The comparison between human and machine is, to me, nowhere more evident than when pushing the physical limits of peak fitness levels. The body becomes a sort of canvas for scientific analysis, ranging from impact forces acting on joints to maximal rates of cellular respiration to the various adjustments made by the body to acclimate to the exertion. The fundamental core of the human body, especially in regards to physical fitness, is the same for any machine: fuel. The body needs an energy source to survive, which is a topic that becomes even more important when considering performance. This is not only what enticed me into the article, but also what fascinates me about sports nutrition as a whole.
Penny Wilson, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) is an expert in exercise physiology and sports nutrition. In The Magical Ingredient Guaranteed To Make Endurance Athletes Finish Faster!, Wilson discusses the primary macronutrient used to fuel our bodies during endurance exercise: carbohydrates. It’s clear right away that the author takes a very scientific approach in her field, not only considering the length of the workout, but also variables such as weight, lean body mass, base carbohydrate recommendation, height, type of carbohydrates, and type of exercise. This formal, no-nonsense approach draws in athletes and nutrition enthusiasts who are serious about perfecting their food intake, while filtering out those uninterested in the scientific connection between athletic performance and nutrition.
However analytical and precise Wilson’s measures are, she does not overlook the necessity of trial and error. She recognizes that every athlete’s body reacts differently and adjusts the variables of carbohydrate intake accordingly. This emphasis on working with the body, as opposed to forcing the body to work for you, is particularly important for the readers with little to no academic or professional background in sports nutrition. In this regard, the article demonstrates that carbohydrate intake can be evaluated and applied, but ultimately, it depends on what works best with the body being considered.
One important aspect in nutritional assessment and counseling, which Wilson truly does well in focusing on, is prioritizing needs and attending to them in order of importance. For example, she adjusts the carbohydrate intake for someone with a greater body fat percentage, as opposed to someone with a leaner build. This adjustment also demonstrates how deviations from the standard can be put into practice depending on the person.
Overall, I think the article was written fantastically. It is clear and concise, with the information-loaded shorthand commonly found among clinical and scientific environments. If I were to author a blog about nutrition or some concentration thereof, I would likely approach the matter in a similar way, breaking the facts into distinct, measurable parts and addressing them one-by-one. I would also include some common examples, as she has done, but I would perhaps tailor them more to my audience; I doubt many of my readers would have 38% or greater body fat, as she describes in her column. Lastly, I may tone down the math, science, and statistics, at least in more common posts, reserving the deep-rooted analysis for special posts, as my audience may fall into the “athlete” category, as opposed to the nutrition enthusiast or professional.