What basic principles of nutrition should we take into consideration before going surfing?
- Proper hydration: the ideal would be to go out to hydrate every 60 minutes.
- Contribution of complex carbohydrates: to fill our glycogen reserves*, for the muscle to perform at its best.
- Eat in colors: choose colorful foods for the contribution of antioxidants.
- Choose foods with high nutritional value: whole and natural food.
- Allow time for digestion: the ideal is that the intake should be 1 hour and a half-2 hours before the surf session.
- Light intakes: avoid making very copious and greasy intakes.
With these premises we will choose recipes that include foods with:
- Complex carbohydrates
- Fiber*
- Antioxidants
- Low in saturated fat
Drink (water + mineral salts)
Definitions
Carbohydrates =
main macronutrient for obtaining energy quickly.
Simple carbohydrates =
sugars that are absorbed quickly providing almost immediate energy.
Complex carbohydrates =
sugar chains that provide energy for longer.
Glycogen =
main reserve of glucose (sugar) in our body.
Free radicals =
they result from the normal metabolism of our cells in the presence of oxygen.
Oxidative stress =
excess free radicals and a deficiency of antioxidants that can cause cell damage.
Whole-grain foods =
they contain fiber and more vitamins and minerals (antioxidants).
Natural food =
organic, ecological food, obtained from nature in the absence of chemicals. They do not contain additives.
Insulin =
a hormone released by the pancreas that causes a drop in blood sugar.
*NOTE
Fiber makes it difficult to absorb the sugars needed to recharge glycogen. Therefore, if your goal is to fill these reserves (for exemple during dinner if the next day you are not going to have breakfast because your surf session is very early in the morning or if you've planned a long surf session), you must:
- avoid wholegrain or high fiber foods,
- if you choose to take fiber, you will have to increase the dose of carbohydrates to compensate.
Examples of recipes:
Pre-surfing breakfasts
Pre-surfing lunches / dinners
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