Healthy food and sports: a winning and necessary combination. Because in order to maintain a constant and effective physical activity, even with the onset of the hot season, it is really important to have an adequate nutrition plan that can best maintain the psychophysical state and prevent any deficiencies. Herminia Abnera nutritional biologist who specializes in nutrition in relation to physical activity helps us to have a clear idea in this sense.
What is important to consider at the level of nutrition when training (or resuming sports after a period of stagnation)?
“I’m reminded of ‘Ten Things You Need to Know About Sports Nutrition’ recently released.American College of Sports Medicine – one of the most important organizations involved in sports at the international level. Among the recommendations, I consider the role of a priority proper hydration and importance choose and distribute nutrition according to training time provide energy support for physical activity.
Do you suggest changing the meal plan?
“Those who regularly practice physical activity of moderate intensity (75 minutes per week) or vigorous (150 minutes per week), has no special needs and can satisfy his nutritional needs with a varied and balanced diet. Only athletes with very intense and constant physical activity may need some precautions, which should always be agreed with qualified professionals. Physicians, biologists or nutritionists, preferably experts in the field of dietetics in relation to physical exercises, can in fact examine the nutritional status of a person and intervene in a targeted and, above all, with the aim of improving or maintaining the state of health. What can be changed autonomously is the amount and time of meals per day.in such a way that you train in the best possible condition, i.e. not close to the last main meal and have not fasted for more than 3 hours.”
How specifically?
“Individual nutrition should be adapted to daily duties and physical activity. A complete pre-workout meal should be easily digestible, not very large, based on carbohydrate-rich foods, low in fat and fiber, and should be eaten at least 2-3 hours before training. If the time interval is at least 3-4 hours, you can add one instead small portion of protein food and in the end vegetables and/or fruits. To cook in a digestible way, one should always favor simple and quick cooking (steaming or boiling), avoiding the addition of fats and chewing each bite slowly and several times.
Should you always eat before or after a workout?
“The ideal would be to introduce a snack half an hour before the start of the workout and no more than 20-30 minutes after it ends. And if the duration is more than 45-60 minutes, it can be useful drink a glucose-salt drink and/or snack even during a sports session.”
Perfect snacks?
“A pre-workout snack, to be eaten an hour before the start, can be prepared with toasted bread or crackers with honey or jam or more light dry biscuits, that is, with a fat content of less than 10%. If the pre-activity time is higher, even one might be ok piece of cake with jam or part pie without filling. If you have just over half an hour, it’s better to choose one instead honey bagPart fresh fruits or a small part sweet dried fruits. The latter can also be used for recovery snacks consume during exercise. Post-workout snacks should include both carbohydrates and protein. The great classic is lean sliced sandwich but there are many other alternatives: milk or yogurt with cereals and fresh fruit or from bread with ricotta and honey or even resorting to somewhat forgotten products like me lupins“.
What are the essential nutrients if you’re exercising in your 30s, 40s, or 50s?
“The main nutrients are the same regardless of age: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. On the other hand, the amount varies depending on the type of physical activity, duration and degree of intensity.. With age, in order to avoid injuries, more attention should be paidhydration and to food distributionwhich should become more frequent and less abundant, while maintaining the characteristics of balance and completeness of nutrition, in order to maintain efforts without overloading the body.
How to protect our immune system from sports loads after a break?
“After a pause period, and whenever the intensity of exercise is increased, our immune system has an initial moment of difficulty, followed by an improvement in the defensive response against potentially pathogenic external agents. To facilitate this process and not abandon training, it may be useful include some probiotic-fermented foods in your regular diet which have demonstrated real effectiveness in sports. An interesting 2019 study in Brazil found, for example, thatdaily consumption of a fermented milk drink containing L. casei Shirota (LcS) by recreational runners, during the 30 days leading up to the marathon, was able to modulate both immune and inflammatory responses in the blood and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract after the race. The two weeks that follow these kinds of competitions are actually the period of greatest risk of infection, especially for recreational athletes.
There are foods that we underestimate that instead turn out to be especially effective when eaten.
sport?
“There are no magic foods or special diets to improve athletic performance. Sometimes we tend to underestimate the value of plant-based foods while overestimating animal-based foods. This legacy goes back to ancient Greece, when Olympic athletes were thought to acquire the abilities of the animals they ate. Partial today it was believed that an increase in animal protein intake is necessary for those involved in sports.. This this is only partly true: The need for protein actually increases gradually depending on the type of exercise, but protein sources can be both animal and vegetable, and it is really recommended to maintain a balanced distribution between different food sources. Considering that athletes need no more than double the protein requirement and triple the carbohydrate requirement, the consumption of grains and legumes rich in protein and complex carbohydrates should be increased in both quantity and frequency.”
What to categorically avoid instead?
“Again, absolutely nothing can be avoided. Anything that can cause slow digestion or gastrointestinal discomfort during exercise, it should be consumed as far as possible from the time of training, but not necessarily eliminated from the diet. Successful behavior consists in eating a varied and complete diet, without prejudiced exclusion of any group or type of food. Also, in this sense, paying attention to the health of one’s own microbiota can make a difference.”
What is the best way to stay hydrated?
“First of all, it is necessary to correctly implement the recommendations that apply to the moderately active adult population: a woman should consume 2 liters of fluid per day, and a man 2.5 liters, of which at least one liter is only water. The remaining water supply can be filled with other water or drinks such as herbal teas, coffee, milk, juices, preferably no added sugar. When you exercise regularly, there are three main points to achieve and maintain the correct fluid balance: before, during and after exercise. The frequency, type, and amount of fluid intake depend on many factors: the duration, intensity of exercise, and the environment in which it is performed. If we add to this wide individual variability (age, weight, different rates of sweating, different levels of physical activity and performance…), it becomes clear that the optimal strategy should be modulated from subject to subject and from state to condition, from state to state. . based on the characteristics of the athlete and the type of effort.
Any advice for those who like to exercise even in the hottest time of the year?
“Always use breathable clothing and clean up during cooler hours like early morning And late eveningespecially for outdoor training. In the case of indoor areas, they should be well ventilated and not very humid. In terms of food Benefit from the refreshing and hydrating power of fresh fruit typical for summer and eat for lunch cereal salads and seasonal vegetablesflavored with aromatic herbs and raw extra virgin olive oil. In addition, for faster hydration, you can use, in addition to water, some glucose-salt drinks drink before, during and after training.