Physiological nutritional standards for various groups of the adult population

Physiological norms are based on the basic principles of rational nutrition, in particular the doctrine of balanced nutrition. They are average values ​​that reflect the optimal needs of individual population groups for nutrients and energy. These standards serve as the basis for organizing rational nutrition in groups and therapeutic nutrition in medical and preventive and sanatorium institutions and dietary canteens.

Nutritional standards for the adult population are divided depending on: a) gender; b) age; c) the nature of the work; d) climate; e) physiological state of the body (pregnant and lactating women).

When determining the need for basic nutrients and energy for the adult working population, differences in energy expenditure associated with the nature of work are of particular importance. Therefore, in nutritional standards, persons aged 18 to 60 years are divided into labor intensity groups. Groups differ in the degree of energy expenditure caused by professional activities.

Labor intensity groups and main professions related to these groups

1st group - workers predominantly in mental labor

heads of enterprises and organizations, engineering and technical workers whose work does not require significant physical activity;

medical workers, except for surgeons, nurses, and orderlies;

teachers, educators, except for sports;

workers of science, literature and press;

cultural and educational workers;

planning and accounting workers;

secretaries, clerks;

2nd group - workers engaged in light physical labor

engineering and technical workers whose work involves some physical effort;

workers involved in automated processes;

workers in the radio electronics and watch industries;

garment workers;

agronomists, livestock specialists, veterinarians, nurses and orderlies;

department store sellers;

service workers:

communications and telegraph workers;

teachers, physical education and sports instructors, coaches.

3rd group - workers of average difficulty:

machine operators (employed in metalworking and woodworking);

mechanics, adjusters, adjusters;

surgeons;

textile makers, shoe makers;

drivers of various types of transport;

food industry workers;

public utility and catering workers;

food sellers;

foremen of tractor and field crews;

railway and water workers;

auto and electric transport workers;

operators of hoisting and transport mechanisms;

printers.

4th group - workers of heavy physical labor:

construction workers;

the bulk of agricultural workers and machine operators;

surface miners;

oil and gas industry workers;

metallurgists and foundry workers, except for persons classified in group 5;

workers in the pulp, paper and wood processing industries;

slingers, riggers;

woodworkers, carpenters, etc.;

workers in the construction materials industry, except for persons classified in group 5.

5th group - workers engaged in particularly heavy physical labor:

miners employed directly in underground work;

steelworkers;

fellers and wood cutting workers;

masons, concrete workers;

diggers;

loaders whose work is not mechanized;

workers engaged in the production of building materials, whose work is not mechanized.

Each of the labor intensity groups is divided into three age categories: 18-29, 30-39, 40-59 years. This takes into account the gradual age-related decrease in energy expenditure, which affects the need for energy and nutrients. The gender division is due to lower body weight and less intense metabolism in women compared to men. Therefore, the need for energy and nutrients in women of all age and professional groups is on average 15% lower than in men. The exception is the need for iron, which is higher in women (from 18 to 60 years old) than in men. For women, there is no 5th group of labor intensity, which includes professions with particularly heavy physical work. The nutritional standards separately highlight the physiological needs of pregnant and lactating women.

When determining the need for nutrients and energy for the population aged 18 to 60 years, the average ideal body weight is 70 kg for men and 60 kg for women. For overweight individuals (taking into account gender, age, height, physique), the need for nutrients and energy is determined individually in accordance with the goals of health regulation of body weight.

The nutritional standards distinguish between groups of elderly (60-74 years old) and old (75 years old and older) people. A significant decrease in metabolic processes and limitation of physical activity characteristic of these population groups cause a decrease in their need for nutrients and energy. However, for older people who continue to work, the values ​​​​specified in the mentioned standards can be increased, taking into account the nature of the work.

The given nutritional standards give the optimal values ​​for the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at the physiologically necessary ratios between them. To ensure the complete amino acid composition of food, animal proteins should make up 55% of the recommended protein requirements. For pregnant women (5-9 months) and lactating women, animal proteins make up 60% of the total protein. The share of protein in the daily energy value of the diet, taken as 100%, should be: 13% for the 1st group of labor intensity, 12% for the 2nd and 3rd groups, 11% for the 4th and 5th th group.

The share of fats in the daily energy value of the diet of all population groups is on average 33%, divided by climatic zones: for the south - 27-28%, for the north - 38-40%. Vegetable fats should make up 30% of the total amount of fat. To ensure the completeness of the fatty acid composition of food, the standard requirement for linoleic acid has been established - 4-6% of the daily energy value of the diet for all groups of the population.

Nutrition standards include division into three climatic zones: central, southern and northern. The energy requirement of the population of the northern zone exceeds that of the central zone by 10-15%, the need for proteins and carbohydrates in relative terms (as a percentage of the energy value of the diet) is approximately the same. Thus, the need for fats for the population of the northern zone is increased in absolute (in grams) and relative terms. For the southern zone, compared to the central zone, the energy requirement is reduced by 5% due to a decrease in the proportion of fats replaced by carbohydrates.

The consumption rates of basic minerals are given taking into account the necessary ratios between calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and the characteristics of iron absorption (Table 4).

The nutritional standards give the need for thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, niacin and ascorbic acid, based on recommended energy intake values. The standards include the need for vitamins A, D, E, B12 and folacin (Table 5, Table 6, Table 7).

When producing specialized food products for athletes, it is necessary to be guided by basic medical and biological principles, which can be formulated as follows: the principle of energy balance - compliance with the energy needs of the athlete. Nutrition should not only replace the amount of energy consumed, but also help improve performance relative to the initial level; systematic nutrition - nutritional elements function best only in interaction with each other; adequacy of nutrition is a consequence of the systemic principle - if the amount of even one vital nutritional element in the body is insufficient, others will not be able to function properly; taking into account the dynamics of lifestyle - selection of adequate forms of nutrition depending on lifestyle, the nature of training and the place where it is carried out; accuracy of dosing of physiologically functional ingredients - there is a fairly narrow range of required consumption of each nutritional element, which is the basis for the optimal functioning of the body; adherence to the principles of balanced nutrition depending on the type of sport and the specifics of physical activity.

