Mini Mikkipedia - Mistakes athletes make, Part 2

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Host

Mikki Williden

What is Mikkipedia?

Mikkipedia is an exploration in all things health, well being, fitness, food and nutrition. I sit down with scientists, doctors, professors, practitioners and people who have a wealth of experience and have a conversation that takes a deep dive into their area of expertise. I love translating science into a language that people understand, so while some of the conversations will be pretty in-depth, you will come away with some practical tips that can be instigated into your everyday life. I hope you enjoy the show!

00:00
Bye!

00:07
Hey everyone, it's Mikki here. You're listening to Mini Mikkipedia on a Monday. And today I wanna chat about mistakes athletes make, part two. Now, it's not that all athletes make mistakes, but of course we're not infallible, are we? And in my practice, on social media, what I see from clients and members of my communities are some of the things that I obviously talked about.

00:34
the last time we broached this subject in and around pre, during and post training and racing nutrition. But actually the day to day nutrition really matters. And it's so surprising to me that athletes who may be at the top of their game, pro triathletes for example, when they sort of provide advice to your general sort of competitive age group athlete as to the importance that they should place on nutrition.

01:02
Of course, the usual caveats of, try and eat a good diet are provided, you would always expect that, but a lot of the time there's also this sort of prevailing message that it's really hard to eat a healthy diet, you can't get what you need, and it's actually all about the calorie burn. As long as you are lean, it doesn't matter what you eat. And this is the mistake that I want to help prevent athletes make actually, because nothing could be further from the truth.

01:31
We know that inflammation and muscle damage is an essential part of the adaptation to training. As the muscle recovers and rebuilds, it becomes more resilient to the training stress and can cope with more of the demands of the training schedule. However, the ability to resolve inflammation and allow for repair and recovery of muscle tissue is central to this. So yes, we break tissue down when we train, and yes, this burns a ton of calories,

01:59
but it's in the resolution of the inflammation and the recovery of muscle tissue, which allows us to adapt. Muscle damage that requires too much time off training or an inability to train at the desired intensity can impact negatively on an athlete's capacity to optimize their fitness, and over time can reduce their consistency in training, which arguably is the most important aspect of training. And,

02:26
This isn't just for the elite amongst us, it's important for anyone trying to remain fit and healthy as they age. Indeed, it's actually more likely for those of us who are age groupers to experience the negative impact of inflammation. This is because on top of training we have life stress, work-related stress, family commitments and other competing interests that make recovery more difficult. We don't struggle to get the training in.

02:54
We struggle to prioritize the recovery aspect. And this is why your diet is key. It is not sufficient to just eat calories and expect to recover well from that. You need to have nutrients as well. And so for people to suggest that diet is important but you don't really need to prioritize it, it's okay if you don't make the best choices all of the time. It's calories that really matter because you burn a ton.

03:21
I think they're sort of missing the point, if I'm honest. Your body does not differentiate from where the stress comes from. So on top of the training stress, which you need to be able to recover from, and the psychological stress and environmental stress and work stress, et cetera, your body will respond to stress and your brain will respond to stress in much of the same way, with the influx of hormones that can impair recovery. At that cellular level, too much inflammation, too many oxidative metabolites,

03:51
can be difficult for the body to overcome. And over time, this has negative implications for mitochondrial health. Our mitochondria is key to the overall energetics of that cell. The more we look after our mitochondria, the more likely that we are to have an appropriate response to training that allows us to recover and continue to progress. Of course, with all of this said, one of the biggest assets you have is your diet. And with higher energy demands, there are more calories required.

04:20
So I'm certainly not disputing that. What I am disputing is that you cannot get them from good food choices. People erroneously believe that if you are lean, then it is a sign that you are a healthy athlete. And as I said, there is a belief that you can't get the calories that you need from nutrient rich foods. We always hear that whole foods are too high in fiber and volume to provide those sufficient calories. However, by choosing key food choices that

04:49
I'm gonna go through, you can still eat well and eat sufficient calories and not have to rely on energy dense yet nutrient poor choices. And the problem with these energy dense nutrient poor choices is they do not provide the micronutrients you need to help resolve the inflammation and repair your tissue from the training stress that you are under. So essentially you accelerate that aging process and

05:18
For people who love the sport that they do, which is most of us, if we are age groupers in an endurance sport, we want to be able to continue to do that sport for as long as possible. And continuing to rely on fast food, processed carbs, refined options that do not provide nutrients, is a surefire way to have an early exit in the sport that you love, be it through injury, be it through gut.

05:46
be it through musculoskeletal or other related issues, energy management, et cetera. And of course, the thing which we all probably are aware of is the metabolic health implications of having a pretty shitty diet. And you will remember, I hope, the interview that I did with Philip Prinze on his research looking at middle-aged athletes, which is probably most of you, and the implications of a high carb approach diet.

