Wishing #TeamIndia for #Rio2016. Make us proud #DikhaoDum.
With the biggest sporting event of the world – Rio Olympics, our team decided to let a big secret out. Athletes usually keep nutritional secrets well guarded. Won’t it be beneficial to know nutrition secrets of athletes, especially Spirulina Nutrition.
Super-foods have been around for decades now. They have become incredibly popular among athletes. Athletes need to ingest food dense in nutrients to perform at their potential. And what’s better than Spirulina for their nutrient need.
Super-foods provide “clean” energy, increase stamina and extend endurance. They also contain large doses of anti-oxidants, vitamins & minerals. Moreover, they are source of natural goodies in natural and bio-available form.
Spirulina was declared as “food of the Future” by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Currently Spirulina is used by NASA in their space programs. According to a research conducted by NASA in 2012,one gram of algae has the nutritional equivalent of 1,000 grams of fruits and vegetables.
Spirulina for athletes in the Olympics!
According to Citybizlist (a US news and business website), Olympic athletes have for over four decades tapped into spirulina nutrition for energy gain, endurance and vitality. Nothing else matches spirulina incredible nutritional density.
One of the first athletes to link success to the super algae is Lee Evans –the four-time American gold medalist and four-time world records holder in track and field. Evans said spirulina nutrition improved my endurance & recovery. This gave me speed which resulted in my faster times.
Another country using the power of spirulina nutrition is China. China even has a spirulina farms only for its Olympic athletes. And, for the last 10 years, the Chinese Government has said its Olympic athletes take Spirulina. Several elite groups such as Carnegie Institute, World Bank, have endorsed and recommend Spirulina as the most nutritionally dense foodin the world. Researchers have shown that Spirulina is a powerhouse of nutrients, check our blog/reports.
Why spirulina for athletes?
Spirulina turns out to be the most nutritionally dense, lowest calorie in the world. Spirulinahas been shown to increase an athlete’s energy, endurance, speed and mental agility. It also helps prevent colds, stops hunger, reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and fatigue, improves digestion, helps with weight loss, removes toxins, balances blood sugar, builds the immune system and more. Spirulina is alkaline food and helps to regulate our internal pH. This is what makes it a best source for Athletes.
During intensive training athletes can experience non-anemic iron deficit, with clinical symptoms such as exhaustion and muscle fatigue. A 1998 study with male and female athletes taking spirulina for two months reported a significant increase in iron. Taking a few grams of spirulina per day is reported to increase optimal physical capacity. Studies on Spirulina supplementation reveal a significant increase in exercise performance and fat oxidation. A study showed reported the following after a week of Spirulina supplementation
- sportsmen felt more bouncy.
- better sleeping quality achieved.
- fatigue after physical load performance was less.
- recuperation processes became quicker,
- improved endurance when performing strength exercises.
All spirulina is not created equal. If you want to tap into the incredible power of spirulina nutrition make sure to only buy spirulina of the best quality.
Source:
- Trojacanec, Z. et al. Inst. Med. Physiology, Skopje, Macedonia. Pub in XXIV FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine, June 1998.
- Report on the effect of Spirulina supplementation on sportsmen by Milaðius et al. (2004)