The EPIC Gran Canaria has started with a previous session for amateurs and professionals who have kicked off with the conference of nutritionist, influencer and Mr. Olympia Europe champion, Endika Montiel
“ The microbiota is part of our software ; it is where 80-90% of the capacity of our immune system resides,” and although it is often thought that the brain makes the decisions, “these trillions of microscopic organisms that live in our intestinal tract decide more than we think.”
Fasting “is the conscious decision of when to abstain from calorie intake and what the window for doing so is,” a practice he confessed “ even terrified me ” because imagining “going barely two hours without eating” during his competitive years made him think about losing muscle mass. Fasting is a science, and since 2016 it has seen a great leap forward in research, he said. “Autophagy changed my understanding of it,” because it is the body’s natural way “of repairing itself.” To repair, eliminate waste, and activate the immune system, he pointed out, fasting “is more than a fad; it needs to be understood, and we know it offers scientifically proven benefits.”
Fasting “helps you connect with yourself” because it “helps repair the gut microbiota.” People “don’t know what mental clarity is until they have an empty stomach and their gut starts functioning properly .” Currently, most people have “a metabolic rigidity with a heavy reliance on carbohydrates,” but the human design “is intended for something else.” It’s about balancing “that glucose for sprinting, the fuel for quick energy, and fat for slower energy,” because right now “most people have a sugar-dependent metabolism.”
The nutritionist and athlete has invited us to eliminate the fear of training on an empty stomach, “if your body has the energy it needs and the rest, fasting is not a problem,” he said. “What really works is improving metabolic flexibility,” and through this, accustoming the body to a new way of eating. In this sense, he is committed to training, which improves mood and cognition, “it is a shame that psychiatrists do not give training as a medical prescription.”
There is not just one type of fasting, “there are more than a dozen” and what works for one person may not work for another. “Not depending on food and eating when you are hungry,” is the premise that Endika Montiel uses, and in this sense she has insisted that between 48 or 72 hours “there is no degradation of the muscle.” “Not everything is good in fasting,” it can add stress to the person if they do it without understanding it, she has highlighted. “We do not know how to individualize and fasting more is not always better,” she emphasized that fasting “should not be motivated by aesthetics, but by health.” Children “know when they are hungry and when they are satiated” and in Endika Montiel's opinion we should “let the boys and girls make decisions” and not so much that “we are the adults deciding when to eat and how much”, because “adults modulate the signals from children and sometimes we mess up their metabolism.”
Regarding the "commonly called 'hitting the wall'", one of the biggest fears about fasting, "most of the time it has more to do with a lack of minerals than with a lack of food or sugar", because "mineralization and, for example, sodium have been relegated to a secondary role".
A nutritionist, personal trainer, and coach, Endika Montiel boasts over 237.000 Instagram followers and two best-selling books on mindful fasting. For 15 years, he has been a leading figure in the sports world, specializing in nutrition. His studies focused on cellular and sports nutrition, and he currently combines this expertise with his work as a nutritionist and personal trainer, as well as advising on sports supplements and natural products. He identifies as a "Nutrisano" (a term used to describe someone who prioritizes nutrition) and has published two books: "Ayuno consciente" (Mindful Fasting) and "Esclavos de la comida" (Slaves to Food), both bestsellers.
Following Endika Montiel's conference, the EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts welcomed Joseba Beloki, Iban Mayo, and Haimar Zubeldia, who reunited at the event to share their experiences, anecdotes, advice, tips, and above all, answer questions from enthusiasts and professionals.
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts will once again be the first event on the cycling calendar in southern Gran Canaria with its sixth edition, starting tomorrow, February 11th, and running until the 12th, with more than 420 participants from some twenty countries . The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts returns this year, now integrated into the UCI International Cycling Calendar and serving as a qualifying event for the Gran Fondo World Tour.
Tomorrow, first stage
Tomorrow, February 11th, the first stage of the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels&Resorts will take place, a 115-kilometer route with two timed sections. After the riders sign in, the race will start at 8:30 a.m. from the Mirador de las Dunas de Maspalomas at the RIU Palace Maspalomas, following one of the island's most popular cycling routes through Arteara, Fataga, Tirajana, and El Pajar to Pasito Blanco.
The first timed section of this stage runs from Aqualand to Ayagaures, finishing at the summit of Pedro González in a 12,3-kilometer climb to an altitude of 470 meters . The cyclists will face a total elevation gain of 460 meters and an average gradient of 4,4%, with a cut-off time of 50 minutes. The second timed section begins at Pasito Blanco and climbs to Ayacata, a challenging 45-kilometer ascent to an altitude of 1.304 meters, with a total elevation gain of 1.038 meters. This climb has an average gradient of 4,7%. The route passes through El Pajar, Cercados de Espino, Soria, Barranquillo Andrés, the Las Niñas dam, and culminates at the summit of Ayacata. This second section has a cut-off time of 2.30 hours, with refreshments in the Plaza de Ayacata which will serve to bring together all the participants in a great sporting celebration with entertainment and live music.
Sunday will be the final stage with a 75-kilometer route , and a key 22-kilometer time trial to decide the podium.
