How do you improve your athletic performance?
Going on a gluten-free diet, eating a Red Bull or even quitting sex... There's no shortage of tips for looking your best during competition. Is it always justified and adapted to the needs of the athlete? Doctors, nutritionists, and coaches tell us more.
Sports and performance: what to eat before exercise?
Pasta or rice or potatoes .. Which starch guarantees victory? For Gordon A. Zillow, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, lentils are a hero's secret.
In early 2008, the world revealed the results of an experiment conducted on 13 athletes in their twenties. Goal ? To determine the effect of three different breakfasts on the metabolism and performance of athletes who play team sports, in this case football.
In the breakfast menu, taken two hours before exercise:
Red lentils (glycemic index around 26)
Mashed potatoes with white bread and egg whites (approximate GI 76)
mashed potatoes with white bread without eggs (approximate glycemic index 76)
The study participants then engaged in several intense indoor exercise sessions, to mimic the intermittent effort of a game.
In all respects, lentils were superior to other nutritional formulations. For one thing, the lower glycemic index of lentils increases endurance. Carbohydrates, the "fuel" of muscles, are oxidized less quickly, which makes it possible to raise the energy level of athletes. On the other hand, the high protein content of lentils increases potency.
The result: fatigue occurs less quickly during exercise. The experiment also showed that legumes shed more fat than other foods tested. Another interesting aspect is that lentils caused fewer abdominal cramps than other foods (but the same amount of abdominal swelling).
Sports and performance: Do energy drinks have a 'doping effect'?
Energy drinks, including the popular Red Bull, are often confused with drinks specifically designed to meet the needs of athletes during exercise (Gatorade for example). It is true that the two types of drinks share many components. But unlike sports drinks, energy drinks do not meet specific standards issued by the US and European Food Agencies (FDA and EFSA).
At the end of 2014, two Spanish researchers from the University of Toledo, Ricardo Moura Rodriguez and Jesus J. Balaris, evaluated the beneficial and harmful effects associated with energy drinks. In a review of the literature published in Nutrition Reviews 1, they argue that several studies have shown an increase in stamina after consuming these drinks. However, “these effects can be attributed to the caffeine and/or carbohydrate [carbohydrate] content.”
Moreover, the "stimulant effect" of caffeine during prolonged efforts is well known. It will reduce CNS stress as well as increase neuromuscular performance, increasing the total energy expended during exercise.
And with intense efforts of at least 20 minutes, what is the effect of energy drinks? For both worlds, the dose of caffeine they contain is insufficient to increase neuromuscular performance. An athlete weighing 80 kg, for example, should drink at least 5 cans of Red Bull to see an improvement in his abilities. However, at this dose, we can fear significant side effects.
In 2013, the Société Française de Nutrition du Sport 2 noted that “these beverages are not suitable and are not recommended for rehydration during periods of physical exertion, and therefore should not be consumed before, during or after exercise.” Consumption of this type of beverage in athletes "may increase the risk of injury", "a risk factor for heart rhythm disturbances", and "lead to the risk of gastrointestinal disorders".
Sports and performance: Should gluten be stopped?
The ambassador of the gluten-free diet, tennis player Novak Djokovic, has successfully shrugged off some of the convictions about sports nutrition.
Let us first remember that gluten is a general term that refers to a small part of the proteins found in some grains: rye, oats, wheat, barley, etc. For Novak Djokovic, a big pasta eater before his gluten sensitivity was diagnosed, the molecule was responsible for unexplained "strokes," dizziness, and respiratory problems, among other symptoms.
Behind the prominent case of the Serbian champion, are athletes following a gluten-free diet? That's what Dana Lees, a nutritionist who advises several Canadian sports teams, wanted to know. In early 2015, it revealed the results of an online survey answered by 910 international athletes*, including 18 world and/or Olympic medalists,1.
