Take care of your body, improve your performance

People who play endurance sports sometimes forget that the most important thing is to respect your own body. We have to think that thanks to him, we can train, compete in what we like, enjoy group outings, etc. But if we forget it and we eat all those delicious and appetizing things, such as fast food, which are foods made up of transgenic fats, lots of sugars and other residues that in the long run, the only thing they do is harm our health. .

Now that the new year is coming, I propose that we “re-educate” ourselves and begin to respect our body, thinking carefully about what we give it as fuel since, as everyone knows, “we are what we eat".

Next, I present a series of basic tips that help improve performance in endurance sports and of course, take care of our health.

• To start with we have to consume the recommended 3 tablespoons of oil, at least 2 of an extra virgin olive oil (if it can be cold extraction) raw, daily (you can also choose soybean oil, hazelnut, etc.). )
• Beware of dairy products and derivatives, do not abuse the hidden fats that these foods have. A small portion of cheese a day is enough. It is recommended to select light products such as cottage cheese or skimmed yoghurts.
• It is best to eat fish. In the case of meats, choose preferably poultry or rabbit instead of other types of meat that are more fat. It is estimated that you have to eat 3 or 4 servings of meat or sausages a week.
• Do not eat more than one egg a day. It is recommended to take only the white of the egg since it is the largest source of protein that exists. For example, you can make a French omelette with 1 yolk and 2 whites.
• In the case that a portion of nuts is taken, lower the dose of oil.
• In the case that you eat a serving of pastries, fatty meats or chocolates, eliminate the daily cheese ration.
• Do not put together two servings of food in the same meal that have hidden fats such as meat and eggs, meat and cheese, cheese and eggs, etc ...
• When eating out, we have to avoid taking excess sauces, so always ask for the sauce and serve a small spoonful for flavor.
• Avoid fried, fat sauces on the 4 days before a competition.
• Always opt for cooking methods such as plancha, steamed, papillote, etc ...
• When the daily purchase is made, always opt for light products.
• Be careful with "margarines" as they usually contain animal fats.
• Everyone is clear that you have to take vegetables, fruits, vegetables etc. Of course, they are a source of vitamins, proteins, etc. But what you have to keep in mind, is that we have to hydrate properly.

People who practice endurance sports lose fluid during training (you can lose half a liter in one hour). Therefore hydration is very important before, during and after the effort. You already know that prevention is always better than cure, so you have to take vegetables, fruits, etc. Since in their composition they have a very high percentage of water, which helps us to hydrate.

• For athletes it is very important to have magnesium reserves, so you have to have soy beans, wheat bran, peanuts, cashews, pure chocolate, brown rice, Swiss chard, etc. in your diet. Low Magnesium reserves can cause an athlete to lower their performance level.
• There is one thing that we should always keep in mind if we do not want to put on weight, we must avoid the joint intake of fats and sugar (almond pastes, chocolate desserts, donuts, ice cream, industrial pastries, etc.).

The best way to respect our body and thus improve our performance is to eat a balanced diet, eating everything but not exceeding the rations, since everything in excess is bad. It is recommended to make 5 daily meals, giving more importance to the first meals of the day.

This article describes in a basic way guidelines that can help improve the performance of a endurance sports athlete, but if you want to go deeper, I recommend that you deal with a professional nutritionist.

I hope this article has helped you, or at least it will help you reflect on the importance of taking care of your body. Since it is our vehicle and thanks to it, we enjoy what we like to do most, endurance sports. The first thing is to have a healthy body and then little by little, everything comes (Mens sana in corpore sano).

AM