Sports diets

The sports diet plays on the complementarity of a protein diet to maintain muscle mass and a low-calorie diet to limit the absorption of lipids and carbohydrates, to allow and accelerate weight loss.

The sports diet to lose weight?

The sports diet is therefore a slimming diet based on two complementary diet phases:

A first phase for rapid weight loss in 2 weeks. This is a low-calorie protein diet phase with three real meals a day. The meals are low in fat (lipids) and sugar (carbohydrates) but high in protein to continue building muscle and maintain muscle mass. They will also be rich in dietary fibre, to allow better digestion and limit intestinal risks. This high-protein, low-calorie diet includes well-stocked dishes.

A second phase consisting of an evolutionary period of stabilisation diet with a succession of diets progressively increasing from 1200 calories per day to 1500 calories per day, then 1800 calories per day. However, this stage is less restrictive than the first.

Nutritional management for sportsmen and women will differ according to their level, whether they are women, men, beginners or professionals. The diet of a top athlete will be more rigorous than that of a less experienced athlete
The notion of weight implies the notion of performance. It goes without saying that a slightly overweight cyclist risks weakening his kneecaps and will recover less well with regard to cardiovascular work. With a few kilos less and a lean muscle mass, he will be better equipped to face the bumps and accelerations.

During the sporting season it is important to define a weight schedule and better still, a percentage of fat mass. It is not uncommon for top athletes to have eating disorders with frequent periods of fasting. This is why some top sportswomen sometimes become anorexic, with inevitable consequences on hormonal function and bone mineralization disorders.

The sports diet is therefore a very effective diet for losing fat. It allows you to lose 5 kilos or even 10 kilos in a very short time. On average, 15 days of a difficult diet with a very limited number of calories. But this diet requires great motivation
As you progress in this slimming programme, a snack will be tolerated if the need arises. This may include a 0% dairy product, an apple or a hot drink such as green tea or green coffee.
After a significant reduction in weight, you can return to a normal diet with balanced meals, but always eliminating salt and sugar.

Dieting for sportsmen and women: which programme to use to lose weight?

Mistakes not to be made

A slimming sports diet combines a low-calorie diet with a restriction of sugary and fatty foods. However, it does not exclude any food. It is therefore essential to plan daily balanced menus based on low-calorie recipes, radically banning any restrictive or single diet.

Limiting certain fats

To limit fats, it is important to grill meat and fish without adding fat or, for fish, to cook them in a foil in the oven or microwave. Fatty sauces should also be completely banned and mayonnaise should be limited to a teaspoon twice a week maximum. However, the consumption of certain fats such as raw butter and vegetable oils remains mandatory.

Tip: Regular sportsmen and women who are aiming to gain mass or rebuild muscle should increase their protein intake or possibly consume a protein supplement such as whey isolate.

Get enough fluids

The role of water in a sportsman’s diet and especially in his slimming diet cannot be repeated enough. Water transports nutrients, carries carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. It is important to drink often because sportsmen and women cannot store water and eliminate a lot of it.

Water also prevents loss of performance due to dehydration. It maintains body temperature, provides electrolytes and carbohydrates when added, for example when taking a rehydration drink.

Can you be a sportsman and a vegetarian? In the context of a sports diet, several sources of vegetable protein can easily compensate for the absence of animal protein. Being a sportsman and a vegetarian is perfectly possible, provided that certain dietary rules are followed to maintain a balanced diet.

Typical weight loss programme

Breakfast (compulsory) Your choice of :

– A small glass of pure fresh fruit juice

– A small jar of fruit compote with no added sugar

– A cooked fruit

Then your choice of food with a little butter and pure fruit jam:

– 2 to 4 slices of wholemeal bread (toasted) with cereals. The number of slices will depend on the morning training load.

– Wholemeal or cereal toast

As an accompaniment:

– A hot drink (coffee, tea or milk). Beware of coffee with milk, which is not easily digestible.

