Food Habits, Exercises, Sports and Diets - Term Paper Example

ESSAY ON FOOD HABITS, EXERCISES, SPORTS AND DIETS INTRODUCTION This article deals with a variety of topics ranging from diets, exercises, sports andfood habits, and the effect that various factors have on these areas, like the altitude, geographical locations and so on. It also deals with the injuries and controversies of sport and their effect on the sporting world. The different types of diets, types of exercises specific to requirements with an analysis of the calorific expenditure of these exercises, training programs for various athletic events are also touched upon. And lastly, the ethics of the sporting world are discussed in brief. COMPARISON OF DIETS ATKINS DIET: The Atkins Nutritional Approach, popularly known as the Atkins Diet or just Atkins, is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet. The basic principle of the Atkins diet is to make the body to switch from burning glucose to burning the stored body fat. It involves the restriction of intake of carbohydrates in order to achieve this transition in the body’s metabolic activities. SOUTH BEACH DIET: The South Beach diet is a diet plan started by cardiologist Arthur Agatston. This diet emphasizes the consumption of "good carbohydrates" and "good fats". The underlying principle behind this diet is that excess consumption of so-called "bad carbohydrates", such as the rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates found in foods with a high glycemic index, creates an insulin resistance syndrome - an impairment of the hormone insulins ability to properly process fat or sugar. The Agatstons diet (or the South Beach Diet) minimizes consumption of bad fats and bad carbohydrates and encourages increased consumption of good fats and good carbohydrates. WEIGH WATCHERS DIET: The Weight Watchers is an International company that offers various dieting products and services, in order to assist in weight loss and maintenance. Once a member reaches his or her goal weight he/she starts a maintenance period. For the following 6 weeks member should learn to both stop losing and not gain. At this time they become Lifetime members. After this, Lifetime Members must weigh in at least once per calendar month. If the member weighs more than 2 pounds over the weight goal at their first monthly weigh-ins, he/she will be charged the weekly fee, until they get back within the 2 lb range. ZONE DIET: The Zone diet is a diet popularized in books by the eminent biochemist Barry Sears. The diet centers on a "40:30:30" ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively. "The Zone" is a Sears term for proper hormonal balance. When insulin levels are neither too high nor too low, and glucagon levels are not too high, then specific anti-inflammatory chemicals (types of eicosanoids) are released, which have similar effects to aspirin, but without downsides such as gastric bleeding. Sears claims that a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates triggers this effect, and this is called The Zone. EXERCISE AND ALTITUDE (Life Fitness, 2005) When exposed to moderate altitudes (greater than 7,000 feet), many individuals experience symptoms that have been referred to as "mountain sickness," including any or all of the following: headache, nausea, labored breathing, insomnia and a decreased appetite. These symptoms may occur within a few hours of exposure to altitude and usually dissipate within 24 to 48 hours. Due to the decrease in oxygen in the atmosphere, there is less oxygen saturation in the blood, and thus the body has to compensate for this decrease in oxygen concentration. The lower levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxia) result in an increased breathing rate. The first few weeks of altitude exposure cause a decrease in the plasma volume and an increase in heart rate at both rest and submaximal exercise. The major change that occurs with acute altitude exposure is a reduction in cardiovascular capacity. Therefore, at an altitude of approximately 7,000 to 8,000 feet, an individual can expect to be at only 90 percent of their sea level capacity. People should decrease the workload, resistance or pace when exercising at altitude locations, especially after acute (immediate) exposure. CALORIC EXPENDITURE (The Fitness Jumpsite, 2008) For an average person weighing 180 lbs the caloric expenditure for several physical activities and sports are listed out below(assuming a 15 min workout per activity): 1. Bicycling: 12-13.9 mph, leisure, moderate effort: 163.6 calories 2. Boxing: punching bag: 122.7 calories 3. Kayaking: 102.2 calories 4. Squash: 245.4 calories 5. Swimming: general, leisurely, no laps: 122.7 calories 6. Volleyball: beach: 163.6 calories 7. Walk: 4.5 mph (13 min/mi): 128.8 calories 8. Water Polo: 204.5 calories 9. Tennis: general play: 143.1 calories 10. Tai Chi: 81.8 calories 11. Table Tennis / Ping Pong: 81.8 calories 12. Soccer: general: 143.1 calories 13. Skateboarding: 102.2 calories 14. Aerobics: low impact: 102.2 calories 15. Aerobics: high impact: 143.1 calories 16. Weight Lifting: Light, free weight, nautilus or universal-type: 61.3 calories 17. Stretching: Mild, Hatha Yoga: 51.1 calories 18. Badminton: general, social: 92 calories 19. Boxing: sparring: 184 calories 20. Cricket: batting, bowling: 102.2 calories INJURIES IN SPORT 1. Stress fracture in the foot: A stress fracture can occur as a result of prolonged repeated loads on the legs. Long distance runners are susceptible to this type of injury. Rehab strategies include:  See a sports Doctor for advice.  