There are 7 essential nutrients needed for a balanced diet: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, and fiber. The Eatwell plate divides foods into 4 groups - fruits and vegetables, meat and alternatives, grains, and dairy - that are necessary for the body to function properly. Failing to maintain a balanced diet from these food groups can lead to malnutrition, obesity, or anorexia. Specific diets vary based on activity levels, with carbohydrate loading before intense exercise and eating light meals during workouts while waiting 2 hours after to eat more substantial foods.

1. Diet
4.1 Maintaining a balanced diet
Nutritional needs -There are 7
• Carbohydrates
o Simple- chocolate
o Complex- pasta
• Fats
o Saturated
o Polyunsaturated
o Monounsaturated
• Proteins
o Poultry
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water
• Fibre
Dietary considerations
• Eatwell plate provides 4 groups of foods that are essential to the working of
the body
o Fruit and vegetables
o Meat, fish, eggs, beans
o Bread, potatoes, pasta, rice
o Milk and dairy foods
 Failing to maintain the above in a healthy diet will result in
• Malnutrtion
• Obesity
• Anorexia
4.2 Specific diets
• Levels of participation
o Activity levels effect the amount of expenditure of energy and
therefore as energy comes from food the more you exercise the more
you need to eat
• When to eat
 Before activity- Two hours is about standard
 During activity- light or very small but generally don’t eat
furing exercise
 After exercise – two hour gap
• Carbohydrate loading
o In the days leading up to activity eat Starchy carbohydrates (complex)
in order to build up Glycogen
• High protein diets

2. o Mainly for body building, may help build muscle