essay on fitness and nutrition

Health and Fitness Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on health and fitness.

We have always heard the word ‘health’ and ‘fitness’. We use it ourselves when we say phrases like ‘health is wealth’ and ‘fitness is the key’. What does the word health really mean? It implies the idea of ‘being well’. We call a person healthy and fit when he/she function well physically as well as mentally.

Factors Affecting our Health and Fitness

Good health and fitness is not something which one can achieve entirely on our own. It depends on their physical environment and the quality of food intake. We live in villages, towns, and cities.

In such places, even our physical environment affects our health. Therefore, our social responsibility of pollution-free environment directly affects our health. Our day-to-day habits also determine our fitness level. The quality of food, air, water all helps in building our fitness level.

Role of Nutritious Diet on our Health and Fitness

The first thing about where fitness starts is food. We should take nutritious food. Food rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates is very essential. Protein is necessary for body growth. Carbohydrates provide the required energy in performing various tasks. Vitamin and minerals help in building bones and boosting our immune system.

However, taking food in uneven quantity is not good for the body. Taking essential nutrients in adequate amount is called a balanced diet. Taking a balanced diet keep body and mind strong and healthy. Good food helps in better sleep, proper brain functioning and healthy body weight.

Include vegetables, fruits, and pulses in daily diet. One must have a three-course meal. Having roughage helps in cleaning inner body organs. Healthy food habit prevents various diseases. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet prevents cholesterol and heart diseases.

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Impact of Exercise on our Health

Routine exercise helps improve our muscle power. Exercise helps in good oxygen supply and blood flow throughout the body. Heart and lungs work efficiently. Our bones get strong and joints have the pain free movement.

We should daily spend at least twenty minutes in our exercise. Daily morning walk improves our fitness level. We should avoid strenuous Gym activities. Exercise burns our fat and controls the cholesterol level in the body. Various outdoor games like cricket, football, volleyball, etc keeps our body fit. Regular exercise maintains our body shape.

Meditation, Yoga, and Health

Meditation and yoga are part of our life from ancient time. They not only make us physically fit but mentally strong as well. Meditation improves our concentration level. Our mind gets relaxed and thinking becomes positive.

A healthy mind is key for a healthy body. Yoga makes us stressfree and improves the endurance power of the mind. Yoga controls our blood pressure. With yoga, a strong bond with nature is established. Meditation is considered the best way to fight depression.

A person stays happier when he/she is fit and healthy. A fit and healthy person is less prone to chronic diseases. The healthy mind reacts better in a pressure situation. The self-confidence of a person is increased. Risk of heart failure is reduced drastically. With the increased immunity power body could fight cancerous cells. The intensity of the fracture is decreased with regular exercise.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Eating Habits — Nutrition as an Important Aspect of Our Life: Physical & Mental Health

Nutrition as an Important Aspect of Our Life: Physical & Mental Health

• Categories: Dieting Eating Habits Nutrition

About this sample

Words: 2716 |

14 min read

Published: May 17, 2022

Words: 2716 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, associated health conditions due to improper nutrition.

• Benefits of proper nutrition
• Managing proper nutrients
• Works Cited

What is nutrition?

What is physical well-being.

• eating for Health
• detoxing Body
• eating a proper diet
• regular physical exercise.

Why Physical Wellness is important

• Physical Activity
• Mental Well-Being

Why nutrition is important

• Increased energy
• Improved sleep quality
• Improved mood and mental wellbeing
• Helping you maintain a healthy body weight
• Clearer skin
• Lowering the risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Impact of Nutrition on our Health

Nutrition and chronic diseases.

