Strength Conditioning and Nutrition 101

Carbohydrates

•  The main purpose of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the cells of the body and the brain to function. On top of this, carbohydrates are an efficient source of energy for us to use in our daily lives. 
• Everyone knows that eating too many carbohydrates can lead to fat storage. However, many people don’t realise that carbohydrates facilitate the metabolism of fat. A way of looking at it is that carbohydrates start the fire. Basically, when you are out camping and you want to get your big juicy logs burning, you don’t just throw them in a fire pit and light them with a single match. You know that a small kindling is necessary to get the big logs going. This is exactly the role of carbohydrates. 
• If you are not consuming enough carbohydrates, the body needs to find another source of fuel..... one of these sources is protein. So where does the body get this protein from? .... your muscle. So carbohydrates spare muscle protein.  

• Fat is an incredible fuel source with more than twice as much energy as proteins and carbohydrates. 
• Fat weighs less than both of these sources
• Fat is phenomenal for its ability to be transported and stored 
• Every single cell in your body has a cell membrane and this membrane is partially composed of fat specifically phospholipids
• It is essential for the transmission of nerve signals that generate muscle contraction 
• Fat is used in the transportation of A, D, E, and K. Without the adequate amounts of fat people often find themselves deficient
• Fat provides essential protection for your organs along with insulation from the thermal stress of cold environments
• Fat goes through a much more complex digestive process which delays the amount of time it takes to empty from the stomach thus delaying the onset of hunger pains. 

• For a more detailed look at protein refer to this article 
• As noted in previous posts, protein plays an important role in the immune system by being used to produce antibodies 
• The body has a great deal of reactions that occur with the use of enzymes, these enzymes are made up from proteins
• Proteins are components of structural hormones such as:

• Protein is used as components of transport hormones
• Used to help build peptide hormones 
• Source of fuel when muscle glycogen runs out or low from intense or prolonged exercise.