The medical-biological approach to the development of diets for athletes is based on the study of the characteristics of biochemical and physiological processes occurring in the body during physical activity and during the recovery stages. The characteristics of the sport, the stage of preparation, the time of year, climatic conditions, as well as gender, age, anthropometric and other individual indicators of a particular athlete are also taken into account.

During certain periods of athletes’ training, depending on the specific tasks and content of the training process, there is a need to compile food rations of a certain direction (protein, carbohydrate, protein-carbohydrate, etc.). For example, during the training period, when performing sports exercises that help increase muscle mass and develop strength, the protein focus of the diet should be increased. In this case, additional protein-rich foods or specialized high-protein foods should be included in the diet. To enhance the carbohydrate orientation of the diet, it is necessary to include in it foods rich in simple and complex carbohydrates, carbohydrate-mineral drinks, while simultaneously reducing foods that are sources of fat. To increase the fat content (for example, during the winter preparation period), foods that are sources of lipids should be included in the daily diet.

In accordance with the characteristics of metabolic processes under different training regimes, changes in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of nutrition are required.

When working in anaerobic mode, it is necessary to maintain the optimal amount of protein in the diet and increase the amount of carbohydrates by reducing the amount of fat, additional intake of B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, PP) and ascorbic acid. Dynamic or static muscle efforts aimed at increasing muscle mass and developing strength require increasing the protein content in the diet, as well as vitamins B6, B2, PP, P1.

When working in an aerobic mode, aimed at improving endurance, it is very important to increase the calorie content of the diet, as well as the amount of carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipids, vitamins A, E, C, B1, B2, B12, biotin, folic acid, etc.

When working in a mixed anaerobic-aerobic mode, the nature of the diet is close to the formula of a balanced diet for a healthy person, with the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates corresponding to 1:0.9:4.

The main feature of sports nutrition is that energy expenditure during sports activity is significantly higher than that of a standard healthy person. It has been proven that energy expenditure, and therefore the calorie content of the daily diet of athletes at any stage of their activity (training, competition or recovery), is almost 2-3 times higher than that of an ordinary person and ranges from 4000 to 8000 kcal (depending on the type sport and training volume). The total calorie content of the diet is achieved due to the energy value of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates included in it. With an increase in energy expenditure, the athletes’ body’s need for energy and, accordingly, for nutrients also naturally increases. Therefore, compared to a regular diet for athletes, the optimal ratio of the main components of the diet: proteins, fats and carbohydrates changes slightly towards an increase in carbohydrate content.

The amount of energy expenditure by athletes and people leading an active lifestyle is extremely varied and depends mainly not only on the type of sport, but also on the amount of work performed. Energy expenditure can fluctuate within very large limits in the same sport, depending on the period of preparation for competitions and during competitions. In addition, it should be taken into account that an athlete’s energy expenditure depends on his own weight. Therefore, it is advisable to calculate energy expenditure in each individual case using the metabolic equivalent value (MET).

Athletes involved in endurance sports are recommended to eat a diet in which proteins supply 14-15% of the total calories consumed, fats - 25%, carbohydrates - 60-61%.

For representatives of sports that require the development of endurance with strength components, the protein part of the diet is slightly increased. The percentage of calories provided by proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 15-16%, 27% and 57-58%, respectively.

In the diet of representatives of speed-strength sports, the protein content is slightly higher and the carbohydrate content is lower than in endurance sports. The share of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the energy supply of the diet is 17-18%, 30% and 52-53%, respectively.

Representatives of strength sports during certain periods of the training process aimed at increasing muscle mass and developing strength, with large-volume loads and intense training, need increased protein consumption. The calorie content provided by proteins during this period can be 18-20%, fats - 31-32%, carbohydrates - 49-50%.

The specific nutrition of athletes is also associated with the body’s increased needs for basic macro- and micronutrients.

Thus, the protein requirement of athletes is on average 2.0-2.5 g per 1 kg of body weight per day. In gymnastics, acrobatics, fencing, long-distance running, swimming, rowing, sports games - 2.0-2.3 g; in throwing, sprinting, jumping, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling - 2.3-2.5 g; in multi-day cycling races, the need increases to 3.0-3.2 g per 1 kg of body weight. To ensure normal amino acid composition, the high-quality composition of proteins is important. In this case, the share of animal protein should be at least 60%. When consuming high protein diets, water loss must be taken into account. The additional excretion is a consequence of the nitrogen load on the kidneys. Therefore, the issue of optimal fluid intake for athletes whose diets contain large amounts of protein is extremely important, since dehydration negatively affects athletic performance. Methods for determining the required amount of protein for athletes are presented in Appendix 2.

The daily fat requirement for athletes is 1.5-2.4 g per 1 kg of body weight. The diet should contain 75-80% fats of animal origin and 20-25% fats of vegetable origin.

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for athletes, so the daily requirement for them is 9-10 g per 1 kg of body weight, with 64% coming from complex carbohydrates and 36% from simple ones. If we talk about the form of carbohydrates entering the body during and after physical activity, then, from the point of view of the rate of restoration of muscle glycogen, the state of dehydration and suppressed appetite inclines the choice in favor of the drink. Speaking about the synthesis of muscle glycogen, it is necessary to say about the types of carbohydrates that are the most effective, from a physiological point of view, in the production of such drinks.

Several differences in the metabolism of simple carbohydrates, in particular the greater release of insulin after consumption of glucose than fructose, lead to the preferential use of glucose and/or a mixture of its polymers for the restoration of muscle glycogen. While fructose is significantly less effective for glycogen resynthesis than glucose or sucrose. Differences in gastric retention time, a slower absorption rate of fructose, and the possibility of gastrointestinal dysfunction also lead to a preference for other simple sugars. However, the use of a mixture of glucose and fructose leads to an increase in the rate of oxidation of exogenous carbohydrates compared to the use of each sugar separately. The differences between glucose, sucrose and maltodextrin in metabolism and effects on physical performance during exercise are negligible. Less acceptable, from the point of view of oxidation during physical activity, is galactose. No effects of ribose were found in terms of impact on performance and recovery.

