by Francesca | May 24, 2013 | Paleo & Tennis
If you’ve landed here and your race is still ahead of you, please go back and read Part 1 – ports Nutrition for Athletes in Training: Going Gluten-Free and Part 2 – Gluten-Free Sports Nutrition on Pre-Race Day & Race Day. There, I cover the subtle switch from grain-based carbohydrates that lies at the heart of the gluten-free diet. I even include a sample daily diet for powerful, gluten-free sports nutrition for athletes in training. You’ll know you’ll perform at optimal level only when your body is supported from the cellular to the muscular and bone level with the right nutrients.
Despite all your conscientious preparation, a marathon or any extended athletic event can cause damage.
First, never wait too long for the post-workout meal. You should have a snack (or a meal, depending on the type of training/event) within 30 to 45 minutes from completing a workout or a race. Eat plenty of
- protein to rebuild and repair
- healthy fats and some carbs to replenish glycogen stores, and
- veggies to bring in necessary minerals that prevent muscle cramps
My favorites include:
- celery sticks, carrot sticks; sweet potatoes, and canned pumpkin
- nuts and nut butters work really well (you can get convenient single portion nut butters from Artisana)
- organic baby food
- avocados
- eggs; canned mackerels, sardines, salmon
- plenty of bone broth
Keys to Proper Hydration
Proper hydration transports nutrients, removes waste, and speeds the healing process. It also regulates body temperature and provides helpful minerals. I cannot over-emphasize the necessity of proper hydration.
I like to use:
- mineral-rich water
- coconut water
- water with 1 T of honey (usually necessary only during marathons, triathlons, bike races)
Whether In Training, Pre- or Post-Race, Proper Sports Nutrition is Key
I sometimes find it tough to write up general guidelines for athletes preparing for marathons, bike races and other strenuous events because each client is so different! Some athletes can’t tolerate food prior to an event. Others perform far better with a semi-full tummy. To get gluten-free sports nutrition guidelines tailored to your athletic level, medical issues and sport, feel free to call me, Francesca, at 619-208-8159. You can also contact me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. A tennis player, hiker and weight lifter as well as a holistic nutritional therapy practitioner, I take my training seriously. Get helpful tips and notification of great healthy events when you like us on our Healthful Living Facebook page as well!
by Francesca | May 13, 2013 | Paleo & Tennis
Hopefully, you have been gearing your body up for race day for months now. Read Sports Nutrition for Athletes in Training: Going Gluten-Free (and next week’s post Post-Race Gluten-Free Sports Nutrition) to see if you have prepared your body adequately without glutinous foods and to make sure you start the post-race repair process as quickly as you can.
Sports nutrition for Athletes in Training: Going Gluten-Free covers just how to get those necessary carbohydrates without resorting to wheat, oats and rice-based, processed foods like breads, rice and pasta. Even the whole or brown versions of those grains can cause the inflammation that impedes performance and health. As mentioned there, many top athletes are putting a gluten-free diet at the center of their sports nutrition protocol.
While I included a complete sample daily diet in the previous blog posts, I’ve added and changed a few things for pre-race day and race day. On a pre-race day I recommend adding more carbohydrates: 2 sweet potatoes instead of 1; or ½ to 1 ½ cup of sprouted rice (remember that this will vary according on gender, weight, training, and type of sport practiced), or more fruit.
The day of the race: light, easy to digest breakfast. For example:
– 2-3 of soft-boiled eggs; half an avocado. Bone broth.
– Leftover chicken or steak; ½ yam with plenty of butter.
If you prefer to “drink” your pre-event meal, try a shake made with Primal Fuel, a handful of blueberries, 1-2 T coconut oil, and/or nut butter.
I also recommend bone broth and sulphur-rich foods to provide the body with minerals, collagen, and other precious nutrients necessary to heal and repair tissues, and to bring super nutrition in food form. I’ve come to rely on paleo bloggers, especially nomnom paleo and the book Nourishing Traditions for my recipe for bone broth.
If you’re considering a diet that will optimize your health, athletic performance and even your mood, a free 15-min consultation with Healthy Living San Diego will leap you ahead of the learning curve. More, I can help PERSONALIZE a gluten-free, primal or training diet to your lifestyle and medical issues. Call 619-208-8159 or contact me with your questions! Get helpful tips and notification of great healthy events when you like us on our Healthful Living Facebook page as well!
by Francesca | Apr 13, 2013 | Paleo & Tennis
If you’re a serious athlete or tennis player, you’ve most likely heard of “Superman,” Novak Djokovic, the currently ranked number one tennis player in the world with 12310 points. Andy Murray follows him with 9360.
In 2010, despite showing exceptional promise, Djokovic was struggling on the tennis court with dizziness and shortness of breath. A doctor in his native Serbia saw his behavior on the court via television and contacted him to recommend a physical and a change in diet. After starting a strict gluten-free diet, Djokovic’s game completely changed. In just a few months, he reached the number one spot in the world. You can read ESPN’s “Freak of Nurture: Has Novak Djokovik Harnessed the Untapped Powers of His Body?” at ESPN’s Tennis website.
Thanks to Djokovic and other famous “gluten-free” and “primal diet” athletes, I have no difficulty getting my athletes away from gluten and other grain based carbohydrates.
Whether you are an Olympian, or a weekend warrior, your performance, too, can be improved by going gluten free. Here, I outline some general diet tips for athletes in training. While change takes focus and effort, my athletes see the following results they see after eliminating gluten (and grains in general):
- Better performance
- Quickest post-training and post-competition recovery
- Reduced injuries
- Faster recovery from injury
Athletes Can Get Off that Grain and Win!
At the heart of the gluten-free diet lies a dedication to consume carbohydrates derived from sources other than grain-based foods: breads, rice and pasta. Despite its glowing reputation, whole wheat should be avoided as well. Grain (seeds from grasses) intake is linked to inflammation, AGEs – advanced glycation end products – impaired immune function, oxidative stress, etc. Inflammation stresses our physiology all the way from the smaller unit of life, the cell, to the muscle fibers, joints, bones, organs and systems.
Carbo-Loading from Sources Other Than Grains
Carbo-loading, the darling of the 1980s sports nutrition field, has been over-promoted. Because the avoidance of inflammation leads to optimal health and performance, the carbohydrate portion of an athlete’s diet should come from leafy green vegetables, some fruit, starchy vegetables (yams, sweet potatoes, squashes), and, if tolerated, I usually allow some quinoa or sprouted rice. Avoid all foods made from glutinous grains like wheat and rice.
By switching the carbohydrate sources from grains to root vegetables (eaten with plenty of butter or other healthy fats) athletes still provide muscles with the glycogen stores necessary to perform, while eliminating inflammation.
A Modified Primal Diet is Gluten-Free
The “primal diet” has become a big buzz word in the sports nutrition field as well as in many athletic circles. I recommend athletes follow a “modified” primal-type diet, with about 200 grams of carb on training days, and as much as 300-500 grams of carbs the day before and the day of the event. Some people, particularly athletes training for marathon runs, bike races and more, need as much as 600-800 grams of carbohydrates the day before and the day of.
Stay tuned for my next article of this series! Next week I will discuss sample meals, snack and supplements recommended to improve athletic performance, and speed recovery.
If you’re considering a diet that will optimize your health, athletic performance and even your mood, a free 15-min consultation with Healthy Living San Diego will leap you ahead of the learning curve. More, I can help PERSONALIZE a gluten-free, primal or training diet to your lifestyle and medical issues. Call 619-208-8159 or contact me with your questions! Get helpful tips and notification of great healthy events when you like us on our Healthful Living Facebook page as well!