Rest for 6 to 8 weeks if a stress fracture is suspected. Use crutches if necessary. 2. Concussion: A concussion is an injury to the head caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head. It is defined as a complex patho-physiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Simply put concussion is an injury to the brain caused by impact against the skull. Rehab strategies include The athlete should be removed from the competition immediately. The athlete should not be left alone. Avoid contact or collision sports for at least 3 weeks. 3. Achilles Tendonitis: It is estimated that achilles tendonitis accounts for around 11% of all running injuries. The Achilles tendon has a poor blood supply which is why it is slow to heal. Achilles tendoinitis can be acute or chronic. Acute achilles tendinotis may happen as a result of overuse or training too much, too soon especially on hard surfaces or up hills. Rehab includes: Rest and apply cold therapy or ice (not directly onto the skin). Wear a heel pad to raise the heel and take some of the strain off the achilles tendon. This should be a temporary measure while the achilles tendon is healing. See a sports injury professional who can advise on treatment and rehabilitation. 4. Hamstring Injury: A hamstring strain or a pulled hamstring as it is sometimes called is a tear in one or more of the hamstrings muscles. Acute, mild to severe hamstring strains are extremely common in sprinters and hurdle jumpers and in all sports that involve sprinting activities, such as football and rugby.Rehab includes:  Use R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) technique  Use a compression bandage to minimize intra muscular bleeding. 5. Jumper’s knee: The patellar tendon / ligament joins the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone or tibia. As such this tendon comes under a large amount of stress especially in individuals who actively put extra strain on the knee joint such as those who regularly perform sports that involve direction changing and jumping movements.  With repeated strain, micro-tears as well as collagen degeneration may occur as a result in the tendon. Rehab includes: Treatment of patellar tendonopathy is slow and may require a number of months of rehabilitation in order to notice a decrease in aggravating symptoms. This may include several months of rest.  During rehabilitation the VISA questionnaire may be filled out to monitor the progress of the tendonopathy. VEGETARIAN DIETS (American Heart Association, 2008) Some people follow a "vegetarian" diet, but theres no single vegetarian eating pattern. The vegan or total vegetarian diet includes only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and peas), grains, seeds and nuts. The lactovegetarian diet includes plant foods plus cheese and other dairy products. The ovo-lactovegetarian (or lacto-ovovegetarian) diet also includes eggs. Most vegetarian diets are devoid of animal products. They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer.  KENYAN WORLD DOMINANCE Kenyan runners, and especially those originating from the Kalenjin tribe, have dominated international middle- and long-distance running for over 40 years, prompting significant interest in the factors contributing to their success. Proposed explanations have included environmental factors, psychological advantage and favorable physiological characteristics, which may be genetically conferred or environmentally determined. Running is inherent within local Kenyan tradition and culture, and the Kenyan way of life, which involves many outdoor activities and pastimes in addition to mostly unfavorable living conditions, is conducive to enhanced distance running performance. Favorable environmental conditions such as altitude, diet and anthropometry, have all been proposed as possible reasons for the unsurpassed achievements of Kenyan distance runners. However, the fact that the majority of internationally successful runners originate from a small tribe that accounts for approximately 3% of the total Kenyan population also points to a possible genetic component. DOPING CONTROVERSIES Lance Armstrong: Armstrong has continually denied having used performance-enhancing drugs and has described himself as "the most tested athlete in the world". Throughout his career only one test showed