When it comes to fitness, what you eat can be as important, if not more, than the physical exercises. Here is what dieticians and nutritionists recommend you eat before, during and after a workout to maximise your results.
Never skip the pre-workout snack
If you’re trying to lose weight, going into a workout hungry might be tempting, ’cause doesn’t it mean our body will have to use stored fat as fuel? Well, actually no. Science is 100% supportive of properly fuelling your body before exercising because it will lead to a more efficient and effective workout. You won’t feel tired or dizzy and will be able to push your muscles those extra couple of times needed for a proper fat burn. Great pre-workout snacks are cheese and crackers, yoghurt, muesli bars, toast with some jam or peanut butter and fruit.
Pre-workout protein helps maintain and increase of muscle mass and reduces muscle damage
Pre-workout carbs fuel you and help your recovery
Pre-workout fat slows down digestion to maintain blood glucose and insulin levels
Timing is everything
Try not to eat a full meal later than three hours before a workout – you don’t want your stomach activity ‘to compete’ with your muscle activity. A snack can be eaten 0-60 minutes before your sweat time for the best energy boost. It’s also good to drink two glasses of water around 2-3 hours before exercising and another glass 10-20 minutes before hitting the gym. Dehydration can cause low energy and muscle cramps!
Stay hydrated during your workout
Drinking enough liquid is essential for a successful workout, as sweating makes us lose fluids quicker than normal. How much to drink depends entirely on your body and though there are average recommendations (one glass for every 15-30 minutes, in case you were wondering), professionals just recommend listening to your body and drink when you’re thirsty and until your thirst is satisfied.
After the workout, you should drink as much as possible – again, approx. recommendation is to replenish every kilogram of weight lost during the workout with 1.5L of water.
If your workout is shorter than two hours, just regular water is all you’ll need. Fancy sports drinks don’t really offer much benefit for shorter activities and your body won’t need that extra fuel if you maintain a healthy pre- and post-workout nutrition regime. The only exception is exercising in high heat – in this case, electrolytes in sports drinks will help with speed hydration and recovery.
Post-workout recovery snack
After an active workout, we normally feel energised and pumped up. This intense feeling might mute hunger and you might not feel like eating at all. But your body needs it! It’s a recovering, calming down and repairing time for your muscles and a good ol’ fruit smoothie, a milkshake or even tuna sandwich will ensure you make the most of this important moment.
You should ideally have a full meal within two hours after your workout as well, otherwise your recovery will take longer.
