Prohibited foods in athletes

A balanced diet involves eating all kinds of healthy foods and generally avoiding those that are not, leaving them only for special occasions. Athletes are not a different group from the rest of the population, so the foods advised against for the general population are usually the same as for athletes, although due to the increased needs of some nutrients both in training and in sports events, it may have a more immediate and unwanted effect than the rest.

• Although the foods advised against are similar to the rest of the population, in athletes they can have more immediate or unwanted effects.
• Alcohol, sausages, industrial pastries, commercial sauces, soft drinks ... are some of the foods that athletes must watch out for.
• Experts emphasize that it is not a question of banning them but of monitoring the frequency and quantity in which they are consumed.

The list of foods advised against

Alcoholic drinks

Alcohol can seriously damage the athlete's physical condition because ...

• It provides a large amount of empty calories (without nutritional value) and can make the athlete fatter.
• Consume vitamins and minerals to be metabolized by the body.
• Causes dehydration in the body.
• Drinks with a higher alcohol content provide more calories and cause greater dehydration.

Sausages

Contrary to what many people believe, they are not classified as meat. Its main contribution is fats (not proteins), and also of poor quality, since they provide saturated fats that are harmful to the cardiovascular system.

In addition, industrialization processes make it possible to provide sugars and / or starches, excess salt, phosphates, nitrites, etc .; even in those that can be considered suitable due to their high protein and low fat content, such as cooked ham, turkey breast or Serrano or Iberian ham (as long as the fat is removed). To avoid being deceived, it is advisable to read the labels to be able to choose properly, avoiding those with an excess of additives or undesirable substances.

Industrial pastries

The food industry tries, through marketing campaigns, to make us believe that foods rich in fat, being highly energetic, are suitable for recovering energy after sports. That statement is not entirely uncertain, and with that they play, it is true that you recover part of the lost energy, but based on totally undesirable saturated fats. In general, industrial bakery contains vegetable fats (such as coconut or palm) that are harmful to health.

In addition, refined flours composed of simple sugars and additives are added that do not make it a very healthy option.

Commercial sauces

In the market you can find an endless number of commercial sauces to add to all kinds of dishes, such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, Chinese sauce, Caesar sauce ... all of them with common characteristics, such as their high calorie content, both for its fat and sugar content, as well as its high content of salt, coloring, flavor enhancers, etc ... A good complete meal like a brown rice and chicken salad can be totally unbalanced by adding a dressing with any of these sauces.

Refreshments

There are more and more types of soft drinks on the market, although if we read the labeling we can see that they differ little from each other, and as a common denominator is sugar and an endless list of additives of the letter E. In the case of the light or sugar-free versions, we find several artificial sweeteners that are not recommended for health. Several studies show that people who drink soda are heavier. In addition, in the case of cola drinks, the contribution of phosphoric acid does not allow the calcium in the diet to be adequately absorbed, which can cause bone decalcification.

Pre-cooked

Lasagna, cannelloni, frankfurts, empanadas, croquettes, pizzas ... all of them contain an exaggerated amount of saturated fat and additives, in addition to the fact that their ingredients are usually of low quality. You should always opt for the least processed foods possible, in this way we guarantee a good quality nutritional contribution.

It should be remembered that for years that professional nutritionists do not speak of prohibited foods, but of those advised and discouraged, so that a healthy diet will not only be the result of the type of food that is chosen, the frequency is also taken into account. and the amount. It is not the same who consumes this type of products weekly and also in large quantities, than who consumes them very sporadically and in moderate quantities.

It is always good to eat a healthy diet, and for this it is best to consult a good nutritionist and dietician. they offer you the best medical chart.