Vegetables for top physical performance

Vegetables for top physical performance

Healthy eating

Vegetables have a high water content: green ones, red ones, white ones... Water is distributed naturally to cells during the digestive process. A diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables reduces your need for drinking water.

Certain vegetables are high in slow-absorbing carbohydrates, which will provide energy to muscle cells during physical exercise: dried vegetables and red and orange vegetables provide excellent sustenance.

Vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and antioxidants: spinach, peppers, all forms of cabbage, tomatoes, etc. They provide the necessary components for muscle tone and, moreover, repair the damage done by free radicals generated by stress and intense physical effort.

Vegetables are a good source of minerals and trace elements: they promote neuromuscular transmission (the relay of commands to muscle) and improve recovery after physical exertion.

Examples:

• Before or after jogging: a mixed salad that combines seed vegetables (maize or corn, lentils) with vegetables like green beans, mushrooms or artichoke hearts.  
• Before or during a mountain-bike ride: a Pan Bagna sandwich (a small boule of bread with ratatouille and ham)
• Before a marathon: two hours beforehand, a dish of dried and fresh vegetables, with no meat: chickpeas, courgettes (zucchini), tomatoes, aubergines (eggplant), onions, carrots.