Nutrition is the cornerstone of life. Without intake of food a person will perish. That sounds dramatic, but the reality of the situation is that it is dramatic.
But what does that mean as applied to health and fitness?
Why Nutrition Matters for Health
In “Why It Matters,” from the Center for Disease Control there is a good explanation for why nutrition matters for health.
“People with healthy eating patterns live longer and are at lower risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. For people with chronic diseases, healthy eating can help manage these conditions and prevent complications.”
There are myriad reasons why eating can positively or negatively affect health, and by proxy, cause or help prevent serious health problems. From “Preventing Heart Disease” from the Harvard School of Health, comes the quote “Excess weight and an extra-large waist size both contribute to heart disease, as well as a host of other health problems.”
One way this works is that the higher the body weight of a person, the harder the heart has to work to move the body. At the same time, higher body weight is often more prevalent in people who are not active. This means they are likely not working on improving cardiovascular fitness, and it may even be in a state of decline, which further compounds the strain on the heart.
Simply put: excessive body weight + lack of cardiovascular fitness = excess heart strain.
These same people are often at risk for other issues due to the type, quality, and amount of food eaten, as well as a lack of physical activity. This mix can lead to joint issues, diabetes, and other issues, such as blocked arteries and poor blood flow, which can in turn lead to other issues.
This is a negative chain that affect quality of life, costs money, leads to stress, and ultimately can lead to death
Why nutrition matters for fitness
Food fuels the body. More specifically, the energy produced by breaking down food stuff provides fuel in the form of glycogen. This fuel is used in the metabolic pathways to provide energy for different types of activity.
If the body does not have glycogen stores, then you will feel fatigued, lack strength, or otherwise be unable to perform well, or perhaps even at all. In extreme cases, the lack of fuel will cause someone to shut down, that is, to need to go to sleep or even pass out.
To the idea of macro and micronutrients, food consumed provides vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and amino acids to the body. These elements enable processes in the body to occur, such as wound healing, cell reproduction, and more.
Without these elements in the body, your body will break down without repair. This can lead to loss of muscle, decline in mental performance, health issues such as heart diseases, and in extreme cases, death.
To keep the body performing optimally in everyday life and in physical pursuits such as gym time and competitive sports, the body needs food to provide fuel for energy, and the nutrients needed by the body to perform various functions.
As the point of nutrition importance begins to drill down, the focus on timing, calorie count, food quality, macronutrient distribution, and other areas become important.
Contrary to what some people think, being fit and healthy is a lot more than just working out. Food is of vital importance. Your nutrition matters. If you do not think so, stop eating. See how long you can go without food before you start to have serious repercussions.
And that is it. Have questions? Let me know on social media. You can click the links here, or just look up Nathan DeMetz Personal Training on Facebook and Instagram.
Nathan DeMetz holds degrees in Exercise Science, Business Administration, and Information Technology as well as certifications in strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, run coaching, and other areas. His credentials come from organizations such as Indiana Wesleyan University, Ivy Tech College, Utah State University, and the ISSA College of Exercise Science.
Nathan has 20 years of personal and professional experience in the health and fitness world. He works with people from across the globe, including locations such as Kuwait, Australia, and the USA.
To work with Nathan directly on your personal training goals, contact him today!