What to Eat Before And After Workout
What to Eat Before and After a Workout ?
As a sports nutritionist, I work with clients who earn a living working
up a sweat.
But whether you’re a pro or you get your adrenaline pumping before or
after your nine to five, there’s a science to what you should eat before
and after to maximize your workout and recovery from the wear and tear it
puts on your body.
Here are five rules of thumb to keep in mind.
Before:
Keep Your Tummy Happy
Choose pre-workout meals or snacks that are easy to digest and won’t
cause bloating or irritate your stomach.
In other words, a spicy bean burrito isn’t the best choice.
If your food’s not digested before or during your workout, the fuel will
be trapped in your stomach and won’t be available to your muscles, and
providing fuel is the main goal of a pre-exercise meal.
Also, undigested food can feel like a brick sitting in your stomach,
leading to cramps and sluggishness
Keep It Simple
The best pre-activity foods are those relatively low in protein, fat, and
fiber.
These three substances delay the emptying of the stomach and keep you
fuller longer.
That’s great if you’ll be sitting at a desk for the next several hours,
but not so great if you’ll be in high-activity mode.
So, a good pre-workout snack might be something like a bowl of low-fiber,
whole-grain cereal (like puffed brown rice or unsweetened organic corn
flakes) with organic milk or almond milk and a mini banana about an hour
before.
Before, During And After:
Hydrate
It’s important to drink fluids before, during and after your
workout.
If you’re sweating heavily or exercising for more than 60 minutes, reach
for coconut water rather than a sports drink to keep you well-hydrated and
fueled and replace the electrolytes lost in sweat.
If you’re working out for an hour or less in a climate controlled gym
plain H2O should be fine.
After:
Time It Right
After a really tough workout, you should try to eat a “recovery” meal
within 30 minutes if possible.
Training puts wear and tear on your joints, muscles, and bones, and your
body “uses up” nutrients during exercise, so this meal is all about
putting back what you’ve lost and providing the raw materials needed for
repair and healing
Balance Is Key
A post-workout meal isn’t just about protein.
It should include a lean protein source (for muscle repair) along with a
whole grain (to replete glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in muscle
tissue, which serves as a primary fuel source during exercise), plenty of
produce (to replenish nutrients), a healthy fat source (for healing and
circulation) and of course more fluid (to rehydrate).
The Perfect Post-Workout Smoothie:
1-2 Frozen Bananas
1 heaped tablespoon of nut butter (choice of almond, organic peanut or
cashew nut)
1 ½ Cup Almond Milk (or your choice of milk)
Optional additions (organic whey protein concentrate powder, raw cacao,
raw egg, cinnamon, flax, chia etc.)
Blend until rich and creamy, and then you’ll have it – an all-natural,
protein-rich post workout smoothie that will optimally nourish your body.
The perfect smoothie for efficient replenishment of glycogen stores within
our skeletal muscles.
