For over a thousand years, the Olympic Games have been held every four years in Olympia (Greece). Wars were interrupted to give athletes the chance to compete with the best. To achieve the best performances, the athletes used a lot of olive oil from the area around Olympus. Why?
Athletes need long-lasting, energy-rich food, full of substances that help suppress pain, accelerate recovery, promote muscle building, keep the digestive system healthy and contribute to concentration and mental strength.
Is there a food that has all of this? Yes! It is olive oil. Not just any olive oil, but polyphenol-rich olive oil. Olive oil such as EH1200.
1. Energy density
Energy density is the amount of energy in a given weight of food (calories per gram) and ranges from 0 to 9 kcal/g. The macronutrient with the greatest influence on energy density is fat with about 9 kcal/g. Carbohydrates and proteins are more moderate in energy density and each provide about 4 kcal/g. So you need less stomach and intestinal contents to be able to provide the required amount of calories.
2. Long-lasting Energy
Olive oil is full of healthy fats. To explain the difference between fast sugars, carbohydrates and healthy fats, I use the metaphor of a fireplace. The sugars are paper: burns quickly and easily, but provides short-term energy. Carbohydrates are the wood: provides plenty of energy for a while, but must be replenished regularly. And fats, those are the large blocks of wood. Once they burn, they provide energy for hours.
3. Pain Suppression
The pain threshold determines how far you can go. If you can push the pain threshold through nutrition, you will perform better. This was first discovered in 2005. This has been confirmed in numerous studies since then. Those who exercise a lot also suffer a lot from muscle and joint pain. These are inflammations. You can take painkillers and anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen) for this. But nature also produces an excellent anti-inflammatory. This is oleocanthal. This substance is only found in products from olive trees. EH1200 contains more oleocanthal than any other olive oil.
4. Recover faster
Not all olive oil contains oleocanthal. Only extra virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal. The extra virgin made from "Early Harvest" olives usually contains more oleocanthal than regular extra virgin. Regular extra virgin contains between 50 and 150 mg oleocanthal per liter. Early Harvest oils come out at 300-500 mg per liter. Our EH1200 contains up to 1000 mg oleocanthal per liter. Anyone who uses between 20-50ml EH1200 per day gets enough oleocanthal to recover quickly from inflammation in muscles and joints.
5. Muscle Development
It takes more than just a lot of protein to grow muscle. An important component is the hormone testosterone. Olive oil can stimulate testosterone production through various mechanisms, such as influencing cholesterol metabolism or steroidogenic proteins. Vitamin E in particular, which is abundantly present in olive oil, plays a role in testosterone production. Oleuropein, a polyphenol in olive oil and responsible for the bitter taste, also helps to produce testosterone.
6. Digestion
Which athlete does not suffer from their digestive system? One-sided diet, gels, supplements and the life of a top athlete take their toll. This is often noticeable in the intestines. But even those who do not suffer from this benefit from EH1200 olive oil. The polyphenols in this olive oil help to keep the digestive system free of inflammation, which makes efficient processing of food possible.
7. Concentration and Mental Strength
In addition to all the physical benefits of polyphenol-rich olive oil, there is increasing evidence that the micronutrients in olive oil have a particularly beneficial effect on the performance of the brain and nervous system. The polyphenols contribute to better concentration. They also strengthen the nerves, which means you suffer less from nervousness and are mentally stronger.
8. Heart and blood vessels
It is common knowledge that olive oil is good for the heart and blood vessels. Here too, the use of polyphenol-rich olive oil is recommended. EH1200 contains oleuropein. This substance ensures a healthier system of heart and blood vessels.
9. Other benefits
In other blogs on this website you will find research showing that polyphenol-rich olive oil also offers many other benefits. It prevents many diseases, counteracts aging, fights cancer and improves cognitive functions.
In short, if you already added olive oil as a healthy fat to your diet, then you would be wise to replace it with polyphenol-rich olive oil. And if you do not yet use olive oil, then now is the time to apply the latest scientific insights. We now know why olive oil, and in particular polyphenol-rich olive oil, is so healthy and improves the performance of athletes. The athletes at the ancient Olympic Games already knew this from experience 2000 years ago.