Fitness Focus
Body composition
Body
composition is
what your body is made up of. Your
body is made of several components: muscle, bones, tissues, water, and fat
cells. The health of your body
composition depends on three things; nutrition, physical activity and
genetics. Nutrients are the
building blocks needed by your body to create your body composition.
Carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins, as well as water and minerals, are the principal building
blocks of body composition. One measure
of body composition is the ratio of lean body mass (bones, muscles, tissues,
nutrients and water) to fat.
Because lean body mass weighs more than fat using a scale to determine
your ideal body composition does not work. A person, who is overweight on a scale, may actually be in good
shape. It is just as important to
avoid having too much fat. Your body
needs both lean body mass and fat to function properly.
Healthy
body composition: Food provides the fuel and building
blocks that keep your body functioning.
The energy that food gives your body contributes to your body composition. Maintaining a healthy ratio of lean
body mass to fat mass allows you to enjoy life. Be active, have energy to spare, and grow and develop.
Growth
and developmental influences
on body composition: There are many factors that influence
your body composition. The role of
nutrients, how much energy you take in (food), and how much energy you use
(working, playing, growing, and learning) influence your body composition and
are controlled by you. Factors you
cannot control, such as age, gender, and genetics, food sensitivities, and
lifestyles, also play an important role in your body size, type and shape.
Physical
activity and healthy nutrition are the keys to maintaining a healthy body
composition. Being physically
active helps you control your weight, to strengthen your muscles, and balance
the calories in and out. You
should try to participate in moderate physical activity most days of the week;
daily is better.
Benefits
of fat:
* Acts as an insulator, helping the body adapt to heat and cold
* Acts as a shock absorber, helping protect internal organs and bones
from injury
* Helps body use vitamins effectively
* Acts as stored energy when the body needs energy
Benefits
of lean body mass:
*
Helps in burning calories
* Provides structure for the body
* Helps the body move effectively
Lesson Review: Answer a separate sheet of paper in complete
sentences.
1. What is your body made of?
2. Body composition is the ratio of what two things?
3. What are the components of lean mass?
4. What can you do to maintain a healthy body
composition?
5. Why is it important to have both lean mass and
body fat?