Prestigious Doctor of Medicine, Expert in Sports Physiology and Specialist in Medicine in Physical Education and Sports, to which we should add a University Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, is one of the members of the Advisory Board of the company Herbalife International . During the Estrella Damm Masters Finals we had the opportunity to chat with him and learn more in depth several of the secrets of a company whose products have helped to change the lives of many people.
Padel World Press .- Passionate about his work and with impressive knowledge, talking with Julian always involves discovering many aspects of nutrition, something fundamental for anyone but one that is often neglected, perhaps too much.
When talking about the role of this discipline in the world of sports, his first reflection was very clear: "We always say that in the world of professional sports, nutrition is not a factor that makes you win a medal but it does It can make you lose. What did I mean by that? To give an example: when we started with padel, a sport that we have been studying for more than two years, one of the things that caught our attention, and about which the players who are now part of our team are very aware, is the issue of weight control. As is logical, a person who trains and competes is not what, in quotes, in the street is called 'fat' ... But it can be more or less fine and that factor can give you a little more performance or It may even affect you at the level of injuries. We have seen it if we go further in the case of Rafa Nadal. Whenever he has returned to the activity after overcoming his tendon injuries he has done it with less weight since they have realized that by unloading a little the weight discharges the patellar tendon, the tendon hereleo ... The athletes know that it is very important to be in your optimal weight. "
But sport is not just what people understand at the nutrition level. It is often thought that energy is needed and that energy is obtained by ingesting food. In that sense, Julian told us: "I would say that the most important thing in a sporting event is water, it is rehydration. On many occasions, people are not aware of how much weight they can lose during a match or tournament. With many athletes, even professionals, when we start working with them, we check if they hydrate well by having them weighed before and after the game. You should not lose almost weight but there are cases in which we see that almost 800 grams have been lost that should be recovered, according to medical recommendations, at 150%. In our case, since we are going to hydrate, in that water we add vitamins and energy. Athletes drink special beverages, which were previously of a single type and can now be up to three different types. Before there were only isotonic drinks but now we have other options, with more sodium so there are no electrolyte problems but, at the same time, lower in tone to drink more easily. You also have a light drink, almost no calories, which is usually taken during pre-competition training, and an extra drink, which is for when you are immersed in many competitions very close and you need an extra energy or, how no, for other sports such as Triathlon. "
Unable to escape from his 'past', he knows that there is a nickname that will accompany him for life: "Another element that has been a revolution in sports nutrition, and that earned me a nickname during my time in the Basketball Students (in the Pepu Hernández stage), are the recovery shakes. It has been discovered that there is a just moment when the competition ends, which is called the 'Metabolic Window', which is when the nutrients are used to the maximum. That moment must be used and the only way to ensure that these nutrients reach the muscle is by a shake. That's why many people knew me, and I still know, as the 'Doctor Smooth'. At Herbalife we have developed specific shakes for different types of training. When you do a weight training, what you have to put in that 'Metabolic Window' are, in particular, proteins. However, when you make a long bike ride or a little more training when you tran, what you need are carbohydrates to recover gasoline. And that's what you get in a very comfortable and simple way with the shakes. "
Asked about the process to find the right elements and proportions so that his products are the right ones, he revealed: "The studies to find the perfect components are very rigorous in 'Control Groups'. In the case of a test of strength, for example, without any of the participants knowing in advance, some are given a placebo that does not contribute anything (although it tastes like a shake) while the rest of the different types of proteins, in some cases combined with carbohydrates, and you see how they recover. In other cases, the studies are very complex and precise because working with both legs in a kind of chair, one of them is used as 'control' and the other as 'experimental'. A catheter is placed in each artery of each leg and a radioactively labeled amino acid is introduced. With this, we measure the amount of that amino acid that the body absorbs, the one that lets out ... That way you can calculate the use of the amino acid and what part of that protein becomes part of the muscle. With all this work, what is achieved? Very simple: that the training does what you want and that is to improve the athlete. "
As a curiosity, he said: "Studies have been done with athletes who have been given the hydration of carbohydrates and proteins, which we consider ideal, and traditional shakes, only carbohydrates. The next day its recovery was measured and, in the first case, the performance has been up to 50% higher than in the second. "
Without a doubt, nutrition is a Science and, most importantly: "The nutrition that Herbalife develops is based on that science. That's why it has a Council of Experts. The important thing is not that you develop science to apply it to the products. It is also vital to know how to explain to people why these products have been made, so that they understand and use them well. A large part of our work consists of 'training' and training our Distributors on the proper use of the product. If I use it and I see that I feel great, it will be easier for me to tell you and explain its benefits. If I do not do it well, I will not transmit it to you in the right way. "
If I had to give the three fundamental guidelines for good nutrition, in Julián's opinion they would be:
"A) Be in your weight. In Herbalife you can use the substitute shake of food, which makes you give all the nutrients of a meal in fewer calories. Many athletes lose the north with dinners. In those cases, I recommend the use of this shake.
b) Hydrate correctly: For this, from time to time, acquire the habit of weighing before and after exercise. Really learn what it means to be well hydrated.
c) Recovery shake. Whenever you train, feed your training. Take advantage of the Metabolic Window.
If something is good that science advances is that it can be applied and, in our case, applied to health. In nutrition we have been able to develop tools that allow us to ensure that you have the nutrients you need, choose the most suitable ones, put them in the right format to absorb them ... As they say, Ready to Go !! ".
To finish, he wanted to leave a message to all fans and paddle players: "The paddle, what is wonderful, is that it is a very accessible sport. It does not require you to have a great physical condition to be able to enjoy it. For me, the great miracle of the paddle is that it may be the gateway for many people to the world of sports. If we know that the two supports good health, physical activity and nutrition, then we are going to take advantage of it. If you see that your idols have a good diet, you can copy them also and not only in the brand of spade or shoe. Improve your quality of life by enjoying and making a good diet. "
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