– Plain soya yoghurt

Breakfast varies twice a week, except on training days. The athlete will have a high-protein breakfast on rest days. It can be composed of :

– 150 g of poultry

– a nice slice of ham

– 2 egg whites

And supplemented with a :

– A small glass of cottage cheese with 20% fat content

– Small bowl of tea with a 30 g slice of wholemeal or cereal bread with butter and jam.

Snack at 11am: A pear or apple with skin

Lunch :

– A small starter with 1/2 grapefruit or raw vegetables

– A plate of vegetables always combined with starchy foods (pasta, rice, potatoes, polenta, wheat semolina). The typical plate is composed of 2/3 vegetables, 1/3 starchy foods.

It is accompanied by :

– About 120 g of red meat once a week

– About 120 g of white meat or poultry twice a week

Two to three times a week, protein-rich starchy foods such as lentils, dried beans and split peas, which are an important and valuable source of protein from plants, are included.

It is possible to replace meat with 2 eggs, but avoid eating them more than twice a week.

Soft cheeses are allowed 3 times a week (coulommiers, camembert, fresh goat’s cheese, Saint-Nectaire) or plain yoghurts or 20% fromage blanc allowed 4 times a week.
The consumption of raw fruit is recommended outside of meals.

Snack (2 to 3 hours after lunch) :

– 1 fruit with skin

– 1 natural yoghurt without sugar

After training, add one or two cereal bars with less than 10% fat + 1 or 2 slices of gingerbread or 1 to 3 wholegrain biscuits.

Dinner:

This is the same as lunch except that the starter is replaced by a soup of cooked green vegetables (hot or cold). Cheese is omitted in the evening and replaced by a dairy product and then a cooked fruit or compote.

Before bedtime:

Half an hour before bedtime: A cooked fruit or a small jar of sugar-free fruit compote to limit the risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia.

Sports diet: recipe ideas

Recipe for Soy Cake

Preparation time: 5 to 10 min. Due to its balanced composition, this cake is suitable for pre-competitive meals. It is a good alternative for energy intake in sports with weight categories such as judo, boxing or karate. It is eaten just after the weigh-in, while waiting for the competition. This cake is easy to digest, low in fat and has the particularity of being cooked without eggs. It can be eaten up to 1h30 before the effort, by associating a good hydration.

Ingredients :
150 grams of flour
40 grams of sugar, possibly including 20g of fructose
60 grams of muesli-type cereal
1 tablespoon of almond powder
½ packet of Alsatian yeast
60 grams of dried apricots
60 grams of sultanas (previously soaked in a glass of water)
¼ litre of soya juice
1 packet of vanilla sugar

Preparation:
– Coarsely chop the dried apricots. – Soak the sultanas in a glass of water for a few minutes to moisten them. – Mix the ingredients successively in the order indicated. – Pour the batter into a buttered cake tin. Baking time: 40 min at 160/180° (thermostat 7)

Tip:
Add squeezed orange juice to flavour the cake. Use flavoured soya juice to change the flavour.

Do sports diets work?

The Scandinavian diet: Especially suitable for endurance sportspeople
Principle and method
The Scandinavian diet appeared in the 1960s and was born out of the need of some sportsmen and women to make an intense physical effort on the day of the event. The Scandinavian dissociated diet is therefore mainly intended for endurance sportsmen and women and for all those who have to make intense efforts for a short period of time (boxers, for example).

The principle of this weight loss programme is as follows:

7 days before the day of the event (D-7): The athlete must do exercises to lower the glycogen reserves of his muscles.

6 days (D-6) to 4 days (D-4) before the event: He must follow a diet low in carbohydrates (about 10% of the daily ration) and conversely enriched in lipids.

3 days before the day of the event (D-3) until the day of the event: the athlete will consume carbohydrates (more than 70% of the daily ration).

For a Scandinavian dissociated diet to remain effective, it should not be followed more than twice a year. In addition, sportsmen and women are advised to reserve this diet for events requiring long efforts (such as marathons or football).

High energy expenditure combined with demanding activities requires a well-balanced food intake, especially if you want to lose weight. To find out more about this subject, there are many articles waiting for you!