40% of the athletes surveyed followed a gluten-free diet for more than half the time
They felt that removing gluten from the diet was a healthier diet, reduced digestive stress and inflammation and improved performance.
For 84% of the athletes in this group, gastrointestinal symptoms in particular decreased thanks to the discontinuation of gluten intake
Sports and performance: Should gluten be stopped?
The ambassador of the gluten-free diet, tennis player Novak Djokovic, has successfully shrugged off some of the convictions about sports nutrition.
Let us first remember that gluten is a general term that refers to a small part of the proteins found in some grains: rye, oats, wheat, barley, etc. For Novak Djokovic, a big pasta eater before his gluten sensitivity was diagnosed, the molecule was responsible for unexplained "strokes," dizziness, and respiratory problems, among other symptoms.
Behind the prominent case of the Serbian champion, are athletes following a gluten-free diet? That's what Dana Lees, a nutritionist who advises several Canadian sports teams, wanted to know. In early 2015, it revealed the results of an online survey answered by 910 international athletes*, including 18 world and/or Olympic medalists,1.
40% of the athletes surveyed followed a gluten-free diet for more than half the time
They felt that removing gluten from the diet was a healthier diet, reduced digestive stress and inflammation and improved performance.
For 84% of the athletes in this group, gastrointestinal symptoms in particular decreased thanks to the discontinuation of gluten intake
What do nutritionists think of gluten-free diet for athletes?
A sports dietitian says that most athletes prescribe this diet themselves after being diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. That is, without this diet being recommended for medical reasons. Above all, Dana Lees has found that athletes (like the general public) rely on "anecdotal" or unaudited scientific information by other industry professionals to follow the diet2.
To monitor the effects of gluten blocking in athletes*, the scientist and her team recruited 13 high-level cyclists (including 8 men and 5 women) for 7 days3. Without knowing it, half of the group received cereal bars that contained gluten while the other part did not contain any. Physical functioning, gastrointestinal symptoms, perceived well-being, and intestinal pain or inflammation were assessed using stress testing, questionnaires, and blood tests.
After one week, the results obtained in the two groups did not show a statistically significant difference. In December 2015, the research team concluded that "there are no effects on performance of the gluten-free diet over a short period in non-celiac athletes." Longer studies with more participants are needed to confirm these results.
*This article does not apply to athletes with gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease who must follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. This disease affects approximately 1% of Caucasians.
Sports and performance: no sex before competition?
Making love before a match reduces the performance of male athletes. A common belief that still leads some coaches to prevent their players from somersaulting. "This myth, propagated primarily by professional boxing coaches, claims that pre-match sex weakens the legs of boxers," explains physiology coach Ricardo Guerra on the Obs Expert blog.
In fact, this idea dates back to the dawn of history. In traditional medicine, in both East and West, ejaculation is believed to lead to a loss of energy. Galen also attached great importance to sperm, which he considered the origin of blood...
Is power loss, at least in the sense we usually hear, responsible for the performance drop? When you know how many calories are spent making love, you can doubt...
Belief evolved and we came to question testosterone. The hypothesis is that an athlete's testosterone level will decrease after sex, which may affect his aggressiveness and lead to decreased performance. Yes, but now, researchers have shown that the level of testosterone in the saliva of men who have just had sex can be higher than it was before the first trimester! If we keep thinking, sex before competition will therefore have beneficial effects on performance...
To answer the question that worries us, Dr. Tommy Boone, a sports physiologist, forced athletes to get on the treadmill 12 hours after they had sex, or not 2 . No differences in performance were observed between the two cases. These findings were confirmed in 2000 by Swiss researchers 3 .
In light of these arguments, why do some coaches insist on keeping their players away from their comrades? For Ricardo Guerra, “It is possible that the problem in itself is not sexuality, but what accompanies it: the alcohol, the atmosphere of the party, and so on.” In this context, it will be a lack of rest and not sex that is responsible for the decline in performance...