“Margaritas on fat. Why pizza is becoming part of sports nutrition

Professional sports are always associated in people’s minds with a rigid and structured lifestyle. Athletes have to spend their day on a strict schedule and eat within a calorie limit. However, does everything correspond to reality? A few days ago, the media reported on what the players of Zenit St. Petersburg soccer club eat after matches. In the locker room of the team they bring from 20 to 30 pizzas, it must necessarily be “Margarita”. With our regular expert and wellness coach Andrei Semeshov we discussed the beneficial properties of such a meal.

Is it possible to eat pizza without harming your figure?

“Zenith” is not the only example when professional athletes eat pizza to restore strength to the body. Of course, it is hard for ordinary people to imagine that this product can bring any benefit, not just extra pounds. Most bodybuilders and even fitness models include it in their diet during preparation for competitions. Hockey and basketball players are also not left out. It is impossible not to notice that pizza has become one of the main products in modern sports.

Andrei: Why do they prefer pizza? Because they like to eat good food like millions of people who don’t even think about sports. The higher the class of the athlete, the more he is, of course, aware of nutritional science and everything around that. Either he has qualified nutritionists on his staff. So any professional athlete knows for sure that there is no need to demonize certain foods and dishes. It’s not pizza that makes you fat, it’s overeating. I like to cite the example of the American blogger Anthony Howard-Crow, who exemplified weight loss by posting results on his YouTube channel. He consumed only two products – ice cream and whiskey. For a hundred days on such a diet, the man managed to get rid of an extra 15 kg.

Pizza is an excellent and tasty source of recovery after heavy loads. By its composition, the classic versions of pizza is quite balanced in the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Why do Zenit players prefer “Margarita”?

It is difficult to find a definite answer to this question. Perhaps because it is one of the lowest-calorie ones. Its composition is very simple: mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and fresh basil. All the bad stuff is in the flatbread. There is no meat and an abundance of various spices. It seems that it is quite difficult to recover strength with the help of “Margarita”. Then why does the management of the St. Petersburg team buy it, not giving the players a choice?

Andrei: There could be a lot of reasons. Take, for example, the fact that in soccer, as far as I know, omens and superstitions are very common. It is possible that once the administrator of the team ordered such a pizza after a difficult match, which St. Petersburg miraculously pulled out, although the forecasts were disappointing. Then began a series of victories. So was born the tradition of ordering pizza, and it was “Margarita”.

Another option is that the team is likely to have players with different eating habits, including religious reasons. Vegetarians should also not be forgotten. The classic margarita is flour, a little butter, vegetables and cheese. All in all, a universal product. Although it certainly won’t work for fruitarians.

How do you build a meal plan before a competition?

On the day of a competition or match, athletes live on a different schedule. Nutrition also changes, especially when performances are held in the evening. You have to adjust to the schedule and prepare your body for serious stress. You need to choose the right diet to satiate your body and replenish your strength at the same time, and at the same time not to harm yourself. Many athletes, mainly hockey and soccer players, whose matches are often held in the evening, prefer a dense dinner to multiple meals.
Our expert explained the reasons for this system.

Andrei: I doubt very much that athletes go to the field, ring or any sports arena with a full stomach. It’s all about individual physiology. Extreme sports loads are definitely a stress mode for the body, during which it needs to redistribute blood flow to the working muscles. A full stomach also requires increased blood supply. This is an unnecessary “conflict of interest”. However, high-level athletes are well aware of what diet they prefer. They just need to avoid fatty foods and not get full. As for us mere mortals, a great strategy is to eat two to two and a half hours before exercising. Don’t have time? It’s not a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach. The less time before exercise, the lighter the food should be.

If we talk about eating, for example, the same bananas before or directly during sports competitions, I do not see the point in it at all. This leads to a strain on digestion, plus there is a need for time to digest the same carbohydrates. If you have such a need, it is better to use special gels, as for marathon runners, for example. If you need glucose, you can buy a couple of blisters at any pharmacy for a penny and put them under your tongue if necessary.