The foundations of a paleo diet are high-quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. These are an excellent, complete, daily nutritional source for everyone. However, the paleo diet for athletes might sound a little unusual in the sporting arena. Many athletes have been trained in an environment that teaches that athletes need lots of simple carbohydrates in the form of starchy foods, bread, and pasta, and therefore think that the paleo diet is not the right choice for them. However, years of scientific study and revised thinking from nutritionists, coaches, and athletes themselves, we are learning more about how a paleo diet can enhance and improve athletic performance.
Advantages of the Paleo Diet for Athletes
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is a critical aspect of the body’s response to injury, and part of the essential immune response. Athletes experience greater inflammation than non-athletes, because they so frequently strain joints and muscles. However, ongoing inflammation is unhealthy, and can eventually cause pain and joint problems. A diet high in anti-inflammatory foods helps calm digestion, promote healthy bones, and reduce edema and swelling.
High-quality nutrition
Athletes need more of everything. Simple carbs for fast energy, complex carbs for sustained energy, fat for enduring energy. They need protein and minerals to protect and repair their body after exertion, and lose vitamins and electrolytes in sweat. For an athlete in training, every meal needs to be loaded with high-quality nutrients to help them perform and recover.
Balances blood sugar
Blood sugar imbalance severely impairs performance, and impacts everything from mood and cognition to hormones and immune responses. For athletes, and for everyone, naturally stabilizing blood sugar is critical for health.
How to Modify the Paleo Diet for Athletic Performance
For the most part, all athletes can simply follow the paleo diet like anyone else. However, there are special situations where the diet should be modified for optimal performance.
To speed recovery after extreme exertion
After training, it is critical for an athlete to restore their energy and their electrolytes. In the 30 minute window after extreme exertion, carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes are needed to speed recovery. In this 30 minute window, an athlete can make a paleo snack centered around high-quality, electrolyte-rich carbs and proteins like eggs and bananas. For the next few hours (for the same length of time as you trained or competed), carbohydrates continue to be important, and during this time many athletes and trainers recommend incorporating non-paleo foods like pasta, bread, and rice.
During endurance events
For endurance events, sometimes athletes need to start with the rapid burst of energy that is most quickly gained through simple carbs. While no paleo trainer would advocate a sugary drink at the start of a marathon, often times conventional sports drinks that are non-paleo are the fastest way to get the immediate boost you need. Then switch to paleo beverages for the duration of the event for longer-term, sustained energy.
For the most part, the paleo diet is as effective for athletes as it is for anyone else because it’s based on the latest nutritional science. However, many top-performing athletes do find that there are a couple of times when they need to slightly modify their paleo diet plan in order to perform at the ultimate levels.
Conclusion
Performance is critical for any athlete who wants to stand at the world stage, competing at the highest level. The hardest part is to maintain the peak condition or to push it even further. The paleo diet for athletes only serves as a guide for any athlete who wants to embark on the paleo journey, however, might require certain modification to achieve that peak to prevent loss of energy.
