NUTRITION

1. Calorie
   1. Unit of energy. Amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree. 
2. Macronutrient
   1. Macro – „big. “ Macronutrients are big molecules that make up the biggest part of our food: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (and water). 
3. Micronutrient
   1. A very small part of our food. Micronutrients are usually very effective, even in minuscule amounts and essential to our bodies. Vitamins and minerals are classified as micronutrients. 
4. Fiber
   1. Very long carbohydrate molecules, that can’t be fully (or at all) broken down by the enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. Although they are broken down and consumed by the bacteria in our colon. 
5. Enzymes (digestive)
   1. Molecules that help break down specific macronutrients in our gastrointestinal tract. For example, lipase helps break down lipids (fats). 
6. Saturated & Unsaturated fats
   1. Two different formations of fatty acid molecules. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and mostly from animal sources. Unsaturated fats are mostly liquid or flowing and mostly from plant and fish sources. Unsaturated, especially polyunsaturated fats like omega fats, have proven to have many health-promoting effects that saturated fats don’t. 
7. Electrolytes
   1. In human biology, electrolytes are usually spoken of in the context of minerals in the fluids of our bodies that help maintain biological processes. The most common are sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus. The human body keeps a very tight balance of the concentration of those electrolytes in different environments (like in the cells, in the blood, in the cerebrospinal fluid)
8. Glycaemic index
   1. Describes food’s capacity to raise a person’s blood sugar after eating it. The higher, the bigger the capacity to do that. For example, white potatoes have an average GI of 80, while apples have an average GI of 40 (thus, eating the same amount of apples raises blood sugar 2 times less/slower).
9. Whole grain
   1. Grains that haven’t been stripped of their outer layers thus contain more minerals, vitamins, and fiber. 
10. Thermic effect of food
    1. Digestion of food consumes energy as a process. Different foods have a different amount of energy they require to be used by our bodies. For example, protein can require 10-20x more energy than fats to consume.  

 WORKOUT

1. Aerobic & Anaerobic exercise
   1. Aerobic exercise means that our body can utilize oxygen to break down fats and carbs for energy. It’s a slow but steady process that is constant and has no side effects. Anaerobic exercise requires us to generate energy so fast that aerobic energy production doesn’t suffice anymore. So our cells break down carbs without oxygen. It’s much less energy efficient, produces lactic acid and can be only kept up for short periods of time. 
2. COMPOUND & isolated EXERCISE
   1. Compound exercises use larger parts of our bodies, like deadlifts, squats and pushups. Isolated exercises only usually work one joint, like biceps curls or leg extensions. Both have their benefits and uses. 
3. HIIT
   1. High-Intensity Interval Training – specific training method where very high intensity short periods alternate with low intensity or rest periods. This method has many benefits, including the afterburn effect, getting the workout done in a short period, improving aerobic and anaerobic capacity, but it can also be very taxing to the body. 
4. Superset
   1. Sets of different exercises done in a sequence without a rest period.
5. Drop set
   1. Sets of the same exercise done with lower weights without a rest period. The goal is to exhaust the muscles to the limit.
6. Core (training)
   1. A core is the mid part of the body – back, abdomen, pelvis. It’s usually an area of our bodies most overlooked as well by gym regulars as regular people. Especially the deep muscle groups inside the abdomen and next to the spine supporting our posture. Deadlifts, squats, and specific bodyweight exercises can be considered core training. 
7. Isometric exercise
   1. Iso = „same“, isometric exercise, exercise where muscles are under tension but minimal or no movement occurs. Has specific benefits. Most often used in rehabilitation.  
8. 1RM
   1. 1 Rep Max – the maximum amount of weight one can move for one repetition. 
9. Pilates
   1. Specific exercise regimen usually done on a floor (on a mat) using bodyweight or specific devices (like foam rolls, for example). The goal is to strengthen one’s core, improve coordination, breathing technique and relax the mind.  
10. Rep ranges
    1. Ranges of repetitions in a single set. Usually categorized by the physiological benefit/effect it has on the muscle tissue. Low reps – power, nervous system; mid reps – muscle hypertrophy; high reps – endurance, fat burning. 

PHYSIOLOGY and HEALTH

1. Metabolism & BMR
   1. Metabolism – all chemical processes happening in the body that help keep up stable life processes. In the fitness/health field, usually spoken in the context of energy metabolism – processes consuming and producing energy. 
   2. BMR – Basal Metabolic Rate – the amount of energy spent by the body under coma-like conditions (no extra processes active, like digestion or sitting up)
2. Maximum heart rate & Target heart rate
   1. Maximum heart rate is most often calculated by the formula 220-age since most people never exhaust themselves to the level of their own maximal heart rate. It’s used to find out target heart rate zones to plan the workout (usually cardio-type of activity like jogging). Different heart rate zones have different physiological benefits. 
3. Anabolism & Catabolism
   1. Parts of metabolism. Basically, anabolism is the excess of energy that promotes growth and storage of energy (as fat), while catabolism is the deficiency of energy, which promotes tissue breakdown (muscle) and usage of stored energy.
4. LDL cholesterol
   1. Cholesterol in the large low-density lipoprotein particles in the bloodstream. All of the LDL is produced in the liver, where it will transfer lipids, vitamins, and other nutrients to peripheral tissue. Contrary to common belief, it’s not the LDL that causes cardiovascular diseases but the oxidized portion of LDL along with other risk factors. 
5. Glycogen
   1. Glucose molecules that are stored in the liver and muscles to be used in fasting state and physical activity. An average adult has 400-700 grams of glycogen in their body. 
6. Insulin resistance
   1. Usually, a pathological state where the hormone insulin’s biological function is reduced in the body. Because of that the pancreas needs to produce excess amounts of insulin (up to 2 times the normal amount) to compensate for it. This produces many problems that can lead up to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dementia, etc.
7. Low-grade inflammation
   1. An excess of inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream that constantly keep up an inflammation process in the body. This is very taxing to the body in the longer-term since our bodies are made to withstand short periods of inflammation, not years or decades. Common causes: tobacco and other toxins, visceral fat, too little or too low-quality sleep, chronic stress, some diseases. Raises the risks for almost all common death-related diseases like cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and tens more.
8. Creatine
   1. A molecule inside the cells that can produce very fast energy without the presence of oxygen. 95% of this is in our skeletal muscles to be used in periods of higher intensity physical activity. Its amount in the cells is very limited. That’s why it can only produce fast energy for a short period.
9. Hypertrophy
   1. Enlargening of cells. Mostly used in the context of muscle hypertrophy in the fitness world. Shouldn’t be confused with hyperplasia, which means an addition of the number of cells in the tissue.
10. Autonomic nervous system
    1. The part of the nervous system that controls everything in our body that we aren’t deliberately controlling. Includes: heart rate, digestive system, blood pressure, hormonal system. Consists of 2 parts, one of which is activating and the other suppressing (simply put). Dysbalance between those two can lead to diseases, the most common example being high blood pressure.