• Diabetes. Diabetes happens when the body can’t make enough insulin or utilize the insulin appropriately. Type 2 diabetes is frequently found in patients who are overweight or stout. The absence of physical activity and a fatty diet are ordinarily found in people determined to have Type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular sickness. Coronary illness is the No. 1 enemy of people in most of the country Cardiovascular conditions as it frequently brought about by an unhealthy diet and a decrease in physical movement. Diets high in soaked fats and cholesterol increment the danger of blood coagulating. Diets that are rich in sodium can bring about raised circulatory strain, adding to coronary illness. On the off chance that an individual with a drinking problem leads to an arterial problem can lead to a higher possibility for creating cardiovascular sickness.
• Lung ailment. Numerous individuals don’t understand their food utilization influences how well they relax. For individuals experiencing COPD, a dynamic lung illness that makes breathing troublesome, eating admirably is significant. A poor diet can prompt weight gain, thusly prompting expanded weight on the lungs, which influences relaxation.
• Eating disorders. An ‘eating disorder’ is an abnormal attitude towards food which causes someone to change their eating behaviors. This definition includes a range of conditions, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which affect a person’s physical and psychological wellbeing.
• Weekend immune system. Deficient in a balanced diet can prompt poor immune system framework and poor wound healing, particularly in adults. Lacking in vitamin A, B nutrients, and zinc can lead to a weakened immune system, which can lead to problems dor the individual to fight against disease, as indicated by Harvard Medical School.

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Is Nutrition More Important Than Exercise?

Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT is a New York City-based telehealth registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communications expert.

You've heard the phrase "you can't out-exercise a bad diet," and this is the bottom line when it comes to maintaining a healthy body. Nutrition and exercise are both important parts of losing fat and gaining strength.

Nutritional habits will have a far greater impact on your body composition and physique goals than any other fitness component. When a combination of exercise and healthy nutrition are implemented is when successful body change happens.

Apply a Nutritional Strategy

A person can change one's body composition through diet alone without exercise. However it's the combination of both that provides a complete healthy package. Applying the 80% nutrition-to-20% fitness rule is simply a statement of the importance of nutrition in the equation. This distribution isn't scientifically proven. It is based on the fact that it is easier to consume calories versus burning calories.

We have all seen the regulars at the gym doing the same thing day in and day out for several months or even years without seeing results in fat loss. These people are not making any headway in changing their body composition because they do not have a nutritional strategy . The lack of a nutritional strategy is holding these people back from reaching their fitness goals.

Exercise without healthy eating is not a waste of time, but it is like swimming upstream.

Common Questions

A common question in the fitness industry is: “What percentage of my goals will be a result of exercise, and what percentage will be a result of my diet?”

The usual answer is: “They are both important, but percentages can’t really be assigned" or the well-known “100% training and 100% diet.” Vague answers like this don't address the big picture, especially to novice trainees starting their fitness journey to physique improvement.

The best answer would be that nutrition has the largest impact on body changes than exercise and tossing all percentages aside.

Nutrition and Exercise Logic

Let’s take percentages out of the equation for now and apply some logic to exercise and nutrition. The normal exerciser may perform three to four weight training sessions and three to four cardio workouts per week, totaling eight sessions per week.

This gives eight opportunities to make a positive change in your body through exercise. That same person eats three healthy meals per day. If knowledgeable in the value of meal spacing, these people may eat five to six times per day.

Quick math shows 21 to 35 chances per week to directly and positively impact fat burning and muscle building goals through nutrition.

You Are What You Eat

Utilizing the above example, nutrition is clearly the winner in physique improvement opportunities. In fact, at 35 chances per week to improve body composition through nutrition (and eight through exercise), the percentage does come in around 80%.

This leaves 20% of physique enhancement resulting from exercise. The assessment of nutrition versus exercise thus is pretty accurate given the numbers.

The equations also indicate, if you want to look good, applying 80% of your focus to eating right is a necessary component. There is something to “you are what you eat” and how it relates to making positive body changes. Also note, if you have a history of eating disorders or have a negative relationship with food, this may not be the right approach to eating.

Apply the 80:20 Rule for Results

Have you read success stories of dramatic weight loss ? At the forefront of the accomplishments of the people in these success stories are improved nutritional programs and diets. Some have shared the application of drastic food changes and also healthier methods of cooking and eating before starting an exercise program.

This began the journey of their success, and adding in the workouts was the bonus that made it all come together.   It was important to master a healthy nutrition plan. These successful people also understood mastering a healthy nutrition plan as the largest role in being able to reach fitness goals.

