Did You Know Your Diet Can Impact How You Move?
When talking about sports nutrition, the focus is often on recovery, muscle growth, and overall health. However, there's a nuanced layer that's often overlooked: the impact of nutrition on biomechanics.
While formal research is limited, I believe inflammatory foods can negatively alter movement mechanics. This is crucial since any mechanical degradation can lead to injury or poor performance, a concern for athletes and professionals alike.
By understanding and addressing this, athletes can achieve better movement and performance.
Understanding Different Types of Inflammatory Responses in Athletes
Inflammation is a critical physiological response that plays a significant role in the body's ability to recover and adapt, especially for athletes. Post-exercise inflammation, often referred to as acute inflammation, is a beneficial response that occurs when the body experiences microtears in muscle fibers due to intense physical activity. This type of inflammation signals the body to start the repair process, promoting muscle recovery, adaptation, and strengthening. During this phase, the body releases cytokines and other inflammatory markers to attract immune cells to the site of injury, facilitating tissue repair and growth. This response is essential for athletes aiming to enhance their performance and physical capabilities.
However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can have detrimental effects on the body. Chronic inflammation occurs when the body's immune response remains elevated over an extended period, disrupting the natural biomechanics of the body. Persistent inflammation can alter muscle function, joint mobility, and overall movement patterns, which are crucial for optimal athletic performance. For athletes, chronic inflammation can impair their ability to perform efficiently by making it difficult to maintain proper form and mechanics. This can lead to increased injury risk and reduced performance levels, which are significant concerns for both athletes and those who work with them, such as trainers and coaches.
The significance of managing inflammation is clear, as the ultimate goal for athletes is to achieve higher levels of movement expression. Any mechanical degradation or breakdown due to chronic inflammation can result in poor performance and potential injury. Therefore, it is essential for athletes to balance beneficial post-exercise inflammation with strategies to prevent chronic inflammation. Proper nutrition, adequate rest, and targeted therapies are crucial in mitigating chronic inflammation and supporting optimal biomechanical function. By addressing inflammation proactively, athletes can maintain peak performance and minimize the risk of long-term health issues.
It is important to note that from what we have just discussed. Inflammation is not the problem. Inflammation is a mechanism that prevents damage from continuing. However, if the inflammation is not controlled and the body does respond properly to the inflammation this signifies there is an underlying issue that the inflammation cannot stop. According to Jay Feldman, a health and wellness coach and independent researcher, an unhealthy response to inflammation is typically a sign that we cannot or are not utilizing the fuel we are taking in. Normally, our body's absorption of nutrients are blocked by things such as endotoxin and the over consumption of Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) which as we discussed are all too common in the foods we are ingesting, albeit without our knowledge.
Hopefully, by now, athletes are well aware of the risks they are taking when their diets are not dialed in. Most restaurants these days that consider themselves "healthy" are actually misleading the population and using highly inflammatory foods and everyone including athletes are still readily dining there. In this article, my hope is that I will educate you just how inflammation effects athletic performance and also how you can control your body's inflammatory response through your diet and lifestyle changes.
Defining Inflammatory Foods
Inflammatory foods are those that can trigger or exacerbate inflammation within the body. One of the most common types of inflammatory foods are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). While these fats were previously considered healthy, consuming them can lead to various health issues, particularly impacting our body's energy balance. As athletes, we frequently subject our bodies to stress through training, digestion, and uncontrollable external factors. When we consume PUFAs, our bodies convert them into harmful inflammatory compounds. This conversion process is particularly problematic during periods of stress, as it can exacerbate inflammation and disrupt overall bodily functions.
PUFAs, found in many common foods, can negatively affect cellular metabolism and energy production. According to Jay Feldman, these fats can lead to the creation of lipid peroxides, which are damaging to cells and tissues. This oxidative stress further contributes to inflammation, making it harder for athletes to recover and maintain optimal performance levels. By reducing the intake of PUFAs and focusing on healthier fats such as saturated fats and monounsaturated fats, athletes can help minimize inflammation and support better energy balance and overall health.
