Contents:
- Medical Video: The Science Behind Competitive Eating | Sport Science | ESPN Archives
- Is it true that spicy foods can speed up metabolism?
- Can you eat spicy before exercise?
- 1. Dehydration
- 2. Gastric acid reflux
- 3. Diarrhea
Medical Video: The Science Behind Competitive Eating | Sport Science | ESPN Archives
Some say eating spicy before exercise can help burn more fat and also build muscle faster. Because, spicy food is believed to accelerate the metabolic process. However, what do experts say about this? Is it true that eating spicy before exercise is good for losing weight and forming muscles? Or maybe it's just a myth? Immediately see the full review below!
Is it true that spicy foods can speed up metabolism?
For a long time researchers have studied the effects of spicy foods on the body's metabolism. Metabolism itself is the process of processing food sources into energy. Summarized from various studies, spicy food can indeed have an effect, namely the metabolic process becomes faster up to eight percent.
This is because spicy food from chili or paprika contains a substance called capsaicin. Capsaicin is a natural ingredient that has an effect on increasing body temperature. Then the body will burn calories faster.
With a faster metabolism, the body can produce more energy to build muscle. However, to get this benefit you have to eat chili in a very large portion. So, even though eating spicy can speed up your metabolism, the effect will not be too pronounced for your body.
Can you eat spicy before exercise?
Although chili has good benefits for your metabolism, you should avoid eating spicy before exercise. This is because the benefits you get may not be proportional to the risks that might arise from eating spicy before exercise. Here's the full explanation.
1. Dehydration
As explained above, the capsaicin content in spicy foods can have an effect on increasing body temperature. This is why after eating spicy, you definitely feel hot and hot. If after eating spicy you immediately exercise, your body temperature can immediately rise.
To reduce body temperature, your body will produce sweat. Without just eating spicy, you must have sweated a lot during sports. So, eating spicy before exercise risks making you lose a lot of fluid through sweat. This can lead to dehydration. Severe dehydration can make you lose consciousness (fainting).
2. Gastric acid reflux
Eating spicy can indeed cause stomach acid reflux (ulcer). However, if you have this disease, eating spicy before exercise can trigger stomach acid up into the esophagus to cause chest tightness and pain. Instead of building muscle and losing weight, you can't even exercise because of recurrent stomach acid reflux.
3. Diarrhea
The capsaicin content in chili is not easily digested by the body. Therefore, this content can be trapped in the intestine and cause irritation. The food you consumed earlier will quickly come out again before it is completely digested by the intestine. This is called diarrhea.
Diarrhea will certainly greatly interfere with your sports activities So, you should avoid eating spicy before exercise. If you really want to eat spicy, make sure you give a break of at least four hours before you start exercising.
