A gluten-free diet has become popular in recent years: first, celebrities passed on to it, later, encouraged by many media reports, ordinary, nomen omen, eaters of bread. It was the turn of active people - a gluten-free diet in athletes would have a positive impact on their performance. Is it really so? Are there any benefits to an athlete's gluten-free diet, and what side effects may this be associated with?
In the case ofathletes, a gluten-free dietis supposed to positively affect their athletic performance, as some of them confirm. The famous tennis player Novak Djoković just by switching to a gluten-free diet explains his successes and the fact that he does not feel tired. The first gluten-free season ended for the Serb with a leader position in the ATP ranking and a record amount of money in the account.
A similar decision was made by Mike Bryan, also a tennis player who, with his brother, makes one of the best doubles in the world, and a Polish-born tennis player, Sabine Lisicki.
In the case of Djoković, the gluten-free diet was a necessity - he was diagnosed with celiac disease, and the other two were a choice not dictated by medical considerations. All because of the myth that has arisen around the gluten-free diet in athletes - not only is it to enable better results, but also to reduce fatigue, as in the case of champion Djoković.
Meanwhile, only 1 percent of the population suffers from celiac disease - does it make sense to go gluten-free in people who are allergic to gluten? Where did this idea come from in the case of athletes?
Australian scientist Peter Gibson from Monash University can be put in charge. He preached the thesis that gluten is the culprit of civilization diseases and that even every third person in Europe and the USA is allergic to it. However, two years after formulating his theses, the scientist changed his mind - he conducted a study in which he gave people who were not allergic to gluten, but who said that they felt better without it, products that actually contained it, but the subjects thought that they were consuming gluten-free products. Participants in the experiment reported better well-being, despite the fact that their body was actually taking itgluten.
Gibson admitted his mistake. It is worth adding that the scientist conducted his research on different people - regardless of whether they were physically active or not. However, a number of other studies have been devoted to the issue of gluten-free diets in athletes.
Gluten-free diet for athletes - what does science say?
None of the current scientific studies confirms that giving up gluten positively influences sports achievements. On the other hand, there is evidence that a gluten-free diet can even harm athletes, and at best - have no effect on the body's performance.
Gluten withdrawal has no effect on athletic performance
The "Sport Performance Optimization Research Team" study by the School of He alth Science in Australia and the Canadian Sports Institute1clearly indicates that non-gluten consumption by athletes allergic and not suffering from irritable bowel syndrome does not affect their results in any way. 13 cyclists (8 men and 5 women) followed one of the diets for 7 days - one with no gluten at all and one with a daily dose of 16 g. Each cyclist tried both diets, with 10-day intervals - no differences in their performance were found.
Dietitian Dr. Felicia Stoler from the American College of Sports Medicine reached similar conclusions, who for years in her articles and interviews emphasizes that there is no scientific evidence confirming the negative impact of a diet containing gluten on athletes not allergic to it, and vice versa - There is no evidence that a gluten-free diet in athletes improves their performance. As part of the experiment, the researcher switched to a gluten-free diet herself and also did not observe any changes in her body.
Gluten-free diets for athletes can be harmful
- If you are he althy, eliminating gluten from your diet will not help you at all, quite the contrary. It can be harmful - explains nutritionist Anna Jelonek. How? - There are many side effects of following a gluten-free diet without consulting a specialist. The most common of them are vitamin B deficiency, problems with maintaining a he althy body weight, problems with concentration, insulin resistance, and even type 2 diabetes - explains the dietitian.
It is also worth remembering that gluten is present in products containing complex carbohydrates, i.e. in pasta, groats, bread. Their presence in the diet of every athlete is essential. It is complex carbohydrates that correspond, among others, to for the reconstruction of the glycogen present in the muscles. So we should deliver by an hour after trainingthe body a meal in which there will be about 50 g of carbohydrates. We should also remember that a gluten-free diet in athletes is associated with a lower amount of fiber supplied to the body, and this in turn may mean, as subsequent scientists have proven2 , weight gain.
In turn, the Japanese proved3that a diet rich in gluten can even have a positive effect on the athlete's condition: gluten hydrolyzate reduces the markers of muscle damage in runners and footballers, it also has a positive effect on the system immune.
It can therefore be concluded that a gluten-free diet in athletes will only be recommended if you are allergic to gluten.
Worth knowingWhat might you be allergic to gluten?
If after consuming gluten-containing products:
- you feel chronic fatigue,
- you get headaches frequently,
- nausea and vomiting appear,
- you have diarrhea,
- you have skin changes similar to atopic dermatitis,
contact your doctor who will order a complete blood count and further diagnosis. Do not try to find yourself gluten intolerant.