The Triathlete's Nutrition Plan: For Your Skin?

Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD

As triathletes we are constantly abusing our skin with hours in chlorine filled pools and hours of sweating in the hot sun. I have seen you out at events, and yes, many of you are diligent with the sunscreen but what else can you do to protect and improve your skin?

While sunscreen, beauty creams, microdermabrasions and other high priced spa treatments for skincare are all good, they are not the only way to keep your skin vibrant and constantly younger looking. Similar to your heart, your skin is another organ in the body that requires good nutrition for its upkeep. In fact, it’s the largest organ and although it’s an external one, its care comes from the inside.

The top skin care nutrients include:
•   WATER:
Hydration is essential for maintaining strong and vibrant skin, improving its main function as a protective barrier to the rest of the body. Water alone can give you a more younger, radiant and blemish free look.
•   LYCOPENE:
UV rays penetrate skin, even through the best sunscreens available, causing cellular and tissue damage, increasing premature aging and the risk of skin cancer. Scientifically based evidence exists to show that the antioxidants in lycopene (found in tomatoes) protect the skin’s inner layers from harmful UV exposure.
•   ESSENTIAL FATS:
Omega 3 fatty acids are required by every cell in the body, including every cell in the skin, for flexibility and function. It is important to ensure omega 3’s are a part of your diet, because the body cannot make them. Essential fats are found in flaxseed meal, chai seeds, hemp seeds, kiwi fruit and black raspberry and many fish sources such as salmon, tuna, mahi mahi, etc.
•   VITAMIN A:
Not only does vitamin A have antioxidant capabilities but it also has specific functioning in the skin’s repairing and inflammation processes. Good sources of vitamin A include carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, melons, spinach and organ meats, such as liver.
•   VITAMIN B:
While many vitamins offer antioxidants and other benefits to the skin, like Vitamin A, vitamin B has specific functionality in the skin for repair and healing. Good sources of vitamin B are red meat, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chile peppers, tempeh, beans, nutritional yeast, brewer’s yeast, and molasses.

The worst substance for your skin:
NICOTINE:
It causes the skin’s blood vessels to narrow and thus impairs blood flow to the skin, resulting in decreased oxygen and vital nutrients, thus accelerating the aging process. Nicotine further damages collagen and elastin, reducing the elasticity and skin strength.

Don’t forget to include regular exercise to compliment these results. Regular exercise can reduce weight fluctuations which reduce the skin’s elasticity. Exercise also increases circulation enhancing delivery of vital nutrient to the skin and removal of damaging toxins. Furthermore, exercise is known to reduce stress and reduced stress means less hormonal flair ups often evident in the skin.

Increasing the best and reducing the worst nutrients and substances for your skin can improve luster and vitality.