Like the respiratory system, the digestive system is the link between the human body and the environment around us. In order to function optimally, the digestive system needs certain essential elements. One of these is chewing. It's already important in everyday life, but it's even more important when you're exerting yourself!
‘Chewing plays an essential role in the functioning of the digestive system. Combined with salivation, it enables the digestive system to get going’, explains Benoît, a sports micronutritionist.
Taking the time to master it is therefore essential. While salivation is one of the two factors that trigger good digestion, both in sport during exercise and in everyday life, it is itself triggered by chewing.
Saliva is so important because it contains digestive enzymes. The process of chewing actually stimulates the brain to activate the digestive system and facilitate the assimilation of food.
BUT DIGESTION IS NOT LIMITED TO CHEWING AND SALIVATION.
Il existe plusieurs étapes qui suivent les deux premières : déglutition , malaxage , traitement des nutriments et rejet des déchets . Pour que chacune de ces étapes puisse se dérouler correctement, il est important de « soigner » les étapes de la mastication et de la salivation. Elles vont aider à l'ingestion qui va être le début de la digestion complète des aliments que l'on mange. En facilitant l'ingestion, nous facilitons la digestion. Encore une fois, en sport, c'est primordial sous peine de problèmes gastriques, digestifs… qui sont souvent source d'abandons !
‘Choosing an easily digestible refreshment bar is basic. But chewing your energy bar properly is really vital if you want to avoid trail runners dropping out because of stomach problems!’ recommends Benoît Nave, sports nutritionist and coach to top-level athletes.
SALIVATION AND DIGESTION DURING EXERCISE
As soon as we see food, the brain triggers salivation and hormonal secretions to ensure optimal digestion. Chewing follows directly on from this. It is essential. Without these cascading processes, there can be no proper assimilation. Like, for example, the secretion of saliva, which contains the enzymes that initiate the carbohydrate digestion process. All these stages are essential for optimal digestion of your food on a daily basis, as well as during exercise!
Chewing and salivating are the most effective ways of initiating the digestion of food, including during exercise, even if it's not easy, so that the digestive system can work in the best possible conditions. Everything you ingest (which is supposed to provide energy and essential nutrients) will be properly assimilated thanks to chewing and salivation.
In short, it is extremely important to chew, but also to salivate so that we can digest each of the foods we eat as well as possible. Eating good food is essential for our health, but eating it while chewing it properly is even better!
The extra tip from our Baouwers:
You can do what three-timeXavier Thévenarddoes, and chew a full bar slowly in mouthfuls, or leave it to melt in your mouth if you need to, resting your mouthful against your gum, at the rate of one mouthful every 20 minutes (on average, depending on your metabolism).
DID YOU KNOW?
The texture of our Baouw bars has been designed to encourage us to chew and salivate properly, to aid digestion (particularly during sport and exercise). This may seem restrictive, but it's how the brain is informed and triggers the right processes. Knowledge is power! Now that you know, you can do everything you can to avoid giving up.
