How to Optimize Pre and Post Workout Nutrition?

Exercising regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your health and waistline. To get the most out of your workout regime, exercise routine should be coupled with proper workout nutrition. In fact, inadequate nutrition is one of the most common mistakes in people who exercise regularly. It’s not enough to eat healthy foods and stay away from unhealthy items. To get the most out of your routine, you have to optimize pre and post workout nutrition. You’re probably thinking this is complicated, but it’s quite simple. Keep reading this article to find out what to eat before and after your workouts for optimal results.

3 to 4 Hours Before Workout

Before you start optimizing your pre workout supplements you should bear in mind that your physical activity today is, largely, fueled by foods you ate yesterday. This means that your body already has sufficient amount of energy to endure your workout routine. However, if you simply can’t exercise unless you eat something before or if you’re going to work out later in the day then you should make wise food choices. Why? It’s because the primary purpose of pre workout nutrition is to power your exercise and boost energy levels. But, some foods can only slow down your workout. Below, you can see what foods will slow you down:

• Flaxseeds
• Hummus
• Dairy
• High sodium foods
• Green bananas
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Mexican or Thai food
• Muffins
• Protein bars
• Energy drinks
• Store-bought smoothies and fruit juices
• Rice cakes.

You’ve probably recognized some items that you perceived as energy-boosting and ideal for healthy eating plans. For example, protein bars are widely consumed before exercises but don’t be food because most of them are no different than a regular candy bar. Energy drinks are loaded with sugar and they’re also carbonated. They can lead to bloating, gas, and fatigue. It’s also important to mention that energy drinks don’t keep you hydrated which is crucial for your workout. And lastly, although bananas are good to eat before hitting the gym you should opt for ripe ones rather than green fruit.

With this being said, your pre workout meal should be predominantly carbohydrate-based meal along with some healthy fats and protein. For example, it’s not a good idea to eat baked potatoes or steak before going to the gym because they will slow down digestion and thus affect your workout.

The purpose of carbs in pre workout meals is to stock up muscle and liver glycogen stores and keep your blood sugar levels prepared for the upcoming workout session. This is highly important for delaying exercise-induced fatigue.

Here are some meal ideas for you:

•  Green smoothie with 20g of protein (homemade)
•  Veggie omelet
•  Sprouted grain toast
•  1-2 liters of water in the morning.

You can also opt for oatmeal, whole grain bread or rice.

An Hour Before Workout

In cases when you’re very hungry or simply want to eat before going to the gym to boost your performance you should focus on carbohydrates. Below, you can see some snack ideas to eat an hour before your workout:

•  Ripe bananas, grapes, peaches, watermelons, plums, dates
•  Protein bars (homemade)
•  Pre workout shake.

If your workout consists lifting weights to strengthen or build muscles then you should definitely add simple-to-absorb protein to the carbs. You can also mix a little bit of protein powder in water.

Immediately After Workout

Post workout period is the most critical part of nutrient timing. Here’s why you should pay extra attention to post workout nutrition:

•  It replenishes glycogen
•  It decreases protein breakdown
•  It increases protein synthesis.

Ideally, post workout nutrition requires proteins to aid in protein synthesis and carbs to replace muscle glycogen. Here are some ideas:

•  Plain Greek yogurt
•  Whole grain sandwich wraps
•  Fruit salad
•  Whole grain cereal.

Basically, post workout meals are quite similar to foods you should eat an hour before. Here’s the list of foods you shouldn’t eat:

•  Pizza
•  Raw vegetables
•  Doughnuts and other pastries
•  Salty snacks
•  Bacon
•  Soda and fruit drinks
•  Milk chocolate

Several hours after workout
This is usually time for dinner (or lunch if you exercise early in the morning) which means it’s important to have a healthy and well-balanced meal that offers variety of healthy nutrients. It is also important to make proteins focus of your meal as they will keep you full for hours and you won’t be tempted to overeat and ruin your hard work.

Here are some meal suggestions for you:

•  Avocado, chicken, sweet potato
•  Salads
•  Fish
•  Smoothies.

Conclusion

To get the most out of your workout you should know how to optimize your nutrition properly i.e. what foods to eat and what are off the limits. This article provided brief guidelines into this subject to help you create a perfect meal plan for you. If you love smoothies then make sure you make them yourself as store bought products are loaded with sugar.

References
http://www.examiner.com/article/top-7-reasons-your-diet-is-making-you-tired
http://contributors.healthline.com/fitness/6-exercises-kickstart-your-workout-routine