By analogy with calorie intake, the daily requirement of athletes for vitamins and minerals is 1.5-2 times higher than usual. To achieve complete biological activity of nutrition, it is necessary to introduce into the diet not individual vitamins and minerals, but correctly selected combinations - vitamin and mineral premixes in a certain quantitative ratio with each other and with other nutrients. This is also due to the fact that many chemical processes are catalyzed simultaneously by several interacting vitamins, macro- and microelements.

Thus, maintaining a rational ratio of the content of vitamins and minerals and their balance can significantly solve the problem of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction of macro- and micronutrients. Thus, an optimal metabolic background will be maintained in the athlete’s body, contributing to his better adaptation to physical activity.

In conditions of intense muscular work, the need for water among athletes increases sharply. Depending on the nature of sports activity and temperature conditions, the daily need for water for athletes of various specializations can range from 2-3 to 5-6 liters per day.

Today there are many types of specialized nutrition. One of the most common types among them are sports mixtures of various compositions. Their purpose is based on helping the body restore strength after heavy physical exertion.

Calorie content and nutritional composition of specialized food

All sports mixtures are high calorie foods. But despite this, they contain a balanced ratio of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

The average calorie content of sports nutrition per 100 grams of dry mixture is 356 kcal. Moreover, each type of product is enriched with individual aminocarboxylic acids and vitamins, which ensure the full formation of the muscle corset.

There are sports mixtures based on proteins of plant and animal origin. This allows you to choose the right product according to your individual eating habits.

Benefits of specialized nutrition

With proper use of these products, you can successfully bring your body parameters in order in the shortest possible time. The main advantages of sports mixtures include:

• The content of fat and protein in the composition of the preparations is minimal.
• In the shortest possible time, muscle bundles are restored after intense training.
• Used in the diet.
• Neutralizes the feeling of hunger for a long time.
• Gives development to muscle fibers.
• Increases muscle endurance.
• They tone the body.
• With regular use of mixtures with systematic training, they give a beautiful relief to the muscle tissue of the body.
• Used as a healthy snack.

This section provides information about the main types of sports mixtures, with an exact indication of their calorie content and nutritional value.

When setting the goal of “building” your body, it is very important to remember that success largely depends on high-quality and nutritious nutrition, so that the body receives all the necessary nutrients, macro- and microelements for good recovery and functioning. When calculating the diet for athletes, it is necessary to remember that the menu should be high-calorie, necessarily consisting of small portions, divided into 5-6 meals. Calorie content during the day is strictly distributed according to the time of food intake, the nutrient content varies depending on the goals set for the athlete.

Of course, there are general rules for creating a menu, which we will consider.

The intense physical activity that the body is exposed to when playing sports requires a high calorie diet. Otherwise, fat deposits will first be consumed to provide energy, and then muscles will begin to break down. The calorie content of the diet directly depends on the type of sport, intensity and frequency of training, weight and height of the athlete. Therefore, we have developed several diets that are optimal for athletes.

Diets for athletes:

The “Mass XL” diet and 3000 kcal per day is perfect for athletes with high intensity training, for those who are actively gaining weight - powerlifters, weightlifters, etc. If necessary, diets can be combined or made up your own.

The “Mass” diet with a calorie content of 2500 kcal/day is also suitable for athletes with intense exercise, building mass or maintaining weight.

The “Cyber-food” diet and daily calorie content of 2300 kcal/day, 6 meals a day is what you need during the period of serious training and during the period of mass gain.

The “Balance” diet – 2000 kcal/day, is optimal for maintaining weight during constant training, and for those who engage in fitness, Pilates and other gymnastic sports.

But, in addition to maintaining the required calorie content, it is also important to maintain a balance of nutrients.

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates

During severe stress, the body is exposed to stress, and the consumption of glycogen, a substance created from carbohydrates, increases many times. It is concentrated in large quantities in muscles, liver and blood. During prolonged and heavy exercise, glycogen is converted into glucose, which helps increase endurance and performance. Therefore, it is important for everyone who plays sports to balance their diet so that complex carbohydrates are included in the menu. In this case, the total amount of carbohydrates in the diet can reach 60% of the daily diet. Immediately after physical activity, you can drink fruit juices with fructose or sugar - this is a quick source of glucose that will prevent the rapid depletion of glycogen.

Protein is a very important nutritional element for anyone who wants to build muscle, as it is the main building material for them. Its total amount in the diet is about 30%. This takes into account both animal protein - lean lamb, poultry, beef, eggs, dairy products, etc., and vegetable proteins - various legumes, seeds, etc.

Fats, despite the rather negative attitude towards them, nevertheless should also be in the diet, and their share is 20%. These include various polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oil, nuts, and seafood (which are also a good source of protein). It is worth remembering that they take a long time to digest, and this can reduce performance.

Essential Minerals

During sports activities, the following minerals are also consumed in large quantities:

Iron is the main sponsor of hemoglobin in the body, thanks to which the blood, and then all organs, are saturated with oxygen. It is found in large quantities in apples, red meat, liver, beets - in other words, in meat, fruits and vegetables.

Phosphorus is of great importance in the functioning of skeletal muscles and heart muscles. Contained in fish, cottage cheese, eggs, grains and dairy products.

Magnesium – controls levels of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, helps in the absorption of vitamins, and also takes part in such important processes as regulating protein synthesis and glucose levels. Contained in fresh vegetables, nuts, bran and sesame seeds.

This is not a complete list of all the elements necessary for athletes. When ordering, you can be sure that each meal is as balanced as possible and fully meets the needs of the body. Our nutritionists and chefs guarantee the quality and amazing taste of every dish!

Specialized nutrition adapted to individual capabilities and tasks is a powerful means of correcting the dog’s appearance and body functions. This becomes obvious if we consider that natural food necessarily contains substances that can change the state of physiological systems and the rate of biochemical processes. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that virtually any substance in food can produce physiological effects similar to those of a number of established pharmacological agents. Thus, trivial glucose turned out to not only serve as a source of energy for the body, but also participate in the regulation of the emotional state of humans and animals. Regular amino acids (glycine, alanine, proline, tryptophan, phenylalanine, valine, etc.), which are part of food proteins and are used by the body to build its own proteins, in addition, the body needs to perform relay functions (neurotransmitters in interneuron synapses) in nervous system. Some of them are modified to perform signaling functions, others are used unchanged.

