Is pasta a carbohydrate? Should you eat only protein to stay in shape? Is whole wheat pasta better than classic pasta? And does skipping meals help you lose weight? Truths and false myths about sports and carbohydrates from food science specialist and sports physician Michelangelo Giampietro.
CRONONUTRITION IMPROVES ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE: TRUE
It is extremely important to set correct meal times according to training regimes. There are food recommendations available that, when followed at particular times of the day, make for improved performance and better recovery, not only on a muscular level. Some of the main rules are: do not train while fasting; do not eat overly large and poorly digestible meals right before exercising; have carbohydrate-rich snacks in the hours immediately before a competition (always combining complex and simple carbs); eat immediately after working your muscles, or rather in the first half hour, in the so-called “anabolic window”, when your body is able to repair the damage and increase muscle mass more quickly and successfully.
HIGH PROTEIN AND LOW CARB DIETS HELP YOU GET BACK IN SHAPE: FALSE
These are the so-called “fashionable” diets, ranging from the High Protein Diet, the Zone Diet and the Ketogenic diet. All of which are based on low-carb consumption (especially the Ketogenic).
Science (and sport) generally discourages a high-protein, low-carb diet because a shortage of carbohydrate reserves in the body is a limiting factor, not only for cases of prolonged, continuous or intermittent exercise but also for short, high-intensity performance. Insufficient carbohydrate intake alters central nervous system performance factors such as pitch control, perception of fatigue, motor skills and concentration out in the field.
ATHLETES SHOULD ONLY EAT WHOLE WHEAT PASTA: FALSE
Whole wheat pasta is always a welcome guest at the table for both athletes and non-athletes thanks to its high fibre content. But, like all foods containing fibre (ferrous vegetables, legumes, etc.), its consumption pre-competition should be limited, to avoid any possibility of unwanted gastrointestinal disorders interfering with the exercise. In that case, better to choose “classic” pasta…
PASTA IS ONLY A CARBOHYDRATE: FALSE
One of the most common false myths is that pasta is exclusively a source of carbohydrates. When actually, pasta also contains proteins (on average 12-13%), B vitamins, and mineral salts, including potassium, and small amounts of fat (between 0.3 and 2 g). All of these nutrients and micro-nutrients are essential in sports nutrition. And when combined with a sauce containing vegetables and fish, meat or legumes, we have a perfectly balanced and tasty Mediterranean dish. Proteins, especially gluten, are also needed to maintain a good “al-dente” firmness in the pasta, making it more delicious and digestible.
SKIPPING MEALS REDUCES BODY FAT AND INCREASES MUSCLE MASS: FALSE
If you skip meals, your body uses protein as an alternative energy source to carbohydrates, which means you lose muscle mass. In addition, fasting to reduce body fat is always discouraged as it can have negative effects on our state of health, such as hypoglycaemia, drowsiness, and headaches. It is important to remember that food is not only a combination of nutrients and calories that we consume and burn time after time, but it is much more, it has a favourable effect on our mood and well-being, also influencing our performance of a sport on a mental level.
List of scientific sources:
- Nutrition and Athletic Performance, American College of Sports Medicine (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada)
- Linee Guida per una Sana Alimentazione, CREA (Research Centre for Food and Nutrition), 2018
- Aspetar, Sports Medicine Journal, Volume 10, 2021
- Physical activity is a fundamental means of improving physical and mental health, WHO
- Pounis, A. Di Castelnuovo, S. Costanzo, M. Persichillo, M. Bonaccio, A. Bonanni, C. Cerletti, M.B. Donati, G. de Gaetano and L. Iacoviello on behalf of the Moli-sani and INHES investigators “Association of pasta consumption with body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio: results from Moli-sani and INHES studies”, Nutrition & Diabetes (2016) 6, e218; doi:10.1038/nutd.2016.20
