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Examples of claims from this Reddit thread:

It's just one of those foods that tends to kill your energy level for a bit after you eat it.

The pizza thing is just because it tends to kill your energy level in the afternoon. Maybe if it's a thin crust, not too much cheese & meat it would be OK, but for me it's just a general rule.

Does eating pizza or any other foods decrease energy/motivation?

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Carbohydrates provoke sleepiness (especially if they represent the majority of what you ate in a meal), that's why you feel sleepy in the afternoon if you eat pasta for lunch. Pizza is mainly bread so it has carbohydrates as well. I'd like to post a full answer but it's very late here. If no-one writes one (or I can write a better one), I'll write it. :) – Alenanno Apr 20 '12 at 23:14
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Take a look at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postprandial_somnolence "Post-prandial somnolence is a normal state of drowsiness or lassitude following a meal." – Kaz Apr 20 '12 at 23:16
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Closing as too broad: define productivity! Productive as a: bus driver/software developer/athlete/sales agent... productivity measured by: lines of code/number of bugs/timeliness/minutes per mile/customer satisfaction... – Sklivvz♦ Apr 21 '12 at 9:32
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As an Italian I also would like a definition of pizza :) In many places I've been pizza is bread with tons of [weird] condiments on it, which is not the case with Italian pizza. – nico Apr 21 '12 at 11:27
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@nico I totally agree. I didn't notice that, it's a good point. – Alenanno Apr 21 '12 at 14:55
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closed as not a real question by Sklivvz♦ Apr 21 '12 at 9:32

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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In this article the author states that consuming carbohydrates is essential to athletes.

http://extension.missouri.edu/extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=3604

It says:

You store only carbohydrates -- not protein or fats - in your muscles in the form of sugar called glycogen. During hard exercise, you burn this glycogen for energy. When you deplete your glycogen stores, as can happen during repeated days of hard training and a low carbohydrate diet, you feel overwhelmingly exhausted. Eating high carbohydrate foods (cereal, pancakes, bread, fruit, vegetables, potato, pasta) on a daily basis can help you train harder and compete better.

Also:

If you are hungry, droopy and craving a quick energy boost prior to exercise, you don’t have to eat sugar for energy. A simple snack of crackers, fruit or bread can perk you up!

And finally the conclusion, where pizza is explicitly mentioned:

Remember that only carbohydrates quickly refuel your muscles and prepare you for tomorrow’s workout. So resist the greasy burger and fries for your post completion meal; choose instead carbohydrate rich thick crust pizza with cheese and veggie toppings or a baked potato with veggie toppings and a glass of fruit juice.

Although in the last paragraph the author talks about "tomorrow’s workout" it is obvious that she includes pizza among the carbohydrates an athlete could use and in the previous paragraphs she states that carbohydrates can "perk you up" prior to exercise.

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The article linked is wrong on many points. – Boris Apr 21 '12 at 14:18

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