For the active diet

Who is it recommended for?

As the name suggests, the Active Diet is primarily aimed at people who engage in regular, recreational, or semi-professional physical activity. This plan is perfect for those who choose full-body workouts aimed at improving strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness.

Diet principles

When planning their nutrition, people who exercise regularly should focus on factors such as choosing the right caloric intake, as well as the appropriate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fluids. Only a properly balanced nutrition plan allows you to reap the maximum benefits of exercise, such as improved fitness or overall performance, while also supporting the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.  

• Caloric value of the diet 

The caloric content of your diet will not only affect your body weight but, more importantly, your energy reserves during exercise. Therefore, an essential element considered when determining the caloric value of a nutrition plan is accounting for the energy expenditure associated with training. Both too low and too high a caloric intake can delay the achievement of your goals. The plan should include additional meals to balance out the calories burned during activity or appropriately increase the energy value of planned meals. This is extremely important, especially in the case of weight-loss diets. Too large a caloric deficit can have negative consequences, such as a reduction in muscle mass, impaired exercise capacity, decreased energy, general weakness, and nutritional deficiencies. 

• Carbohydrates – type and timing of consumption  

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy during exercise, so they should cover a significant portion of your energy needs, especially for physically active individuals. The foundation of your diet should be whole-grain products (whole-wheat bread, all types of groats, brown rice, whole-grain pasta), fruits, and vegetables.

Depending on the caloric value of the diet and the timing of meals, products with lower fiber content and a higher glycemic index can also be included in the menu. For example:

• if you have 3-4 hours until your planned activity, you can reach for less processed grains, such as coarse groats like pearl barley or buckwheat, which take longer to digest, meaning the energy from them will be released more slowly;
• when there is only 1-2 hours left until your workout, it is worth choosing products with a lower fiber content, such as bananas, millet, a jam sandwich, or a fruit smoothie.

After exercise, especially if you plan to be active again the next day, complex carbohydrates are recommended. Meals should be based on whole grains with added protein, such as lean meat or fish with a carbohydrate side, or a salad with grains or pasta. 

• Protein 

Lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, low-fat dairy products, and legumes are other foods that should be included in an active person's diet. They provide the building blocks (amino acids) for enzymes, neurotransmitters, transport proteins, immune system cells, and tissues. All these elements directly or indirectly affect exercise capacity, for instance, by maintaining the body's water-electrolyte balance. Furthermore, protein optimizes post-workout muscle tissue recovery and supports glycogen replenishment (the stored form of carbohydrates used as the primary energy source during exercise). However, be careful! When choosing plant-based protein sources like legumes, remember that they do not provide all the essential amino acids. Therefore, to increase the biological value of plant protein, it is worth combining it with grains. This combination works well in both savory and sweet dishes, such as vegetarian patties, stews, cookies, or brownies.  

• Fluids 

Physically active individuals have an increased need for fluids due to increased sweating during training. Even slight dehydration can affect athletic performance, so it is important to ensure proper fluid intake during exercise. It is a good idea to weigh yourself before and after training and ensure that the difference in body weight is no more than 1%. Additionally, if the activity lasts longer than 60 minutes, you might consider drinking isotonic drinks during your workout.

Remember to stay properly hydrated throughout the day, not just around your workout. If you struggle with this or are unsure if you are drinking enough water, consider logging your fluid intake in an app that will help you monitor your hydration levels and remind you when it is time to take a few sips.

What products will you find in this diet?

The active plan in MultiLife is based on meals containing carbohydrates and high-quality protein, such as oatmeal, millet porridge, pasta, grain-based dishes, meats, and fish with sides. For snacks, you will find items like smoothies, fruit, nuts and dried fruit, or dark chocolate.

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Bibliography:

1. Bean A.: The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition. 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 Sports Medicine