Nutrition, nutritional status and functionality

Abstract

A good quality of life means obtaining adequate nutrition and regular physical activity. This combination also reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases while increasing one’s level of physical performance. These aspects are critical for the population. Therefore, within the field of physical activity, we must focus on the influence of nutrition on the health, performance, and recovery of a subject. Nutrition and regular physical activity are especially key for the health of the elderly, people with comorbidities, and athletes. Adequate nutritional intervention employs elements of nutritional assessment and ergo-nutritional supplementation in addition to daily diets. The nutritional status of an individual can be defined as the result between the nutritional intake received and the nutritional demands, and should allow for the utilization of nutrients to maintain reserves and compensate for losses. Given the diversity of factors and the variability of mechanisms involved in the nutritional balance of every person, it is necessary to resort to measures that guide us with respect to our nutritional status. If we are rigorous, the more techniques we use, the more accurate our final assessment will be. However, it is important to set the objective of this nutritional assessment so as not to waste time and money on unnecessary analyses. [Texto extraído del artículo de Diego Fernández Lázaro].