For whom is it recommended?

The diet for the active, as the name implies, is mainly aimed at people undertaking regular, recreational or semi-professional physical activity. This plan is perfect for those who choose general development workouts aimed at improving strength, endurance and aerobic fitness.

Diet rules

People who regularly engage in physical activity, when planning their nutrition, should focus, among others, on the selection of the appropriate energy content of the diet, as well as the amount of protein, carbohydrates and liquids. Only a properly balanced nutrition plan allows you to reap the maximum benefits of exercise, such as improving fitness or general fitness, but also supports the prevention of cardiovascular diseases or cancers.

• Energy value of the diet

The caloric content of the diet will not only translate into body weight, but above all into energy resources during exercise. Therefore, an important element that is taken into account when determining the caloric content of a nutritional plan is to take into account the energy expenditure associated with the training. Both too low and too high a calorie supply can contribute to a delay in achieving your goals. The plan should include additional meals that will balance the calories burned during the activity, or, accordingly, increase the energy value of the already planned dish. This is especially important when it comes to reducing diets. Too much caloric deficit can be negative in the effects and cause, for example, a decrease in muscle mass or even a deterioration in exercise capacity, a decrease in energy, general weakness and nutritional deficiencies.

• Carbohydrates - the type and time of their consumption

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy during exercise, so they should cover a significant part of the energy requirement, especially for physically active people. The basis of the diet should be whole grain products (bread made from wholemeal flour, all kinds of cereals, brown rice, whole grain pasta), fruits and vegetables.

Depending on the calorie content of the diet and the time of meals, products with a lower fiber content and a higher glycemic index can also be included in the menu. And so:

• if for the planned activity we 3-4 hours, we can reach for less processed cereals, for example: coarse groats, such as pearl or buckwheat, which will be digested longer and, consequently, the energy from them will be released more slowly;
• When the only thing left to do is to train 1-2 hours, it is worth choosing products with less fiber content, such as banana, millet porridge, sandwich with jam or fruit cocktail.

After exercise, especially if we plan to do the next activity the next day, complex carbohydrates are recommended. Dishes should be based on unrefined cereal products with added protein, e.g. lean meat or fish with carbohydrate addition or salad with porridge/pasta.

• Protein

Lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, low-fat dairy products and legume seeds are other products that should be included in the diet of active people. They provide components (amino acids) for the construction of enzymes, neurotransmitters, transport proteins, cells of the immune system and tissues. All these elements will have an indirect or direct effect on exercise capacity, for example by maintaining the body's water-electrolyte balance. In addition, protein optimizes post-exercise regeneration of muscle tissue and promotes the restoration of glycogen (a backup form of carbohydrates used as the main source of energy during exercise). But beware! When reaching for plant-based sources of protein, such as legumes, keep in mind that they do not provide all the essential amino acids. Therefore, to increase the biological value of the consumed vegetable protein, it is worth combining it with cereal products. Such a combination will work in both salty and sweet dishes, for example vegetarian cutlets, dishes, cookies or brownies.

• Fluids

Physically active people have an increased need for fluids, which is associated with increased sweating during training. Even a slight dehydration can translate into sports performance, so you need to take care of the correct fluid supply during exercise. It is worth weighing yourself before and after training and make sure that the difference in body weight is not more than 1%. In addition, if the activity lasts more than 60 minutes, you can consider drinking isotonics during training.

Proper hydration should be remembered throughout the day, and not just in the peri-training period. If we have a problem with it or we do not know if we are taking enough water, it is worth adding liquids to the application, which will help us monitor the level of hydration and will inform us that it is time to take a few sips.

What products will we find in this diet?

The plan for active people in MultiLife is based on meals containing carbohydrates and good quality protein, for example: porridge, millet, pasta, porridge, meat and fish with additives. As part of the snacks you will find here, among others, cocktails, fruits, nuts or dark chocolate.

Bibliography:

1. Bean A.: Nutrition in sports. Poznań: Zysk i S-ka Wydawnictwo; 2008
2. Momma H., Kawakami R., Honda T. Sawada S.: Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 28 February 2022. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061
3. Jeukendrup AE, Gleeson M. Sport Nutrition: An introduction to energy production and performance. Human Kinetics, 2010
4. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016; 48 (3) :543-568

[1] According to the “British Journal of Sport Medicine”