Each Olympic athlete has specific nutritional needs depending on age, height, weight, and training intensity.

Their diet is also dependent on the country they are from. Each country has foods specific to its area. Much of this is based on availability and tradition. This lesson is intended as an application activity to conclude a unit on nutrition and is intended to be cross-curricular with social studies within the study of the culture.

• Examine the background of a particular Olympic athlete.

• Research the diet of the people from that country.

• Prescribe a training diet based on athletes' needs.

• Application of skills used should transfer for possible self-analysis.

• Students should have background knowledge about the food pyramid.  Visit the Food and Nutrition Information Center Web site.

• Students should be aware of nutrition percentages of daily food values.

• Students should know how to access information on the Internet.

• Internet access to Web sites or a nutrition/calorie book that has food daily values.

• Handout for students to record percentage daily values and nutrients of food. A sample handout is attached.

This lesson would be most effective if the teacher has already pre-taught the class about the food pyramid and the basic nutrients (see Web links listed below for suggested resources).

Explain that the students will have the opportunity to be a "personal trainer" or "dietitian" to an Olympic athlete of their choice. The teacher can provide a list of the athletes by sport or direct students to the Olympics home page, for a participant profile. Instruct the students to research  and record information about the athlete.  They will need to include the athlete's name, country represented, sport, age, height, and weight.

Example:

• Gabriela Szabo (Romania)

• Track and Field

• Vital statistics

• Born: 14 November 1975

• Birthplace: Bistrita, Romania

• Height: 1.58m (5 feet, 2 inches)

• Weight: 42kg (92 pounds)

• Events: 1500m, 5000m

Based on this information students will determine the daily calories and nutrient needs of their athlete. Instruct students to research their athlete's country and the typical diet of people in that country. Encarta is good for this if the Internet is not available.

Students will tie the information together by creating a sample menu of meals for one day. They need to include the food, the number of servings, the food group it belongs in, and the percentage of leader nutrients it contains. A table could be provided (an example table entitled "Training Table Record Sheet" is attached).  The student's goal is to meet 100% of the athlete's daily nutritional requirements.

Students will create a paper and do an oral presentation justifying their choices.

Students could do this with partners by dividing the country research and the nutritional research and then collaborating for the final results.

If the Internet is not available, a nutritional guide book could provide the percentage of daily values of the food.

If teachers have access to Encarta, it has a great area on nutritional evaluation.

Students should have a choice of presentation methods including PowerPoint, display board, poster, etc.

PHYS : A nutrition and fitness resource

Food and Information Center : Information and interactive activities

Official Sydney Olympic Site : Contains athlete profiles

• Computer(s)
• Printer
• Internet Connection
• Word Processing Software
• Internet Web Browser

• Teacher should assign a specific athlete and provide materials (handouts or books) about the athlete's country.

• Students should plan the menu. Teacher should assist in finding the percentage daily values of the foods. Provide calculators for totaling results.

Gifted Students :

• Students could include a fitness training component specific to the athlete's sport. Include the fitness activity, how long they will do the activity, how often, and the intensity of the exercise (i.e., running five miles four days a week at six mets).