A striking example of the combination of nutritional and pharmacological roles in one person are vitamins. Nutritional physiology and pharmacology equally consider the discovery of vitamins and their mechanisms of action as their achievements. In addition, it turned out that derivatives and destruction products of vitamins perform certain regulatory functions in the tissues of the brain and liver and can become candidates for new drugs.

The issues of pharmacotherapeutically targeted nutrient (nutrient = nutrient) effect of nutrition on the body and the theoretical justification of this phenomenon are discussed in more detail and in more detail in our previous book (E.G. Gurman “Scientific Fundamentals of Cooking,” 1995). Here, distancing ourselves from evidence for brevity, we ask the reader to believe that the majority of pharmacological and doping effects achieved by the most complex and unsafe pharmacological means can be achieved through specialization of the nature and quantity of certain nutrients in food and the rhythm of their entry into the gastrointestinal tract. intestinal tract. It is also important that the digestion process is accompanied by the production in the body of signals and factors that affect the functions of most systems - nervous, immune, endocrine, etc. In a short essay, such as this chapter, it is impossible to highlight the interesting and important problem of individualized adequate nutrition. Let us dwell on selected points of the topic: the rhythm of nutrition, appetite and food composition.

Of course, nowadays the consumer gravitates towards ready-made solutions to their problems: I don’t want to delve into how something works - give a remedy “for the head”, “for obesity”, “for the stomach”, “to increase potency”, “for puppies” , “for pregnant women”, “for sick people”, etc. This approach is convenient with an increasing range of canine food products, but a thinking canine handler, it seems, must understand what happens in the body with certain diets and must reasonably choose the branded products required in a particular situation.

The natural feeding rhythms of the dog's closest wild relatives (the dingo dog is a subspecies of the same species, wolves and jackals are closely related) demonstrate a combination of two tactics for the distribution of food consumption during the day, depending on the food source. Mousing and hunting small prey is a long process with a small one-time absorption of food. Hunting for large prey and eating carrion are one-time methods of feeding with “to-the-full” feeding. Whether this or that tactic is good is not as important as the fact that many generations of dog ancestors apparently ate this way, and this was most likely reflected in the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract and the dog’s entire body. When eating small portions, the animal’s digestive organs are in working order for a long time. The release of signaling substances into the blood that accompanies this work gradually brings their level to a level that calms all behavioral activity and the animal begins to rest. In general, the tactics of fractional feeding are more typical for miniature, graceful predators.

One-time volumetric absorption of food is typical for powerful large predators. Having swallowed the food, the animal begins to digest it and rest. Often such saturation comes to the predator after a hard hunt at the end of his “working day.” Let's also note that canines, as a rule, feed during daylight hours: when mouseing - in the morning and evening, when hunting, often closer to the night. Mandatory rest after eating creates the best conditions for digestive work.

The mechanism of the onset of rest after eating is associated with a very important whole-organism phenomenon - the specific dynamic action of food (SDAP). This is a whole complex of body reactions, including immune, thermoregulatory, neurohumoral, enzymatic and other components. One of the components of SDDP - the entry of endogenous and exogenous opioid peptides into the blood during digestion - provides positive emotions and calming of animals after eating. The afternoon is the most appropriate time for games and contacts; at this time, even the leader is more tolerant and peaceful towards the rest of the pack. On the contrary, at the end of the usual interval between feedings, the level of opioids in the blood of animals is low, and aggressiveness is correspondingly high. This rather strong influence of feeding rhythm on behavior can well be used.

Of course, the tactics of fractional or one-time feeding can also be used in the targeted formation of the exterior and working qualities of purebred dogs, in controlling behavior at crucial moments of exhibitions, competitions, and fights.

Most guidelines recommend feeding adult dogs once or twice a day. This is on average, without special goals. When trying to create an elegant, light dog with a toned belly (greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Bedlingtons, partly Dobermans, etc.), preference should be given to a rapid feeding rhythm with the absorption of a small portion of the daily diet at a time. An animal that feeds in such a rhythm, with all other conditions being equal for supplying the body with nutrients, maintains increased mobility during the day, and less load is placed on its supporting skeleton and abdominal wall. With a single meal, the animal, eating the entire daily ration in one sitting, becomes drowsy for several hours, its muscles serve a large body mass and are pumped up accordingly, overcrowded internal organs contribute to the formation of an overweight body. This feeding rhythm is quite suitable for, say, a Caucasian who, after guard duty (hunger and anticipation of feeding activate an indicative reaction, arouses aggressiveness, which is very useful for service) can eat several kilograms of food at a time (a hungry wolf can eat up to 25 kg of meat) and fall asleep soundly (his peace after being removed from his post is again beneficial to the peace in the nursery).

Another component of the SDDP - immune reactions - under natural conditions serves to protect the internal environment of the body from the possible expansion of harmful substances from the cavity of the gastrointestinal tract into the blood. It can be used to enhance the effectiveness of vaccination. If vaccination is carried out against the background of SDDP, then the response of the immune system to the introduction of antigens with the vaccine will be more pronounced, accelerate the production and increase the titer of antibodies against the intended infection.

The thermogenic effect of SDDP is small - the dog’s body temperature after eating increases by only a few tenths of a degree, but it can also be used for good. It was found that SDDP is closely related to the hormonal status of the body. Therefore, it can be used to judge the state of endocrine regulation in the dog’s body. Thus, the first sign of obesity, much ahead of other external manifestations of the disease, is the disappearance of SDDP. By monitoring the thermogenic effect of SDDP, you can be alert to the likelihood of disease in advance and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.

The above tips apply to healthy adult animals. Puppies and older dogs should eat much more often than adults. This is written about in all feeding manuals, but, unfortunately, they rarely talk about individual selection of a feeding schedule for a puppy, but rather give rigid schemes: in how many months and how many times the puppy should be fed. Under natural conditions, the puppy has the opportunity to eat almost all the time during the first days of life. He himself participates in the formation of his feeding schedule. A feeding schedule can be artificially imposed, but this is unlikely to benefit the puppy’s health or self-confidence.

The feeding schedule for puppies and, especially, lactating bitches, as well as for aging dogs, is changing in the direction of increasing feeding frequency.