06:15
on their metabolic health outcomes. And 30% of the people who had normal glucose levels prior to being put on a high carbohydrate diet ended up with glucose levels in that pre-diabetic range. And in fact, this wasn't people, it wasn't even related to a weight change either. And so if I go back to what I said, that people think that if you were lean and if you were burning off that energy, then you don't need to worry about what you eat, you're going to be healthy. Poor metabolic health.

06:44
High blood pressure, pre-diabetic ranges for glucose levels, having higher than optimal insulin, having endocrine disruption are all signs that your diet isn't being optimized for your sport, regardless of your body size. So I think that's a really clear thing to put at the outset. But of course that is just one part of it. I want to go through the importance of our micronutrients for overall physical and mental health as an athlete.

07:14
Of course we know the importance of carbohydrate, protein and fats. But with our muscle health for example, we often just think about protein with regards to muscles, but we need our B vitamins to help with that amino acid metabolism. We need magnesium to help support muscle function and prevent cramps. We need vitamin D to enhance muscle strength and function. And of course we need sodium, potassium and calcium in addition to magnesium, which are all key electrolytes for muscle contraction and hydration.

07:43
Chromium enhances insulin function, which aids in glycogen storage, which helps with that carbohydrate delivery. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish, sardines, salmon, mackerel, vitamin D and antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium all help reduce inflammation. And you're not going to find that at your fast food store.

08:09
zinc aids in tissue repair and immune function, and this all helps the repair of our tissue. And of course, you've got these other anti-inflammatory things that you can add into your diet such as curcumin and quercetin, which help reduce muscle soreness. And this is me just really going over muscle health and recovery. I mentioned mitochondria. We need the B vitamins for our energy production. We need CoQ10 to help support the creation of new mitochondria.

08:37
Of course, exercise is excellent for that. And I just recently did a podcast, has yet to be released with Dr. Darren Kando about the potential importance of creatine and mitochondrial biogenesis. Vitamin C, E, selenium and glutathione, which is our own antioxidant, helps protect mitochondria from oxidative damage. And L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid enhance mitochondrial function and metabolic efficiency. All of these things are so important.

09:06
to help with that fuel substrate use and to help you fuel your training. And a diet that is made up of Big Macs and fries and soda is not gonna get you that. I've already mentioned how important those omega-3 fatty acids are for immune function and reducing inflammation. Clearly they're credible for heart function as well as magnesium is too. We've got niacin, which is B3, and fiber, which you get from vegetables, and also legumes.

09:36
help manage cholesterol levels for anyone who has issues with cholesterol, albeit that's one risk factor and amongst a ton of other risk factors, which are likely more important. We need our electrolytes for blood pressure and it is not uncommon as we age with the stress that we place our bodies under to have higher blood pressure, despite the activity that we do. And we need vitamin K2 and nitric oxide precursors such as arginine and nitrates from vegetables to help improve blood flow and circulation.

10:05
and help increase that nitric oxide production. Don't forget as well, there are so many things that I could discuss here, but the endocrine needs the support of healthy fats and cholesterol for hormone production and vitamin D for endocrine function. And those healthy fats are not delivered to you in processed refined foods. We need adaptogens like ashwagandha and B vitamins to help manage stress hormones, which you may have a huge storm of stress hormones.

10:33
post training because of the stress that your body is placed under. And of course iron, those B vitamins again and vitamin C support energy levels by ensuring you've got proper hormone function. And there's so many other things that I could mention, but let me at least finish off with digestive health. Our gut health is so important as athletes and it can be make or break on the day of our event. We need fiber, probiotics and digestive enzymes to enhance nutrient absorption and gut health.

11:02
You need B vitamins and magnesium to promote efficient digestion. We need zinc to help the stimulation of stomach acid. And we need anti-inflammatory micronutrients like vitamin D, zinc again, and omega-3 fatty acids to help manage digestive inflammation. These things are just so important. And I think that intuitively we know this, but when we see elite athletes in our sport go on social media and say that it's just too hard to eat well,

11:32
You can't get the calories that you need. And in fact, it's okay because you're burning a shit ton of calories anyway, that it doesn't matter what your diet looks like, that nothing could be further from the truth. There are plenty of nutrient rich and energy rich food choices out there. And this is particularly aimed at the people who struggle to maintain their weight during a training campaign or cycle, and they find themselves relying on junk food or non-nutritious.

12:02
processed refined carbohydrates to fulfill that calorie requirement. I mean, clearly the first things which I think of outside of that base diet of meat, eggs, fruit, starch, which is potato, kumara, nuts and seeds, are things like dairy. If you tolerate dairy, it can be an excellent source of healthy fats for the body. And getting in those full fat versions of Greek yogurt, of full fat milk if you tolerate it.

