When you
exercise, you do it in order to try to maintain good health. You know that you
have to eat so that your body has the energy to perform the workouts that you
do as well as for everyday tasks. But, just what you should eat before and
after you workouts is important for making the best of your workouts. Also, how
long you eat before and after each workout is equally important.
Whether you are going to be doing a cardio workout or a resistance workout, you
should try to make it a point to eat a mix of carbohydrates and protein. What
determines the percentage of carbohydrates and protein you should consume is
whether you are doing cardio or resistance and the intensity level you will be
working at.
The ideal time to eat your pre workout
meal is 1 hour before you start. If you are working at a lower intensity level,
keep this meal down to around 200 calories or so. If you are working at a
higher intensity level, you may need this meal to be as high as 400 to 500
calories.
If you are doing a cardio session, you
will need to eat a mix of around 2/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 protein. This will
give you longer sustained energy from the extra carbs with enough protein to
keep muscle from breaking down during your workout.
If you are doing a resistance session, you should eat a mix of around 1/3
carbohydrates and 2/3 protein. This will give you enough energy from the carbs
to perform each set you do and the extra protein will help keep muscle
breakdown to a minimum during your workout. It has been shown that your body
most effectively uses protein during exertion meaning that taking in more
protein before resistance workouts aids in faster recovery as well.
Now, eating after a workout is just as important as the pre workout meal.
Remember that when you exercise whether it is a cardio or a resistance session,
you deplete energy in the form of glycogen. Our brain and central nervous
system relies on glycogen as their main source of fuel so if we don’t replace
it after exercise, our bodies will begin to break down muscle tissue into amino
acids, then convert them into usable fuel for the brain and central nervous
system.
Also, mostly during resistance workouts,
you break down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. This means that right
after a workout; your muscles go into a repair mode. Proteins are the key
macronutrient for muscle repair and so you don’t want muscle breaking down
further to create fuel in place of lost glycogen.
If you have just finished a cardio session, you will need to consume mostly
carbohydrates, preferably ones with high fiber. Oatmeal, rice, whole wheat
pasta, and most northern fruits are good sources. Try to consume around 30 to
50 grams of these carbohydrates after a cardio session. After cardio, it is ok
to eat within 5 to 10 minutes of completion.
If you have just finished a resistance session, you will need a combination of
carbohydrates and protein. Because unlike cardio workouts, with resistance
workouts you are breaking down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. The
protein is needed to build up and repair these tears so the muscle can increase
in size and strength. The carbs not only replace the lost muscle glycogen, but
also help the protein get into our muscle cells so it can synthesize into
structural protein, or muscle itself.
Chicken or fish with a potato, egg
whites with a piece of fruit, or a protein shake with fruit mixed in are good
meals after resistance workouts but remember to keep the fiber low here. High
fiber slows down digestion, meaning the protein will take longer to reach the
muscle cells.
After resistance, it is recommended to wait 30 minutes before eating so as not
to take blood away from your muscles too soon. The blood in your muscles helps
with the repair process by removing metabolic waste products from them.
Any fats should be consumed well before and well after exercise.
