Raise your hand if you have not thought: tonight at the table I exaggerate a little, so tomorrow I’m going to run. Now a research has measured that “little”: it is at least 10 percent more calories on average and usually consumed. The study was conducted by the English Loughborough University, on a group of physically active men, and published in theEuropean Journal of Nutrition. The physical activity planned for half of the group included 30 minutes of cycling and 30 minutes of moderate running, while the other half of the group was asked to “rest” for an hour. But is an extra 10 percent of calories enough to nullify an hour of sport? So you can forget about losing weight if you make even a small departure from the rule? “The research was not aimed at monitoring a loss of kilos, so much so that none of the participants was ever weighed, but it was still calculated that the increase in food consumption – that 10% more – did not entirely nullify , but to a large extent as “burned” with training »underlines Gianfranco Beltrami, National Vice President of the Italian Sports Medical Federation.
Missed weight loss goal ?
«However, one does not do sport just to lose weight. The beneficial effects are manifold. From the increase in strength of muscles and joints, with consequent improvements also in posture and resistance to fatigue; to the optimization of the metabolism. From improving the capacity of the respiratory system to that of the contractile capacity of the heart and the circulatory system in general. And then I know that physical activity helps the release of endorphins, the hormones of good mood and help regulate appetite ».
But does your appetite not increase after exercising?
«Physical exercise is able to rebalance the sense of hunger by adapting it to nutritional needs. Two hormones coexist in our body: leptin produced by fat cells, which gives the sense of satiety, and ghrelin produced by the stomach responsible for the sensation of hunger. When you play sports with a certain intensity, leptin goes into the circulation and spreads a sense of satiety. At the same time, in correspondence with an intense physical effort, ghrelin levels are reduced and the sense of hunger decreases ».
In the study cited, the richest meal was eaten in the evening, but would this be the right time?
«You should never start exercising without energy, the” petrol “should be introduced from two to two and a half hours before starting to play sports. In the case of power sports (for example throws, jumps, short distance running, weight lifting) it is better to anticipate to three, three and a half hours. And then, of course, you also have to be careful what you eat ”
Advice on the menu before sport?
«Shortly before training or during, quick to assimilate carbohydrates (honey, jam, dehydrated fruit, fruit in syrup). The combination with nuts can be functional to promote a more gradual release of rapid carbohydrates and to increase energy, all this if you do not have to lose weight: for this purpose you must ensure there is a disproportion between calories introduced and burned ».
Let’s talk, then, about consumption…
“A calculation based on the simple count of calories is misleading because different factors come into play including constitution, age, hormonal balance and nutrient absorption, however, in half an hour of running, they are consumed on average by 250 to 300 calories (it also depends on the speed and weight of those who run), to “lose” a kilo of fat mass in a week you have to go in a deficit of about 7 thousand kilocalories which is equivalent to introducing two thousand a day but consuming three thousand .
June 29, 2021 (change June 29, 2021 | 18:44)
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