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| Today's Project: Gluten Free Cookies and Dried Fruit for Snacking |
What do US Olympic Gold Medallist, Dana Vollmer, and Canadian Ironman Champion Heather Wurtele have in common? They both live and compete on a gluten free diet.
Last week I received an e-mail from a woman on the Master's team I train with. Recently, she was diagnosed as having gluten and dairy allergies and was looking for some resources to help her transition her diet. Although I am lucky not to have been afflicted by either of these sensitivities, I know a few people, and read about several high performance athletes, that unfortunately are. So I did a bit more research and here is a snap shot of what I found.
The Celiac Foundation reports that 1 in 133 people in Canada have Celiac Disease. Other sources quote 1 in 10 have at least some sort of mild gluten sensitivity.
Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity can cause some common, yet unpleasant, symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, gas, anemia, constipation, joint pain and swelling. The villi in the intestine of people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities are damaged by the immune reaction to gluten and proper absorption of essential nutrients can be impaired. For anyone this is a big issue, but for an athlete it's a game changer. You can read more on Dana Vollmer and Heather Wurtele at
Gluten is found in products containing some of the following, wheat, rye, barley, durum, graham flour, kamut, semolina, spelt, wheat germ, and wheat bran. Generally we need 15g of carbs/kg of body weight, sometimes more depending on the training cycle. Eating gluten free makes it a little harder to get the proper intake of carbohydrates needed to keep the athletic body at peak performance and maximize recovery, especially when the easiest carbs to buy are no longer an option.
So What Now?
Transitioning to a gluten free diet is not an easy task. Although it is getting easier to find "edible" gluten free options at the grocery store, the selection is limited and care in reading labels is very important. A dietitian will help guide you in the right direction. You can find a local dietitian at the following websites:
www.eatright.org/ (USA)
When shopping for food, choose fresh or frozen vegetables, dried, fresh, and frozen fruits, corn, dried beans, lentils, potatoes, squash. Look for whole grains labelled gluten-free, such as breads, pastas, oats, granola, millet, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, corn tortilla, tapioca, rice, eggs, tofu, natural nut butters, and cold pressed oils (olive, safflower, peanut, grape seed, sesame).
Here are a few examples of gluten free snacks for workouts:
- For quick energy, go for dried pineapple, cranberries, raisins, dates, chocolate chips (my favourite), and honey.
- For something that lasts a bit longer go for whole grain oats, buckwheat, coconut, quinoa, nuts and seeds.
- Don't forget your sources of protein when considering diet changes. Protein aides in recovery and rebuilding of muscle tissue.
After reading the amazing stories of Dana Vollmer and Heather Wurtele, and reading some speculations that there may be benefits for those athletes not affected by gluten, I wondered if I should slowly transition into a wheat free diet. According to the Australian Institute of Sport, it is not necessary for someone without a gluten issue, to cut gluten from their diet. In Runners World Magazine, Lara Field, R.D., who is also a marathon runner working with Celiac patients, says there is no evidence that a gluten-free diet offers any performance benefits over a balanced diet containing gluten unless you have a true sensitivity.
There are benefits to incorporating aspects of a Gluten-free diet into our everyday meals whether gluten loves you or not. These carbs mostly have a low glycemic index helping to sustain energy throughout the day by keeping blood sugar levels stable. They are a much better choice than grabbing a quick sugary snack to temporarily boost energy.
Below is a list of some references and articles to look at should you be interested in incorporating gluten-free foods into your diet. There is definitely no shortage of information to be found on the Internet; however, if you want to transition your diet to completely gluten-free, and I cannot stress this enough, please consult a registered dietitian.
References:
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