Aerobic energy – energy involving sustained effort at submaximal heart rate over a relatively long period, deriving from metabolic reactions which require oxygen.
Anaerobic energy – energy expended during explosive high-intensity exercise of short duration.
Amenorrhea— the absence of menstrual periods.
Anti-oxidant – something that prevents oxidation (for example, vitamins which protect cells from oxidative damage).
Biological value – measure of essential nutrients in a food substance.
Bone mass – quantity of minerals contained in bone.
Bone mineral density – measurement of density of minerals in bone.
Cardiovascular – having to do with blood vessels or the heart.
Catalytic – referring to the effect of a catalyst, which increases the speed of chemical reactions.
CHO — the chemical abbreviation for carbohydrates.
Congenital – referring to a (non-hereditary)condition present from birth.
Connective tissue – tissue made up largely of collagen, elastin and net-like fibres, bone and cartilage, responsible for connection and support of the various segments and parts of the body.
Disaccharides – a group of carbohydrates (sugars) consisting of two conjoined monosaccharides.
Dysfunctional – referring to a system or body organ which does not function properly.
Eating disorders – disorders which adversely affect normal patterns of eating. Three of the best-known of these are anorexia nervosa, binge eating, and bulimia nervosa.
Electrolytes – chemical substances which carry electricity when dissolved in water.
Endothelial – referring to the endothelium, a layer of cells which form the flat lining surface of blood and lymph vessels.
Epiphyseal growth plates – areas of tissue near both ends of long bones, which in children and adolescents are the sites of growth, where new bone cells are laid down. Once skeletal growth is finished, the epiphyseal plates harden and their place is taken by solid bone.
Excretory – referring to the processes of excretion, by means of which waste products are removed from the body, as in bowel movements or urination.
Fascia – sheath or wrapping of connective tissue surrounding and connecting the body’s internal structures (such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs).
Fecal – referring to or consisting of feces, the matter excreted through bowel movement.
Female Athlete Triad – a combination of disordered eating, osteoporosis and amenorrhea. Insufficient dietary calcium and inadequate estrogen levels impede bone growth, which may lead to weakness, fragility and impaired bone formation, potentially setting the stage for osteoporosis.
Glycerol – an alcohol which forms a component part of fats.
Glycogen – a polysaccharide carbohydrate stored in the cells of the muscles and liver as a source of energy, through hydrolysis to glucose.
Glycohaemoglobin – glucose-hemoglobin molecules in the blood. Levels of glycohaemoglobin are assessed as a diagnostic measure during checks for diabetes.
Glymphatic — the system which pumps cerebrospinal fluid along the central nervous system and through the expanded interstitial areas between brain neurons during sleep, to allow accumulated toxins, waste-products and beta-amyloid proteins to be washed away overnight.
Hydrolysis – the chemical process by which water interacts with a chemical compound, resulting in the production of other, different compounds. An example would be the reaction by means of which starch is converted to glucose by the catalytic effect of water.
Hyperinsulinemia – the condition where the amount of blood insulin is excessive in relation the amount of blood glucose. It is associated with hypertension and weight gain.
Hypertension – high blood pressure, (especially diastolic pressure).
Hypoglycemia – a dangerous medical condition involving severely diminished levels of blood sugar, which can hinder glucose supply to the brain, impairing normal function and leading to possible brain damage. It may also be associated with hyperinsulinemia.
Inflammatory response – An auto-immune response to injury, poisons, excessive heat or bacterial attack, during which cells at the wound site produce chemicals causing nearby blood vessels to release fluids into the affected region. This engenders swelling, thus isolating the area and protecting neighbouring tissues from attack. Characteristically red, swollen, hot and painful to the touch.
Ischemic heart disease – a number of morbidities in which oxygen supply to the heart is restricted as a result of coronary artery disease, associated with low levels of physical activity, smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol.
Kilocalorie – a unit of measurement, frequently abbreviated to “calorie”, which is actually equivalent to one thousand small calories. It is the amount of heat energy need to increase the temperature of 0ne kilogram of water from 14.5° to 15.5° centigrade, and is used to quantify the value of energy in food. It is equal to 4.187 kilojoules.
Kilojoule – a unit of measurement equivalent to just under a quarter of a kilocalorie.
