The central idea of the "Food First" philosophy is that athletes should prioritize obtaining the majority of their nutrients from whole foods and beverages, rather than relying solely on isolated parts of food or dietary supplements.
But why?
Complete foods offer a harmonious combination of macronutrients, micronutrients, fiber and bioactive compounds that promote optimal performance, recovery and overall health. By prioritizing complete foods, athletes can ensure that they are fully meeting their nutritional needs, while minimizing the potential risks associated with the use of supplements, such as contamination and inadvertent ingestion of prohibited substances.
This is because, even though it is possible to obtain a given nutrient through a supplement, we will never be able to obtain the matrix of all the components of the food, especially because we do not know it completely.
A food is made up of a matrix of thousands of components and they all interact with each other, leading to certain reactions that can enhance health and sports performance. This is one of the reasons why we shouldn't exchange soup and vegetables for multivitamins, because not all the components that we find in these superfoods can be found in multivitamins, such as phenolic compounds, phytonutrients, flavonoids, among others.
And in what situations can we consider the use of supplements?
In situations where athletes face challenges obtaining specific nutrients in adequate amounts through diet alone, targeted supplementation can offer valuable support to optimize performance and recovery.
For example, the use of creatine to enhance muscle mass gains: Creatine is naturally present in greater quantities in foods such as meat and fish.
However, it is notable that, due to the need to consume considerable amounts of these raw foods to reach the daily recommendation of around 3 grams of creatine, supplementation becomes a relevant option.
Therefore, exercisers should seek guidance from qualified specialists in the field of nutrition to find out whether their daily diet meets the Recommended Daily Intake (DRI's) of a given nutrient and/or whether it is really important and safe to supplement with a given supplement. in a specific sport.
Marinho Ribeiro
Close GL, Kasper AM, Walsh NP, Maughan RJ. “Food First but Not Always Food
Only”: Recommendations for Using Dietary Supplements in Sport. International
Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2022 Sep 1;32(5):371–86.