Fuel up for the CrossFit Open!

We want to welcome you to the first Daily Dose Of Health . In this article written by Smart Nutrition you will learn how to prepare your diet to face the CrossFit Open to the fullest.

The OPEN is an online Crossfit competition that takes place all over the world. Its duration is 3 weeks, beginning this year 2022 on February 24. Each week, the athletes will have to perform the WOD proposed by the organization and upload their score to the official platform. The 10% of the best individual athletes from each continent will have access to the next phase, the Quarterfinals. The OPEN are the first qualifying phase that will give access to the Crossfit Games.

Every athlete will be able to perform these WODs in their reference box. For many of them, these OPEN are the beginning of their season, or a key point of it to arrive at the best possible time and be able to play a good role.

From SMART NUTRITION we want to launch some nutritional advice for those athletes who want to give their best version during these weeks.

1. First of all, one of the best advice that can be given is not to try anything new or alternative during these weeks. Once the date arrives, the work will already be done, and it will be time to translate it into the WODS. Therefore, the recommendation would really be to have been foresighted and have been training and eating with the aim of achieving maximum performance.
2. In a sport like Crossfit, where the glycolytic pathway is of vital importance due to the use of glycogen as a priority energy substrate in this type of high intensity effort; a high consumption of carbohydrates will be essential. We could say that it is a basic advice for these weeks. That our glycogen reserves are well charged and well replenished after each workout will be related to better performance in these OPEN. Cereals, fruit, tubers and legumes will be great allies to achieve this.
3. Speaking of energy pathways, and touching a little on the subject of sports supplementation, Creatine Monohydrate is one of the basics in this sport. Its consumption makes sense if it has been carried out for a while, since it acts by accumulation. The phosphagen pathway uses phosphocreatine to obtain energy in very short and very intense efforts. Guaranteeing full phosphocreatine stores will favor performance in this type of effort. With food, the intake falls short, so it is one of the few substrates that it is necessary to reinforce its intake through supplementation if we want to obtain a benefit on sports performance. In future POSTs we will talk in detail about creatine and other supplements that may have a place in this sport.
4. Let's not forget to eat enough during these weeks. The caloric intake of our diet must be in accordance with the energy expenditure that we generate. Apart from the aforementioned carbohydrates, we will need to include a good protein intake, divided into equal doses throughout the day, which guarantees a good protein turnover. In the same way, a sufficient consumption of healthy fats will be essential. In an individualized way, the objective should be to provide all the macro and micronutrients in the optimal amount to guarantee a good recovery between sessions and a good sports performance.
5. Enjoy! Both eating healthy and in a way adapted to your objectives, as well as training and leaving your skin in each WOD.

From SMART NUTRITION we can help you plan nutritionally both your OPEN and the season ahead. Do not hesitate to write to us!