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Advanced Course on Community Sports Club Management Development Programme Graduation Ceremony cum Sharing Session: The Significance of Energy in Sports Science

The 2015/16 Advanced Course on Community Sports Club Management Development Programme Graduation Ceremony cum Sharing Session was held at the Leisure and Cultural Services Headquarters in the afternoon of March 6 this year. On the day of the event, in addition to awarding certificates to students who completed the programme and arranging them to share their practicum experience, Prof. Frank FU, Director of Hong Kong Baptist University Dr. Stephen Hui Research Centre for Physical Recreation and Wellness, was also invited to give a talk on “The Significance of Energy in Sports Science”.

In his talk, Prof. Frank FU shared a lot of knowledge about energy and exercise. He pointed out that the body converted food into nutrients and energy; after consumption, food is digested and converted into energy that is used to maintain the body’s operations; and that all activities required energy and energy consumption is even greater during exercise. He also mentioned the basal metabolic rate and the energy required to maintain the body’s basic physiological functions (such as breathing and heartbeat). Each persons’ basal metabolic rate varies according to their gender, age, muscle mass, food absorption capacity and various other factors.

Many people have been advocating the Atkins Diet in recent times and Prof. FU explained this diet briefly. The Atkins Diet is a diet that advocates eating foods that contain more fats and fewer carbohydrates (including sugar). Studies have shown that this diet can achieve a slimming effect and weight control by causing the body to burn fats instead of sugar when it needs energy. At the same time, the intake of fat and protein from meats will also increase muscle mass and strength. However, Prof. FU reminded the audience that the consumption of too many fats may lead to high cholesterol, vascular occlusion or other adverse effects. He stressed that a balanced diet and exercise were the key to being healthy.

Prof. FU also pointed out that the intake of food should be balanced to control weight and train your physique; attention should be paid to the daily calorie intake and complemented with an adequate amount of exercise. Exercise yields many benefits, such as accelerating metabolism, increasing muscle mass, burning fat, strengthening cardiovascular function, improving bone density, and enhancing balance and flexibility. In addition, exercise improves sleep quality and has long-term health benefits.

After the speech, students who completed the programme shared their internship experiences with other people in groups. Although they found the programme challenging, they all believed that they gained practical and valuable experience that would be very beneficial to them and their future work in promoting sports development in the community. The Advanced Course on Community Sports Club Management Development Programme, which was launched in 2007, is a programme that provides participants with theory and practical training. It has cultivated many community sports management volunteers who increased the level of sports at the community level and discovered more talented athletes.

Professor FU with thegraduates and tutors of the Community Sports Club Management Development Programme Advanced Course