Myths of sports nutrition

The sports nutrition It is surrounded by an endless number of myths, beliefs and theories that make when looking for a contrasted reality a practically impossible mission. Below you will find the most common myths that we can find about the sports nutrition.

• There is no single "diet for athletes" for a simple reason: there are multiple factors that influence such as the type of exercise, metabolic adaptation, hours and intensity of training ...
• For years the vegetarian diet has been associated with nutritional deficiencies, especially at the protein level. In recent years, several studies and associations have positioned themselves proving that this is not true, as long as it is adequately planned and individually adapted.
• Science shows that it is not possible to lose fat locally by losing weight, since the body loses fat from all fat cells, not just the ones we want.

Myth 1. There is a unique diet to achieve a sports goal

There is no single diet called "sportsman's diet" for a simple reason: there are multiple factors that will affect our results, such as the type of exercise, metabolic adaptation, hours and intensity of training, etc. You can start from a base, choosing the appropriate proportions of nutrients depending on the sport discipline, but it is always necessary to adapt the diet individually according to the results, and taking into account the lifestyle, personal tastes ...

Myth 2. Proteins should be taken right after training.

It is true that the body's cells have a greater capacity to assimilate post-exercise nutrients, which is known, but it is not strictly necessary to ingest protein immediately after training, but it can be recovered throughout the day. Of course, if the necessary protein is not covered throughout the day, it is a good time to do it, or else it will be indicated to take advantage of the metabolic window in intense workouts that are carried out several times a day, because if not, it will hardly be achieved the necessary protein.

Myth 3. You need to eat a lot of pasta and rice.

Again everything will depend on the type of exercise, metabolic adaptation, hours and etc. Well, nothing has to do with a bodybuilder, a soccer player or a marathoner. Each discipline requires physical characteristics for greater performance, therefore the diet can vary considerably, and with it the contribution of carbohydrates. Potatoes or legumes can be just as good choices as pasta or.

Myth 4. As I do sports, I can eat "whatever I want"

The regular practice of physical activity causes energy expenditure to increase considerably. This does not mean that you can eat "what you want", and obtain calories from unhealthy foods such as "fast food", precooked, pastries, sweets, soft drinks, etc. as long-term health can suffer. Calories should be increased by increasing food rations and / or with healthy caloric foods such as nuts, virgin olive oil, avocado, etc.

Myth 5. If supplements are not consumed, sports goals are not achieved

They are ergonomic aids, which means that they can help us improve performance as long as the usual diet is adequate and adapted to individual needs. We cannot pretend that supplements compensate for a poor diet. When there are great demands for nutrients, sports supplements can be a great ally, because perhaps to achieve this with food we must, for example, eat large amounts. We may not be able to eat so much for various reasons (lack of time, overexertion, digestive problems, etc.), so the supplement in this case can be a great help.

Myth 6: you can't be a vegetarian and an athlete

For years it has been associated with nutritional deficiencies, especially at the protein level. In recent years, several studies and associations have positioned themselves proving that it is not true, as long as it is properly planned and individually adapted. High-quality protein (that which contains all the essential amino acids) is that of animal origin (meat, fish, milk and eggs), but it is perfectly feasible to obtain high-quality protein through combinations of vegetable proteins to obtain a complete protein, since that do not contain, in sufficient quantities, all the essential amino acids (+ cereals, legumes + nuts, cereals + nuts).

Myth 7. It is possible to lose fat locally.

Science shows us that it is not possible to lose fat in a localized way. When you lose weight, the body loses fat from all the fat cells in the body, not just the ones you want. If you have a higher concentration of fat in an area, it is likely that more will be lost from there when making a caloric reduction, but it will not be the only area that is lost, not even by taking products with properties for this purpose, which are not even effective nor useful.

Myth 8. To rehydrate drink isotonic drink

Everything will depend on the type of training that is carried out, the intensity and the time. But we must understand that one contains a large amount of sugar, so in many cases it will be enough to rehydrate with water after a training session, leaving isotonic drinks for moments of competition or training hours of long-distance endurance sports.

In conclusion…

There are many myths that remain to be banished, so it is important to be informed and know how to sift true false news.