Unit 11- Assignment 2
Task 1
Describe the different measures of energy:
• Calories- The calorie is a unit of energy defined as the amount of heat needed to raise a
quantity of water by one degree of temperature. When we eat and drink more calories than we use
up, our bodies store the excess as body fat. If this continues, over time we may put on weight. As a
guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight.
For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. These values can vary
depending on age, size and levels of physical activity, among other factors.
• Joules- Energy is measured in joules (J). 1 cal= 4.2J. It has the same function as calories and
is just a different unit of measurement.
• Kilocalories- A kilocalorie is a unit of energy equal to one thousand calories. 1kcal=1cal.
Therefore, it still has the same function as a calorie but it is just a different way of measuring it.
• Kilojoules- A kilojoule is the same as 1000J and has the same function as them as well.
Describe the different sources of energy and how much energy they provide:
• Carbohydrates- Carbohydrates should be your body's main source of energy in a healthy,
balanced diet. They're broken down into glucose (sugar) before being absorbed into your blood. The
glucose then enters your body's cells with the help of insulin. Glucose is used by your body for
energy, fuelling your activities, whether that's going for a run or simply breathing. Unused glucose
can be converted to glycogen, which is found in the liver and muscles. If more glucose is consumed
than can be stored as glycogen, it's converted to fat for long-term storage of energy. Carbohydrates
provide about 4 calories per gram of food.
• Fats- Fats typically provide more than half of the body's energy needs. Fat from food is
broken down into fatty acids, which can travel in the blood and be captured by hungry cells. Fatty
acids that aren't needed right away are packaged in bundles called triglycerides and stored in fat
cells, which have unlimited capacity. Fats provide about 9 calories per gram of food.
• Proteins- Proteins in food are broken down into pieces (called amino acids) that are then
used to build new proteins with specific functions, such as catalyzing chemical reactions, facilitating
communication between different cells, or transporting biological molecules from here to there.
When there is a shortage of fats or carbohydrates, proteins can also yield energy. Proteins provide
about 3.75 calories per gram of food.
Describe the different methods of measuring body composition:
• Body Weight and Lean Body Mass- Lean body mass is calculated as the difference between
total body weight and body fat weight, or more simply, the weight of everything except the fat. The
range of lean body mass considered to be healthy is around 70% - 90% with women being towards
the lower end of the range and men higher. To calculate your lean body mass at home, the clearest
way is to have a body composition monitor which will accurately measure your body fat percentage;
if your body fat percentage is 27%, your lean body mass will be 73%. You can also sense check the
calculation by measuring your bone mass, muscle mass and total body water, and adding these
percentages together, for example you might have the following scores: Total body water 55% Bone
mass 5.6% Muscle mass 15% This would give you a lean body mass percentage of 75.6%. We don’t
have any control over our bone mass, but our total body water and muscle mass are both thing we
can improve with good diet and the right exercise.
, • Skinfold Analysis- Skinfold testing, also known as calliper testing, is a commonly used
method to determine a client’s body fat percentage. You need to firmly grasp a fold of your client’s
skin between your thumb and index finger and lift this up. The skinfold should include two
thicknesses: one of skin and one of the subcutaneous fat, but no muscle or fascia. Place the contact
surface of the callipers at a 90-degree angle to the skinfold approximately 1cm below the fingers.
Slightly release the pressure between the fingers but remain holding the skinfold so that a greater
pressure is applied by the callipers. Release the handle of the callipers and read the needle to the
nearest 0.1mm approximately 4 seconds after the pressure is released.
• Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a commonly
used method for estimating body composition, in particular body fat and muscle mass. In BIA, a
weak, electric current flows through the body and the voltage is measured in order to calculate
impedance (resistance) of the body. Most body water is stored in muscle. Therefore, if a person is
more muscular there is a high chance that the person will also have more body water, which leads to
lower impedance.
• Hydrodensitometry or DEXA- Hydrodensitometry, or underwater weighing, is the classic
approach to determining body composition. Based on principles promulgated by Archimedes, the
technique generates knowledge of two compartments, the fat mass and the fat-free mass. When a
body is submerged in water, there is a buoyant counterforce equal to the weight of the water that is
displaced. Because bone and muscle have greater density than water, a person with a larger
percentage of fat-free mass will weigh more in the water. Conversely, a larger amount of fat mass
will make the body lighter in the water. The individual is measured for the amount of water
displacement by submerging in water while sustaining a 30-sec forced expiration. This step is
required because air trapped in the lungs also contributes to the amount of water displaced by the
subject. The underwater weight is recorded at the end of the forced expiration. This is then
compared to the subject's weight in air to obtain body density. Estimates of the fat body and the fat-
free body densities are used to calculate the size of these two body composition compartments. The
fat-free mass is a heterogeneous compartment that could be further subdivided according to its
primary constituents: water (73.8%), protein (19.4%), and mineral (7.8%). Although not feasible for
implementation in field studies, the hydrodensitometry approach is used as the gold standard for
validating other methods.
Describe how energy expenditure can be assessed:
• Direct and Indirect Calorimetry.
Direct calorimetry obtains a direct measurement of the amount of heat generated by the body
within a structure large enough to permit moderate amounts of activity. These structures are called
whole-room calorimeters. Direct calorimetry provides a measure of energy expended in the form of
heat. The technique of direct calorimetry has several disadvantages. The structure is costly, requires
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