To perform a workout effectively, you need sufficient fuel (carbohydrates). To recover after a workout, you need sufficient building blocks (proteins). The timing of nutrition around a workout deserves attention to get the optimal result from your training.
What is your goal?
Depending on your goal and the time of training, you can choose to eat something before your workout. Is the goal of the training to get fitter or better? Then it is a good idea to eat something before the training to have enough energy to perform the workout well.
A good time to eat is between 1 and 3 hours before the start of training. By then, the nutrients have largely passed through the stomach and been partially absorbed, so you benefit from them without experiencing any discomfort during the workout.
Within an hour after training, it is good to have a snack, such as a piece of fruit (fresh or dried), a cracker or rice cake with (protein-rich) toppings, or a bowl of dairy with muesli. This replenishes used nutrients and allows the muscles to recover and build up better.
When the goal of the training is to lose fat mass, the meal before the workout is of less importance. In fact, performing a workout on an empty stomach, for example before breakfast, can be a good exercise for the body. In this way, the body gets used to exerting itself without a lot of fuel immediately available. This can be difficult at first.
So don't start too intensely and keep the training short (half an hour). After a while, you will notice that it gets easier and that you duration can build on. A cup of coffee before training can be a good idea: the caffeine makes you slightly energized and alert and can support fat burning.
Sports nutrition
Do not be tempted to use sports drinks and bars. These are sometimes useful during competitions, but certainly not necessary for training sessions of 1 to 1.5 hours. During sports activities up to 90 minutes, drinking water is actually sufficient. For a training session of 1.5 hours or longer, you can choose to use sports nutrition, but usually, this is not necessary. Fruit juices, muesli or fruit bars, bread, and (dried) fruit are fine in that case. For prolonged (1.5 to 4 hours) and intensive training sessions and competitions, it is advisable to consume small amounts. proteins to take to prevent muscle mass loss.
Assignment:
If you want to get the most out of your training, you should consciously plan your meals and snacks around your workouts. Start looking for and preparing suitable snacks around your training sessions this coming week.
Source: Chivo
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