Diet, Nutrition and Optimum Weight
Food is fuel, and the right diet powers performance. Meet the macronutrients and micronutrients, learn the athlete tricks of carbohydrate loading and protein timing, and see what optimum weight really means.
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Food is fuel 🍎
What an athlete eats shapes how they perform. The right **diet** provides energy for exercise and the materials to build and repair the body. This module meets the **macronutrients** and **micronutrients**, learns the athlete tricks of **carbohydrate loading** and **protein timing**, and asks what **optimum weight** really means.
The language of nutrition 🔑
Four ideas run through this module:
Two kinds of athlete ⚖️
Different demands need different diets. Endurance and power athletes lean on **different macronutrients**.
Fuel for exercise 🎯
Which macronutrient is the body's main energy source for exercise?
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Fat
- Fibre
Match each nutrient to its job 🔗
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Fat
- Fibre
- The main, quick source of energy
- Growth and repair of muscle
- A slow-release energy store
- Keeping digestion healthy
Small but vital ✅
Select the TWO nutrients that are micronutrients, needed only in small amounts.
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
Carbohydrate loading 🍝
Before a long **endurance** event, athletes eat extra **carbohydrate** for a few days. Their muscles store it as **glycogen**. With fuller glycogen stores, the athlete can keep going longer before tiring, so **fatigue is delayed**.
A marathon loading routine 🪜
An interactive activity.
Timing the protein 💪
Why do power athletes time their protein intake soon after training?
- To aid the growth and repair of muscle
- To store more fat
- To lose water quickly
- To cool the body down
Nutrition in words 🧩
A balanced diet gives the right nutrients for a person's activity. The three _____ are carbohydrate, protein and fat. _____ is the main energy source, while _____ is needed for the growth and repair of muscle. Endurance athletes use carbohydrate _____ before a long event, and a person's ideal weight is called their _____ weight.
Spot the true statements 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Match each athlete to their focus 🔀
- An endurance athlete
- A power athlete
- A horse-racing jockey
- A rugby prop forward
- Carbohydrate loading before a long event
- Protein timed after training
- A low optimum weight for their sport
- A high optimum weight with strong muscle
Advise the athlete 🧭
An interactive activity.
A tale of two athletes ✍️
An interactive activity.