All foods are made up of basic components, such as, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. I picked this topic because it is important to have knowledge of different types of food and what effects they have on the body. For elite sports, such as gymnastics, it is vital to have a lot of energy for practice fifteen hours a week. This energy comes from eating complex carbohydrates and fats. Healthy eating can prevent heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. 

Fats, a type of lipid, can lead to heart disease and cancer if the body consumes too much of the unhealthy type of fat, saturated fats. Saturated fats are fats that remain solid at room temperature. Luckily, there is a type of fat, unsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature, are essential to a healthy diet. Trans fat are processed fats and are the unhealthiest fats that are the most likely to cause heart disease and weight gain. Some examples of saturated fats include butter, milk, and meat. Some foods with unsaturated fats include vegetables, fish, and nuts. Trans fat is present in foods like doughnuts, potato chips, and candy bars. Unsaturated fats can provide energy and lower cholesterol amounts to the body. The average sports diet should consist of about 25% fats.

Carbohydrates are the molecules that provide the body with the most energy and are a key component of sports diet. There are two types of carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates will supply lots of energy to keep practicing a sport but simple carbohydrates will give the body a “sugar crash”. Simple carbohydrates are made up of a few sugar molecules, which can only give the body a small amount of energy before the few sugar molecules burn up. This is when the energy begins to dissolve. However, complex carbohydrates are constructed of hundreds of sugar molecules linked together to provide the body with an incredible amount of fuel. Although carbohydrates are healthy and supply a lot of fuel, the extra carbs in a body will be converted into fat. Some examples of simple carbohydrates are white bread and soda. Complex carbohydrates include whole grain pasta, grains, and fruit. As well as providing energy for long sports practices, carbohydrates can help the body recover from previous exercise, improve concentration, and assist in building muscle tissue.

Like carbohydrates and fats, proteins also provide energy and must be consumed in the right amounts to avoid weight gain. Without protein, the body couldn’t function because the subunits of proteins, amino acids, can help sustain bones, blood, and organs. Proteins also help repair tissue. If the body is overwhelmed with protein, not only can the effects include weight gain, but it becomes a stress on a liver and a kidney to digest and break down the extra protein. Some examples of crucial protein- abundant foods are meat, milk, grains, and especially eggs. Protein is important because it assists the body in helping create bodily chemicals, such as enzymes and hormones, reduces hunger, and advances recovery.

Knowing what is in your food can help make good choices for a sports diet. In any sport, protein, carbs, and fat are key factors in a diet. A baseball player might decide to factor proteins more instead of carbs or vice versa in order to better accommodate their needs. For instance, a weightlifter is going to need a lot of proteins to help build muscle. Making good choices with food is essential to succeed in sports.