Monday 27 April 2015

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are needed in our body but only in small doses, as oppose to macronutrients they dont provide us with energy but they are needed for other important things in the human body. There are two types of mironutrients which are vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins
Vitamins are required in our body in small amounts, they are grouped into two catagories which are fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. "Fat-soluble vitamins are found mainly in fatty foods and animal products, such as vegetable oils, milk and dairy foods, eggs, liver, oily fish and butter". NHS choices (2015). "Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, so you need to have them more frequently". NHS choices (2015) water soluable vitamins are useually found in these food sources milk, eggs, dark veg, salmon and tuna.




        Heart Health Initiative (2015)
Above is a diagram showing the nutrients, there benefits and food sources.

Fat soluble vitamins

- Vitamin A has a few important functions such as it helps your immune sytem to help against infection, keeps your skin healthy and helps your vision in dim light. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin a is 0.7mg a day for men and 0.6mg a day for women.

- Vitamin D is another important vitamin to have as this helps with the growth and strengthening of our bones. The Recommended daily intake is 0.001mg. A deficency in this can result in adults getting fragile bones and children can get rickets. A sporting example of when this is needed is in most sports mainly contact ones such as rugby and fotball, this is because if you have fragiel bones you are much more likely to become injured as oppose to player with strengthened bones.

- Vitamin E like vitamin d helps to keep the bones healthy. The recommended daily intake is 4mg for males and 3mg for females.

- Vitamin K does not really have a defieceny if so it is rare that you have a deficency, but a deficency can make it so your red blood cells do not work correctly and this can effect your sports performance because it does not allow the oxygen in the blood cells to travel fast enough to the muscles and areas where it is needed. the recommended daily intake is 0.001mg a day.

Water soluble vitamins

- Vitamin B 
  • B1 (thiamine)
  • B2 (riboflavin)
  • B3 (niacin)
  • B5 (pantothenic acid)
  • B6
  • B7 (biotin)
  • B12
  • folic acid
      Medline plus (2015)

The vitamins listed above help your body with the process of breaking down the food you eat and is used to make energy.
The food sources are  "from proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas also have B vitamins. Many cereals and some breads have added B vitamins". Medline Plus (2015)

- Vitamin C is vital that we have it because the main functions of it are help protecting cells and keeping them healthy, helps with the maintenance of connective tissues and helps wounds to heal. A lack of vitamin c can lead to scury. This makes this important to sports performers because it helps with the protection of the bones and muscles.

Minerals



                                              MHC Asia group (2015)

Calcium

Calcium is needed to help stregthen and to biuld our bones. An example of this is a rugby player if they are going into a tackle or being tackled the stronger the bones the less likely they are to get injured.

Iron

Iron is needed in our body to help with the formation of red blood cells.A deficency in iron iron means not enough red blood cells are made therefore making it so that oxygen and other vital parts of red blood cells are not getting transported fast enough and in a good amount to the working muscles, organs and tissues. An example of this is a long distance runner.


Sodium chloride(salt)

This is vital in our body to maintain fluid balance, having to much salt in your diet can lead to such as high blood pressure and also gives you a higher risk of heart disease or a heart attack.

Potassium

Potassium like sodium chloride helps maintain fluid balance and keeps control of the fluids in the body.Having to much can lead to head aches, in a sporting situation this may lead ytou to make bad decisions  and loose your focus.










References

NHS choices(2015) vitamins and minerals. Available from:http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/vitamins-minerals.aspx [Accessed on: 26/04/2015]

Heart Health Initiative (2015) nutrients and absorbtion : what you need to know (Accessed from url) http://hearthealthinitiative.com/nutrients-and-absorption-what-you-need-to-know/ [Accessed on 26/04/2015]

Medline Plus (2015) B Vitamins (Accessed from url) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bvitamins.html [Accessed on 27/04/2015]

MHC Asia group (2015) minerals and vitamins (Accessed from url) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuYPUF-TobQ [Accessed on 27/04/2015]

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