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Fat carries more energy than other macro nutrients (9kcals/37kJ/g compared to 7kcal/29kJ/g for alcohol and 4kcal/17kJ/g for protein and carbohydrate respectively). So with so much energy to offer does eating more improve performance?
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It’s what you do between the "all on" and "all off" phases that really matters to overall performance. Read more »
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NZ children are getting fatter at a younger age That doesn't mean that we need to consider dieting our children or dragging our toddlers around the race track but we do need to look at some simple things we can do to get healthier together. Read more »
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Despite the apparently healthier lifestyle vegetarian athletes (like anybody) can still become overweight, hungry, bloated and suffering from multiple nutrient deficiencies. Read more »
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Do you ever suffer from” runners diarrhoea”, bouts of anxiety , fatigue, abdominal pain or gas when facing competition? Read more »
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Whether you are swimming for fun or competition this sport has many health benefits that can be enhanced with good nutrition. Knowing what to eat and when can also greatly improve your enjoyment of the sport as well as your level of performance.
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You only have to view the pile of bikes outside a coffee bar on a Saturday morning to realize that many cyclists are coffee addicts who need their caffeine fix each day. So does caffeine hydrate, dope up or enhance performance?
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The stress of competition, the sun and wind, sweat, chaffing and high sugar levels are just some of the things that can aggravate the skin conditions of athletes and very active people. Read more »
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An eating disorder can affect anyone at any age, any sport, any background and any gender. The symptoms may build slowly well before the illness becomes evident. Often it is an athletes support team such as parents, friends, team mates and coaches that pick up on the symptoms and can prevent the disorder from ruining the athletes sporting career. Read more »
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Many workers use enough energy and essential nutrients each day to power a marathon. If not replaced then a lack of these key nutrients can lead to fatigue, accidents and injury that can affect their long-term health and mobility. Read more »
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Nothing can be more infuriating for an athlete than after months of intense training an injury sees you ‘sidelined’. Read more »
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Good vision is essential for good health and sporting performance especially when athletes are involved in precision sports that require good hand and eye co-ordination such as archery, pistol shooting, cricket, golf etc.
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Women who push the boundaries of their lives to take on new challenges and sporting events are usually also trying to juggle their work, home and training existence. With good sports nutrition advice It is possible to find renewed energy.
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Cycling tests an athlete’s strength and endurance capabilities as well as their anaerobic energy systems during breakaways, hill climbs and sprints to the finish.While some athletes rely heavily on dietary supplements, these will not replace a healthy training diet that is high in carbohydrate, with moderate protein and low in fat.
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Many secondary school athletes are training for more than 10hrs per week and are competing nationally or alongside adults in events such as The Speight’s Coast to Coast, La Grande Swim, Le Race etc. At a time when they are also growing, young athletes may need as much as 50% more protein than their more … Read more »
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Whether you are a novice or seasoned triathlete your nutrition plan could make or break your race. All those competing should read the excellent nutrition tips on the official Speight’s Coast to Coast website and seek professional help if they have any concerns. In addition here is a check list of things you should also consider. Read more »
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The recent Rugby World Cup has placed the spot light on sports injuries and so we thought it might be interesting to look more closely at the protective role of sports nutrition and in particularly the nutrients important to tendon and ligament health.
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Are you wanting to get into exercise but are finding every excuse under the sun? E.g. my neighbour wants to join me but is away right now; I’m waiting for the gym to open; I’ll get back into it when school goes back. Does this sound familiar? If you wait for all the conditions to … Read more »
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Young children and adolescents are not little adults – dehydration can be a real problem for young athletes. Find out more about adolescent dehydration, recommendations and the preferrable types of fluid your son, daughter or player should be consuming. Read more »
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The earthquake has certainly taken its toll when it comes to sport. All around the city gyms, pools, tennis courts, golf clubs and stadiums have been closed due to structural damage or liquefaction. Many athletes, in training for major events, have now also lost gear making training a lot harder. Finding the motivation to keep … Read more »
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People often ask if gardening or cleaning helps shift weight. Energy needs vary depending on body weight and metabolism. We need a deficit of around 1000kcals to lose 1 kg. Most people need around 2000-4000kcals per day. However reducing energy intake below 1500kcals slows down metabolism and weight loss. Try using the following table to … Read more »
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Exercise induced asthma (EIA) occurs in approximately 90% of people with asthma.Traditionally it has been treated with medication. However, there is now convincing evidence that a variety of dietary factors can also be of help: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of fish oil Antioxidants in particular flavones which are to be found in … Read more »
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Take up the challenge! If you want to loose weight and get fitter you have to walk more and sit less right now. It has been estimated that if everyone in the USA were to walk briskly 30mins each day they could reduce chronic illness by up to 40%. If we did the same we … Read more »
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growth and development Probably the most important consideration for any young athlete is being able to balancehis or her nutritional needs for sporting performance against the demands of growth. It is possible to ‘have if all’ but eating well is essential and takes both knowledge and discipline. social pressures Young people love to go out … Read more »
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Concern has been growing overt recent years about the use of dietary supplements by athletes. While there are some that are well recognised as being useful others can lead to positive drug tests and disqualification. To assist their athletes to sort out which ones are permitted the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra have developed … Read more »
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If you are planning to take a team to the Olympic games in Athens or you plan to compete yourself then there are a number of issues you may like to consider: Environmental Conditions You will need to make nutritional provisions for the heat Food Safety Have you considered ways in which to prevent gastro-intestinal … Read more »
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Believe it or not there is such a state. It is more commonly known as Hyponatraemia, and occurs when the concentration of sodium in the blood is lower than normal (<136 mEq/L). Sodium is essential in nerve and muscle function and also helps to maintain blood pressure. Symptoms range from confusion, lethargy, nausea and muscle … Read more »
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The general population is becoming more aware of the health risks associated with an inactive lifestyle, however the major task is to find innovative approaches to encourage a more active lifestyle within this population. 10,000 steps Rockhampton may be a possible contender to help solve such a costly problem and is the largest physical activity … Read more »
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Those who enter adulthood with a good level of cardiovascular fitness have been found to be least likely to develop cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and even metabolic syndrome later in life. Even those who begin a little later in life are still able to reduce some of their health risks … Read more »
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Ideally, experienced athletes will have started preparing months before the race with an improvement in their baseline nutrition for body maintenance. They may then practice incremental increases in carbohydrate and fluid intakes before, during and after training to simulate the demands of competition. During competition the body prefers to breakdown glycogen (carbohydrate stored in the … Read more »
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To provide additional energy needed during exercise, the oxygen used in the exercising muscles increase by about 10-20%. A bi-product of the increased oxygen use is increased production of free radicals and therefore increased oxidative stress. Other environmental factors initiate free radical reactions; some examples are UV light, x-rays, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, smoking and fast … Read more »
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Alcohol and sport are often interrelated. Not only in relation to the athletes themselves, but also coaches, parents and supporters may also be involved. Over the past 20 yrs there has been a great deal of interest in the positive and negative effects of alcohol on sporting performance. Here is a brief summary of some … Read more »
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All healthy women without any contraindications should participate in moderate intensity aerobic and strength conditioning exercises as part of a healthy lifestyle during their pregnancy. This is to ensure a good fitness level is achieved and/or maintained throughout pregnancy which assists physiological reserves of both mother and baby without affecting growth. Additional pelvic floor exercises … Read more »
Athletes need to protect their smile. While high carbohydrate sports drinks and snacks may provide the energy needed to improve performance, without care, these foods can also be hazardous to dental health.