It may be nice to think positive body changes can be made simply by exercising, but that's far from the truth. Applying the 80:20 rule creates the difference and understanding food will be the major player in how you look.   Finally, this is an easy foundation to approach body composition, but it is more complicated because stress, sleep, and genetics also plays a role. To really understand how all of these components affect the body, it is recommended to see a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Villareal DT, Chode S, Parimi N et al. Weight loss, exercise, or both and physical function in obese older adults.   N Engl J Med . 2011;364(13):1218–1229. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1008234

Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Healey E, Myint-U K, Kvedar JC, Regan S. Prevention of weight gain following a worksite nutrition and exercise program: a randomized controlled trial .  Am J Prev Med . 2012;43(1):27-33. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2012.02.029

Foster-Schubert KE, Alfano CM, Duggan CR et al. Effect of diet and exercise, alone or combined, on weight and body composition in overweight-to-obese postmenopausal women .  Obesity (Silver Spring) . 2012;20(8):1628–1638. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.76

Johns DJ, Hartmann-Boyce J, Jebb SA, Aveyard P; Behavioural Weight Management Review Group. Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons.   J Acad Nutr Diet . 2014;114(10):1557–1568. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.005

Melby CL, Paris HL, Foright RM, Peth J. Attenuating the Biologic Drive for Weight Regain Following Weight Loss: Must What Goes Down Always Go Back Up? .  Nutrients . 2017;9(5):468. doi:10.3390/nu9050468

By Darla Leal Darla Leal is a Master Fitness Trainer, freelance writer, and the creator of Stay Healthy Fitness, where she embraces a "fit-over-55" lifestyle.

• Healthcare and Nursing

Health, Fitness and Nutrition

18 Jul 2022

Format: APA

Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

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• Nutrition Essays

Health is the state of complete mental, physical and psychological well-being of an individual (WHO 2010). Although it is considered by many to mean being free from diseases, health is a multidimensional concept that must incorporate one’s mental, physical and social condition. Nutrition, exercise, and heredity form the basis of one’s health. According to Bhutta, et al. (2013), nutrition, exercise and heredity are the three components of fitness that must be emphasized while dealing with health issues. These three elements are essential in determining one’s health. 

Nutrition is the process of digestion and absorption of the foods to be used by the body for growth and cells replacement. It is determined by the combination of the seven vital nutrients that form part of the nutritious food. A well nutritious food must contain all the seven nutrients which include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamin, minerals, water, and fiber. In performing daily human activities, these nutrients are required by the body on a regular basis. Also, the body requires energy to be able to function correctly. These combined firm the essentials for living a healthy and active life. According to WHO, an average man needs to consume 1800 calories in a day, as compared to an average woman who is required to consume 1940 calories a day. Scientists argue that a diet should contain 55% to 65% of the carbohydrates. This percentage of the carbohydrates is necessary for the supply of energy in our bodies. 

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Proteins primary function in the body is to aid in the formation of the body structures such as hormones, membranes, and tissues. According to nutritionists, an estimate of 46 grams of proteins is required by the body on a daily basis to facilitate the standard body functions. Although taking too many fats is not recommended by nutritionists, a considerable amount is vital in providing energy to the body especially when at rest. The recommended rate of the fats consumption is at 30%. Efficient chemical reaction in the body cells is the role attributed to vitamins in the body. The main vitamins in our foods include vitamins A, B12, A and D. vitamin A is mainly found in greens, bell papers and the tropical fruits that we eat in our daily lives. Vitamins B12 and D are mostly found in eggs, fish, and liver which I don’t take so frequently. Minerals are essential in regulating the functions of the body and growth. The main minerals that our bodies needed include Calcium, potassium, and sodium. Sodium is found in salts thus making it rarely deficient because salt is consumed by a more significant percentage of the population. Water is required by the body for metabolic activities and to facilitate other body reactions. The human body requires 6 to 8 glasses of water daily which I take. 

Exercise is defined as any bodily activity that can enhance physical fitness and the overall body health. Understanding our fitness level is very important in determining the kind of an exercise that best suits us. Physical exercise has six elements that form the basis of a well-coordinated exercise. These components include aerobic capacity, body structure, body composition, balance, muscular flexibility, and strength. Aerobic capacity is one’s system ability to transport oxygen to the working muscles that require energy. The body structure is the overall looking of an individual regarding the arms, legs, and trunk. The third element of exercise is the body composition. It is defined as the ratio of the body fat to body mass. Balance make up is the fourth element of exercise. The balance makes up depends on the age as young people are more stable than the old. Muscular flexibility is necessary to allow full motion during exercise. Failure to use muscles and test them may lead to shortened inflexible muscles. In addition to being flexible, muscles need to be strong enough to exert external force and control the movement. Physical exercise is very essential in in maintaining a healthy body through flexibility of the muscles and burning of the excess fats 

Hereditary is defined as the passing of certain characteristics genetically from one person to another. Parties play equal roles in creating hereditary from one generation to another. XXXXXXXX, XXXX, and XXXX XXXXXXXXXX all form the negative characteristics linked to the maternal side of the heredity. Poor XXXXX is health is very common in my family with my sister suffering. Despite the importance of knowing our likelihood of getting a disease, hereditary can be maintained by proper exercise and fitness. In summary, nutrition, exercise, and heredity are the three main elements that must be maintained to keep the body healthy and fit. 