Leptin – a hormone manufactured by fat cells, which inhibits hunger.
Lipid – fatty organic compounds which cannot dissolve in water, but will dissolve in other substances such as alcohol. They are a principal component of the membranes of cells.
Lipogenesis – the process by which Acetyl coenzyme A is produced through the glycolytic breakdown of carbohydrates, and the oxidation of fatty acids.
Long bones – bones which are longer than they are wide, e.g. thigh and shin bones (femur, tibia and fibula), upper and lower arm bones (humerus, radius and ulna), the forefoot (metatarsal bones and toes), and hand (metacarpal bones, fingers).
Macronutrient – one of a series of food components required in large amounts for the normal function and growth of the body (carbohydrates, fats, proteins).
Menarche – the onset of menstrual periods.
Menopause – the cessation of menstrual periods, usually between the ages of 45 to 50 years.
Metabolism – all of the chemical processes which break down and modify nutrients within organisms and cells to maintain energy production, growth, maintenance and repair, and waste product elimination.
Metatarsal – referring to the bones of the foot between the tarsus and the toes.
Micronutrient – a mineral or vitamin essential to the body’s healthy function and growth.
Mitochondria – organelles within cells which store genetic material and contribute significantly to the breakdown of nutrients for energy.
Monosaccharide – a simple carbohydrate which cannot be broken down by hydrolysis to form other simple sugars.
Monounsaturated – referring to a class of fatty acid or oil which consists of long sequences of carbon atoms with one double or triple bond per molecule.
Morphological anomalies – congenital defects of some part of the shape or structure of the body or its organs. An example might be leg-length discrepancy.
Omega-3 – a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid characterised by the position of a double bond three atoms from the tail end of the chain of atoms which make up the molecule.
Omega-6 – a polyunsaturated fatty acid characterised by a double bond positioned six atoms from the tail of the atom chain which forms the molecule.
Osteoporosis – a condition in which the bones have become porous and vulnerable to fracture as a result of insufficient calcium and other minerals within the matrix of the bone, possibly due to inadequate diet during the peak bone-growth phase of development, or to hormonal imbalance precipitated by eating disorders or the menopause.
Parathyroid hormone – a hormone manufactured in the parathyroid glands which maintains the balance of calcium and phosphates in the blood.
Peristaltic – referring to peristalsis, the sequence of wave-like muscle contractions which propel food from the esophagus into the stomach, then onwards into and along the intestines in the process of digestion, ending with excretion.
Phalangeal – referring to the phalanges, the long bones of the toes and fingers.
Physiological processes – referring to the normal, functional processes of the living body.
Piezoelectric current – electricity generated in crystals, DNA or bone under pressure.
Polysaccharides – long carbohydrate molecules made up of conjoined monosaccharides. Examples would be starch, cellulose or glycogen.
Polyunsaturated – referring to a class of fatty acid or oil which consists of long sequences of carbon atoms with two or more double bonds per molecule.
Remnant lipoprotein – leftover molecules from the action of a specific group of proteins to which a molecule of a lipid can attach for transport through the circulatory system.
Residual weakness – chronic weakness from a previous injury which may not have been fully rehabilitated.
Resting metabolic rate – the amount of energy consumption required to maintain basic life without exertion, for breathing, circulation of the blood etc.
Sarcopenia – decrease in skeletal muscle mass, usually associated with aging,
Saturated – types of fat, the chains of which cannot receive further atoms of hydrogen. Saturated fats are found in a solid state at room temperature. Too much dietary intake of saturated fat is associated with high blood cholesterol.
Scoliosis – sideways curve and twist in the development and growth patterns of the spine.
Tarsal – referring to the tarsus (ankle) bone complex of the foot.
Traumatic – referring to acute injury.
Triglyceride – a blood lipid made up of three fatty acid molecules bound to one of glycerol. High blood triglyceride levels are associated with risk of ischemic heart disease.
Unsaturated – referring to a fat, usually liquid at room temperature, classified either as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.
UVB – ultraviolet B sun radiation, (wavelength 290-320 nm) which if used in moderation can stimulate the availability of latent Vitamin D (present in human skin as provitamin D, requiring UVB radiation for its transformation to the vitamin form which can be absorbed by the body).
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