The Myths of Nutrition and Fitness

In this first engaging lecture, Dr. Goodman focuses on what specific foods you should eat to fuel your individual fitness program. Which body signals can help you determine the nutrition and fitness regimen that best fits your individual needs? When should you be skeptical of a particular diet’s claims? What foods should you eat before, during, and after exercises—and how much?

Explore popular myths about hydration and fitness. These include, thirst is a poor indication of dehydration; athletes should avoid drinking caffeine because of its diuretic qualities; there’s no such thing as water toxicity; and bottled water is the purest, safest, and best-tasting source of water available. Along the way, you’ll learn the right ways to keep your body hydrated while you exercise.

Take a closer look at some popular and prevalent myths related to dieting, exercising, and weight loss. Your focus here is on a specific group of weight-loss myths, including the myth that you can control your weight by cutting fat, protein, or carbohydrates out of your diet, and that you can reduce fat selectively on your body by exercising specific areas prone to increased fat.

Dr. Goodman, with his characteristic candor and insight, debunks myths about common and popular vitamins and dietary supplements—most of which you can find on the shelves of your local supermarkets and health food stores. Among myths you investigate in this lecture are multivitamins and their ability to maintain health, creatine and quercetin and their ability to enhance your physical performance, and sports and energy drinks and their effectiveness.

If a little diet and exercise is good for you, then more must always be better for you, right? Explore the dangers hidden in this enduring myth by taking a closer look at what happens when we go to extremes while dieting and exercising. Topics you’ll examine in this lecture include eating disorders, exercise addictions, and ways to recognize when your body needs to rest.

Focus on debates related to extreme athletic events such as high-altitude mountain climbing and marathon running. As you delve into the half-truths and real scientific facts behind environmental adaptation, carbohydrate loading, and much more, you’ll get pointed advice on how to handle the extremes of exercise and endurance through preparation and the moderate intake of carbohydrates under the supervision of a sports medicine expert.