Pre & Post Workout Meals!!!

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There are many athletes, particularly recreational, that are not satisfied with their performance during the physical activity. If you want to allow to your body to get all the beneficial nutrients before and after the training, as well as the immune system to function properly, you mustn’t train on an empty stomach.

First never go hungry on training!

Before training you have to avoid foods high in fat and spices if you want to avoid the feeling of uneasiness in the stomach. You have to eat and be active to feel good and be healthy. Neither of these two should be neglected.

Simply put – no food no energy. This is especially true for those who train after waking up, no matter what part of the day. The food that we need to consume depends on the training and intensity. It is important to know that the body firstly uses carbohydrates (up to 30-45 min from the training) and then starts to burn fat.

Of course there are supplements that boost this process. Eating just before the workout is extremely inadvisable. You should prefer to have 2 hours between meals and physical activity.

If you train in the morning, you have to eat in 30 minutes after you woke up, so that’s the right   way to activate your metabolism. The best choice is to consume oatmeal or a banana that will provide energy to your body.

If you train in the afternoon, you have to eat something easier, such as apple or chocolate milk.

If you don’t want to burn the muscle mass, eat within 1-2 hours of your workout. It’s really important to consume protein food such as white meat, almonds or a protein shakes. Then continue with small meals every three hours during the rest of the day. Do not wait too long for the meal and to overeat when you’ll sit on the table.

Second – Hydrate!

When you train so hard, the body loses salts and minerals through sweat so we need to drink water during the training. It’s important to be well hydrated before the workout, so drink two or three glasses of water before you exercise and have a bottle of water beside you during the workout.

Avoid drinking juices (they are full of sugars) and dairy products (may cause nausea).

Third – Avoid “heavy” food

High calorie food should be avoided generally, especially before exercise because it is rich in fat and additives. If we consume bitter and sour food, our stomach will need additional effort to process. Eat primarily fruits and vegetables combined with a sufficient number of carbohydrates.

Fourth – Post working meal is crucial!!!

All the efforts damage muscle tissue. To maintain it healthy, we need to feed the muscles as soon as we finish the exercises. Muscles are forming during the workout, but do not increase in the same process. The best absorption of protein in the body is 30 minutes (for recreation) to 1 hour (for professionals) after training.

If you want to calculate quantitatively how much food you will need, you have to know several important parameters such as height, weight, what type of training you do and intensity..

Jakim