Ready to resume training and the gym when you return from the holidays? To stock up on energy, we must not neglect nutrition, an essential factor which, added to training and rest, is able to decisively influence the quality and level of performance. To better guide us in choosing the diet to follow and the most energetic foods for those who play sports, Paolo BIANCHINI, nutritional and nutraceutical consultant and author of the homonymous method, offers many explanations and suggestions.
The most energetic foods for those who play sports
“Foods, just like medicines, are chemical compounds characterized by bioavailability and therefore are able to influence the physiology of the organism. Knowing the biochemical properties of food, it is possible to understand which foods make us lose weight, gain weight, maintain a healthy weight or even significantly improve athletic performance. In our diet – BIANCHINI intervenes – the fatty acids of vegetable and animal lipids play a fundamental role with a structural and energetic function especially for those who practice sports, at any level. The ideal fuel for muscles is not carbohydrates but precisely fatty acids (both saturated ones, such as butter, and unsaturated ones such as oils), which both provide 9 Kcal per gram while carbohydrates provide only 4 for each gram”
What to eat to stock up on fatty acids
The most suitable foods to stock up on fatty acids are oily fish, dried fruit and oils. “The oxidation of these nutrients leads to the synthesis of a very important element: adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is our key to producing energy. This molecule traps energy and then transfers it during the performance of various cellular functions. The ‘energy plants’ of our body, those that perform this type of function are the mitochondria.
These cellular organelles – explains BIANCHINI – are very sensitive to damage deriving from unfavorable carbohydrates because they create a hormonal imbalance which inflames the whole organism. The carbohydrates responsible for this damage are mainly pasta, bread, rice, baked goods in general, but the toxins produced by some sugar-rich sports supplements also play an important role in producing inflammation. The solution is to opt for other types of sugar, such as those contained in vegetables or fruit, even if it is important not to overdo the latter: two servings a day are enough”.
Carnitine, the nutrient that stimulates energy
“It is carnitine that we find in abundance in all types of meat (white, red, poultry and game) and also in fish. This doesn’t mean that we have to eat it every day, but it must still play an important role in a sportsman’s diet. Carnitine does not act directly as an energy source, but plays a key role in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells. The foods to avoid instead – continues BIANCHINI – are those rich in transgenic fatty acids such as margarine, brioche, sweet snacks, pretzels, frozen french fries, donuts, butter and bouillon cubes. To this list must also be added preparations for soups, fast-food foods, frozen fish in breading, popcorn in bags and so on”.
The role of hormonal response in sports
“When an athlete adopts a biochemical diet like the one suggested by my Method, the correct hormonal response causes the size and number of mitochondria to grow. Consequently – continues BIANCHINI – it improves the mobilization of fatty acids in the adipose tissue, increases the density in the muscles and the number of capillaries. All this translates into improved performance and better recovery: all fundamental elements for an athlete. The foods that provide energy are fats such as oil, butter, olives, avocados and dried fruit, even if there is no standard diet that is the same for everyone”.
Different menus for different sports
The Bianchini method provides for a different approach based on the sport practiced. “In general, for endurance sports, such as cycling or marathon in which the athlete’s weight greatly affects performance, a greater consumption of fat is expected to provide the greatest possible amount of energy concentrated in a very small amount of food. In these cases, a diet consisting of 50% fat, 30% protein, 20% carbohydrates is indicated. Athletes of volleyball, basketball and, in general, of all activities that require greater muscle mass, can eat less fat and therefore have a ratio between the various nutrients of this type: 30% fat, 40% protein, 30% % carbohydrates.
Wanting to give an example of an athlete’s food routine – adds BIANCHINI – breakfast includes whole eggs, fresh fruit, dried fruit, followed by fruit for lunch/dinner before the meal, meat or fish with plenty of vegetables. There are snacks based on dried fruit or olives, a few slices of cold cuts, fruit/chocolate, dried fruit. The ma me method devised does not involve the use of scales, there is no counting of calories, no medications, no particular products. My passion for the biochemistry of food began when I was young when I started applying same principles as what would become the “MetodoBianchini”.
The effects of training too intense
It’s not enough to pay attention only to nutrition, because it’s important to consider other lifestyle factors as well. “Being continuously subjected to stress, never being serene, or carrying out an activity on day/night shifts affect circadian rhythms and therefore the sleep/wake balance. The same thing happens when we train too intensely.
When our body is subjected to excess stress, perhaps precisely because we are training incorrectly – concludes BIANCHINI – a hormonal imbalance occurs which increases cellular inflammation and consequently the mitochondria produce less energy, consequently we reduce our athletic performance.”
READ ALSO: 10 tricks to control calories in your diet if you play sports
Photo by Julia Ballew / David B Townsend / Maxim Shutov
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