Bhutta, Z. A., Das, J. K., Rizvi, A., Gaffey, M. F., Walker, N., Horton, S., ... & Maternal and Child Nutrition Study Group. (2013). Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost?.  The lancet ,  382 (9890), 452-477. 

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Editorial: Nutritional Strategies to Promote Muscle Mass and Function Across the Health Span

Daniel r. moore.

1 Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Andrew Philp

2 Health Ageing Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia

3 St Vincent's Medical School, University of New South Wales Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue, able to remodel in response to its physical demands. This includes growth (i.e., hypertrophy) in response to the application of external forces (e.g., exercise) and loss (i.e., atrophy) in response to the withdrawal of these forces (e.g., detraining, immobilization). Given its central role in converting chemical energy to mechanical work, skeletal muscle is unquestionably important for individuals wishing to excel in athletic competition, effectively navigate rehabilitation settings (e.g., return to play, remobilization after injury), and perform activities of daily living (e.g., maintain functional independence with age). However, this tissue is a major contributor to the basal metabolic rate and is the preferred storage depot for dietary sugars and fats, which positions it as a vital tissue for the maintenance of metabolic health. Thus, maintaining an adequate quantity and quality of skeletal muscle is important for optimal health and performance throughout the lifespan.

This recent special issue on “Nutritional strategies to promote muscle mass and function across the health span” represents a collection of 21 articles, including 12 original research articles, from 130 of the world leaders in the fields of muscle physiology, nutrition, and exercise physiology. A common theme throughout the special issue is the interactive effects of muscle contraction and dietary nutrients, in which exercise can “make nutrition better” and nutrition can improve muscle mass and function. For example, Oikawa et al. highlighted the importance of maintaining muscle activity to help stave off the deleterious effects of “anabolic resistance,” which is the impaired ability to utilize dietary amino acids to support muscle protein synthesis and tissue remodeling that ultimately leads to decrements in muscle mass and function. Importantly, the authors highlight that reduced daily step counts, which could be interpreted as “benign” inactivity in comparison to more severe immobility such as cast, bedrest, and spaceflight, is actually far more common in today's society and recapitulates the muscle deconditioning that is evident from these more extreme models of muscle disuse. This is an important health message given the recent (as of publication) shelter-at-home practices of ongoing pandemics ( 1 ). However, some potential nutritional strategies to minimize the loss of muscle mass and function could include greater protein intake (as suggested by Oikawa et al. ), increased polyunstaturated fatty acids (PUFA's, as suggested by McGlory et al. ), and/or creatine supplementation (as highlighted by Candow et al. ), all of which may have greater efficacy in populations already at risk for low muscle mass and/or function such as the elderly and/or pre/post-operative patients. This discussion was also extended by Beaudry and Devries who highlighted the potential benefit of dietary protein (and potentially that which is dairy-based) and exercise (especially resistance exercise) in countering the metabolic dysregulation and low muscle quality common to clinical populations such as pre-diabetic (PD) and Type II diabetic (T2D) individuals. Incidentally, the original research of Sambashivaiah et al. reported lower muscle strength, but not mass, in PD and T2D Asian Indians compared to healthy controls, suggesting additional research into the habitual activity and dietary practices of pre- and clinical populations is warranted. Finally, obesity was discussed as a potential direct modulator of the anabolic resistance of skeletal muscle to both exercise and dietary protein by Beals et al. , especially in conjunction with inactivity. Thus, these summative reviews represent important information for academics, knowledge translators, and knowledge end-users (e.g., clinicians and therapists) when identifying synergistic dietary and activity factors to maintain muscle mass and quality in vulnerable populations.

