5 Superfoods for Athletes

I’m always looking for ways to boost my energy/endurance/recovery naturally and I’m a big fan of superfoods. What is a superfood? To be honest, the term superfood is really a marketing plug, but there are foods that have more nutritional benefits than others. Here are five I’ve researched that have scientifically proven benefits. I’m a certified health coach, but I’m not a registered dietitian so if you have dietary concerns, I recommend you speak with a sports nutritionist about how much you need. These are worth a try for most people.

Fish and fish oil: fish is a great protein source and it’s rich in omega-3s and DHA, which can help decrease muscle soreness, reduces muscle swelling after workouts, improve neuromotor function, rebuild damaged tissues, and help with overall recovery and reaction time. I try to eat fish two to three times a week.

Chia Seeds: great plant source for omega-3s and research shows that Chia Seed Loading can be used as a means of Carbohydrate Loading for several days before endurance events and has been shown to enhancing performance for endurance events lasting >90 minutes or longer. I add chia seeds to almost everything—they’re a great addition to oatmeal in the morning to help you feel extra full. I also like them in muesli with a little unsweetened almond milk.

Beetroot/Beetroot Juice: consume this root vegetable daily for 6 days prior to your event for increased exercise capacity. I know there are also some products with beetroot that you can take during events.

Purple Fruits (cherries and berries): fruits that are rich in anthocyanins are great for aiding in recovery and even accelerating it. I love to eat these raw and also throw them into smoothies.

Tart Cherry Juice: has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can also significantly reduce strength loss/muscle damage during a workout and has been shown to improve recovery of force production and recovery after marathon running.

References
American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, American College of Sports Medicine,
Rodrigues, N. R., DiMarco, N. M. & Langley, S. (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 41(3), p. 709-31. http://bit.ly/2HFqwKg

Illian, T. G., Casey, J.C. & Bishop, P.A. (2011). Omega 3 Chia Seed Loading as a Means of
Carbohydrate Loading. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(1), pp. 61-65. https://tinyurl.com/y76rljng

Maughan, R., Burke, L. & Coyle, E. F. (2004). Nutrition for athletes. Athlete's Medical
Information. Retrieved from Stillmed.olympic.org https://tinyurl.com/y7s2qtah

Reid, K. (2013). Performance Food: Promoting foods with a functional benefit in sports
performance. Nutrition Bulletin, 38(4), 429-437. doi:10.1111/nbu.12065 https://tinyurl.com/y8r62b6r