All in Attitude!
The sports nutritionist Tzvetelin Ivanov's keys to high results
"A happy athlete is a recovered athlete. And the key components of the recovery process are proper nutrition, sleep optimization, the athlete's emotional balance"
All this is explained in a fascinating and accessible way by Tzvetelin Ivanov - nutritionist and conditioning coach in the Italian volleyball team Verona, led by Radostin Stoychev. He does it in the educational program "We will meet at the top", which is an initiative of NSK Olimp (Sofia).
In Episode 10, Ivanov advises coaches and athletes on proper nutrition for high performance, before and during competition, and also before and after training. He explains which is the appropriate age for the usage of nutritional supplements.
He emphasizes on why even the composition of the water and the way it should be drunk is important for the athlete. He also emphasizes on breathing, breathing exercises supporting competition and post-workout recovery.
Tzvetelin Ivanov himself defines his role in Verona in such a way: "My job is to help the athletes to be in optimal physical condition at all times. And that is constantly being upgraded. It is achieved by working with weights, in the gym, with functional work, but also with recovery, stretching, proper nutrition, optimization of sleep, and stress. All these components, working in a symbiosis together, mark a greater effect than if they were separated.”
"With food, we literally manipulate the body and the energy management. When the athlete is in a state of stress, he should ask for certain foods. With food we can optimize our thoughts. We can work out all day, not miss a class, but if we mess up the food, we can even go backwards.
That is why it is important to know the three main macronutrients - proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Proteins are the basic building blocks of the body. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy. They are divided into high-quality and low-quality carbohydrates. Fats are the most misunderstood macronutrient, and they play a major role in recovery, and are also a key responsible hormone balance.
The meal itself is of three types. For survival - normally, whatever you want. The second is nutrition for optimal health. Foods are being selected, and you choose whether to eat chips or boiled potatoes. And the third type is nutrition for high sports performance. For him, the nutrition is a tool for the athlete to get the best out of his training and competition.
After training, the so-called anabolic window opens - the body begins to digest food twice as fast. What is the best thing to eat to optimize the effect of training?
Ivanov advises to eat fruits immediately after training. They contain fructose, which passes through the liver. The priority is to restore glycogen first in the liver, and then to the muscles.
With an average of 28 meals a week, the athlete can afford a "dirty meal" or two. Those that are tailored to the sports diet, but help the nervous system. Say, pizza the night before the race.
The intake of fluids during training - of isotonic drinks, is extremely important for the correct recovery and behavior of the athlete.
"When training before a race, you don't want your athlete to have low levels of glycogen, it's good for him to have drinks," emphasizes the specialist in Verona.
He advises: "When the athlete wakes up, he should drink a glass or two of water, depending on his weight, multiplied by 0.4 L. Important for the daily intake of water are the seasons, also the number of training sessions. Hydration should start as soon as you wake up. The water should be at room temperature, so the body wakes up more easily. Add apple cider vinegar or lemon. It also works with a pinch of colored salt, in which the microminerals are not killed. When we drink water without anything, it is not absorbed. This salt gets them into the cells. Drink water at intervals throughout the day."
Tzvetelin Ivanov analyzes the nutrition on the day of the competition - from morning to evening. However, he pulls the tape two days earlier, when he begins strategic nutrition of the body. Dinner should then be richer in carbohydrates - rice, pasta, pizza. Thus, the athlete restores the nervous system, which starts the mode of pre-start fever. This approach to eating helps him fill the depots, in order to ensure the good sleep of the athlete.
The next day, the athlete should take carbohydrates, fats, proteins.
For the day of the competition, Ivanov gives a typical example of feeding swimmers between the ages of 8 and 12 with two morning starts.
"The best option is to consume eggs, but the yolk has to be raw, because its characteristics change during thermal operations. Tomatoes and cucumbers are well digested as an option for more products at breakfast before the start, because they are a complex carbohydrate - with fiber. A great option is to add rice cakes.
After the first start, the swimmer can eat a protein bar, a fast-digesting protein, in order to keep the body from overload, because the energy should not be depleted towards food digestion, but for work.'
Ivanov emphasized that the way of eating also depends on the swimmer's discipline. When the athlete is working in aerobic mode, he needs to take in more fat, while a sprinter needs more carbohydrates.
In recent years, it is noticeable that more and more competitive athletes are turning into chefs in order to guarantee the quality of the products and the way the food is prepared. They even bring pans and hotplates to Belmeken or other camp bases, where, in principle, their sports diet is planned and implemented by specialists. Ivanov explained why they do it, what is the difference between eating at home and in restaurants, how to carry on, and how to avoid culinary tricks that will harm their sports diet. The difference for him is huge. For a year he experimented eating at restaurants, and one year he spent at eating at home. The difference has been in the form of 8 kg less weight, in favor of the home cooking.
The preparation procedure of an individual diet (see here)
ABOUT THE WE WILL MEET AT THE TOP SHOW
The educational program "We will meet at the top" is being broadcasted twice a month (one week apart) on Wednesday evenings at 20:00, live on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
All shows in the series ‘We will meet at the top’ (see here)
