Eat for ActivityThere is no doubt that the type, amount, composition, and timing of food intake can dramatically affect exercise performance, recovery from exercise, body weight, body composition, and health.

When an individual takes on an exercise program (aerobic and/or weight training) and increases their daily/weekly level of physical activity, the importance of adequate energy and nutrient intakes becomes more critical.

As the Australian public becomes more concerned with health and health issues, the interest in nutrition and physical activity has increased. This interest in health has also heightened the sale of supplements, herbal preparations, and weight loss products, all aimed at improving health, preventing or curing disease, improving sport performance, and changing body composition and weight. Sorting through this supplement soup is difficult because supplement manufacturers frequently make unsubstantiated claims about their products, leaving the consumer to sort the fact from the fiction. As stated by many sports medicine and dietetic associations, any active individual who wants to optimize health and exercise performance needs to follow good nutrition and hydration practices, use supplements and erogenic aids carefully, minimize severe weight loss practices, and eat a variety of foods in adequate amounts.

Energy Needs for Active People

Active individuals, whether your new to exercise or not, need more energy (calories) each day than their sedentary counterparts – assuming individuals are the same age, body size and participate in similar non-physically active daily activities. Exercise requires energy to fuel and repair the muscles, thus, meeting one’s energy needs to maintain, lose or gain body weight should be a priority for the active individual.

Energy balance is achieved when the energy consumed (sum of energy from food, supplements and fluids) equals energy expenditure (sum of all the energy expended by the body in movement and/or to maintain body functions- Swinburn & Ravussin, 1993).

• Weight is Maintained when one is in ‘Energy Balance’ (calories eaten = calories burnt)
• Weight is Reduced when one is in ‘Energy Negative’ (calories eaten is less than calories burnt)
• Weight is Increased when one is in ‘Energy Positive’ (calories eaten is more than calories burnt).

If energy intake does not cover the costs of energy expenditure, then fluid, body fat and potentially, muscle mass are lost (the latter to be avoided at all costs). The ability to perform strenuous exercise typically declines and in the case of muscle lost, the efficiency of your body to burn fat for energy is reduced.

Although weight loss is the goal of many Australians, it is most important to understand that the weight we speak of is excess body fat, not muscle weight loss. Weight loss in an active individual who is currently at a healthy body weight can decrease exercise performance and the health benefits associated with exercise training. Likewise, when the newcomer to programmed exercise increases physical activity and severely restricts calorie intake the results can be disastrous.

Chronically low energy intake usually results in poor nutrient intakes, including carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals. When energy intake is restricted, fat and muscle mass will be utilized for energy to fuel the body, and the loss of muscle mass will result in the loss of strength and endurance.

Exactly how much energy an active individual needs each day will depend on a number of factors, including age, gender, body size, level and intensity of physical activity and activities of daily living.

For this reason it is essential that you enlist help from competent health professionals such as registered personal trainers and nutritionists.