Sports rely on metabolism to keep the body moving. Food provides every organism with the means to live. While people understand the importance of eating, people do not understand the importance of what is eaten. Six kinds of nutrients are essential to all body systems. The six classes are water, minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Water is the most important of all the nutrients.
An athlete depends on water. Water is necessary for all energy production in the body, temperature control, and elimination of the by-products of respiration. Water is essential, for without it energy production and endurance are limited. Minerals and vitamins are other nutrients that can impact sports. Minerals are inorganic substances in food that are contained in various amounts and places throughout the body.