The good performance and fitness of elite athletes does not only depend on their training and the revolutionary treatments they undergo. For a few years now, nutrition science has fully entered the locker room. Gone are the times when footballers and other elite athletes washed down their victories with liters of alcohol after gorging themselves on pizzas. Now, however, they improve their performance and avoid injuries thanks to nutritional orthodoxy. One of the foods that has revolutionized the diet of athletes is seaweed due to its high protein content and negligible caloric intake. Even NASA enriched the diet of astronauts on some space missions with spirulina. But there is another ingredient that for years has become in the star of the nutritional plans of elite athletes: coconut oil.
Cristina Petratti, doctor of medicine, nutritional coach and specialist in sports nutrition, states that this boom could come because “There are some scientific evidence studies that would be in favor of the use of unrefined extra virgin coconut oil in athletes.”
Increases fat burning
“Coconut oil contains saturated fats called medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). These MCFAs are absorbed through the intestine and transported in the blood through the hepatic portal system; In this way they ‘skip’ the fat deposits known as adipose tissue. They have an absorption process more similar to that of carbohydrates than to that of fats. That is, they are less susceptible to being deposited in adipose tissue cells as fat accumulations. On the contrary, they tend to be metabolized by a process called beta-oxidation and used as an energy source.he states.
One of his followers It is Cristiano Ronaldo who turned 39 on February 5.The physique is undoubtedly one of the most powerful weapons of the Portuguese striker that allows him to remain active. Its chef during his time in Turin, Giorgio Barone, revealed his plan based on good nutrition and plenty of rest. In Ronaldo’s daily life there is no shortage of vegetables, salads, seafood and proteins, most of which come from fish. But Barone’s big secret is coconut oil, a satiating ingredient that strengthens the immune system, promotes digestion, improves cholesterol levels and helps burn abdominal fat. “I cook with coconut oil. It is also important to drink plenty of water, but purified. And drink a lot“, confessed the chef.
But there are many more footballers who defend his benefits, like Karim Benzema. The notable physical improvement that the former Real Madrid forward experienced a few years ago was attributed, among other things, to having replaced olive oil with coconut oil, according to chef Alberto Mastromatteo, professor of haute cuisine, founder of the space. Summumm gastronomic who advised him on his nutritional change.
Several studies published by the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition highlight the effect of fatty acids in coconut oil on sports and An investigation published in 2009 in the journal Lipids, carried out on 40 women who suffered from abdominal obesity, concluded that extra virgin coconut oil considerably helped reduce waist circumference.
Benefits in sports practice
Ingesting coconut oil before practicing sports has a double usefulness. On the one hand, it improves our resistance, providing sustained energy. Unlike the consumption of carbohydrates, which produces energy spikes, the consumption of certain types of fat, such as the medium chain fatty acids contained in Coconut oil provides constant and sustained energy for long periods of time. In practice, this means greater endurance capacity and less muscle exhaustion.
On the other hand, The effect of the medium chain fatty acids contained in coconut oil on thermogenesis provides a higher level of energy, allowing athletes to obtain better performance from their training and even burn accumulated fat after training. thanks to the elevation of body temperature during the post-workout recovery phase.
Several studies carried out in Japan on the effect of fatty acids in coconut oil on sports concluded that:
They increased burning fat.
They increased energy expenditure.
They delayed the onset of fatigue.
They helped reduce food intake.
They facilitated improving body composition.
The ideal, however, according to experts, is to combine coconut oil with extra virgin olive oil to obtain excellent results.