Life of Guangzhou - RP Expert to Lecture in Pre-Olympics

Medical nutrition therapist and clinical dietician Sanirose Orbeta will deliver a power point presentation on "The Globalization of the Asian Athletes' Food Choices and Preferences" before at least 2,500 delegates from over 200 countries during the International Convention of the Committee on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (CSEMIS) in a prelude to the Beijing Olympics in Guangzhou on Aug. 1-4.

Orbeta, a St. Scholastica's College graduate who took up her internship at the University of Iowa, was invited to lecture by Wang Yuping, CSEMIS secretary-general and will be the only Philippine speaker in the forum.

The convention was described by Wang as a "unique gathering of experts in all areas of sports and exercise science, sports medicine, physical education and sports-related social sciences to exchange the latest scientific research and best practice solutions." Its theme is "Sports Sciences and Harmonious Society in the 21st Century."

Orbeta said the invitation to speak at the prestigious forum is an honor she dedicates to the country. She has lectured in several international conferences in the past - in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, among others - but never before in a pre-Olympic conclave. Her presentation will take 45 minutes after which she will entertain questions for 20 minutes.

Orbeta, the head of the nutrition unit in the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), said the importance of diet in influencing performance on the playing field cannot be overemphasized.

"The challenges facing the sports professional are providing nutrition education based on scientific eating strategies, reevaluating performance enhancement practices and reassessing the use of energy, hydration and herbal, botanical and food supplements," she said.

Orbeta, a nutritionist for over 30 years, said intercultural food encounters have led to the globalization of taste, flavor, food choices and ingredients, cooking processes and dietary patterns as more and more athletes train and compete all over the world.

"Athletes must be tempered in their choices for peak performance," she continued. "Globalization goes both ways. Westernization has greatly influenced Asia and also there has been Asianization of the West. However, each athlete's food traditions and culture still retain their individual characteristics and remain their basic and deepest food preference."

Orbeta said nutrition is particularly vital in preparing athletes for competition in endurance sports, such as triathlon and marathon, and sports with weight categories like boxing, taekwondo and judo.

"You are truly what you eat," she went on. "Food intake determines to a large extent, muscle mass and food supply is an athlete's fuel line. But it shouldn't be taken in isolation because in the total training philosophy, other factors such as coaching, drills, repetition and mental toughness are as critical."

Orbeta has previously advised professional fighters Gerry Peñalosa, Z Gorres and Luisito Espinosa on how to find and be at their best fighting weight.

"It would be an honor to advise Manny Pacquiao," she said. "My good friend Rudy Salud once arranged for me to lecture on nutrition and among those who attended were Freddie Roach, Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar. But I wouldn't be able to advise Manny properly unless I am given access to his eating habits, weight program and body makeup."

Orbeta said after a weigh-in, a professional boxer should put on only up to eight pounds until fight time.

"When you're bloated, your muscles move differently," she noted. "If you train at 126 then you fight at 140, you'll be sluggish. Your reflexes will be slow. You move at a different pace. Your coordination is affected. Even your power is diminished. This is called body dissonance."

Orbeta said training for a fight usually takes 75 to 90 days to adjust to the proper weight.

"How you eat and what you eat has a bearing on power or force," she said. "It's not necessarily true that the bigger you are, the stronger you are. Weight management involves mental focus and a lot of discipline. The ability to take a punch can also be determined by what a fighter eats. You may be more insulated with fat as you go up in weight but the shield doesn't mean you're stronger."

PSC chairman William Ramirez has endorsed Orbeta's lecture. - Joaquin Henson/Philstar