Brain Functions and Nutrients: A Comprehensive Review

1. Brain Functions and 6 Classes of Nutrients Review Sports Medicine 1 Semester 2 Final

2. Midbrain – visual and auditory reflexes • Pons – controls certain respiratory functions (breathing) • Medulla oblongata – regulates heart & lung functions (BP and respiration), swallowing, vomiting, coughing, sneezing. • Cerebellum – coordinates voluntary musculoskeletal movements like balance, posture, and muscle tone. • Cerebrum – largest part of the brain Brain Functions 1

3. Frontal lobe – moral behavior, voluntary motor movement, personality, memory, reasoning, emotion. • Parietal lobe – controls and interprets senses and taste, understanding speech, choosing words • Temporal lobe – memory, equilibrium, emotion, hearing, memory of music and visual scenes. • Occipital lobe – vision, interpretation • Diencephalon – relay center for sensations, heart rate, BP, temperature regulation, water and electrolyte balance, digestive functions, glandular activities. Brain Functions 2

4. Carbohydrates • Principle energy source • Stored in liver as glycogen • Simple or complex • Protein • Required for tissue repair and growth • Not a good source of energy • Amino acids • Fats • Most concentrated form of energy • Good for healthy skin and hair, insulation, store fat soluble vitamins • Saturated or unsaturated 6 Classes for Nutrients 1

5. Vitamins • Water soluble – supplements like C and B complex • Fat soluble – stored in fat and liver like A, D, E, K • No necessary for athlete • Minerals • Calcium – build bones and teeth • Sodium – regulates muscle contraction • Iron – formation of hemoglobin • Water • Essential to life • Controls body temperature • Elimination of metabolic waste product 6 Classes for Nutrients 2