How To Eat Right While Exercising

Pre-workout nutrition

First of all, it must be remembered that the meal should be completed one to two hours before going to the gym, as for the calorie content, it does not really matter, mainly you should pay attention to the portion size. Do not strive to fully satisfy the feeling of hunger, otherwise there is a risk of significantly weakening the effect of exercise, because training on a full stomach is much more difficult than with a slight feeling of hunger. You also need to clearly define your goal - if you are trying to build muscle mass, then immediately before strength training, eat any fruit. In this case, an apple, a pear or any berries are suitable, it does not matter whether it is strawberries, blueberries or raspberries - here you need to focus on the season, because the product you eat should be as fresh as possible. A protein shake or strong green tea is a great drink for you.

If your goal is to lose those extra pounds, pay close attention to the amount of proteins and carbohydrates in your menu. Carbohydrates are necessary to provide your body with energy for several hours of vigorous exercise, and proteins will be an excellent help in strengthening muscle mass, because they are a source of useful amino acids. Try to include foods such as poultry or a protein omelet in your menu, completing this meal with oatmeal. It should also be remembered that fat intake should be kept to a minimum before exercise, as it slows down the stomach and the rate of digestion. Fatty foods stay in the stomach longer and can cause colic, nausea, and belching during exercise.

Nutrition during exercise

The basic rule if you are actively involved in sports is to remember to drink while exercising. Just imagine, even with minimal dehydration (less than 2%), training loses most of its effectiveness. You should not also focus on the feeling of thirst, our body is designed in such a way that during power loads the desire to drink is dulled. This is due to the fact that exercise suppresses the work of the receptors for thirst in the throat, so by the time you feel thirsty, your body is likely to be dehydrated. In addition, as we age, the thirst sensors in the body lose their sensitivity. That is why, if you are over twenty years old, you need to drink water not because you want, but because you need to.

Do not forget to pay attention to the signals that your body gives you, the first symptoms of dehydration can be dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, headache and increased irritability. In this case, the training must be immediately interrupted for a short time and the required amount of water in the body must be replenished.

Drink a glass of water before exercising, and then drink it every fifteen to twenty minutes during your workout. If you exercise for more than an hour, then it is advisable to drink special sports drinks. With sugars, about 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour should come from them, which, as you remember, provide you with energy for a long time. You can also use fruit juices, preferably freshly squeezed, not store-bought.

Post-workout nutrition

Contrary to many myths, you need to eat immediately after training, preferably twenty minutes after the end of training. If you abstain from food for two hours, the whole point of playing sports is lost. In the first twenty minutes after training, the body has a so-called "post-workout window" for the consumption of proteins and carbohydrates (but not fat). Everything that will be eaten during this period will be used to restore muscle and increase muscle mass, not a single calorie from food will go to fat. It is very important to remember this.

Include cranberry and grape juice in your diet for the correct glucose to fructose ratio. If you have the opportunity to eat within an hour after class, then we recommend that you give preference to any protein food, the main thing is to calculate the required amount of protein, it is not difficult at all - your portion should fit in your palm. Since the post-workout nutrition has only one important goal - to promote muscle growth as quickly and efficiently as possible - this meal should not contain any fat at all. Fat will slow down the flow of carbohydrates and proteins from the stomach into the bloodstream.

Prefer chicken over beef and pork, breasts are the best in this case - they have the lowest fat content. Be wary of cheese, milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese - as a rule, they contain at least 5% fat. You should also forget about any kind of coffee drinks. If you exercise in the morning, it is better to drink coffee before starting a workout, this will provide the necessary amount of energy to your body, and after exercise, make yourself a strong tea.

Photo source: Getty images