GOLF AND NUTRITION
Proper nutrition is one of the main building blocks for our health and the well-being of our body; I refer to sport but above all to our daily life. In both cases it is always recommended to have rules or cards to follow, we are all different therefore, as in swing, everyone should have their own way to go. Having experienced firsthand the fatigue and the expenditure of energies, physical and mental, that this sport requires, I realized the importance of pre, during and post activity nutrition. Do not do your best because your body is tired and no longer supports the movement, or simply the brain no longer has the drive to do its job, it would be a shame and our performance would certainly be affected. As in all areas, it is always better to rely on professionals in the sector, capable of studying our situation in detail to create a project and a path of change. I am fortunate to collaborate with Dr. Alda Tiziana Scacchetti, as well as a well-known expert in the sector and a person on whom to rely 100% in the world of nutrition and in many other fields. Below you will find more precise information about the doctor, her idea of nutrition and nutrition related to sport and other curiosities. Improve your nutrition to improve yourself; your golf will also benefit a lot.
Alda Tiziana Scacchetti: Biologist, specialist in Food Science, health director in the AUSL of Modena since 1992.
In the company he is responsible for the Organizational Module "Immunopathology and Diagnostic Allergology"; the complementarity of this discipline has favored the best knowledge applied to the study of nutrients and their mechanisms of actions in the search for allergies and intolerances.
She is a nutritionist in professional studies and private outpatient clinics.
Alda Tiziana Scacchetti is the author of numerous scientific publications. She writes for some websites and blogs dedicated to health and well-being, as well as being intensely engaged in dissemination activities.She conducts reports and conferences in scientific conferences, in sports, cultural associations, recreational clubs and schools relating to the topics she is expert in: allergies / intolerances and nutrition / nutrition to promote people's physical and emotional health.
Adopting proper nutrition, when practicing any sport, is definitely recommended. And this is even more true for golf, a sport that boasts a number of specific characteristics. First let's consider the duration: an average race lasts 5 hours, within which it is possible to differentiate the metabolic-energy commitment of this sport which requires two fundamental performance moments:
-the execution of the blow to send the ball towards the hole;
-the action of walking to move along the way.
These two different activities require a commitment of a purely anaerobic type for the execution of the different strokes, performed mostly with the development of a fast force and a maximum of segmental coordination; a commitment of a decidedly aerobic nature for the activity of transfer from stroke to stroke and from hole to hole through the action of walking. In addition to a correct daily calorie intake, which is part of the personal awareness of a healthy lifestyle, we remind you that it is important to organize a correct and well-distributed diet in the different phases of the before, during and after the game or the race.
It is known that a large part of the physical strength in the field is supported by technique and mind, but also by the type of diet, in fact only with adequate research and administration of the dedicated foods can physical fatigue be reduced and feeling well-being, without forget about the night's rest. Depending on the departure time and the number of holes (9-18), it is recommended to prepare some snacks to put in the bag such as bananas, fruit juices, maybe some almonds or shelled walnuts, water and specific drinks. The dehydrated fruits are also excellent, such as plums and apricots, which are sources of fiber and minerals. Green light also for two squares of chocolate containing 85% cocoa and acting as a powerful energizer. Although golfing is not particularly tiring if carried out on an amateur level, energy consumption is estimated at around 5 Kcal / min. If we multiply this figure by the average time required to complete the 18-hole course on foot, without the aid of the kart, we can certainly say that playing golf regularly is an extremely useful physical activity to lose weight or at least to keep fit at all ages. Let's now go into the food and diet recommended to the active golfer. The meals of the golfing day must be divided and composed so that the player, from the start to the end of the course, feels in full well-being, and does not experience fatigue and, in the worst case, does not experience hypoglycaemia.
Copious and heavy meals are not recommended; you need to provide snacks with energy bars and drinks to replenish lost liquids (on a windy sunny day dehydration can be 500-600 ml / hour); dehydration significantly reduces muscle efficiency. The active golfer's diet includes 15% protein, 25% lipid, 60% carbohydrate, with a decisive preponderance of polysaccharides (rice, pasta, whole wheat bread, potatoes). Anyone who has tried to spend a day on the field has experienced on his skin the consequences of the physiological decline with the passage of time which are manifested by the decrease in concentration and the worsening of performance on the field. In addition, the muscles of the hands, wrists and forearms slowly get tired and the legs forget the tone of the first blows, with the result of losing control of the stick, as well as the rhythm necessary for a fluid and harmonious swing. Not to mention the painful trauma to the joints and "tearing" in the back in an attempt to hit the ball correctly. Exceeding the physical and mental fatigue threshold, often without realizing it, is common practice in golf. It would be desirable, however, to be able to remedy the inconvenience, thanks to a well-balanced training program, accompanied by a suitable diet and more.
The last meal before the sports competition: you must avoid having digestive problems and hypoglycaemia due to excessive consumption of rapid sugars in the hours preceding the test. Lipids and novelties must be excludedfood that could be indigestible. This meal must be relatively light (600-800 kcal / breakfast, 1000 kcal / one meal) and consumed at least three hours before the test.Waiting for the competition, you can take small rations of complex sugars, for example in fructose (fruit) and it is recommended to drink water every 30 minutes. You have to be careful of fast sugars (especially glucose), which must not be taken before the test so as not to find yourself in the hypoglycaemic phase that occurs quickly after a hyperglycemia. This is not to be considered if the last meal was rich in complex sugars. The best formula is to dilute apple juice and water (50 and 50) and use this drink before the test because it is rich in glucose and fructose.
Supplies: they are essential if the test lasts more than 90 minutes: a sugary drink (glucose + sucrose + fructose in an amount of about 60-80 g / l) and slightly salty, i.e. isotonic and therefore easily assimilated by the body : this allows the use of this energy 20 minutes after the introduction. It is recommended to increase the sugar if the ambient temperature is low.
The recovery: in the recovery phase, it is better to quickly renew the stock of glycogen. We recommend drinking a drink rich in fructose and glucose every 15 minutes for the first 4 hours. This will be absorbed quickly because insulin in the blood is very present after the sports test. As food, we will start with simple sugars to replace them with more complex sugars. For the sportsman who has practiced a strength sport, the protein intake must not however exceed 35% of the total calorie intake: in theory it should not exceed 2 g. of protein per kilo of body weight per day. The intake due to protein supplements (high-protein powders) should not exceed 1gr. of proteins per kilo and per day, and max 60 gr per day in total (not to encounter an absorption problem). The uncontrolled excess of protein intake involves a transformation into reserve fatty acids, urea and ammonia whose toxicity is well known and also leads to a loss of calcium in the urine. To conclude, the protein intake requires optimal hydration, always higher than one and a half liters of water per day. For athletes who train at altitude (in hypoxia) a good hydration associated with a supplement in antioxidants (in particular vitamin A, C, E) and in proteins is necessary.
The finesse of the technical gesture, the precision of the shots, the extreme concentration on each shot, often combines a pleasant natural scenery in which golf courses everywhere are immersed in the world and the golfer, in addition to golf, is you know, he also loves good food and will never miss an opportunity to taste the delicacies of the place where he amiably finds himself, however, after a race.
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