Sports science and sports nutrition are relatively new fields and there is always new knowledge that challenges age-old beliefs. Where traditional advice on athlete health and performance seems to be plentiful, science now reveals how many of these concepts are no longer valid.
Here’s a look at six health myths and what sports science in India and around the world reveals about their accuracy.
1. Must One Train Early in the Morning?
Athlete performance is not dependent on exercising at a particular time of day. Although there have been recommendations to “jumpstart” the day through early morning exercise, sports science experts note that every person has the best time for exercising. While some may respond well to morning activities, others are more successful in the afternoon or at night when their muscles have been warmed up. While it is true that athletes do better when consistent and full of energy, rather than at a particular time of day, walking continuously versus walking with breaks to burn more calories does indeed work.
2. Does Walking With Brakes Burn More Calories Than Nonstop Walking?
Recently new research disproves some previously held beliefs about interval walking not being more calorically efficient than continuous walking: a recent study shows walking bouts of just a few steps broken up by rest intervals with breaks, requires significantly increased energy consumption compared to similar distance and duration walked continually, offering useful insights on sports nutrition and planning work outs and the capability for short spurts of events that could potentially allow greater increases in athletes’ capacities than originally thought.
3. Can Saunas Help Burn Fat?
Athletes rely on saunas to “melt away” body fats. Science in sports negates this by confirming that saunas do not actually have an effect on fat loss; they only temporarily contribute to water weight via sweating, which will then revert with water intake. Still, saunas serve their purpose in the health of the athlete: they relieve muscle tension as well as promote recovery by inducing the increase of endorphins. Saunas could be used during the rehabilitation of an athlete, but will never fill the need for a properly balanced nutrition and exercise lifestyle.
4. Cold Showers Give You the Common Cold—or Do They?
A belief continues that, especially in winter time, cold showers are something which leads to a bad case of the common cold. Sports science, however contradicts this by stating it is not the temperature itself which causes the cold. In fact, while acute cold exposure may cause uneasiness, it is actually a stimulus which cannot in and of itself lead directly to illness. In athletes as well as other human subjects, cold showers, without risk, can thus become part of a treatment strategy, especially since exposure to cold has been shown in multiple studies to have an added value of improving circulation, lowering inflammation, etc.
5. Losing Weight: Would Never Consider Fried Foods?
The idea that the removal of fried foods is what leads to weight loss is only partially true. Although the removal of fried foods may lead to less calorie intake, a balanced approach to athlete nutrition is required to achieve the ideal weight. Healthy portions combined with strength training and cardiovascular exercise would prove a better way towards health. In sports science, it is emphasized that maintaining a calorie balance through careful eating and regular activity is more important than following strict dietary rules.
6. Are carbohydrates and fats the enemy of an athlete?
The rise of high-protein diets has unfairly cast a shadow on carbohydrates and fats. Sports science reminds us that both are crucial to athlete health and performance. Carbs provide critical fuel for the brain and muscles, while healthy fats support hormonal balance and cellular function. Instead of cutting these nutrients out, athletes should add more complex carbs in the form of whole grains and vegetables and unsaturated fats from olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
With all this, sports science is challenging many of the health beliefs that have hung around for centuries. For athletes, proper balanced nutrition and the latest research on health practices are keys to optimizing performance and overall well-being. Rather than embracing myths, athletes can rather leverage pieces of evidence-based insights from sports science in India and the rest of the world to make the right decisions regarding their health and performance.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
