Sport is essential for a healthy body and mind. In naturopathy, it is one of the fundamental pillars of a healthy lifestyle, and must be adapted to age and physical condition.
An alkalinizing diet
Sport, especially when practiced intensively, tends to acidify the body by releasing acid waste. The body then seeks to maintain an acid-base balance to neutralize this acidity and avoid the onset of muscular and joint problems, fatigue, recovery difficulties, loss of performance, etc.
An alkalinizing diet is essential to provide the nutrients needed to maintain this balance. To achieve this, we rely on:
- Fruits and vegetables, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Oilseeds (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, etc.).
- Non-acidifying plant proteins, such as those found in legumes.
legumes.
- High-quality omega-3 fatty acids from unrefined virgin oils such as hemp, camelina or linseed.
- Wholegrain cereals to provide carbohydrates, fiber and minerals.
Optimal hydration
Hydration is essential during sports activities. It replenishes the body's fluids and eliminates acids and waste products. During exercise, even the slightest dehydration of 1 to 2% leads to cell stress and a significant loss of performance. For optimal hydration, we therefore take care to:
- Drink plenty of pure water every day. Avoid stimulating drinks that dehydrate (coffee, black tea, soft drinks, etc.).
- Drink small quantities of pure water during efforts lasting less than an hour.
- Drink isotonic beverages in small quantities for efforts lasting more than an hour. These drinks can be homemade by mixing, for example: 1/3 grape juice, 2/3 water and a pinch of salt.
- Drink bicarbonate-rich water after exercise to boost your mineral intake.
Choosing your timing
There's no such thing as the ideal time to practice a sport. It all depends on the sport and your own physiology. However, it's best to avoid training in the evening after 7pm, so as not to disturb sleep, or just after eating (except for a small snack), so as not to disturb digestion.
In this case, you should wait at least two hours before exercising.
Optimizing recovery
Good recovery is the key to top performance in sport. In fact, it goes hand in hand with training to prevent fatigue and injury. For quality recovery, you need to take care of yourself:
- Massages to relieve muscles and facilitate acid elimination with arnica oil combined with essential oils such as wintergreen or rosemary camphor.
- Sauna sessions to relax muscles and increase the release of toxins through sweat.
- Rest and sleep to allow the body to repair itself deeply.
- Good hydration and alkalizing (we keep coming back to this!).
The right supplements
Certain food supplements can be a great help when practicing sport. Diet is not always sufficient to provide all the minerals, vitamins and elements the body needs. In this case, we can turn to..:
- Antioxidant complexes with coenzyme Q10, selenium or zinc to limit oxidative stress.
- Remineralizing active ingredients and plants to protect joints and muscles, such as nettle, horsetail or collagen.
- Amino acids to promote muscle rebuilding.
- Spirulina for a complete supply of plant proteins, antioxidants and minerals.
Be careful, however, not to take supplements without consulting a professional who can tell you which ones are right for you.
Enjoy your sport!