5 nutritional tips for training in summer

Although it took a while, the sun, the heat and the summer are already here. This also means that the holidays are already around the corner and you are surely already noticing it in your daily life in the box. But, training in summer is different from doing it the rest of the year: we change our routine, we socialize more and the training becomes harder with the high temperatures. Therefore, we give you 5 nutritional tips to train correctly in summer . To do this, we have spoken with Iñaki Domínguez, dietitian and physiotherapist at the CrossFit Runa box in Pamplona, so that he can explain and recommend good nutritional habits to continue giving iron in the summer.

1. If you follow a diet during the year, don't leave it in summer

Our expert insists on clarifying the concept of diet. If it is understood as "the set of foods that you eat to meet your needs and always be well all year round, summer is no exception ." However, it is advisable to adapt your diet to the activity and the weather since we sweat more and lose more fluids and salts. If we understand the diet as slimming type but this food schedule is only applied from October to May, and we break those habits in summer, Domínguez points out that it is not a good option. " The key would be to take the summer to give you oxygen if the nutritional issue is complicated, but not throw everything away."

2. Take advantage of seasonal products

According to Domínguez, seasonal products are one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet . "These seasonal products will give us more satiety and, on the other hand, a greater hydrosaline contribution." Even so, we must not leave aside foods that we eat the rest of the year such as lean protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, soy, etc.) and healthy fats (seeds, nuts or vegetable oils). Therefore, the seasonal foods allied to training in summer are those that "provide medium or fast assimilation sugars, salts and liquids," says our expert.

Watery fruits such as watermelon, melon, mango as pre and/or post training.
Vegetables such as buds or endives.
Fresh vegetable soups such as gazpacho, salmorejo and other cold creams.

If we don't have much time or desire to cook, Domínguez recommends the following healthy fast food strategies :

Detox smoothies : they are a good starter as they provide vitamins and minerals beyond the 'detox' motto.
Gazpachos and cold creams
Salads already prepared with fresh products and that you compose yourself
Salads with green sprouts or leaves , seeds and other healthy fats (avocado, olives, nuts) and a grilled or boiled protein part in the case of meat, fish or eggs.

Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas or beans should not be ruled out , especially if we are going to train in summer. "You have to cook them in a different way. This is the magic of gastronomy, being able to eat legumes in a salad or another type of dish than the traditional one," says Domínguez.

Healthy pre-workout ideas

It must ensure energy, hydration and salts .

Energy fruit with liquid : mango (highly recommended), melon, watermelon or even banana.

Isotonic drink : drink between 150-250ml along with a fruit.

For extra energy : a coffee or drinks with guarana.

Healthy post-workout ideas

It is necessary to combine protein with carbohydrates to improve the assimilation of both.

Standard proportion (1g of carbohydrate per 1g of protein): 400ml of water, 15-30g of protein powder and 1 small/medium banana or 2 pieces of fruit. Or protein with oat milk.

Recommended proportion (2g of carbohydrate per 1g of protein): 400ml of rice milk, 15-30g of protein powder and 1 small/medium banana or 2 pieces of fruit

Proportion for competitors (3g of carbohydrate-1g of protein): 400ml of water, 15-30g of protein powder, more fruit and/or a supplement such as oats or cereals.

3. Take care of hydration if you train in summer

High-intensity workouts, such as CrossFit or HIIT, become harder in summer due to the heat and humidity, whether in a box or outdoors. The body loses much more water in addition to salts and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Therefore, the recommendation of sports nutritionist Iñaki Domínguez is to correctly provide water and salts before, during and after training .

Before training: drink water.
During training: water with electrolytes such as a salt solution or a standard isotonic drink.
After training: isotonic drink or restorative foods such as fruit juice.

"If you only drink water and train for many hours, you can reach a state of hyponatremia, that is, an electrolyte alteration due to not incorporating salts," says Domínguez. In addition, it allows you to improve performance during long workouts or avoid cramps or the rise of a muscle group. As for quantities, for functional training, it would be enough to drink a total of 500ml or 600ml of water with salts and divide the intakes before, during and after training. "To avoid digestion problems, a feeling of heaviness and improve assimilation, it is better to take 150ml doses . And if it can be a little fresh, the better," says the expert.

Homemade isotonic drink

1 liter of water

6 tablespoons of panela or brown sugar

1/2 or 1 tablespoon of salt (to each person's taste)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4. Adapt your diet to physical activity

For people who prefer to stop training in the summer or practice other physical activities, it is necessary to adapt their diet to the change in exercise . "The intakes must be adapted to a lower energy density ," explains Domínguez. "It is best to opt for more satiating foods such as salads, use raw foods and foods that need to be chewed well." In addition to looking for a certain regularity in meals to avoid spending too much time on an empty stomach. Another option that our nutritionist recommends is to opt for intermittent fasting , twice a week in periods from 12:00 to 16:00. "But you have to study each case," he warns.

5. Treat yourself in moderation

Summer is a time to break the routine, even training, and enjoy new experiences. On a nutritional level, summer is a very sociable time in which one can neglect the food schedule followed the rest of the year. In this sense, Iñaki Domínguez recommend indulging yourself but in a moderate way.

Alcohol : You may go out drinking with your boxing friends after training and, even if you have hydrated, alcohol can cause water deficiency the next day.
Ice creams : They contain quickly assimilated sugars, saturated fats and a lot of lactose. "If you are a little sensitive, even if you are not intolerant, it can affect you more in summer due to excess lactose intake."
Grills and barbecues : These are very salty meat products that, if roasting is neglected, can burn, "generating pyrrolytic derivatives that have a pro-carcinogenic effect in the event of a high and long-term intake of them. Take advantage of alternative grills of vegetables, fish instead. , etc., always controlling the degree of roasting. In addition, being very salty, it will dehydrate you and you will drink more beer, and you enter a vicious circle ," says Domínguez.
Juices : Avoid industrial, bottled or brick juices, as they contain many added sugars.

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Therefore, the key is moderation or opting for healthy alternatives to some of these products:

Juices of organic origin : They are less sweet and do not usually contain added sugars, although you should always read the label.
Detox juices : They are smoothies with very interesting nutritional and mineral contributions, according to Domínguez.
Smoothies : They contain more fiber than juices and if we add vegan protein or whey they are a good post-workout .
Protein ice creams : Whether from a specialized brand or homemade, this option is healthier since there is a balance between carbohydrates and protein, which allows better assimilation of these nutrients.
Healthy tapas : Instead of opting for potatoes or fried foods, you can accompany your beer with healthier tapas such as olives, ham, anchovies or nuts .

As a final recommendation, Iñaki Domínguez insists on not stopping physical activity completely: "Not training in your usual place is not an excuse to stop exercising." Free-body HIIT modalities, which include running or swimming, are easy to practice anywhere. "It's about trying to keep our metabolism active." As you can see, these 5 nutritional tips for training in summer seek to maintain each person's food schedule but adapting it to seasonal foods and providing more hydration to combat sweating and electrolyte loss . In addition, you can enjoy the small pleasures of summer but always in moderation or opting for healthier options.