The Nordic diet is all the rage. But did you know that it could also help you improve your concentration while running? Go ahead and try it!

Concentration in running (as in all sports) can significantly affect the performance of an athlete. You've probably already experienced it. Or rather, you've suffered from it: that moment when, while running, you get distracted and lose concentration: in a few moments, your goals become blurred and your performance drops. But did you know that nutrition can play an important role in the ability to maintain concentration while running? In this article, we'll explore the relationship between concentration in running and a way of eating that's making a lot of noise: the Nordic diet.

In search of good cognitive health

As you know, concentration is an essential part of cognitive health. It is the ability to focus attention on a task while ignoring irrelevant or distracting information. To increase our concentration we can count on specific aids such as coffee (In this article we tell you about it) or look for a specific diet like the Nordic diet, so popular today.

So what is so important about the Nordic diet that it is now being given so much attention by science? And, above all, how could it help you improve your concentration while running?

The answer is in the report “Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia” from the magazine Nutrients.

What do we call the Nordic diet?

The Nordic diet is an eating pattern based on traditional foods from the Nordic countries of Europe, such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. This diet focuses on fresh, seasonal, and local foods, and is characterized by a high consumption of:

• Fish
• Rapeseed oil (also known as rapeseed oil or canola oil)
• Apples and pears
• Whole grains such as oats, barley and rye
• Berries, tubers and cabbages
• Low-fat dairy products

According to the report, this type of diet could be an ally in slowing down cognitive decline and, therefore, preserving concentration, which is so necessary in running. The documents refer to two studies in particular.

The first was conducted in participants aged 57-78 years with normal cognition at the start of the study and showed that those following a Nordic diet achieved higher scores in global cognition over a 4-year study period.

The second study followed 2,223 adults over 60 years of age over a six-year period.

The results of both analyses were conclusive: it was found that this diet would be closely associated with less cognitive decline. Even the Nordic diet showed superiority over other healthy dietary patterns, such as the well-known Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet (created to help reduce blood pressure with a pattern low in salt and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains) or the MIND diet, which is a combination of the two previous diets (the Mediterranean and the DASH) that was specially designed to improve cognitive function.

Nordic diet and sport against cognitive decline

Another interesting result that the report considers is that the Nordic diet combined with moderate to intense physical exercise would further enhance its effects and contribute even more to slowing down the cognitive impairment.

What do you say, runner? Once again we have seen that designing a balanced diet combined with an active lifestyle are key to preserving cognitive health and your performance during races. You already know how to improve your concentration while running with the Nordic diet. Do you want even more performance? Then try the power of personalized nutrition with Oorenji RUNNERS achieve all your goals.

Fountain: Dominguez, LJ; Veronese, N.; Vernuccio, L.; Catanese, G.; Inzerillo, F.; Salemi, G.; Barbagallo, M. Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia. Nutrients 2021, 13, 4080. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114080

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