Could your energy bar, fluid replacement drink, or post-workout recovery meal be hindering your performance? It’s very likely due to the many artificial, processed ingredients out there. Many foods athletes consume contain the infamous MSG. We all know that person who can’t eat Chinese food because they’ll get a headache from the MSG. Maybe that is you. Well, guess what? Whether you have a symptom or not, you’re eating foods containing MSG every day, even if you shop at a health food store like Whole Foods. Your whey protein shake that you use to recover after a workout or that energy bar you pack for the long ride most likely contain MSG, though they don’t actually say those words. You will have a problem with MSG even if you don’t realize it—headache or no headache, fatigue or no fatigue. It is not an allergy. It is not sensitivity. It is a toxic substance called an excitotoxin, and they’re in a lot of foods that athletes eat daily.
Excitotoxicity occurs when receptors in your body are stimulated to such a degree that they are rapidly killed off. Excitotoxins are formed due to too much of the amino acid glutamic acid (glutamate), necessary in small amounts, when present in high “free” amounts. Combine the glutamate amino acid with sodium, and you have MSG (monosodium glutamate). This is a glutamate problem, not a sodium problem in the MSG. Rarely is this added to food anymore as actual MSG. Rather, it is made through the food processing of common foods you eat every day (see the bottom of this article for those hidden words). These amino acids are artificially released during processing, and your body doesn’t know how to handle so much at once. The foods you are eating from your health food store every day contain free processed glutamate. Yeah, sorry Whole Foods, but MSG is rampant there too. Funny how health stores would never think of selling a diet soda made with NutraSweet, but they have products loaded with free glutamate. There really isn’t much difference. Aspartic acid (aspartate), found in NutraSweet (Aspartame “Equal”), is also an excitotoxin. Food manufacturers will say this processing is “natural” because glutamate and aspartate are natural, and your body needs them to survive. But the levels that accumulate are not natural. They are more than abnormal. They are extremely toxic.
Glutamate receptors are found throughout the body, especially in the brain. Eating MSG foods can increase your levels by 20 times or higher. This is overstimulatory and damages many cells in the body. Humans are more sensitive than any other animal on Earth, and newborns are four times more sensitive than adults. Glutamate and aspartate pass through the placenta and will (not might) alter brain formation. The effects on a baby in utero have been directly linked to hormonal problems later in life: low testosterone and growth hormone in boys, and low estrogen and growth hormone in girls, also leading to early onset menses, PMS, and even infertility, just from what their mother consumed.
Aging brains in the elderly are also four times more sensitive due to excess free iron levels in the body, which increase free radical levels even more. More excitotoxins equal more free radicals. More free radicals equal faster aging. There are suspected links to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as with other toxins like the heavy metals mercury and aluminum. Interesting, though, is the increase in free radical damage from too much glutamate, which allows too much calcium into brain cells so neurons fire too rapidly and die. Normally, this occurs in small amounts until the diet contains even just a bit of MSG. Yet many doctors love to tell their aging patients to “get your calcium” and load them up with mega doses of the mineral. This results in flooding the brain and furthering degeneration.
But wait, there’s more! Excitotoxins will also:
- Lower blood sugar levels, especially glucose levels in the brain (which will mess up yer thinkin’). Think about how many diabetics are advised by their RDs (registered dieticians—most of whom focus solely on minimal food pyramid requirements and calories consumed) to use NutraSweet since it is “sugar-free.” Not a good idea. And consider the person already having memory problems, not to mention some forms of dementia in the elderly.
- Damage your mitochondria (the energy centers of your cells). This equals cell death. You won’t race well if your mitochondria are failing; your aerobic system will suffer.
- Deplete magnesium (linked to heart problems and fatigue). Some research supports that 75% of the population is deficient in magnesium, and many athletes are low in it.
- Deplete vitamin E, B vitamins, and flavonoids (powerful antioxidants found in colorful foods and herbs). Again, athletes need these nutrients in high amounts.
- Increase inflammation—not something an athlete wants. Increased inflammation leads to slower recovery, injuries, and prolonged injury healing times.
- Suppress immunity, meaning you’re more likely to get sick. The couch will be your new training partner.
- Affect parts of your brain associated with emotion (MSG and NutraSweet = rage).
***Aspartic acid is hidden in many nutritional supplements. It is not under any tricky names, though. Look for aspartic acid in the ingredients and aspartate in the label where the minerals are listed. For example, magnesium aspartate and chromium aspartate are common. Other than that, the only other source is diet soda (not Splenda, which you shouldn’t even think of consuming. If you are, read up about it more on this site). NutraSweet, commonly known as Equal, is aspartame.
*** What about l-Glutamine supplementation? Your body needs glutamate in small amounts and, along with ammonia, can convert to glutamine. But it can go the other way too. That is, glutamine can convert to glutamate, and that would not be a good thing. If the glutamine accumulates outside of the brain, that typically isn’t a problem, but if levels rise high enough and accumulate inside of the brain, then problems—such as those associated with other excitotoxins—can occur. A lot of glutamine is used as muscle fuel, so if you’re not using it up that way (in high-intensity exercise), you have a higher chance of brain glutamine accumulation. And if that happens, well, this will all joggle your brain because you’ve got toxic excitotoxins.
Hidden sources of MSG with tricky names:
ALWAYS CONTAIN MSG: MSG, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Textured Protein, Autolyzed Protein, Autolyzed Yeast, and Hydrolyzed Oat Flour. ** Hydrolyzed Whey Protein and Hydrolyzed Soy Protein are often found in energy bars and drinks that so many triathletes, runners, and cyclists consume. Some say even whey protein isolates and soy protein isolates contain some MSG. **
FREQUENTLY CONTAIN MSG: Malt Extract, Malt Flavoring, Maltodextrin, Bouillon, Broth, Stock, Flavoring, Natural Flavoring, Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring, Seasoning and Spices.
SOMETIMES CONTAIN MSG: Carrageenan, Enzymes, Soy Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, and Protein Concentrate.
Foods to watch out for include: Soybean milk (naturally high in glutamate and often has hydrolyzed vegetable protein added to it), kombu, miso, and soy sauces all contain MSG.
