The importance of nutrition in achieving exercise goals: you are what you eat

Food forms part of the biological needs alongside the need for shelter. If you cannot fulfil this need, which is at the bottom of the hierarchy, you can not fulfil higher level needs such as self-realisation.

Back to food for thought, three major functions of nutrients in food. Some nutrients have only one key role (e.g. glucose provides energy). Glucose provides the energy that fuels the brain, maintains life and is responsible for recovery of muscles after exercise.  Other nutrients have multiple functions (e.g. protein for growth and development, tissue repair, build muscle and regulation of metabolism but it can also be used as energy).

Note that your body does not really care about exercise, it cares about survival. So while putting a strain on it you are disrupting its balance and you are trying to make it care about exercise so you can achieve your goals. Whether the goals are building strength, toning, weight loose, general fitness or sport specific fitness the fact of the matter is you are utilising energy and breaking down muscles.

Yes, training is important but nutrition is crucial. An inadequate intake of certain nutrients will impair performance because these nutrients help regulate exercise metabolism at an optimal level. The outcome of all this; you won’t grow, loose weight or perform at optimal levels. SO YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!