Regulating the rhythm of feeding is much easier and cheaper than using doping, and the benefits of a properly selected individual feeding schedule for a dog can be enormous. Choosing an individual feeding rhythm necessarily requires taking into account the dog’s appetite.

By the concept of “appetite”, different authors understand the phenomena of eating behavior that do not completely coincide, although they have much in common. For some, appetite is akin to hunger, and they measure it by the amount of food voluntarily consumed. For others, appetite is the desire to absorb this or that food. The theoretical foundations of the seemingly simple, almost obvious, phenomenon of appetite and the possibility of influencing it are presented in the chapter devoted to higher nervous activity (Chapter 3), written by a recognized authority in the field of eating behavior, Professor V.G. Kassilem. Here we will only briefly outline those aspects that relate to the connection between appetite and targeted nutritional correction of the exterior and working qualities of dogs.

Eating, behavior that brings pleasant emotions when consuming the food most needed by the body (another definition of appetite), like any physiological process, arose and exists as a natural mechanism for maintaining health and a sense of comfort, i.e. adequacy of the animal and living conditions. It is based on a complex mechanism for regulating the consumption of certain quantities and types of food. Without going into details of what is happening inside the body, we can consider the situation as a kind of “black box”, the entrance and exit of which are observable. This is a very convenient approach for the problem under consideration: a dog breeder cannot establish constant laboratory control of the composition of food in everyday life, cannot monitor the intimate progress of digestion, cannot accurately take into account all the waste of energy and substances in the body, but can assess what happens at the input and the exit of the digestive tract. Input can be considered what the dog consumes during meals and how it is consumed. The output, in a broad sense, is waste products and observer-recorded changes in the health, appearance and behavior of the animal. Yield assessment is familiar to practicing dog breeders. Regarding “input”, there are too many misconceptions not only regarding feeding animals, but also humans.

The deepest misconception that can be made is neglecting the dog’s appetite as a guide in choosing the right diet. Eating according to your appetite is the key to health. It should be noted that by the behavior of wild predators, an attentive observer, even before the start of the hunt, can determine what kind of prey they are going to hunt. In other words, the animal anticipates the desired food.

I feed my dog ​​dairy food from a plastic bowl and meat food from an enamel bowl. By which bowl my Lisa goes to, I always know what she would like to eat today. Most often, before feeding, she spins around an enamel bowl (Liza loves meat), but sometimes she persistently shows a desire to eat something dairy and then spins around a plastic bowl. This simple technique can help you take into account your dog's appetite for certain foods and monitor changes in preferences that reflect the state of his body.

Without the opportunity to frequently and thoroughly examine a dog in everyday life, a dog breeder can choose the optimal food for it based on its appetite.

Of course, a healthy appetite gives the correct indications about the state of health and the needs of the body. A perverted appetite (perverted due to problems in the body or due to improper upbringing) cannot serve as a dietary guideline - it itself can be the cause of illness. It is extremely difficult to change a dog’s established eating pattern. Therefore, it is very important during the period when the specific behavior is being imprinted, to help the puppy develop the correct feeding style. In nature, this occurs at the age of 1-3 months in order to imitate the mother and consolidate in memory the taste and smell of “good” food. During this period of the puppy’s life, the dog breeder is obliged to introduce him to various types of food and teach him to eat healthy food. For example, if during this period you do not introduce the dog to fish products, raw meat, porridge, etc., then in the future a problem may arise due to the dog’s refusal to eat this food. Many dog ​​owners (especially decorative breeds) complain, for example, that their pets refuse raw meat and do not eat vegetables well. At the same time, an excess of sweets in feeding a puppy can subsequently lead to the dog refusing unsweetened food. This is a consequence of mistakes made when the puppy was 1-3 months old. Having distorted the puppy's appetite in childhood, the dog breeder risks creating big problems for himself in the future - the puppy will not develop properly due to improper nutrition, and correcting the appetite may not be within the power of a compassionate owner. In order to change a dog’s food preferences, there is only one way - to increase food motivation when a certain type of food is available for consumption. You can strengthen food motivation (see Chapter 3) with hunger, increased exercise, and pharmacological medications. It is very useful to give the dog a compromise option at the retraining stage. The food that the dog is accustomed to can be made more attractive with the help of fragrances or admixtures of his favorite food. Currently, there is a large selection of fragrances with the smell of meat, fish, various fruits and vegetables. It must be admitted, however, that dogs require a more precise selection of fragrances than a human taster. By the way, many branded dog products contain fragrances selected to suit the taste of the animal. Transitioning to a new eating style requires gradualism and persistence. It is advisable in each specific case to understand why a given dog has developed certain food preferences. Thus, in dogs of some breeds prone to obesity, an increased appetite for carbohydrate foods (cereals, bread, etc.) appears to be genetically programmed. ), which, as it turned out, is associated with the specificity of the spectrum of digestive enzymes in the intestine.

A sudden change in appetite is an important signal for a dog breeder about the dog’s health and the adequacy of food to its needs. The appetite reacts sharply to any deviations in the state of the animal’s body, especially to intoxication. This is why a sick dog usually refuses food. Persuading and forcing a dog to eat in such cases without a competent analysis of causes and consequences is dangerous.

A dog's appetite can, better than any guide, suggest individual food intake. Having a certain “margin of safety” in case of a possible food shortage in the future, the animal’s appetite is programmed for approximately 10% overeating. After several feedings of his dog with standard food without restricting access to food, a dog owner can easily determine this volume of food eaten at one time and, by subtracting a tenth of it, find out a reasonable portion size that saturates the dog and at the same time does not threaten overeating. The dog must eat “in a sneaky manner”, leaving nothing in the bowl and maintaining the desire to eat another piece.

Thus, one should not neglect the wonderful opportunity provided by Nature. By matching feeding to the appetite of a healthy dog ​​and correcting a perverted appetite in the case of pathology, a dog breeder can effectively achieve his goals.

