They discussed the importance of nutrition for successful athletes, and they all agreed that, nowadays, it was quite difficult to eat healthy, having in mind all the chemicals that were being added to the foodstuffs. Still, nutrition is definitely one of the most important factors, said Mimi Vurdelja, who is affectionately nicknamed “Croatian athletes’ second mom”.
“They call me whenever they don’t know whether something is good for them or not. Any anyway, is there anything more beautiful than being a mom?” Mimi joked, adding that there should be no dietary restrictions for athletes and that she had just two golden rules that she followed:
“Variety and correct measure. One should also make sure the food is fresh, and reheating it is not allowed. Sarma isn’t better on the third day, that’s just you being lazy,” explained Mimi. She also said we should stick to local foodstuffs that our body had gotten used to when we were children, adding that experimenting with exotic food could create loads of problems for us. The guests also discussed hydration, which many athletes tend to forget about even though they sweat more than people who do not do sports.
“Without proper hydration, your body becomes too acidic and you can get inflammations, and that is quite difficult to get rid of. Hydration helps us get through a training session and stay concentrated, which is why I make sure to drink just water,” added Možnik. Unfortunately, many still underestimate the role of nutrition in the development of athletes, which is a huge issue, especially with children who are still developing, have to train and go to school at the same time, the guests agreed.
