A Functional Medicine Approach to Sports Nutrition and Strategies for Swim Meets
In the most recent edition of the
Sandpiper Skinny
, an exert of
A Functional Medicine Approach to Sports Nutrition and Strategies for Swim Meets
was featured. This article was written by Tracey Philippi, the Sandpipers of Nevada Team Nutritionist
. The article does an excellent job explaining some common misconception about "healthy foods" and gives receipe suggestions for swim meet snacks and menu items.
The full article is copied below. Take a few minutes to read through the piece and share it with your athletes and family. More educational articles like this can be found in the "Swim Faster" tab on the Sandpiper website.
A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH TO SPORTS NUTRITION & STRATEGIES FOR SWIM MEETS
By Tracey Philippi, BSN, RN, LSN, FLT | May 2018
There are many nutritional experts giving out a variety of sports nutrition advice. One nutritionist says to eat one thing while another says not to. This can be very confusing for athletes. In my sports nutrition practice, I use a functional medicine approach, along with the most advanced sports nutrition protocols to date to guide my recommendations. What is functional medicine? Functional medicine zeros in on medical history, genetics, GI function, immune system, hormone and adrenal function, along with blood testing. This approach is guided by clinical information and is unique to individual genetic makeup. It is important to understand the impact food has on the immune system and how it communicates to the rest of the body. Food is information and directly affects gene communication, metabolism, energy levels, sleep/recovery, and mental cognition. This post will discuss how food can affect individuals differently, the top food sensitivities of 2017 from Immuno Labs, and eating strategies to maximize performance for swim meets.
Food sensitivity testing has helped many athletes understand how their body reacts to certain foods. If an athlete responds to a food by producing IgG antibodies, this creates an inflammatory response and causes a cascade of unwanted reactions and symptoms. A good way to think about IgG antibodies could be compared to having small bombs going off in the body. The inflammatory response irritates the gut. The gut controls approximately 70% of the immune system and affects many hormone and neuro transmitter functions. When an athlete is consuming foods that cause an inflammatory response, it will affect their performance, energy and recovery. A good comparison would be putting low grade gasoline into a high-performance car. The car will not run as well. Leaning to eat the right foods and limiting IgG reactions is a critical step in helping athletes achieve optimal performance, recovery, injury prevention and overall health benefits.
Many nutritionists recommend foods “only” based on the macronutrient profile. This is a common misstep. Food goes beyond macronutrients. For instance, milk has a macronutrient profile that checks off many requirements for sports nutrition, but it also can have a dark side for many athletes. The more common known problem with dairy that most people are familiar with is lactose intolerance. What I have found is that an even greater number of athletes are sensitive to the proteins found in milk (whey or casein). Another consideration with dairy is that during the pasteurization process many enzymes are destroyed. This can also make it difficult for many athletes to digest properly and get the nutrients out into the system to meet the nutrient timing requirements.
Over the past 12 years I have tested hundreds of athletes with the Immuno Labs Blood Print Food Sensitivity Test. This test evaluates IgG reactions that can occur up to 72 hours after eating a food. Above 50% percentage of athletes I tested were flagged for IgG reactions to wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeast. My clinical results match up with Immuno Labs report on the top problematic foods for 2017. Most athletes that I have worked with have stated that they did not realize consuming the wrong foods were problematic until they stopped eating them. Many food sensitivities are caused from over exposure to certain foods. Teaching athletes to rotate foods sources, especially with the top offenders that are over consumed in the western diet. For instance, wheat products are saturated throughout the American diet. They are in breads, pasta, cookies, pastries, health bars, cereals, sauces, processed foods, and condiments. By limiting exposure and learning to rotate food sources, these two strategies will help to avoid developing food sensitivities and keep the immune system heathy.
When I am giving general food suggestions for athletes who have not had a food sensitivity test done, my recommendations are guided by my clinical experience working with hundreds of athletes and understanding the top reactive foods in the American diet. The recommendations will focus on foods that tend to be less inflammatory and are easily digested for most people. The nutrition protocol for swim meets will differ a bit from the normal week. It will be lighter on the fiber and good fats. The goal for sports nutrition is to provide fuel for energy and recovery needs without spending a lot of time in the gut. The less time food spends in the gut going through the digestive process the better the blood and oxygen flow will be to the rest of the body. This will help to meet the high energy demands for swim meets. Listed below are my general food recommendations and nutritional strategies for swim meets. Eat to perform!
Swim Meet Nutritional Strategies
Recommdations for swim meets will focus on consuming low fiber and low-fat foods, small amounts of easily digestible protein (fish, poultry), and good sources of easily digestible carbs.
- Fiber and healthy fat should be minimized on swim meet days. This helps the GI system get the other nutrients out into the body faster since fiber and fat take longer to break down in the GI.
- Fruits can be tricky when consuming throughout the course of a swim meet. It is important to key in on how you feel. Some athletes have issues with metabolizing fructose quickly and can cause stomach issues when consuming throughout the swim meet. Ripened bananas have more glucose than fructose and are a good choice for most individuals. Bottom line listen to your body!
- The benefit of juicing on swim meet days is that the fiber is removed and makes it easier on the digestive system to get the nutrients out faster.
Snack and Menu Ideas
- Gluten free tortilla (rice) wraps, with a small portion of protein such as fish, poultry, or add nut butter (small amount) with raw honey
- Rice is a great choice for swim meet days. It is considered to be hypoallergic for most and easy to digest. Suggestions: rice bowls with small amount of protein and cooked veggies, sushi rolls, gluten free rice pasta
- Sweet potatoes, yams, or potatoes. Tip: slice sweet potatoes into ½ inch slices, par boil, rinse with cold water, slightly coat with EVOO, add a pinch of Celtic salt and grill for about 1 minute per side. Place in baggies. This is a great snack to pack for swim meets.
- Juicing is a super choice for swim meets because the fiber is removed. Beet juice is a super antioxidant and high in nitride oxide. Tip: Trader Joe’s has their Green Juice and Beet Juice ready to go in the refrigerator section.
- Hydrate with organic coconut water, green tea, and alkaline water
- Cereals suggestions: granola, oatmeal, cream of rice (replace dairy with coconut milk in a cartoon, all-natural almond, cashew or hemp milk)
- Energy Balls are an excellent choice for breakfast (consume 2 hours prior to competition).
Directions: Whisk nut butter, raw honey, cinnamon, and vanilla together in medium bowl, then add all other ingredients and mix together, refrigerate for 15 minutes, then roll into small balls. Place in baggies and refrigerate or freeze.
1 ½ cup (dry) old fashion oats
2/3 cup shredded coconut flakes
½ cup nut butter (almond, cashew or organic peanut butter)
½ cup ground flax seeds
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raw honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s alcohol free vanilla extract
