Tofino health: Nutrition Matters!
by Jayne Francis
Fat kills. Or at least that is the message of the Health Department in a government-sponsored effort to break Canadians out of the spectator role. Television and radio commercials, newspaper ads and labels on milk cartons are constantly urging the nation to "get into shape."If you are past the cheerleader or football player stage of your life you may be dubious about the value of exercise to you. Does exercise influence caloric intake and what effect does it have on body composition? Research as attempted to answer these questions.
R.E. Johnson et al in West Bengal, India studied the effect of physical exercise on the eating habits of industrial workers. They observed lowest food intake in workers who participated in light activity while sedentary workers ate more and were heavier. Men performing heavy manual labour consumed more food but remained lighter in weight.
Studies conducted with American college women showed that a successful exercise program will alter body composition. That is, excess adipose tissue (fat) is converted to muscle mass. These studies do not conclusively prove that a vigorous exercise program will depress appetite and produce a beautiful lithe body. However, developing other interests rather than food is an essential part of any weight reduction program. Actual caloric expenditure during activity is not significant.
Activity Calories/hour Standing 2-3 Walking Slowly 115 Cycling 180-300 Swimming 300-700 Skating 300-700 Running 800-1000 Since the more vigorous activities cannot be sustained for any length of time, it is more effective for the average person to engage in moderately strenuous activity for a longer period of time. A brisk walk for an hour will burn more calories than a 15-minute tennis game.
Each person has a specific caloric requirement to maintain his present weight. The energy required for the functioning of internal mechanisms in the body is Basal Metabolism. Roughly calculated, the basal energy requirement of a normal young adult is 1 calorie per hour for each kilogram of bodyweight. Each hour of sleep constitutes a saving of about 10% of basal energy. For example a 125-pound (57kg) adult would expend 1368 calories (1x24x57) in 24 hours. If he sleeps 8 hours 46 calories (0.1x57x8) must be deducted to bring his basal metabolism rate for 1 day to 1322 calories.
Any muscular action is considered external activity and caloric requirements will vary with the type and duration of each. According to E.W. McHendry in Basic Nutrition, the following activity requirements must be applied to the basal metabolic rate:
Requirements for Men Activity Calories Sedentary 225 Moderate work 750 Heavy work 1500 Very heavy work 2500
Requirements for Women Activity Calories Sedentary 225 Moderate work 500 Heavy work 1000 Very heavy work 1500 Therefore, the 125-pound woman if she is moderately active will require approximately 1822 calories to maintain her present weight.
Nutrition and athletes
The nutrition advice given athletes can have a profound effect on their performance. Each coach has his own ideas and idiosyncrasies about food. Some foods are said to have "magical qualities" possessing the ability to enhance power and agility. No such foods exist. Extra doses of minerals and vitamins are sometimes recommended to combat the stress involved in hard physical exercise. The diet need only be adequate for maintenance, growth if the person is still growing, for increase in muscle mass if necessary and for filling the energy needs of the athlete's activities.
It is unwise to eat immediately before or after any vigorous activity. A pre-game meal high in carbohydrate rather than the customary fried steak will supply the liver with an extra store of glycogen, which can be readily converted to glucose for quick energy. A meal of toast, honey and orange juice has been proven to increase efficiency by 25%.
Leaving young athletes to their own devices diet wise may mean the difference between their having enough stamina and tiring halfway through a game, between a sense of well being and a feeling of not being up to par. Taking nutrition for granted can lead to unnecessary handicaps.
A planned exercise program can put excellent health back within your reach. The comparative studies of physical fitness between Canadians and Swedes should get us all out jogging. Expending an extra 200 calories per day with no change in food habits can mean a loss of 20 lbs in a year. In a long term weight reduction program exercise does matter.
Jayne Francis is a registered dietician and has been working in the field of nutrition for over 30 years.
tofino | tofino time | activities | accommodation | events | directory
maps | travel | food | art & artists | photos | horoscope | tides
search | magazine | issues | articles | advertising | contact us
hosted in tofino by tofino.net & studio tofino
© 2002-2014 copyright Tofino Time Magazine in Tofino Canada
Jayne Francis, a registered dietician with ties to Tofino, explains nutrition and exercise options and differences in diet and exercise needs for a variety of segments of population.