The composition of the food must meet the needs of the body and its ability to absorb these nutrients from a given composition. Most nutritional guidelines (whether human or animal) emphasize the need to balance intakes and needs and somehow lose sight of the effects in the body that accompany natural digestive technology. Started by academician A.M. Ugol'ev's translation of the nutritionist culture of physiologists, doctors, and hygienists from the outdated position of the theory of balanced nutrition to the new one - the theory of adequate nutrition, unfortunately, slowed down with his early death and took the form of refining various aspects of the classical theory. However, it is not so important in what way (evolution or leap) and under whose names a new, more advanced theory will win the recognition of practitioners. I believe that the theory of adequate nutrition is fundamentally new and characterizes the rise of knowledge to a new level. Her critics, for example Professor V.K. Maso, without admitting it, but responding to the ideas expressed by A.M. Ugolev, so clarifies the interpretation of the theory of balanced nutrition that in the new interpretation the latter smoothly turns into the theory of adequate nutrition. Isn't this an admission of the correctness of the theory while denying the priority of its author? Let us return, however, from the topics of pure science and pseudo-scientific vicissitudes to the consideration of applied issues affecting all dog breeders.

The essential components of natural food include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, micro- and nanonutrients and so-called non-nutrients (ballast substances, dietary fiber, water). In addition, natural food necessarily contains a certain amount of physiologically active substances. The latter include food enzymes, hormone-like factors, enzyme inhibitors (antinutrients) and toxicants. Autolytic processes are involved in the processing of natural food; it is accompanied by the production of signaling factors and microflora activity in the gastrointestinal tract.

Autolytic processes during the assimilation of natural food complement the work of the enzymes of the digestive apparatus itself. By the way, it is the absence of active digestive enzymes in thermally treated food that reduces its digestibility and increases the load on the digestive system. In some cases, it is desirable to support gastrointestinal enzymes by adding enzyme preparations to food or immediately after meals. These can be tablets of festal, abomin, pancreatin, mexase, etc.

Enzyme inhibitors contained in natural food make adjustments to the operation of the apparatus that breaks down food biopolymers. Physiologically active substances in food that affect nerve and muscle cells can change the peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, and therefore the duration and depth of food processing in various parts of the digestive system. The microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, if it is normal in composition, takes part in the processing of food, the formation of essential components from excess nutrients and supplies a certain proportion of nutrients to the host organism with its own bodies. Accordingly, abnormal microflora supplies toxins. Toxicants and food antigens normally “train” the body’s defenses, maintaining it to a certain degree of readiness for other dangerous influences, i.e. Ultimately, their presence in food within reasonable limits also serves to benefit the body. The variety, volume and chronic nature of the release of hormones that accompanies the biotechnology of food processing make it possible to consider the digestive organs as the largest endocrine “gland” of the body.

There is no need to waste space in this chapter on information about the qualitative composition and role of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in food, wandering from one popular book on nutrition to another. Let us dwell only on the information about ballast substances that has less widely penetrated into the consciousness of practitioners.

For a long time, ballast substances were perceived as unnecessary, useless, but inevitable components of natural food. As the possibility of creating artificial food became real, we had to think about whether these ballast substances, which seem to give nothing to the body, are needed? Research on artificial foods has highlighted at least two important circumstances: firstly, ballast substances, although not absorbed by the body, are very important for the normal course of digestion; secondly, the fact that the form in which digestible nutrients enter the body is important for the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (ready-made monomers turned out to be less suitable for the nutrition of higher animals than polymers that still need to be broken down into monomers) .

Ballast substances include, for example, dietary fiber. They are not broken down by intestinal enzymes, but due to their mechanical properties they regulate peristalsis (and therefore the rate of movement of digested products through the digestive tract). Due to their high hygroscopicity, they participate in maintaining water balance in the digestive system. By adsorbing ions and molecules, dietary fiber participates in the redistribution of mineral and organic substances in the cavity and along the digestive system. Dietary fiber absorbs and removes many toxicants and radionuclides from the body (for an example of using this property of dietary fiber, see 9.1.). Finally, dietary fiber serves as the framework of the “house” in which intestinal microorganisms live. By changing the number and composition of these microorganisms, dietary fiber can influence the formation and processing of many important substances for the animal’s body: vitamins, missing amino acids, toxicants, physiologically active substances.

In the natural diet of a predator, dietary fiber is difficult-to-digest collagen fibers, wool, the remains of plant products, including cellulose, and the remains of insects with their inert chitinous skeleton. Wolves, jackals, and foxes in nature eat not only meat. Swallowing whole small herbivores and granivores, they receive the contents of their intestines along with the carcasses of their victims. When capturing large prey, it turned out that wolves first gnaw out the soft tissue of the abdominal cavity. Along with the ingested tripe, predators do not disdain the intestinal contents, which naturally contain dietary fiber from the herbivore’s diet and its digestive enzymes. Even such typical predators as wolves turned out to often eat young greens, berries, and fruits. The body and digestive system of a dog, which has been feeding near humans for thousands of years (i.e., several thousand generations), is adapted to a significant consumption of grains and other plant products.

Refining of human foods has affected foods fed to dogs. Household refining begins with cutting the carcass. It is clear that cutting a carcass into types of meat leads to a change in the composition of food - certain varieties contain a lot of some substances and few others. The traditional preference for muscle meats as raw materials for dog food is not immune to criticism. This criticism can be justified by observations of the order in which predators eat large prey in nature - the wolf first gorges itself on tripe, and then (having fueled its digestive system with the enzymes of the prey) it gorges itself on muscle meat and gnaws on bones. Of course, muscle meat is rich in protein, which is valuable for the dog’s body, but in addition to protein, food should also contain a large number of substances that are important for the health and optimal functioning of all body systems. Among them are hormones, receptor modulators, drug-like compounds, poisons, etc. I once again refer the reader to my previous book, which is entirely devoted to nutrition, since it seems to me that these important issues deserve comprehensive consideration and that a short essay cannot replace a detailed analysis.

Concentrated and canned animal food included in the everyday life of our dog breeders, if well manufactured, is made taking into account many achievements of modern nutrition science. Their best designs include a composition of foods and supplements that meet the needs of the dog's body, and the storage method and preservatives used keep side effects to a minimum. I repeat, this praise applies to the best examples of such products.

