In the cycling world, there is a lot of talk about diabetes. An international team, the Novo Nordisk, has played a fundamental role in dispelling many taboos in this regard. Ha demonstrated that diabetic athletes can easily compete with "normal" cyclists (and we use quotation marks on purpose, because there would be a lot to say on the topic of normality...). However, very little is said about celiac disease., forgetting that we are talking about an autoimmune disease that is extremely widespread. Latest studies suggest that at least 30 percent of the population is at least predisposed to this disease.
The topic came up in relation to Raul Baldestein (in the opening), rider of the Cycling Café who recently achieved victory in the Tour of the Regions of cyclocross. The Roman rider was a very interesting prospect at youth level, until he was diagnosed with celiac disease as a junior.. Since then Baldestein has lived 3 years of sporting anonymity, without being able to get more results because he couldn't find the right nutrition. When he started to solve the problem from a dietary point of view, his athletic level started to grow again.. Now his career is on the rise.
The right nutrition
In many ways, Baldestein's case is exemplary: When celiac disease is diagnosed, one is faced with a problem with a complicated solutionYou need to find the right diet that provides your body with all the nutrients it needs to function at its best, without using substances that your body has proven unable to absorb. To learn more, we contacted sports doctor Andrea. Giorgi, under the Green Project Bardiani Faizané.
«The latest studies – explains Giorgi – have demonstrated that Those who play sports have a higher chance of developing celiac disease. This is due to both stress factors and greater physical effort. For a cyclist, managing such a pathology is not easy., because we know very well that cereals are the basis of the diet aimed at providing the "fuel" necessary for performance commitments.
A particular symptomatology
«The problems that celiac disease causes are various. It ranges from intestinal inflammation with all its consequences to the reduction of iron in the blood, as well as essential vitamins such as vitamin D.It is therefore essential to find the right replacement diet to prevent the body from suffering damage resulting from the consumption of substances containing gluten, but also to still have the right nourishment for the purpose of achieving peak performance.
In this sense, the difficulties Baldestein encountered are justified: «The right nutrition is found through continuous experimentationIt takes time, considering that each case is different. This principle, however, applies to everyone, each person has their own metabolic and physical constitutionFor example, some people prefer and benefit more from eating pasta, while others prefer rice. The same goes for celiacs, who must replace these substances with others. These could be, for example, potatoes, quinoa, or something else, but always with experimentation. And this must be done especially during training, finding the right combination.
The necessary tests
How do you find out if you have celiac disease? Let's start with the symptoms, but be careful, because these can also be common to many other pathologies, especially in the cycling sector: «Abdominal swelling or weight loss can have various causes for a cyclistThe problem is that many attribute these and other symptoms to other causes, they don't think they have celiac disease. A correct diagnosis is needed, after a series of tests».
What are the most common tests? «We start with blood tests, alongside the classic routine tests for particular antibodies and autoantibodies such as anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA), anti-edomysial antibodies (EMA) and antigliadin antibodies (AGA)If the levels are higher than normal, the patient probably has celiac disease and further tests are performed, starting with those to eliminate the possibility of any food allergies. The definitive answer will be obtained through a biopsy of the intestinal epithelium.».
A diet not for everyone…
Celiac disease should not be taken lightly, but it is It is also wrong to think that a specific diet is also good for those who are not celiac. and in this regard Giorgi tells an interesting story.
«This trend had started to spread years ago – he says – when Many people adopted a gluten-free diet thinking that it was good for them regardless. Specific studies and battery tests were conducted, giving everyone the same diet, whether celiac or not, and they discovered that the symptoms varied statistically only minimally. Symptoms like intestinal bloating can have various causes. In 10 years, I must have had 2-3 cases of cyclists with celiac disease, precisely because when faced with such common symptoms, one first looks for other causes, which in almost all cases are guessed at.
However, one principle remains: even those with celiac disease can easily perform sports at the highest level, just like a diabetic: «Other more specific symptoms such as thyroid problems or skin rashes may also arise if the right measures are not taken, But by finding the most suitable diet, performance can still be at a high level. Just like the other, "normal" ones."
