A health expert has listed some of the favoured food among athletes currently competing at the Paris Olympic Games. Eating the right foods is essential for athletes.
Not only do they need the right foods to supply them with energy throughout training and competitions, but they also need food that can help them recover after putting their body through a strenuous workout. Not only that, but they need a healthy, balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals to ensure general good health and avoid injury or illness.
Put simply, athletes need the right food to fuel themselves. Food and flavour expert Matt Webster, from Seasoned Pioneers, shares the things Olympians love to eat and how they support a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Top of the list is salmon. "A key element of any Olympians diet is protein," Matt said. "A lot of athletes' food goals involve getting plenty of protein while also keeping inflammation down.
"This fish is packed full with omega-3 fatty acids – a nutrient that’s linked to a variety of things such as improving heart and lung health, strengthening your joints and also boosting your immune system. Salmon is a fantastic source of protein – the vital factor in muscle growth that helps the process of replacing damaged muscle tissue."
And Matt is not alone in that view - according to Outside Magazine, it is a fantastically healthy oily fish. It is full of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation that can hamper athletic performance and contribute to chronic conditions like heart disease.
Matt added that there are other foods which athletes also love which can boost health - even if you are not competing at the Olympics.
Cayenne Pepper
Capsaicin, which gives cayenne pepper its heat, has been found to curb the appetite and modestly increase energy expenditure and circulation. It also binds to receptors in the brain, nerves and blood vessels associated with pain relief. Ground cayenne is widely used in cuisines around the world, particularly in Latin American, Caribbean, Indian, Thai, and Mexican cooking, and is known for its medicinal properties. When it comes to spices, Cayenne is super easy to weave into a variety of dishes, and an essential spice for wannabe olympians.
Peanut butter
You may be delighted to hear that peanut butter is a favourite of many athletes. Although it does have to be pure peanut butter without additives like sugars, oils and salts. If you can find the right stuff, it’s a great source of vitamin E, as well as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
These help lower cholesterol levels in your blood and they’re also important for strengthening your immune system, speeding up post-training recovery times and preventing injury. Peanut butter has plenty of protein while also being a great source of niacin and folic acids, both of which help to convert food into energy. Additionally, it’s dense in calories, ensuring your energy levels are maintained throughout gruelling workouts.
Legumes
Legumes are a natural protein-carbohydrate combination. This is important for many endurance athletes, as you need carbs to fuel your muscles and protein to build and repair them. They also have a low-glycaemic index. This means they're slow to digest and offer sustained energy. Low GI foods are good choices for endurance sports, as you can't eat anything during the workout. The soluble fibre in legumes also helps protect against heart disease by lowering the cholesterol in your blood.
Eggs
Just one egg gives you 10 per cent of all your daily protein needs. It’s one of the most complete food proteins out there. Inside this high-quality protein is all of the amino acids necessary for your muscles to promote their recovery and repair processes. Aside from vitamin C, eating two eggs a day can provide between 10 per cent to 30 per cent of all your vitamin requirements. That includes vitamin K, which is a vital component for healthy bones. If you don’t eat eggs, you really should.
Dark Chocolate
It’s been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as help in reducing inflammation. It’s also thought that the caffeine found in dark chocolate can help fuel you for longer, helping you to exercise for longer.
Just to make the deal even sweeter, research has found that dark chocolate also helps improve efficiency in using oxygen. Just two or three squares is all you really need. If you can get a bar with almonds and other nuts in, even better.
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