Let's take a look at some of the parameters of branded products for dogs. It is clear that the first thing a dog breeder should pay attention to when choosing such products for his dog is the certification characteristics of the product. The authority of the manufacturer, delivery channels, date of manufacture, shelf life and certificates issued in the country of manufacture and in the country of sale certifying the compliance of the quality of the product with veterinary and hygienic standards should not raise any doubts. This is more important than price. In addition, it is useful to ensure that the packaging is intact and that the storage conditions at the point of sale of the food product are correct. When reading the label on a dog food package, you should separate useful information from purely promotional information. Reputable companies place on the label the address of the company's head office and the address of the manufacturing branch of a given batch of product. Information about the types of meat and food raw materials used to prepare feed, without indicating the proportions and method of preparation (which are, as a rule, technological secrets), provides little information for analyzing the quality of the product. Typically, companies are “modestly” silent about the fragrances, preservatives and toxicants contained in food. Product class coding most often requires special reference data to understand it, but the prestige of the certification institution may indirectly indicate the quality of the product.

Specialized animal feeds available for sale can be of three types: dry (dry) with a moisture content of 6-10%, semi-dry (soft-moist) with a moisture content of 23-40%, and canned (canned) with a moisture content of 68-80%. Dry food in the form of briquettes, pieces or powder are the most popular. They are easily stored without refrigeration, light and small in volume. Their protein source is usually meat or soy. They use offal, cereals and fish in their production. Many dogs readily eat these foods in freeze-dried form without soaking. Semi-dry food is usually sold in cans, often plastic. They have a soft, delicate consistency, their composition is the same as that of dry ones. Sealed, they can be stored at room temperature, but are best kept refrigerated. Canned food is designed for every taste. The density of a canned product can vary from thin, like soup, to elastic, like strong jelly. They rarely include soy. In addition to meat and offal of animals, birds, fish, they may contain vegetables.

Unfortunately, in Ukraine and other CIS countries not enough attention is paid to quality control of animal products. In the future creation of such a service, the experience of developed countries with high canine culture should be taken into account. Thus, in Canada, in order for dog food to be approved for sale, it is necessary (since 1976) for it to undergo control by the Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). CVMA ensures that the product is tested in independent laboratories, checks the suitability of the product during a 12-month (minimum) storage period, ensures that the nutrients are not only present in the food, but are also available for absorption in the dog’s body, and monitors compliance with the declared quality of the product in all batches feed in terms of its composition, digestibility and digestibility.

Typically, guaranteed analysis data is also included on the label, i.e. information on the average (minimum and maximum) content of protein (protein), fat (fat), moisture (moisture), fiber (fibre), salts (ash, minerals) and energy (energy) in the feed. Their content is often reported on a total weight basis (including water), on a dry weight basis, or on a specific calorie basis. This creates difficulties in recalculating and comparing different products based on their composition. You have to make adjustments for the moisture content of the product. For example, if it is written that moisture is 75%, protein is 7% and fat is 2%, then this means that the product contains 25% dry matter, of which 28% is protein and 8% is fat.

In the list of ingredients, nutrients are listed in descending order of their percentage in the product. This list does not provide insight into the qualitative characteristics of the named nutrients. For example, it is impossible to determine the nutritional value of food based on the composition of essential amino acids based on the data in the line regarding the protein content of the product. The general name “fats” can hide substances that are quite different in their physiological role: solid fats, vegetable fats, unsaturated fats, etc. At the end of the list, often without indicating quantities, are the vitamins and minerals that make up the food. It is understood that if a certain vitamin is specified, then its content in the food ensures that the dog needs this vitamin when eating this food every day.

A few words about food additives. They are added to branded feeds to give them an attractive color, smell, consistency, and storage stability. These are various emulsifiers that facilitate the mixing of water and fat, antioxidants (to protect fats from rancidity), odorants (to enhance or improve the smell), antimicrobial factors and dyes. Western companies use the same food additives in dog food as those used by the food industry for humans. Some types of food labeled “additive-free” or “all-natural” are made exclusively from natural products.

Many colleagues in the West do not recommend homemade dog food, as there is no guarantee that homemade food can optimally balance all the necessary ingredients. It should be noted that branded products may lag behind the latest advances in the science of nutrition and physiology of dogs, but, given a professional approach, the likelihood of errors in the manufacture of branded products is less. In our conditions, the limited choice of unscheduled feeds, their rather high price and lack of traditions make concentrated feeds largely a product of irregular consumption. By the way, the most expensive food is not necessarily the best. This, as well as the fact that a dog breeder must make a choice among products from different companies and specialized food products for dogs of different breeds, ages, genders, and physiological conditions, makes it necessary to at least superficially become familiar with the rules for choosing the composition of food for a particular dog. In table 11.1. Recommendations are given on the composition of the main groups of nutrients in food that meet the needs of various conditions of the dog’s body.

So, puppies, with their high growth energy, great mobility and the need for material to form a growing organism, need high-protein, high-calorie, easily digestible food. A puppy's diet should generally contain 25-35% protein and 18-22% fat. Of course, such food cannot be recommended for adult dogs, especially those leading a sedentary lifestyle. During certain periods of preparation for competitions, lactation, intensive work, recovery from illness, etc., food with such a protein and fat content can be used in feeding adult animals. A puppy's need for salts is relatively high, while in an adult, excess salts can be harmful for a dog, especially for those prone to certain diseases, primarily kidney diseases. If in food for puppies salts can make up 6-7% of dry weight, then in the food of an adult healthy dog ​​- no more than 4-5%. A tendency to osteoporosis, lactation, healing of bone injuries can, however, increase the dog’s need for mineral elements.

The proportion of proteins and fats in food for dogs prone to obesity should be significantly reduced: protein - up to 12-14%, fat - up to 15-18%. The proportion of dietary fiber in their diet can be increased from the usual 1-1.5% to 2-5%.

If a dog is prone to digestive disorders and after illnesses, special foods with a reduced fat content (9-11% instead of the usual 15-25%) can be very useful. Dietary fiber in such food should be contained in moderate quantities (1.5-1.8%), and protein can be increased to 19-21%.

It should be noted that in cases where the amount of food recommended on the label is given in grams of feed, calories or grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, it is necessary to remember the non-linear nature of the increase in body expenditure depending on its size. The reader will find in the book instructions on how to take into account the breed, age, gender, condition and other characteristics of the dog when determining its food needs. Below is a nomogram to make it easier to determine the amount of food a dog needs depending on its body weight (Fig. 11.1.).

