Food
In our body ,respiratory and circulatory system have also the function to control very carefully the temporary and continuous variations of physiological body PH (7.38-7.44). In fact all the normal and necessary metabolic processes occur in our body, create acidosis (respiratory acidosis CO2 and fix acidosis SULFURIC and PHOSPHORIC ACID) that changes the PH. These systems provide to constant and precise adjustment of the micro PH variations.
Talking about athletes, excluding any disorder occur to the respiratory and circulatory systems, and situations such as smoking and prolonged use of drugs, may anyway happen that these interior systems are not enough to buffer condition like personal stress, intensive sport, not enough water provision, excess of acidifying food (meat, cheese, cold cuts, counter..) and not enough use of alkalizing product (fruits and vegetables) and the PH stays for too long time in a not ideal position.
In these cases the physiological rapport between ICW and ECW (intra cell water 60%/ extra cell water 40%) is not good and we notice spilling from I to E later also to the cells membranes rupture; FFM(fat free mass) decreases, FM (fat mass) increases follow of catabolic phases began and the athlete’s body starts to give external signals to us. Athletes often feel tired, sleepy especially in the morning, it’s hard to start practicing, their joints are sensitive and in the worse cases there are risks of injury such as muscles rupture(the famous cells-inflammation process).
How to recognize these signals and what to do?
First of all there is a question list to identify these symptoms that in medicine are called MUS (Medically Unexplained Symptoms)
-Do you have often chronic fatigue?
-Do you often change mood?
-Do you sleep well or you often wake up in the night?
-Do you suffer of persistent sleepiness during the day?
-Are you an anxious person?
-Are you an apathetic person?
-Have you ever had panic attacks?
-Do you perceive increases in heart rate at rest?
-Have you noticed changes in appetite?
-Are you hungry at night?
-Have you ever had problems such as heartburn, fullness, bloating, sickness, at the end of the meal?
-Have you an irritable bowel?
-Have you persistent constipation?
-Do you often have cold hands and feet?
-Do you sweat a lot at night?
When the athlete responds positive at 2-3 or even more of these questions and when the electrolytic test ( BIA- ACC Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer *) proves definitively that for example the ECW (extra-cells water) is over 44% and some other numbers, ( that are not going to be fully explained and analyzed in this article), are not in the range that they are supposed to be, in all these cases there are founded reasons to presume that the body is in stress (chronic inflammation, unbalance hormones production that raise up catabolic process and infection) and it’s definitely not recovering enough between practices.
Well, at this point we have to reconsider the way of eating, drinking and supplying the body with some extra minerals (Bi-phosphates, Magnesium, Potassium, Bicarbonate of Soda, Calcium) because probably what we have done so far is the responsible of the body inflammation status.
Every food has a specific GL (Glycemic Load) and PRAL (Potential Renal Acid Load).(you can easy find table in internet).The best chose between these two indices all day long create un estimable buffer system for our body. According to the hormones interaction, especially Cortisol / Insulin / Glucagon the general idea is to chose high GL food and high negative PRAL in the morning and progressively decries GL and PRAL (going positive number) during the day. These are just a general and non specific indications because the way and amount of food and drink and the supplements to eventually take are individual and follow the aforementioned BIA test as well as numerous and complicated physiological body hormones interaction.
So we are not here to give a diet valid for everybody!!
Follow summary general and non specific direction:
-look at the GL of ever food and prefer high GL in the morning and low GL in the night
-look at the PRAL (index of acidity) of the food and choose negative PRAL especially in the morning.
-generally eat everyday fruits and season vegetables.
-drink at least 2,5L of water per day.
-follow a healthy lifestyle
-eventually take some supplements according to a doctor indication.
STAY TUNED ….!!
* by Biotekna Italy http://www.portaledinu.it/ Dott Boschiero Dario. They use this system over the last ten years with a lot of great players and teams.
ALESSANDRO BRACCESCHI
ALESSANDRO BRACCESCHI (Fano, Italy 16/07/1980)
Degrees:
– Degree in accounting (I.T.C Battisti, Fano 1998)
– Degree in Physical Education (with emphasis on Prevention/Rehabilitation)University of Urbino, Italy 2003
Experience:
- 2006-2007 Player and Athletic Trainer “Nuncas Piu Volley Chieri”
- 2006-2007 Athletic Trainer “Pallavolo Torino” Men’s Division C, Italy
- 2007-2008 Athletic Trainer “Santeramo Sport” Women’s Division A1, Italy
- 2007-2011 Athletic Trainer Bulgarian Women’s National and Junior National Teams
- 2008-present Athletic Trainer “Vakifbank Gunes Sigorta” Women’s League 1, Turkey Champion’s League