indications of the presence of doping products: in 1999, a urine sample showed traces of corticosteroids, but the amount was not in the positive test range. He later produced a medical certificate showing he used an approved cream for saddle sores which contained the substance. Barry Bonds: In 2003, Bonds became embroiled in a scandal when Greg Anderson of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, Bonds trainer since 2000, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with supplying anabolic steroids to athletes, including a number of baseball players. This led to speculation that Bonds had used performance-enhancing drugs during a time when there was no mandatory testing in Major League Baseball. Bonds declared his innocence, attributing his changed physique and increased power to a strict regimen of bodybuilding, diet and legitimate supplements. Marion Jones: Marion Jones had been accused, either outright or by implication, of taking performance enhancing drugs, a common allegation surrounding athletes involved in the sports under the "Track and Field" umbrella. Until 2007, Jones routinely denied--in almost every way possible and in almost any venue where the question arose--ever being involved with performance enhancers in any way, shape, or form. DRUGS AND THE OLYMPICS One of the main problems facing the Olympics (and international sports in general) is doping, or performance enhancing drugs. In the early 20th century, many Olympic athletes began using drugs to enhance their performance. In the late 1990s, the IOC took initiative in a more organized battle against doping, leading to the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999. Despite the testing, many athletes continued to use doping without getting caught. RESISTANCE TRAINING PROGRAMS There is a lot of confusion as to the right steps to take in starting a resistance training program. The following is for those people who have their aerobic workouts, but do not have an anaerobic workout. When saying lifting weights, it is not referring to pressing or pulling enormous amounts of iron in a hot, damp, and dark gym. There are those of both sexes who are a little afraid of lifting weights (resistance training). With weight training, the body takes shape. The resistance training is the key to keeping the fat off. ETHICS AND VALUES IN SPORT We define ethics in sport as the ‘systematic application of moral rules, principles, values and norms’. Perhaps more simply put, ethics means practicing the following core values in sport: Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Equity. These values can be seen in many different areas of sport such as participation trends, players’ conduct or the actions of administrators, design of disciplinary processes or team selection.  To help sport organizations tackle these problems in a coordinated and proactive way a method has been developed for an ethics program that includes a range of projects, resources, guidance and support for sport organizations.  WORKS CITED “Achilles Tendonitis.” Sports Injury Clinic.2008. 11 May,2008 http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/achilles/tendinitis.htm “Atkins Nutritional Approach.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 10 May 2008.11 May, 2008< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_Nutritional_Approach> “Concussion.” Sports Injury Clinic.2008. 11 May,2008 < http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/head_injuries/concussion.htm> “Jumpers Knee (Patellar tendinitis / patellar tendinopathy).” Sports Injury Clinic.2008. 11 May,2008 < http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/indexjumpersknee.html> Life Fitness Site.2005.Life fitness Academy. 10 may, 2008 http://us.commercial.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/lifefitnessacademy Pitsiladis, Yannis P, & Onywera,Vincent O & Geogiades, Evelina & OConnell,William & Boit, Michael K. “The dominance of Kenyans in distance running.” International Centre for East African Running Science (ICEARS).(2004) “Pulled Hamstring / Hamstring Strain.” Sports Injury Clinic.2008. 11 May,2008 < http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/hamstrings/hamstringstrain.htm> “South Beach diet.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 5 May 2008.11 May, 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Beach_diet> “Stress Fracture in the Foot.” Sports Injury Clinic.2008. 11 May,2008 < http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/foot/stressfracture.htm> The Fitness Jumpsite.2008.The Fitness Partner Connection.10 may, 2008 “Vegetarian Diets.” American Heart Association. 2008. 11 May, 2008 “Weight Watchers.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 9 May 2008.11 May, 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_Watchers > “Zone Diet.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 4 May 2008.11 May, 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_diet> Read More