Horizontal - the dog’s body weight in kilograms; vertically - the volume of the diet as a percentage of the portion recommended by the instructions for this food, for a dog weighing 25 kg.

And a few more comments. Never use cat food to feed dogs and vice versa. Each of these species has its own requirements for the composition of the feed, which are usually taken into account by the manufacturers. Thus, cats are very susceptible to the formation of uric acid crystals in the kidneys and bladder, and therefore their food usually contains little salts, in particular magnesium. Never suddenly change your dog's feeding style, even after reading a good book. Sudden changes in diet can cause diarrhea (diarrhea) and other illnesses. Get your dog used to the new food gradually.

Remember! Your puppy depends on your feeding correctly!

11. OPTIMIZATION OF POPULATION NUTRITION.SPECIALIZED AND THERAPEUTIC AND PREVENTIVE NUTRITION

Goal: to study modern ways to optimize nutrition for various categories of the population

Scientific experimental, clinical, epidemiological and other studies have revealed a clear correlation between the state of health of the population and the body's supply of energy and essential nutrients.

It is known that the human body must receive more than 600 essential nutrients from food. No product, with the exception of breast milk (in the first 4-6 months of life), provides the body with all the nutrients it needs. To meet the physiological needs of the body, a whole complex of nutrients is needed, the composition and quantity of which changes throughout life.

The results of a study of the structure of the actual nutrition of the population indicate widespread insufficient consumption of many nutrients, including essential food components. The data obtained indicate the need for intervention in the traditional nutritional structure in order to correct it. Currently, there are new, scientifically based approaches to optimizing nutrition, and new food technologies and food products are emerging.

For the most part, the rationalization of the nutritional structure of various categories of the population is ensured through the implementation of specialized and therapeutic nutrition.

Specialized nutrition is divided into nutrition for children and adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, athletes, the elderly, people in extreme professions, nutrition for mental work, etc.

Specialized food products are developed for healthy people who have certain physiological needs related to the functional state of the body or lifestyle.

Specialized baby food products include products for artificial nutrition and complementary feeding, which are necessary to ensure the full physical and mental development of the child, especially if breastfeeding is insufficient.

Products for pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly are designed to provide appropriate adjustments to their physiological status.

Specialized products are also a necessary element of balanced nutrition for athletes and people engaged in extreme activities, accompanied by high energy consumption, hypoxia, physical and psycho-emotional stress. At the same time, there is an increased need of the body for energy, food, essential and minor substances, which are problematic to compensate with ordinary traditional products.

Therapeutic and preventive nutrition– nutrition aimed at preserving the health and preventing occupational diseases of workers in hazardous industries, as well as those who have certain diseases or are predisposed to them (diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, etc.).

Food products intended for therapeutic and preventive nutrition are classified as dietary food products(SanPin 2.3.2.1078-01). Depending on the chemical composition and physical properties, dietary food products are divided into the following groups:

1 . Products that provide chemical and mechanical sparing of the digestive organs. These products have a high degree of grinding, they contain few extractives, dietary fiber (or none), no spices, limited table salt, etc.

2 . Low sodium foods. This group includes table salt substitutes:

– sanasol– tastes like table salt, but consists of potassium salts (70%), calcium, magnesium, ammonium chloride and glutamic acid (daily dose – 1.5-2.5 g);

– preventive And therapeutic and prophylactic salt– in it, part of the sodium is replaced by potassium and magnesium. Regular table salt contains 39% sodium, prophylactic salt contains 26%, and therapeutic salt contains 14%. Daily consumption – 4-5 g.

– PAN(Finland) - part of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium and magnesium salts, but the amino acid lysine is added for taste.

3 . Low Protein Products– intended mainly for patients with chronic renal failure. The basis of these products is corn and amylopectin starch, the permissible level of protein in which is no more than 1%. Low-protein grain products (cereals, pasta) containing no more than 0.5% protein.

4 . Products with modified fat composition can be divided into:

– reduced fat products(by 33% or more), and also cholesterol– skim or low-fat milk and dairy products (fermented milk drinks, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheeses), butter with a reduced amount of fat;

– products with the replacement of part of animal or hydrogenated fats with vegetable oils– have increased biological effectiveness of fatty acids (combined and light oils, soft (bulk) margarines);

– products with the replacement of part of animal and vegetable fats with fat substitutes – are used for the purpose of general reduction of fat, cholesterol and energy value of diets. They are used to replace fat in milk and dairy products, including ice cream, margarines, mayonnaise, cookies, biscuits, etc.

5 . Products with modified carbohydrate composition, are divided into products:

– with sugar replacement with sweeteners and food additives-sweeteners(aspartame, xylitol, etc.) – intended for patients with diabetes, obesity, etc.;

– enriched with dietary fiber,– with bran, muesli, etc.;

– Generally low carb bread– protein-bran and protein-wheat containing 0.2% mono- and disaccharides and 11-21% starch. The protein content in these types of bread reaches 21-23%. Regular bread contains, respectively, 1.5% and 40-50% carbohydrates and, on average, 8% protein.

– milk and dairy products with reduced milk sugar content (low lactose)– used for deficiency of the lactase enzyme in the small intestine.

6 . Low energy products- due to fats and carbohydrates. These include “light” products that have energy value no more than 40 kcal per 100 g solid product and 20 kcal per 100 ml liquid product.

7 . Products enriched with essential substances nutrients - are used for the prevention and treatment of primary and secondary nutritional disorders. Examples include products enriched with iodine, used for the prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency diseases, fortified with iron - for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency conditions, etc.

It should be borne in mind that some products traditionally classified as dietary are consumed by healthy people only for financial or taste reasons. Thus, for people with low incomes, low-fat and low-fat products (kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.) are more accessible at a reduced cost. But these same products are recommended for the prevention and treatment of lipid metabolism disorders, etc. Thus, some dietary foods can be included in the normal diet of a healthy person.

The use of the terms “dietary” and “medicinal” in the names of food products, in labeling on packages and in advertising is prohibited without permission from the Russian Ministry of Health.