Food is the fuel of life. It provides our bodies with the energy it
needs to perform not only the activities we enjoy such as jogging,
biking and lifting weights but also many unconscious functions such
as the beating of your heart, the contraction of postural muscles as
well as breathing. This section will explain how nutrition can affect
the body, and teach you to adjust your diet to optimize your training
or simply to live healthier!

What is a calorie? A calorie is a measurement for the
amount of energy that is obtained from foods.

Calories are used to measure the energy in foods but also the energy stored by the body in the form of fat - commonly called adipose tissue.

Cool fact: One pound of body fat is equivalent to approximately
3500 calories!!

Foods can be divided into
three main categories

The nutrients derived from foods can be broken down into three main categories: carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and proteins. These, along with vitamins, minerals and water are metabolized (broken down) by the body in order to satisfy all of its energy needs.

Ideal proportions of each carbohydrates, fats and proteins differ depending on age, activity level, training goals, pregnancy, as well as other health considerations.

A nutritious diet for the average individual should consist of:

55% Carbohydrate
25% Fat
20% Protein

If you are training for an aerobic sport you can increase your carbohydrates and fats. If you are training for an increase in lean muscle mass and are training for hypertrophy, you can increase your protein.

To continue on to the macronutrients click here.