Sport and coeliac disease: what are the right types of food for athletes who are gluten-intolerant?
Athletes suffering from coeliac disease often struggle to find types of food that can help provide the energy required for training. What are the right types of food for them?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the small intestine causing it to become inflamed. The inflammation is caused by digesting gluten, i.e. a protein found in various types of cereal, such as wheat, barley and rye. Some people are gluten-sensitive or, in other words, they suffer from similar symptoms to people who have coeliac disease, for example stomach ache, headache or a swollen stomach, without having inflamed mucosa in the colon.
Food stores sell a vast array of products containing gluten. Not just the cereal-based foodstuffs mentioned above, such as pasta or bread, but also, for example, those containing only a small amount of flour for thickening purposes.
Gluten-free diet: what to eat before going to the gym
From a sports viewpoint, somebody who has recently discovered they suffer from coeliac disease might think they will struggle to store away enough energy for a training session, rather like a vegan worries about eating too much protein. This is…
