Dan Churchill, performance chef and podcast host, took part in the very first Technogym Retreat in May of 2023. He is also the Founder and CEO of Charley St protein grounds and the Culinary Creative Director and Food and Nutrition Expert of Centr, Chris Hemsworth’s lifestyle app. He holds a Masters in Exercise Science (strength & conditioning). Dan is the author of three books and has appeared on notable programs such as ABC’s Good Morning America and The Drew Barrymore Show. He currently owns and operates the production company The Epic Table, along with a podcast of the same name. Dan was born on the beaches of Sydney, Australia and currently resides in New York City.
With summer coming up, Dan Churchill has provided Technogym and wellness enthusiasts with nutrition tips to help stay fit.
6 ways to improve your performance nutrition during the summer (with a focus on UAE’s climate)
- Water hydration. Just 2% dehydration will have an impact on your performance. Especially in the UAE, this is of vital importance where heat can soar! Dehydration has an impact on blood plasma volume and blood flow, your cells do not get the required resources they need. To combat this simply consume 3L of water a day. This is a decent marker.
- Electrolytes. We lose between 350-700mg of sodium per hour of exercise depending on how much you perspire. Especially for those doing endurance exercise, be sure to replenish with the amount of sodium that you use (if you are a light sweater aim to the lower target of 350mg. If you are a heavy sweater 700mg per hour of exercise).
- Protein. Protein is naturally important to look after repairing your damaged tissue leading to a performance adaptation. Aim for 1.7x your bodyweight in kg as a base marker for the amount of protein in grams you should be consuming per day. Example: if you weigh 80kg… 80 x 1.7 = 136. So, aim for a minimum of 136g of protein daily.
- Meal timing. If you did not eat before your workout, be sure to consume foods or at least a smoothie directly after your workout. If you did eat before, you still have enough amino acids in your system to look after you for an hour, but make sure to have food shortly thereafter.
- Variety of plants. You need your dietary fibre to look after your gut which is responsible for digestion and top of funnel for nutritional absorption. By providing your body with a variety of dietary fibre you also support your central nervous system, which is responsible for sending messages between the muscles and brain for performance.
- Sleep. Whilst not directly nutritional, getting adequate sleep supports hormone release to help with performance adaptation, but it can also be linked to poor digestion if you do not get enough of it. Insufficient sleep can also mess with your hunger hormones, so you may think you are hungry when you are in fact not. Aim for 7 hours minimum a night.
Nutrition trends in 2023: What has changed and what to expect in the future
There has been an increasing amount research around gut health – and how this affects overall performance. A growing number of people are now in tune with their sleep patterns and are using wearable technology to assess how well they are sleeping.
Whilst we see some companies are enabling this already, I believe the future is going to include the ability for everybody to truly be able to quantify how well they are absorbing certain foods and will be able to check hourly what nutrients they are deficient in, so they can adjust their meals for the rest of the day.
Technogym 2023 Technogym, brand leader in fitness, sport, and wellness and nine times Official Supplier of the Olympic Games, creates its once-in-a-lifetime Technogym Retreat (10-12 May) in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations in the world. The retreat is part of the mission: “Let’s Move For a Better World”. It has the goal of amplifying the brand’s commitment and social responsibility mission, as well as to celebrate the launch of Technogym’s new treadmill Technogym Run. The new treadmill, born from Technogym’s 40 years of experience in fitness and sport, offers a single solution which matches the quality and technology found in the world’s best gyms. It provides an unprecedented variety of workouts: from running, to power, to bootcamp. To make it an unforgettable experience, Technogym has partnered with Jeremy Jauncey – CEO of Beautiful Destinations and invites famous influencers and experts in nutrition and training to join the event. |
