Go Med for Sport

Popular diet may improve endurance workout

Touted as the top diet for health, longevity and avoiding chronic diseases, the Mediterranean Diet (which includes nutrition powerhouses like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains) happens to also be one of the tastiest ways to eat. New research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests we add endurance perks for athletes to that benefits list.

Scientists observed a group of runners after 2 bouts; one on a traditional Western diet (which included processed foods, refined grains and soft drinks), the other on a traditional Mediterranean diet described above. In short they found run times to be 6% faster after just four days of consuming the Mediterranean diet.

Investigators hypothesize that the benefit may boil down to anti-inflammatory foods, fruits and vegetables that are known to have these benefits due to their high antioxidant content. One measure of inflammation in the body is C- reactive protein(CRP). It has been found that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, soy foods and nuts can be effective in lowering CRP levels as much as 28%.

The following nutrients are thought to be effective in keeping CRP levels in check:

• Vitamin C: Get it from pineapples, red bell peppers, mangoes, citrus fruits, kiwi and broccoli
• Alpha-carotene: Get it from carrots, butternut squash, pumpkins and persimmons
• Beta-carotene: Get it from butternut squash, cantaloupes, carrots and apricots
• Lycopene: Get it from watermelons, tomatoes, pink grapefruit and pink fleshed guava
• Selenium: Get it from Brazil nuts, rye bread, salmon and brown rice

Post workout, give our Pomegranate Pineapplesicles a try. Just one pop provides 45% of the daily value of vitamin C and does double duty by helping you hydrate and cool down at the same time!

Published June 1, 2019