and will also provide a carbohydrate source. Cold water will also be absorbed more rapidly and will decrease body temperature.   It is recommended to use a sports beverage in an extended competition such as a marathon or vigorous workout that lasts for more than one hour. Water is fine for shorter competitions or workouts.   Helpful means of keeping yourself well hydrated include: drinking water on a regular basis before, during and after exercising; drinking fluid during exercise before you are thirsty; drinking enough fluids to keep your urine clear, and replacing weight loss during exercise with an equal amount of fluid (one pound = two cups of fluid).     Carbohydrates With so much attention focused on low carbohydrate diets there's been a consumer backlash against carbohydrates. Many people misunderstand the role that carbohydrates play in a healthy diet. Carbohydrates, after water, are one of the most important nutrients during exercise. Carbohydrate is the ideal fuel for supplying your brain and muscles with power.  The body cannot supply enough carbohydrate on its own and therefore it needs to come from foods.  Exercising with low levels of carbohydrate leads to fatigue. The carbohydrates in foods break down into glucose (sugar) in the body. This sugar is then either used immediately as energy or is stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen for later use. Liver glycogen is used to maintain blood sugar, which, in turn, fuels the brain, nervous system and other cells. Optimal blood sugar levels are important for clear, brain function and therefore critical to sharp, high speed mental performance. Low blood sugar results in weakness and fatigue. Muscle glycogen fuels muscle cells during exercise. Muscle glycogen and fat supply energy during endurance activities. Once glycogen stores are used up, the athlete experiences decreased endurance, followed by fatigue and exhaustion. Carbohydrate foods are then needed to replenish glycogen stores Therefore, maximizing glycogen stores is a primary goal of sports nutrition.   Making the Choice - Complex or Simple Carbohydrates Total carbohydrates are made up of simple sugars, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Simple carbohydrates are commonly known as sugars, sources of simple carbohydrates include table sugar, candies and other sweets, sodas and bakery goods. The sugar in these foods is in a form that is absorbed easily by the body, as opposed to the slower-digesting complex carbohydrates.    Complex carbohydrates include all the complex starches and fiber, such as those found in grains, cereals, breads and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas and beans. Milk, fruit and vegetables also contribute significant amounts of carbohydrate in the diet.  Complex carbohydrates contain many vitamins and minerals and are the body's most effective source of energy.  Complex carbohydrates are the best choice for strength and endurance as they contain more nutrients and fiber than their "simple" counterparts. Think of complex carbohydrates as "slow release" energy, the kind that is even and long lasting, whereas simple carbohydrates give quick bursts of energy but don't last long. Low carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins, the Zone, and the South Beach Diet, advocate reducing the amount of carbohydrates to encourage your body to start burning fat as fuel.  This can result in quick weight loss, especially in the beginning, but starving your body of carbohydrates during and after periods of exercise will likely cause your body to use protein as an energy source. In severe cases of low carbohydrate for prolonged periods, this may even result in the breakdown of hard-earned muscle proteins to be used as fuel during workouts or to replenish muscle glycogen after training.     Protein Protein is composed of amino acid building blocks and is important in building and repairing muscle. Protein is a source of calories (four calories per gram), but is a poor choice as an energy source because of the extra water needed to eliminate the nitrogen waste.     Fat Fat is a major source of calories or energy. Fat improves the taste and odor of foods and gives a feeling of fullness. Fats form the structures in our bodies, including muscles, nerves, membranes and blood vessels and are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K in the body. Although some fat in the diet is necessary, too much fat can lead to heart disease, obesity and other health problems. There are three kinds of fat: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. Fats in the diet may be of animal (saturated) or vegetable (unsaturated) origin. Examples of fat in the diet are gravy, bacon, margarine, butter, cream, salad dressings and nuts. Meats and some milk products also contain significant amounts of fat. The guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association suggest that fat should contribute no more than 30% of total calories. For those adults with heart disease a diet of 20 percent or even 10 percent of calories from fat is advised. The fat we eat is saturated and unsaturated. These terms refer to the chemical structure of the fat molecules. A low total fat intake, with the majority of fat from unsaturated sources, appears to lower blood cholesterol levels. Too much of any of these fats will increase dietary fat intake, and excess body fat may increase cholesterol levels and the potential to increase body fat .   Vitamins and Minerals Vitamins and minerals do not provide energy but are essential in regulating chemical reactions within the body and to help form structures of the body (such as calcium in bones). Almost all vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body can be obtained by eating a variety of wholesome, natural foods.   The ultimate competitive ability of an individual is in part, related to his or her capacity to train maximally. Consequently, every effort must be made to ensure all nutritional needs are met during this period. Proper nutritional management during exercise is optimal for top performance. Please refer to the “Dietary Goals for Improved Performance” for specific guidelines for eating prior, during and after a workout or competition.  This can be found on Liberty Fitness DietClub’s website under the Sports Nutrition section.