Nutrition Query!

[samdive]

Need some help..

I am in the middle of a Sports Coach course and my latest assignment is to do some research on nutrition in my sport. I have chosen Freediving as my sport which makes that kind of hard... I can't just pop down to the library and look stuff up which is where you lot come in.

Can anyone help with the following..

I need to research the vitamin and mineral requirements for freediving athletes with particular reference to:

Vitamins - A, C and E

Minerals - Zinc, Selenium, Iron and Chromium

I also need to identify three sources of advice on diet and nutrition with freediving.. you guys are one, any others?

Won't ask you to do my homework too often I promise!

thanks for any assistance
Sam

 

[Kars]

You know Samantha, I use the sun

Good luck, maybe you could refer to the different Apnea books arround?

Ciao, Kars

 

[samdive]

thanks Kars but I am not sure I would score too high on my assignment if I put that...

will check out some books

anyone got any more concrete info?

 

[Michael]

Sam,

I have recently become interested in wheat grass as a nutrional source, because the proponents touting the benefits of wheat grass claim that chorophyll is so similar in composition to hemoglobin that the body can use it to oxygenate the muscle tissue. However, the book I was reading was unscientific for lay people. I would be interested to know if there is any scientific data to support the claim.

Good luck with your project.

 

[efattah]

Well, hypoxia is well known to create lots of free radicals. This means an increased need for antioxidants, which include vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium. Of course, it is beneficial to add many more endogenous antioxidants, such as CoQ10, R-alpha lipoic acid, N-Acetyl-Cysteine (precursor to natural glutathione), as well as exogenous phytoantioxidants which are too numerous to mention (such as phycocyanin, lycopene, lutein, anthocyanidin, proanthocyanidin, chlorophyll, quercetin, etc..)

Hypoxia also stimulates red blood cell production (i.e. erythropoiesis), and this requires iron, zinc, Vitamin C, B6, B12, folic acid, copper and protein.

Further, because freediving causes stimulus for muscle tissue development (primarily anaerobic), then it instantly inherits all the nutritional requirements of other sports which also require muscle tissue development, anything from sprinting to weight lifting.

Because blood pressure affects retention of consciousness and brain oxygenation, and because fluid level / hydration affect blood pressure, then electrolyte balance is key, since electrolytes affect hydration. So, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, sulfate and chloride must be balanced. They can be balanced by eating sufficient quantities of all of them, and then allowing the kidneys to balance their levels in the blood.

Is this enough or do you need more?


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[BlueIcarus]

Hi samdive,
In Pellizari's 'Corso di Apnea' there's about 4-5 pages of freediving nutrition. Emphasis on antioxidants, protein and blood cell building material. It's not too extensive, but can be cited as an autoritative source.
If I remember another sources, I'll let you know

Cheers

 

[Fred S.]

Well, hypoxia is well known to create lots of free radicals. This means an increased need for antioxidants, which include vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium. Of course, it is beneficial to add many more endogenous antioxidants, such as CoQ10........

Studies have shown that under low oxygen conditions Co Q10 acts as a pro-oxidant, a producer of damaging free radicals. In my opinion, supplementing Co Q10 before intense hypoxic training would actually cause damage.
Idebenone, a synthetic analogue of Co Q10, can effectively substitute for Co Q10's positive and life essential functions, it doesn't have Co Q10's free radical producing and energy crashing "dark side" which occurs under hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions. Unfortunately, Idebenone is a very expensive supplement.
check: http://smart-drugs.net/JamesSouth-idebenone.htm