NUTRITION
Gluten free: Facts to know before you go
A popular nutrition trend calls for the elimination of foods containing gluten, but there’s no science to indicate it provides any performance benefi ts for a healthy athlete
By Shawn Hueglin and Abby VanLuvanee
CONTAINS GLUTEN Carbohydrate Source
Wheat bread Barley Rye Bread Oats*
GLUTEN FREE Carbohydrate Source
Brown Rice
GLUTEN IS A STORAGE PROTEIN FOUND in wheat, rye, barley, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) and possibly oats. It consists of two proteins (gliadin and glutenin) and is formed when dough is made from the kneading process of fl ower and water. People follow gluten-free diets for a vari- ety of reasons, including celiac disease (1-2 percent of population), gluten sensitivity (1.6 percent of population), weight loss or as a way to manage other digestive symptoms. In recent years, many athletes have experimented with gluten-free diets because they believe it will give them an edge in training and competition. If this is the reason you’re considering eliminating gluten, keep in mind that the benefi ts you may get from this change – feeling better, performing better, losing weight – may come from the fact that you are eliminating highly processed, packaged and fast foods from your meals and snacks rather than from the elimination of gluten. The truth is, there is no scientifi c evidence that a gluten-free diet ben- efi ts athletic performance for someone who doesn’t have an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten. If you’re a volleyball player who would like to reduce or eliminate gluten while maintaining a healthy training diet that allows you to perform at your best, here are a few tips to get you started: • Ask yourself why you are choosing to reduce or eliminate gluten from your diet. If you’re experiencing gastrointestinal issues (GI), it’s
Lentils Quinoa Corn tortilla White Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Beans
(Black, Kidney, Chickpeas) Raspberries
70 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag Serving Size 1 slice 14 1.9 0.8 ½ cup cooked 22 3 1 slice 1 24 17 15.4 1.9 0.91 13 ½ cup cooked 14 2 7 30 81 73 53 71 13 13 48 83 Serving Size ½ cup cooked 26 1.6 ½ cup cooked 20 7.8 ½ cup cooked 20 2.6 1 small tortilla 12 1.4 ¼ large (½ cup) 16 1.6 ¼ large (½ cup) 16 2.6 ½ cup cooked 21 6.4 1 cup 0.6 3.3 1.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 2 15 8 0.9 39 36 59 17 20 22 37 27 87 365 159 40 407 380 122 186 9 179 39 48 28 5 115 26 *Oats are gluten free but can sometimes be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing.
best to fi rst discuss this with your physician or a sport dietitian before eliminating foods from your diet. Logging your daily food and symp- toms will assist a medical professional in identifying the cause of your symptoms. This way you can systematically fi gure out the cause of your discomfort. • If you simply want to experiment with gluten-free foods, it’s best to understand various carbohydrate sources and ways to continue eating a high quality, nutrient-balanced diet that includes carbs, pro- tein and fat. Athletes need carbs for energy, but it’s important to
Carbohydrate (g) Fiber (g)
Iron (mg) Magnesium (mg)
Carbohydrate (g) Fiber (g)
Iron (mg) Magnesium (mg) Potassium (mg) Folate (µg) Potassium (mg) Folate (µg)
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