Your muscles are your body's natural fat-burning factories, according to Juan Carlos Santana, owner of the Institute of Human Performance. They need a constant supply of carbohydrates and proteins to maintain their structure and to produce energy.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are nutrients that provide you with energy directly. Carbohydrates are your brain's main energy source and spare your body from using protein for energy. Proteins are components in your bones, muscles, hair, skin, immune system and enzymes. Fat provides a constant supply of energy, cushions organs from shock and blunt trauma, insulates your body and stores fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Vitamins and Minerals
Although vitamins and minerals do not provide you with energy directly, they help enzymes in starting chemical reactions that metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fats. According to dietitian Ellen Coleman, a deficiency in any vitamin or mineral can cause a chain reaction that slows or stops metabolism. This can cause muscle fatigue, dizziness, nausea and headaches during exercise.
Metabolism During Exercise
During exercise, glucose stored in your muscles and blood triglycerides, or fats, are transported to your muscle cells. In the muscle cells, mitochondria -- the cells' energy-producing factories -- break down fat and glucose into energy. Without glucose, your body cannot break down fat properly; it would need to convert proteins from your muscles in order to use fat for energy. This would eventually decrease your metabolism, forcing your body to conserve more fat and reducing your physical endurance and strength.
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana
- "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004
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