GLOSSARY

Bioavailability is the absorbed and usable fraction within a defined framework, requiring a clear method for comparisons.

Bioaccessibility concerns release from the food matrix and accessibility for absorption; bioavailability concerns the absorbed and usable fraction within a stated framework. Laboratory release does not equal human uptake. Cooking, meal composition, chemical form and body status matter. Practical food choices require actual portions and variety rather than accepting a claim of complete absorption without knowing the measurement method or relevant conditions.

Digestion breaks food into smaller absorbable components; absorption moves them across the gastrointestinal barrier into the body. Transport, storage and tissue use follow. These steps are connected but distinct. For an athlete, a large amount printed on a label establishes intake, not necessarily rapid delivery to muscle or the final amount used. Avoid treating digestion, uptake and performance as interchangeable outcomes.

Digestibility evaluates the fraction digested or disappearing under a defined method, not the speed of digestion. Apparent measurements can include endogenous material in gastrointestinal output. Correcting for that material supports true measures. Sampling location, test nutrient and correction method must be stated; fecal and ileal values are not automatically interchangeable. A coefficient is a method-dependent estimate rather than a universal property of every serving.