12:31
Cheese is excellent obviously and using butter these are some of the most energy dense and also high in those healthy fats and some of these micronutrients that I've been talking about and much better source of fat than what you will find from a fast food packet which is equally high in fat. Of course you've got your raw nuts like walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, raw almonds and cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

13:00
You know that I'm the director of nutrition at S-Fuels and we have an excellent cereal that is made up of a lot of those nuts and seeds I just described in addition to having whey powder and coconut flakes and MCT. A nutrient dense muesli type option like that has plenty of calories and also supplies the body with the nutrients that you need. And it is a quick, fast, efficient way to get calories in and to get nutrients as well.

13:28
And I will say, since I'm on the topic, that the S-Fuels Life Bar is another excellent source of calories that is low in sugar and low in the things that are going to promote that oxidative stress and damage. And easy to get. So there you go. We also have the S-Fuels Recovery Protein Powder that contains ketones, beta hydroxybutyrate, and one of the most studied functions for

13:55
beta hydroxybutyrate is in the recovery process and as a signaling molecule for inflammatory pathways as in to initiate the anti-inflammatory process. So having something like the Esfiel's recovery drink is gonna be super helpful for anyone doing hard training. And then you'll just pop that in with milk if you tolerate it with a good source of carbohydrate to help recovery from fruit.

14:21
be it frozen bananas or mango or tropical fruit, et cetera. Add some berries for those flavonoids that you need for reducing inflammation. Add some cocoa powder because cocoa has important phytochemicals that also help inflammation. And you've got yourself an excellent recovery drink. Fairly low in fat, that's okay at that point in time because we want that fast delivery of protein and carbohydrate. Then in an hour,

14:47
Why couldn't you just have some sweet potato or rice with olive oil, salmon, a little bit of broccoli or something like that, include some nuts and seeds and you've got several hundred calories and you've got protein, fats and carbohydrate to continue to support that recovery. Smoothies can be an excellent vehicle for getting in calories where you would otherwise not think of. And so this is probably just 101 for some of you, but avocado, cacao nibs for example.

15:16
flaxseed oil and flaxseeds, ground flaxseeds, LSA powder, keep those ones in the fridge because they otherwise can oxidize, almond butter or peanut butter, like these are all really good fats to include in your sort of daily smoothie that you might not be doing it now. Those people who can tolerate dairy and do need calories can add cream to their smoothie, otherwise add coconut cream. Of course add that protein source and then you can add eggs or egg whites to boost protein.

15:46
You can add fruit to help boost the calories and you still get plenty of those vitamins that we need to help support the reduction of inflammation and those oxidative stress metabolites. And it isn't that you can't eat junk food, but I just really wanted to address the myth that there is no room in your diet for healthy foods because your calorie requirements are so great. And what I would also say is for anyone who struggles to maintain their weight,

16:14
and they are dropping it and alongside it muscle and feeling like they're unable to recover, then tracking your diet through an app like Chronometer can be super helpful. And then checking in with a practitioner such as myself to assess where the gaps are in your diet. And you can quite clearly see where some of those nutritional gaps are from an app like Chronometer, which tells you about your vitamin and mineral intake and your antioxidant intake and your intake of things which help support

16:44
reduction in inflammation and these are the things that you want to really be dialing in and focusing. So you of course you have your baseline diet as I've suggested but when you layer on these other things like the S-Fuels products, like the full fat dairy products, like the nuts and seeds and sources of fat where you otherwise wouldn't have them, you can really ramp up the calories from good sources and optimize your

17:12
energy requirements while still optimizing your micronutrients. And for what it's worth, probably the last thing I will say is that I've also seen out there on social media, Radio New Zealand, on Twitter, the idea that, hey, if you can't afford olive oil, then choose canola because it's a good choice. Honestly, I would never recommend anyone choose canola oil as a good choice for cooking, for cooking oil or to use in salad dressing or anything

17:42
If you're in a position to prioritize, I would opt for extra virgin olive oil in a dark bottle that isn't plastic. So you are getting best bang for your buck there. Because the types of fats that are oxidized and can create additional inflammation, like you find in processed refined fast food, and what you could find in a canola oil or sunflower seed oil bottle, that's the type of fat that sticks around in your membranes.

18:09
and continues that oxidative stress pathway. So choosing good quality fats is really, really important. And I outlined what they are in this episode. So I suppose it's a bit of a rant and if you are currently making this mistake, don't even worry about it. There is so much that you can do to help change it and change it quickly that I hope that this at least provides you with some ideas. I've given you a good plug for S fuels, that's for sure. So...

18:38
If you've got questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I am at Instagram, threads and Twitter @mikkiwilliden, over on Facebook @MikkiWillidenNutrition. Head to my website, mikkiwilliden.com and book a one-on-one call with me. I can help you out. All right team, have the best week.