Dietary protein represents a primary nutrient for the remodeling of muscle tissue given its ability to independently stimulate muscle protein synthesis ( 2 ). However, Gwin et al. also demonstrated in healthy young adults entering military service that higher habitual protein intakes are associated with greater overall dietary quality and micronutrient ingestion, which generally supports previous recommendations that position nutrient dense, protein-rich whole foods as critical to maintain muscle health ( 3 ). Aside from total protein intake, Smeuninx et al. provided further evidence that individuals both young and old in the United Kingdom consume their daily protein in a skewed manner, highlighting the potential that redistributing protein from the larger evening meals to the morning may optimize muscle protein remodeling, providing a more efficient means to consume the daily protein intake. Snijders et al. also provided a comprehensive summary of the ability of pre-sleep protein ingestion to enhance nocturnal rates of muscle protein synthesis as a means to promote tissue remodeling and growth. Interestingly, the authors retrospectively assessed research from the van Loon laboratory at Maastricht University and demonstrated that greater protein intakes than that which maximize muscle protein synthesis in daytime meals (i.e., ~0.25 g/kg) ( 4 ) can dose-dependently (at least up to ~0.6 g/kg) support higher nocturnal muscle protein synthetic rates. This could suggest that a greater provision of amino acid substrates during an otherwise overnight fasted period are required to maximize muscle protein synthesis over an ~8 h sleeping period as compared to a daytime 4–6 h postprandial period. This apparently greater ability to assimilate dietary protein uptake into skeletal muscle during the overnight period could also explain in part the lack of difference in mixed muscle protein synthesis from ~0200 to 0800 h between 25 g of milk protein or a protein-free placebo consumed prior to bed (~2100 h) despite a positive ~10-h whole body net protein balance, as reported in this special issue by Karagounis et al. . Thus, daily protein redistribution independent of additional supplemental intake may represent a feasible means to optimize muscle mass and quality, especially if it arises from nutrient-dense sources.

With the deleterious effects of sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and function) emerging as a significant health burden with the aging of much of the world's population ( 5 ), older adults represent a prime target for the development of strategies to maintain muscle health. At the forefront of nutritional strategies, protein intakes greater than the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA; 0.8 g/kg/d) are being advocated by many as a means to battle sarcopenia ( 6 , 7 ). In this issue, Durainayagam et al. demonstrated that consuming twice the RDA for 10-week alters the metabolome in a manner that could be consistent with supporting increased tissue anabolism. With a growing interest in identifying responder phenotypes for personalized therapies, these results, if leveraged in larger cohorts, could serve as a springboard into additional trials that could advance this scientific and therapeutic aim. Further research from the Cameron-Smith lab as published by D'Souza et al. also demonstrated a potential role for micro-RNA (miR) species (i.e., miR-208a and−499a) in the regulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway after resistance exercise and protein ingestion, which may ultimate translate into differences in rates of muscle protein synthesis. As muscle protein synthesis may function to both resynthesize any old/damaged proteins broken down during the process of protein turnover as well as build new muscle proteins, optimizing this process in the elderly through exercise and/or nutritional approaches is of paramount importance for older adults. Original research by the Phillips laboratory, as presented by Bell et al. ostensibly supports this contention as integrated (i.e., “free-living”) rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis in overweight older adults over 24 h of post-exercise recovery were both enhanced with a multi-ingredient, protein-based supplement (i.e., whey, creatine, vitamin D, n-3 PUFA) and correlated with training-induced gains in lean body mass over 12-weeks of combined resistance and high-intensity interval training. Therefore, the present special issue provides important contributions to research and clinical endeavors that aim to maintain muscle mass and function with age.

