How to fuel your workouts
Let’s paint a picture, shall we?
You are 17 minutes into an hour-long session with your rockstar Trainer and it happens….
You feel so weak that every rep feels like it could be 3 tons….
Dizziness and a light-headed feeling begin to overcome your brain….
The hands get clammy and a cold sweat starts to bead up on your forehead….
“I need a minute….”
but even with recovery and some water, you know the training session has essentially been lost. You had no energy to give and your body shut down as a result.
What happened and how can this be avoided?
I’m willing to bet that we can start with what you ate (or didn’t eat) leading up to your workout.
What you eat prior to and in the hours after a workout can significantly impact performance and recovery. In this article, I will cover basic guidelines for pre and post workout nutrition for normal, everyday people. If you are an endurance athlete, looking to put on significant muscle or have a specific event you are training for (hello, Gate River Run) other considerations will likely be needed.
On to everyone’s favorite…..eating!!!
2-3hrs prior to a workout:
This is an ideal amount of time to take in proper nutrition and allow for digestion with a normal sized, well-rounded meal. In this timeframe, meals should consist of a quality carbohydrate (such as potatoes, rice or berries), a lean protein source (chicken, fish or lean meats) and a small amount of wonderfully delicious fats, such as nuts, nut butter or oils.
The carbohydrates prior to working out will help fuel your workout and jump-start the recovery process, while the protein will reduce muscle damage and improve body composition. Fats eaten prior to training will not directly affect the performance of the workout itself, but help provide much-needed nutrients and also slows digestion, keeping blood glucose levels nice and even (remember our lightheaded/dizzy spell at the beginning of this article? That was most likely because blood sugar levels dropped very quickly)
But Pat…..
I workout at the butt-crack of dawn!
I don’t have time to eat that far in advance of my workout.
What will I do???
Glad you asked, my curious friends.
1-2hrs or less prior to training:
If you don’t have the time to eat a full meal in advance of training, the focus shifts slightly. Change your mindset to more of a light snack that you are familiar with and digests easily.
…..read that second part again.
I don’t think I need to explain the importance of digestion in this case, do I?
A quick banana/piece of fruit or a scoop of protein in water (not dairy) is fine to keep the hunger at bay, but make sure in this scenario that you take in a nutritious meal soon after your workout. Training extensively in a fasted state can lead to muscle tissue breakdown, impaired recovery and a significant drop in performance.
But Pat….I’m just not hungry in the morning, before my training sessions.
Ok, fine. Be sure to stay hydrated (whenever you are training or working, or shopping….just stay hydrated, it’s pretty important) and a small amount of caffeine is ok. Again, the main point prior to training is knowing what you are comfortable with. If you normally have a cup of magic black gold before working out, then cool, drink up…..but if you aren’t a coffee drinker (I don’t even know who you are!) don’t load up on caffeine. The only exercise you will be doing is the bathroom squat.
Post Workout Meal:
The timing of your post-workout meal really depends on what you ate prior to training. If you go to the gym in the afternoon or evening and have had a full meal or two well in advance, you don’t need to run immediately to the kitchen or, despite what the muscle guys will tell you, reach for that protein shake within seconds of finishing your last rep.
On the other hand, if you do train very early in the morning or in a fasted state, then a post workout meal within the first hour after the session really becomes important to replenish the body, restore much needed muscle glycogen for recovery and other sciencey stuff that will just make you feel and train better. Isn’t that what we want?
Your post workout meal should be a well-rounded meal of lean proteins, whole food carbohydrates, and full fats. Simple carbohydrates (simple sugars like pop tarts or candies) have been thought to spike insulin and refill glycogen stores quickly, and while this practice can be effective for endurance athletes or training sessions that last well over an hour, the normal person will benefit the most from taking in a quality, longer digesting carbohydrate source.
The makeup of your plate will depend slightly on your goals and training. If fat loss is a priority for you, then maybe a smaller portion of carbohydrates would be good (note: I didn’t say eliminate them….you need them, they are important, they are delicious), while on the other hand, if putting on some quality muscle mass is a goal for you, that large sweet potato will serve our needs perfectly.
All plates, no matter what the fitness goal is, should have a high-quality protein source and all the veggies you can stuff in that beautiful face of yours. If every meal you eat has a protein and tons of veggies, the other variables can be adjusted to suit your particular needs.
Nutrition is a highly individualized practice. No one diet or method will work for everyone and even a diet that works for someone might not work forever, as the body adjusts amazingly fast. The important concept is to build your nutrition around a few essential principles and then experiment to find what works best for you and your body.
Use these guidelines to come to your workouts ready to perform at your absolute best and get the most out of your training sessions.
If you have any food and fitness questions or feel like sharing great recipes that have helped you make nutrition easier, feel free to email me at Patrick@Definitionfitness.com