The Year of the Pulses
Why these legumes are the next athletic superfood
Simply put, pulses are the nutrient-dense seeds of legumes. They’re considered a superfood for athletes, which is timely, given that Rio is around the corner and that 2016 has been designated the Year of the Pulse by the United Nations. Pulses are big on f lavour, pack a nutritional punch, are economical and a highly sustainable ingredient. They’re a recipe for healthy and enjoyable eating.
Dr. Phil Chilibeck, professor of kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan, has conducted research into why legumes are considered a superfood for athletes. His study found that they’re a high protein and low-glycemic index carbohydrate source, meaning they’re digested slowly, thereby providing a sustained source of energy to muscles over long periods of time, usually for several hours.
“Low-glycemic index carbohydrates are also beneficial because the slow digestion stimulates a lower release of insulin into the blood compared to carbohydrates with a higher-glycemic index, such as white bread, mashed potatoes, or sugar-sweetened drinks such as Gatorade,” Dr. Chilibeck wrote on the Sports Think Tank blog. “A high insulin level in the blood prior to endurance exercise might be detrimental because insulin inhibits the burning of fats by muscle.”
Dr. Chilibeck goes on to say that pulses allow greater stimulation of fat use in muscle, compared to high-glycemic index carbs. Ingesting pulses hours before endurance exercise (either in their whole state or incorporated into nutritional sports bars), improves metabolism during exercise. He ran a study at the University of Saskatchewan in which the university soccer team consumed pulses a couple of hours before a match. The findings pointed to improved agility and running performance in the last stages of their 90-minute match. The study also found that, “when consumed by football [soccer] players daily over a month, pulses reduce body fat percentage and allow players to run about 2.5 per cent greater distance during their matches, as assessed by global positioning systems. This improvement in running distance is substantial enough to improve on-field football [soccer] performance.”
He posits that pulses are not only beneficial for performance, but also have added health benefits, such as the ability to reduce cholesterol levels (a risk factor for the long-term development of heart disease). Consuming pulses after a workout, says Dr. Chilibeck, is also a fine idea as they stimulate the continued use of fats in muscles. And since they’re high in protein, their consumption may also stimulate the repair of damaged muscle and synthesis of muscle proteins.
Pulses are also equally as, or more effective than, high-glycemic index carbs for the purposes of improving next-day exercise performance. The study looked at trial performance in cyclists and the agility timing, as well as the time it took to complete a ball-dribbling course amongst soccer players, with pulses comparing favourably in both cases.
In the future, Dr. Chilibeck would like to use gps devices to track the impact pulses have on athletic performance in order to better quantify their effects on athletes and runners. Talk about keeping his finger, literally, on the “pulse” of the matter.
PULSES ALLOW GREATER STIMULATION OF FAT USE IN MUSCLE, COMPARED TO HIGH-GLYCEMIC INDEX CARBS.