You might have seen the news about tennis player Novak Djokovic when he went gluten-free despite never being diagnosed with celiac disease. Yet his athletic performance improved so vastly that he went 37-0 in 2011 and was later considered the athlete of the year according the Wall Street Journal Article of May 18, 2011 .
According to the article, Novak gained mental energy and was able to come from obscurity to a major contender in the world of tennis.
Prior to this, an article entitled Winning Without Wheat written in Men’s Journal- February 18, 2010 reported how the Tour de France champions Garmin-Transitions pro cycling team’s performance was considerably enhanced after a going gluten-free. In every case, all of the athletes reported a notable increase in performance and recovery.
Removing gluten from the diet allows for more energy to perform necessary bodily functions rather than trying to breakdown a protein that we were never meant to eat in the first place. At the same time, the immune system is allowed to rest and the adrenals left to do what they do best… “fight or flight”… only when it needs to and not when it’s having to continually fight gluten in the gut.
The following are Tips for Good Nutrition for Gluten-Free Athletes:
- Make sure you get enough calories- this is especially true for high intensity or long duration training. If your basal metabolic rate (BMR- calories burned per day) at rest is 1500 calories at rest, you should multiple this number by 1.5 for moderate exercise and by 2.0 for higher level training.
- Eat enough Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates help maintain blood sugar and also replace the glycogen (sugar stores) in muscle to prevent muscle wasting. Athletic performance can be enhanced by eating 200 to 300 grams of carbs in a meal three to four hours before training of an event. That’s about 2.5 to 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight (i.e. 120 pound person x 2.5 grams of carbs = 300 grams of carbs). Approximately 50 to 60 percent of energy used during the first one to four hours of continuous exercise is derived from carbohydrates. Carbohydrate foods include starches such as rice, gluten-free pasta, quinoa, gluten-free oats, fruits, vegetables.
- The other main source of energy after carbohydrates is from Fatty Acids derived from Fish Oil (Omega-3- Fatty Acids) as well as Nuts, Avocados and Olive Oil (Omega-9 Fatty Acids). Athletes might not recognize the importance of fat, but 20 to 35 percent of total calories should come from fat.
- Protein is also important for athletes who should get about 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day (i.e., 120 lbs x 0.5 = 60 grams of protein per day at minimum). Protein rich foods include lean meats, fish and poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt and milk. Greek yogurt is very high in protein. Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas contain carbohydrates and protein and have a low glycemic index. This is an exceptional choice for athletes to consume during training. Sounds lke a GF Chicken Burrito Bowl with rice, beans and “extra” guacamole just might come in handy.
- For additional nutritional support I recommend supplements that will “feed” the powerhouses of the cells- the Mitochondria. Nutrients to support these organelles include CoQ10, Magnesium, d-oxy-Ribose or “Core Energy Plus” (the “D” in DNA), Lipoic Acid, Resveratrol and Carnitine in addition to multivitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D and calcium, which are commonly depleted in athletes.
- If finding the right foods seem to be a problem during an event, you can always find Gluten-free protein-carb bars specifically designed for working out.
I hope these tips will help you get the competitive edge the next time you’re out there on the playing field and give you the best and most natural performance enhancement you have ever had. Go get ’em!