Living Gluten Free and Athletic Performance

By: Alex M. McDonald, MD
Medical Doctor and Professional Triathlete

What is gluten?
Gluten is comprised of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin, which are found in the endosperm of grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is the protein that nourishes wheat during germination from seed to plant. The stored proteins of maize and rice are sometimes called glutens, but they do not contain glutenin. True gluten — gliadin and glutenin — is limited to certain members of the grass family. Oats are naturally free of gluten, but many oat products contain gluten due to cross-contamination that arises from agricultural practices such as crop rotation, common or shared use of containers used to silo and then transport grains from fields to food facilities for packaging, etc. As a result, many people on a gluten-free diet are able to consume oats only from sources that keep cross-contamination with gluten to an absolute minimum and/or specifically sort out the oats to remove as much non-oat grain as possible.

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Hidden Sources of Gluten

Bread products and baked goods of all kinds represent the usual suspects as far as gluten sources go, but gluten (wheat starch) is an ingredient in many other processed foods (for example as a thickener or extender in foods lacking honest substance) and also in a surprising array of non-food items. The following list gives an idea of how pervasive gluten is in many consumer products. Check labels, but better, check with manufacturers to be sure of ingredients. As far as food goes, homemade is always best.

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