Inflammatory Foods Impact on Biomechanics
Inflammatory foods can have a profound impact on an athlete's biomechanics by impairing proper muscle recruitment and disrupting muscle memory. When athletes consume foods that promote inflammation, such as those high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), it can lead to increased swelling and inflammation in muscle tissues. This swelling interferes with the body's ability to recruit the correct muscles needed for specific movements, essential for maintaining precise and effective form.
Swelling caused by inflammation can disrupt the normal function of muscle fibers, leading to inefficient movement patterns. When muscles are inflamed, they do not contract as efficiently, and the body may compensate by using other muscles that are not ideal for the movement. This improper recruitment can lead to a breakdown in the kinetic chain, where the coordination and timing of muscle actions are disrupted, ultimately affecting performance and increasing the risk of injury.
Additionally, chronic inflammation can prevent athletes from developing and maintaining muscle memory. Muscle memory is crucial for athletes as it allows them to perform specific movements repeatedly with precision and correct form. When inflammation is present, the repeated practice of movements becomes less effective, as the correct muscles are not being consistently engaged. This inconsistency can hinder an athlete's ability to refine their technique and achieve optimal performance.
Research, such as the study on knee osteoarthritis, demonstrates how inflammation affects biomechanics. The study found that reducing knee inflammation improved gait biomechanics and strength, highlighting the importance of managing inflammation to maintain proper movement mechanics. By minimizing the intake of inflammatory foods and focusing on a diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, athletes can better manage inflammation, ensuring proper muscle recruitment and preserving muscle memory, essential for high-level performance.
For further details, you can explore the study on the impact of inflammation on gait biomechanics and strength here.
Take Aways from Inflammatory Foods as a Hinderance to Athletic Performance
The foods we consume have a layered and nuanced impact on our health and athletic performance. Many athletes fall into the trap of poor dietary patterns, which can lead to movement dysfunction. Inflammatory foods, like those high in PUFAs and sugars, can trigger chronic inflammation, leading to impaired muscle recruitment and disrupted muscle memory. This makes it challenging to maintain proper movement mechanics, essential for optimal performance.
Chronic inflammation not only affects muscle function but also joint stability and overall biomechanics, increasing the risk of injury. As athletes strive for higher levels of movement and performance, it's crucial to recognize the impact of suboptimal foods. By minimizing inflammatory foods, athletes can enhance their biomechanical efficiency, reduce injury risks, and achieve better overall performance.
Understanding the significance of diet on movement can lead to more informed choices, helping athletes to not only perform better but also maintain long-term health and stability. Often, the greatest progress comes from eliminating the things that hold us back, including poor dietary choices that contribute to inflammation and biomechanical inefficiencies.
Solution to Help Eliminate Inflammatory Foods
One effective way to eliminate inflammatory foods from your diet is by preparing your meals at home. This allows you to control the ingredients and ensure you're using high-quality meats and products that haven't been exposed to inflammatory substances. Choosing organic, grass-fed, or pasture-raised options reduces the intake of harmful additives and pesticides. Additionally, incorporating more fresh fruits, vegetables, and easily digestible foods like white rice can help combat inflammation and promote overall health. By making these conscious choices, you can significantly reduce the presence of inflammatory foods in your diet and support better health and performance.
At Top Velocity, this is the approach we take with all of our athletes to ensure they are promoting rapid recovery from the significant amount of stress demanded by the 3X Velocity Program. If you are interested in getting your very own complete nutrition plan with guidance on how to implement these methods and the exact road map to ensure you are maximizing your nutrition, then I would head on over to our Top Velocity Nutrition Program 2.0. If you have any questions feel free to give us a call by clicking the button below.
References/Further Reading
- Hulbert, A. J., et al. “Dietary fats and membrane function: Implications for metabolism and disease.” Biological Reviews, 80, no. 1, 1999, pp. 155–69. doi:10.1017/S1464793104006578.
- Porter, R. K., et al. “Allometry of mitochondrial proton leak: Influence of membrane surface area and fatty acid composition.” The American journal of physiology, 271, 6 Pt 2, 1996, R1550-60. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1996.271.6.R1550.