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Plenty of people ask me about nutrition for surfing. Two of the most common questions are what should I eat to make sure I have enough energy and what should I have post session to best recover?
Well, here you go.
What is the best way to fuel surf sessions?
The crucial first step to having plenty of energy in the water is to become metabolically flexible. That means having a fully functional metabolism so that it can use various foods for fuel.
Can you last more than 2 hours without food? Are you able to surf or train fasted; that is, without food?
Metabolic flexibility refers to our ability to use different fuel sources (either carbs or fat) for energy. When you are metabolically inflexible, you have a poor ability to switch from one fuel source to another and this can lead to weight gain and poor health.
So how do you increase metabolic flexibility?
1.Exercise regularly
2. Reduce carb intake for a short period so that your body can more easily access fat tissue for energy. Metabolic inflexibility is strongly linked with an inability to burn fat. By restricting carbs, you can more easily access fat burning.
3. Supplement with Curcumin (the active ingredient in the spice turmeric).
What is the best way to recover from long sessions?
Post session is the perfect time to refuel with plenty of fruits and some protein. My favorite post surf session protein shake is filled with coconut water, banana, protein powder and some greens.
What is the best way to prepare for longer sessions?
Make sure you eat a large meal with plenty of carbohydrates the night before your big session. Similar to endurance athletes who “backload” with carbs before a big race, you’ll want to load up on carbs to make sure glycogen (stored carbs in muscles) levels are full. This will give you plenty of paddling energy and stamina in the water.
The other key is hydration. It’s one of the most difficult parts of surf preparation to get right. The best strategy is to stay well hydrated the night before and in the few hours before your session.
Drinking alcohol and even caffeine will negatively impact your hydration levels, so it’s important to stay away from heavy drinking the night before. If you do drink coffee make sure you have at least a glass of water to go along with it.
Outside of this, you can use supplements to fill the gaps. While the vast majority of supplements are a complete waste of money, there are some well-researched ones that you should be taking.
Here are my top three:
Curcumin
It’s the active ingredient found in turmeric and curry spice and has been shown to be very effective at fighting inflammation. It also has large amounts of antioxidants which help protect our cells from disease. There have even been some research to suggest curcumin is anti-cancer in that people who’s diets are high are at lower risk for colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer.
Fish oil
There is good research that supports the use of fish oils to help with inflammation and cognitive function. Make sure you find a quality fish oil that has been tested by third parties to insure quality standards.
Whey Protein
Whey is a simple way to get to your minimum protein requirements. Whey also has anti-oxidants as well. If you’re avoiding dairy, you can find other protein powders made from brown rice, peas or hemp. Avoid soy-based protein powders and beware of mass produced protein powders with loads of carbs and sugars. Make sure to check for a low carbohydrate protein powder. Bluebonnet Whey Protein Isolate and Sunwarrior Plant Based Protein (Dairy Free) are good examples of this.
Editor’s Note: You can learn about nutrition for surfing here, as well as fitness tips from Nick, including his 30-Day Surfer Body Program, check out Saltwater Fitness.
