1. Water and Fibre
Sports Nutrition

2. Learning Outcomes By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
State the benefit of fibre in the diet
Explain why fibre is important and where it can be sourced
Describe the importance of water and its role in maintaining good health
Learning Outcomes

3. Fibre Fibre is also known as NSP - Non- starch polysaccharide
Fibre is “indigestible plant material”
It’s a complex Carbohydrate containing calories which the human body is unable to unlock from the plant
Fibre can be found in the cell walls of:
Vegetables
Fruits
Pulses
Cereal grains
Nuts
Fibre

4. The main benefits of fibre
Although our bodies are not able to digest fibre very well:
Passes through clearing fat and cholesterol from the body, lowering the risk of heart disease
Fibre helps us retain water in digestion preventing constipation and haemorrhoids
Adds bulk to faeces keeping the colon clean reducing the risk of colon cancer
May prevent gallstones
Helps us feel full so can help in weight control
The main benefits of fibre

5. There are two types Soluble fibre Insoluble fibre
Fruits - such as apples and bananas
Vegetables – carrots, turnips, sweet potato
Plays an important role in transporting:
Cholesterol
Bile acids
Toxins out of the body
Cellulose is a fibre that is insoluble in water
Contains thousands of glucose units that cannot be digested by humans
Cabbage, green beans, prunes
Wholemeal flour, bran
Helps add bulk to stools assisting in the removal of waste through the large intestine preventing constipation

6. High in fibre Beans and peas Artichoke Raspberries
Whole wheat spaghetti
Barley
Pears
Bran flakes
Oat bran muffin
Broccoli
Turnip greens
High in fibre

7. Fibre Component Description Food sources Cellulose
Polysaccharides comprising up to closely packed glucose units arranged linearly.
Grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, cereal bran.
Hemicellulose
Polysaccharides containing sugars other than glucose.
Cereal grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes (for example: peas, beans, chick peas, lentils) and nuts.
Lignin
A non-carbohydrate component associated with plant walls.
Foods with a woody component, for example, celery and the outer layers of cereal grains.
Beta-glucans
Glucose polymers that (unlike cellulose) have a branched structure
Mainly found in cell wall of oats and barley.
Pectins
A non-starch polysaccharide common to all cell walls.
Fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and potatoes.
Gums and mucilages
Non-starch polysaccharides which are thick gel-forming fibres that help hold plant cell walls together.
Gums: seeds and seaweed extracts; Mucilages: pysillium seeds. Gums and mucillages are used as gelling agents, thickeners, stabilisers and emulsifying agents.
Resistant starch
Starch and the products of starch digestion that are not absorbed by the small intestine.
Legumes, potatoes, cereal grains
Oligosaccharides
Short chain carbohydrates of 3-9 monomers. These include fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides.
Onions, chicory, Jerusalem artichokes
Micro components (waxes, cutin and suberin)
Micro components of the plant structures.
Cereal grains

8. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) reported that 72% of men and 87% of women were not meeting the recommended 18g of NSP per day
In 2008/ /11, the average daily intake of fibre was 14.8g for men and 12.8g per day for women. In the UK, the main sources of dietary fibre are cereals and cereal products followed by vegetables and potatoes
Most people do not eat enough dietary fibre. A low fibre intake is associated with constipation and gut diseases such as diverticulitis and bowel cancer. Although eating a diet rich in fibre is associated with reduced risks of many gut diseases, the effect may not be due to fibre
The recommended average daily intake for fibre is 18g for adults although children need proportionally less. For preschool children, introduction of more fibre should be done gradually. Too much fibre can make a young child’s diet so bulky that they become full before they have eaten sufficient food to satisfy their need for essential vitamins, minerals and energy
How much fibre do we eat?

9. Water How much energy does water contain? Why is it so important?
Transports nutrients
Removes waste products
Helps regulate temperature and homeostasis
Water

10. Functions of water Main transport mechanism in the body
Carries oxygen, nutrients, wastes, hormones, and antibodies
Helps regulate body temperature, especially when exercising
Aids passage of food through the digestive system
Lubricates the joints, hair, skin, mouth, nose, and eyes
Functions of water

11. Water balance How is water lost from the body?
Urine
Faeces
Evaporation from the skin
Evaporation from expired air
If water loss is high – DEHYDRATION will occur
Water balance

12. Water intake on average: 2 litres a day
Daily water balance for sedentary 70kg man
Water input
Water output
Source ml
Fluid
Urine
Food
Faeces
Metabolism 350
Skin
Lungs
Total

13. 10% of daily requirement comes from metabolic processes inside the body that release water
90% needs to come from our diet = 60% fluid, 30% food
Continued..

14. Dehydration Dehydration significantly impairs performance
Loss of strength
Loss of power
Loss of aerobic endurance
Reduced blood volume due to fluid loss leads to less O2 and nutrients going to the muscles
Relatively small water losses, as little as 2% of body mass can affect performance
Dehydration

15. % bodyweight lost as sweat Kg (lbs) for a 63.4 kg athlete (10 stone)
Physiological effect
% bodyweight lost as sweat
Kg (lbs) for a
63.4 kg athlete (10 stone)
Impaired aerobic performance 2%
1.3 kg (2.8 lbs)
Capacity for muscular work declines 4%
2.5 kg (5.6 lbs)
Heat exhaustion 5%
3.2 kg (7.0 lbs)
Hallucinations 7%
4.5 kg (9.8 lbs)
Circulatory collapse and heat stroke
10%
6.4 kg (14.0 lbs)

17. Trained individuals hold an advantage over untrained individuals in tolerance to uncompensable heat stress
Both show a progressive slowing of marathon performance as WGBT increases from 5°C to 25°C. Montain, Ely, and Cheuvront, (2007)
Gender
Training
Sport hydration

19. Symptoms of dehydration
Thirst
Dry mouth
Poor concentration
Flushed, red skin
Headaches
Symptoms of dehydration

20. Ensuring you’re hydrated
Drink regularly 2L a day
Continually sip water if possible
Monitor your fluid intake
Take on extra water after training or competition
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
Ensuring you’re hydrated

21. Practical implications
Acclimatisation/ Acclimation
Hydration/ Rehydration
Cooling (clothing/ Equipment/ Body)
Cooling stations (fans/ shade/ source of cold water and immersion)
Clothing options
Maintaining comfort
Pacing strategies
Practical implications

23. Quiz! How much energy does water contain? Name two functions of water?
Water is lost through….?
How much water should we be consuming on average in a day?
Does dehydration impair performance? How?
Name 3 ways you can keep hydrated…
Quiz!