Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition for Athletes (and everyone!)
If the fire is hot enough, anything will burn. I run so I can eat whatever I want. Will run for donuts. Have you ever said one of these? Or maybe have it on a t-shirt or three? There's no shame in that! Active people love to eat, and for a good reason! But is your nutrition supporting your activity, training and recovery, or are you just getting by? Are you missing goals, feeling drained, or getting injured? Are you curious what "peak performance" might look like for you? Do you want to feel better running? You might want to think about your nutrition.
Anti-inflammatory nutrition can help athletes and other active people recover faster, get injured less, and feel better overall. If you want to build healthy running habits, have more energy, and feed your health and happiness, anti-inflammatory nutrition is a great place to start. Are you intrigued?
What is inflammation and why should I care?
Hard training causes damage to the body, and this leads to inflammation (if you've ever walked down the stairs the day after a hard effort, you know what I'm talking about). Inflammation, from the Latin inflammo, meaning blaze or burn, is a complex biological process involving molecules, cells, blood vessels, the nervous system, and the microbiome. Inflammation is helpful in defending and healing the body from illness and injury, and in creating positive adaptations to stressors (like training). Bloodflow increases, and the characteristic redness, warmth, pain and swelling occur as tissues get what they need to heal. Once the insult is gone, the immune cells begin to send signals that stop inflammation and encourage new cell growth and the formation of new blood vessels. This means healing and growth. That's what's supposed to happen, anyway.
Chronic inflammation happens when the process goes haywire, either by chronic activation from overtraining or illness, or by your immune system getting confused. Over time, it leads to development of too many blood vessels, hardening of tissues (like plaques in the arteries) and ultimately, tissue destruction and disease. Another key component of the chronic inflammatory response is cytokine-induced elevation of cortisol (the "stress hormone"). Cortisol normally shuts down inflammation, but in chronic inflammation, this signal stops working. Cortisol remains elevated (and exerts its stress-state effects on the body, such as elevating blood sugars). This kind of inflammation is bad news.
In both kinds, anti-inflammatory nutrition can speed healing. Unlike pharmaceuticals that shut down the inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory nutrition guides the body gently towards resolving it naturally, allowing the beneficial after-effects to occur and avoiding the risk of NSAIDs or steroids. Managing inflammation with nutrition is a key way to promote a long, healthy, and happy active life. Let's talk about how to do it.
The keys to anti-inflammatory nutrition
First, know that this isn't a diet. There are no absolutes here. You won't find the words "never" or "eliminate". It's a style of eating that focuses on plants and whole foods, with a few specifics based on the existing evidence from large epidemiological studies and current understanding of biochemistry. You can make some shifts in the way you eat and get some improvements– it's a continuum, not an on-off switch. That means you can start with the parts that feel most doable to you, and see how you feel. Ready to start? Here are the basics.
FATS. Use olive oil first. For higher-heat cooking, try avocado or expeller-pressed canola. If you're not at high risk of heart disease, some coconut oil may be ok, too. Know that most restaurant-prepared and packaged fried foods use seed and corn oils that are high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, so eat less of those.
CARBS. Carbs aren't bad! Vegetables and fruits contain carbohydrates and fiber in naturally healthful combinations. Include as many colors as you can in your diet-- bright colors signal the presence of beneficial phytochemicals. Dark leafy greens are always nutrient-dense. So are mushrooms-- try asian varieties. Focus on whole grains rather than things made from flour, and try to expunge added sugars from your day-to-day choices (see below for more on sugar and athletes). Try to diversity grains and starches-- try sweet potatoes in different varieties, and swap out quinoa, teff, or amaranth for rice and oats sometimes. Variety is key.
PROTEINS. Plant-based options are great for fighting inflammation. These include legumes, beans, soy (yes, soy is ok, don't believe the haters!), and nuts/seeds (and products made from them). Try tempeh! Quinoa and wild rice (both pseudograins) contain significant protein, too. If you choose to consume animal products, fish is an anti-inflammatory option compared to red meat, and organic and grass-fed options are less inflammatory than others. Processed and cured meats are the worst.
EXTRAS. Spices, including turmeric and ginger, are a great addition, as is green tea. If you're looking for a little indulgence, dark chocolate (70% or higher) and red wine (naturally produced without additives) are great additions.
Special nutrition tips for runners and other athletes
Eating enough. Plant-based eating styles like this one are nutrient-dense, but often have fewer calories than the standard American diet. If you're training a lot, you may need to pay special attention to meeting your energy needs. Some energy-dense options to consider adding in are nuts and seeds, dried fruits, avocados, and starches like sweet potatoes.
A word on fiber: This eating style is naturally high in fiber, which is great for overall health, but sometimes spells trouble for athletes (especially runners!). To manage the potential, ahem, effects, try increasing fiber slowly over a few weeks, and time your more fiber-rich meals for after training, not before. And if you're going into a specific event like a race, you can safely choose lower-fiber options for the day or so before without any detriment to your long-term health.
Simple carbs and training: Though limiting simple carbs (sugars and white starches) is generally beneficial, the exception is before and during long, hard endurance efforts. You can find whole-food options that work for you (steel cut oatmeal, sourdough toast, bananas), try sports nutrition products made from food (Spring, Muir, Huma), or decide that you do best with peformance-focused sports fuel and revert to your regular anti-inflammatory nutrition the rest of the time. This will be individual depending on your goals, your workload, and what you can tolerate. A coach or sports dietician can help if you're struggling.
Iron is important. Many athletes (especially runners) are deficient. You need a test to know for sure (get your ferritin level checked-- if it's low, you may need to take a supplement). In your diet, you need more iron from plant-based sources than you would from animal-based sources, so pay attention to it, and make sure you get vitamin C with it (citrus is a good option). Spinach of course is a good source, but so are dried fruits, molasses, beans and lentils, and many seeds and nuts.
Hydration is important for overall health, and it's especially easy for athletes to fall behind here. Choose options that are mostly water. Green tea is a great addition. Avoid sweetened beverages (whether with sugar or artificial sweeteners) except if you're using them for fuel during an endurance activity.
Ready to start? Want to stay feeling good running forever? Give this a try. It doesn't work overnight, but you just might find after a few weeks or months, walking down the stairs in the morning feels just fine.
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