How Greens improve athletic performance
GREEN IS FOR GO!
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR BODIES WHEN WE EAT A PLATE OF GREENS?
Efficient blood flow is a cornerstone for optimized performance since blood is how oxygen and vital nutrients reach the cells in our muscles, brain, and the rest of our body, while also helping to eliminate waste.
Nitrogen, a chemical found in green leafy vegetables, plays a major role in delivering oxygen throughout the body by influencing blood thickness. A steady intake of nitrogen improves the body’s oxygen delivery system. As a result, the thickness of blood is reduced, lessening a person’s chances of developing blood clots, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease stroke, and heart attacks. Leafy greens contain nitrates! Unlike the cancer-causing nitrates in cured meats like bacon, the nitrates in greens serve an important function.
If you go to nutritionfacts.org and search for “foods to improve athletic performance and recovery” the first image that pops up is a bowl of greens. Understanding what happens when you consume a healthy dose of greens will change what your plate looks like. Now let’s dive into the details. Let’s rewind a little to the part where it states “nitrogen improves the body’s oxygen delivery system.” Now, this is very important especially when it comes to athletic performance. In that opening statement, we saw that a steady intake of nitrogen helps reduce the thickness of blood. Efficient blood flow is a cornerstone for optimized performance since blood is how oxygen and vital nutrients reach the cells in our muscles, brain, and the rest of our body, while also helping to eliminate waste. The key ingredient in greens that helps facilitate blood efficiency is Nitrates
Now let’s understand what happens with nitrates in our bloodstream. Our arteries are lined with endothelial cells and their primary function is to release nitric oxide. This chemical compound signals muscle fibers in your cell walls to relax and allow more blood flow. Nitric oxide also helps to dilate blood vessels during physical activity(and inhibits the formation of plaque).
Typically, when we are fifty, our bodies are producing 50% less nitric oxide than when we were twenty-five.
The good news is that you can make up for the lost percentage by chewing your greens and absorbing the natural nitrates that reside in leafy greens, especially kale, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, beet greens, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and beets.
“When you chew—and only chew—your food, the bacteria residing in the crevices and grooves of your tongue combine with the nitrates in leafy greens and reduce them to chemicals called nitrites.”
In addition to encouraging our arteries to expand, the nitrates found in plant foods also allow our muscles to contract more efficiently, sparing their energy reserves and allowing them to accomplish more work with the same amount of effort. This translates into measurably better performance, whether it’s lifting weights, playing soccer, or cycling. A single animal-based meal can quickly thicken our blood, which slows down the flow of oxygen and the nutrients blood transports to the areas that need it most, including the muscles we use during exercise. People who avoid meat experience the opposite effect, since plant-based meals allow blood to remain fluid and flow quickly to its destination.
Now you are starting to understand why I make it a point of eating a bowl of greens (with my oatmeal of course!) a couple of hours before I hit the road and start cranking watts. There’s this fancy process that starts in your mouth as you chew that kale that reduces it to nitrites. These nitrites are further processed by the gastric acid in your stomach to nitric oxide which is then combined with existing nitric oxide (from the endothelial cells) which helps relieve pressure on your arteries. That all translates to better performance on the bike and my recovery is expedited (alleviates oxidative stress and muscle damage). Now, this blog serves as a tip to improve your athletic performance. It also serves to show you that daily life can be improved. Animal-based meals can cripple our arteries, preventing them from fully opening to allow increased blood flow. In addition, the typical western diet damages the endothelial cells….and we already know how important they are!
Think about F1. They take that little bolt and science the hell out of it. Then they take the oil, the tyres, the wheels…..every single part that eventually becomes the car, and science the hell out of them. Eventually, all these things are put together to create a vehicle that sits atop the motorsport echelon. Now apply the same principles to your well-being and you will end up with an individual that just kicks ass in daily life and sport.
I try to find every detail that would make me a better-performing athlete and apply it. Knowing what to eat and when to eat it is vital!