The growth of new muscle and improvements in functionality (e.g., increased strength) are prime goals of many active individuals and especially athletes. The review by Slater et al. provides an excellent overview of the energy requirements for muscle hypertrophy as they discuss the variety of factors that must be considered when identifying the “sweet spot”, or minimum requirement, that both maximizes the growth of lean tissue with little to no concomitant fat mass growth. It is clear that ascribing to a “see-food” diet (i.e., unrestrained excess energy consumption) with resistance training will support muscle growth given the increased energy required for muscle contraction (i.e., training) and exercise-induced increases in muscle protein turnover (i.e., synthesis and breakdown). However, the authors highlight that current evidence suggests an additional ~1,500–2,000 kJ of additional energy may be a reasonable daily target to support muscle growth, although individual responses to this target may ultimately lead individuals to consider an n = 1 approach to nutrition (i.e., tinker with what “works” for them). Conversely, the maintenance of muscle mass and function is of importance for individuals aiming to optimize body composition (i.e., maximal fat loss) during energy restriction. Given the potential for n-3 PUFA's to increase muscle anabolism in some clinical populations ( McGlory et al. ), Philpott et al. explored the use of n-3 PUFA-enriched fish oil to help retain lean body mass and muscle strength during a short duration (i.e., 2 weeks) weight loss program in resistance trained males. They demonstrated that some measures of muscle strength (i.e., 1-repetition maximum knee extension) increased with fish oil with no concomitant retention of whole body fat-free mass during energy restriction. This research highlights the potential for n-3 PUFAs to be an adjuvant therapy for athletes aiming to maintain muscle function during targeted weight loss, possibly via enhanced neuromuscular function.

In addition to adequate energy, it is important to also consume adequate dietary protein to provide the amino acid substrates to support muscle protein remodeling and net protein synthesis during the post-exercise recovery period. A review in this issue ( Moore ) provides evidence that ~0.3 g of protein/kg body mass represents a dose that maximizes myofibrillar protein synthesis yet would minimize excess amino acid oxidative losses. Importantly, there is no evidence this target is influenced by sex or total active muscle mass ( Moore ), which increases the ease of translation across a range of body masses as compared to previous studies that provided absolute protein doses ( 8 , 9 ). However, special consideration may need to be made for athletes engaging in very high volume (i.e., up to 32 sets/muscle group per training session) resistance training as gains in LBM over 6-weeks in trained males were enhanced by graded (i.e., from 25 to 150 g/day) whey protein ingestion ( Haun et al. ). This potentially highlights the need for additional research in highly active individuals who are not the typical untrained or recreationally active populations common to most basic/foundational research in this area. Original research from Edman et al. demonstrated that activation of mTORC1 (i.e., altered phosphorylation of S6K1 and eEF2) after exercise with essential amino acids is independent of muscle fiber type, suggesting that dietary amino acids are similarly anabolic in both type I and II fibers. Bridge et al. also demonstrate that Greek yogurt (providing ~20 g of protein) supports greater gains in lean body mass and some indices of strength over 12 weeks of training, providing further support for nutrient-dense whole foods as vital components of anabolic diets ( 3 , 10 ). Thus, the articles in this special issue provide valuable information on the impact of dietary protein amount and type for active individuals aiming to enhance muscle anabolism, lean mass, and muscle strength.

Research advances in muscle biology may require the use of preclinical models, which can provide the foundational basis for the subsequent translation into human clinical trials. Caldow et al. demonstrated that the non-essential amino acid glycine can protect against inflammation-induced atrophy in C2C12 cells via an mTORC1-dependent mechanism. This research ultimately supports the importance of adequate intracellular glycine to offset catabolic muscle wasting conditions (e.g., cancer/inflammation). In addition to in vitro models, development of physiologically relevant in vivo models of resistance exercise could advance the study of contraction and nutrient interactions in mammalian skeletal muscle. To this end, D'Hulst et al. demonstrated that adding resistance to voluntary wheel running may be an ecologically valid model to study exercise-responses at the muscle level as compared to the robust (but perhaps less physiological) synergist ablation mouse models.

Skeletal muscle is exquisitely sensitive to the nutrients we eat and thus identifying dietary strategies that can enhance the growth or maintenance of this tissue are vital for individuals of all walks of life. While the quantity and quality of dietary protein and amino acids represent important factors regulating the synthesis of muscle proteins, research has also begun to investigate the impact of nutritive bioactives and non-protein factors that may independently regulate and/or augment normal postprandial muscle protein turnover. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which nutrition may propagate the stimulus for muscle remodeling and how it may control the transcription/translation of select genes is expanding at a rapid pace. Ultimately, identifying the dietary factors related to amount, type, and timing of nutrient ingestion that may promote muscle mass retention or gain are important components to “getting the most out of exercise” and supporting active living. With the contributions from world leaders in the field of nutrition, physical activity, and skeletal muscle biology, the current special issue represents a foundational repository of our current and emerging understanding of the role nutrition, in all its forms, plays in maintaining muscle health, quality, and performance across the lifespan.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.