Kitesurfing is a demanding, technical and endurance sport and requires a healthy lifestyle before and after sessions to allow the body to recover. If this is not the case, the benefits can be compromised and performance limited. It is therefore important for a rider not to rush on processed foods to maintain lean body mass and immune function. What to eat before a session? And after a session? Read the answers in this article.
Breakfast for competitors
To fill up on energy, it is essential to adopt the basics of a healthy and complete diet. Kitesurfing is a sport that requires an excellent physical condition, so it is necessary to fuel your body as best as possible. The idea is to start the day with a range of exclusive nutrients. A fruit like a mashed banana provides vitamin B6, potassium, manganese and selenium. It is an effective source of energy to reduce cramps after training and promote rapid recovery.
You can also eat other fruits such as apples, kiwi, strawberries and peaches, depending on the season and individual taste. It is preferable to avoid citrus fruits, which are too quickly digested. Next, you should supplement this breakfast with organic seeds to be mixed into cottage cheese, for example. Flaxseed, sesame seed, peanut seed, walnut seed, hazelnut seed, pumpkin seed, you name it. Avoid ready-made mixtures and especially commercially processed cereals. You can supplement with a slice of wholemeal bread and egg-type protein to maintain the muscles if you have not taken cottage cheese.
Foods to focus on after a session
A good kiteboarding session is pure pleasure and pleasure means a good meal. Of course, no one can be 100% self-controlled all the time. The desire to share this with other riders over a beer or other food that you know is not good for your health is too great. Yes, but you also have to know how to please yourself and not feel frustrated, provided that this reward comes from time to time and is not systematic.
Generally speaking, an athlete who adopts the right attitudes can no longer do without healthy food, because he knows that pleasure and pleasure can be combined very easily. Cooking is complicated when you are on the move. In this case, you should opt for foods such as pasta or rice for slow carbohydrates. For protein, white cheese, eggs and chicken. Add dried fruit for quick sugars.
Don’t forget raw or cooked vegetables at every meal. You can include superfoods such as acai, which is the fruit containing the most antioxidants, or goji berries to help your kidneys, liver and immune system function properly and to fight fatigue. Finally, let your digestive system do its work quietly and space out your food intake by at least 4 hours.
Hydration for the kitesurfer
Just because kitesurfing is a sport that takes place on the water doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t think about hydrating yourself because you don’t feel thirsty. However, it is clear that in full sun, dehydration is a threat to the rider. You should therefore think about taking a waterproof bag with water and cereal bars if you feel tired.
The recommendation is to drink 1.5 litres of water per day. For a rider, add 0.5L per hour of physical activity, to be taken in small doses and not all at once. Dehydration is a serious problem that can be fatal. Mild symptoms include a feeling of thirst and a dry mouth. But it can lead to dizziness to the point of coma. So it is not to be taken lightly.
By following sessions with Greg and Colin, they will tell you everything you need to know to eat properly and stay well hydrated while kitesurfing. The KGG school in Hyères in the Var allows you to learn or improve your kitesurfing skills. Accessible to all, including children, the equipment is renewed every year and each student is equipped with a radio to communicate with his instructor.