You may not know, if exercise accounts for 30-40% of the results, eating and nutritional supplements are also very important. In fact, nutrition affects 60-70% of the body you want to change. In this article, Level Fitness will help you answer questions about nutrition before and after exercise. Should you eat before and after exercise? What should you eat before and after exercise and how often is reasonable?
Should you eat before and after exercise?
For gym goers , besides a reasonable exercise schedule, nutrition is extremely important. So from the beginning you should build a diet that is suitable for your body condition and goals. Not only stopping at 3 main meals, the snacks before and after exercise also need to be taken care of.
On the contrary, if you only work hard and eat very little or too much, it is very easy to have the opposite effect. For example, what if you want to gain muscle quickly but still comfortably eat fast food, loaded with starches and sweets? Surely the muscles will lack the amount of protein needed to rebuild muscle from the inside.
In short, gym goers in particular and sports players in general should ensure a balanced diet. As a result, you can convert calories and essential nutrients into energy for effective exercise.
Why should you eat before exercise?
Eating before exercise is to provide carbs for the body, thereby providing enough metabolic energy to function at its best. The fact that you don’t eat before training will cause your body to get nutrients from anywhere in the body including protein in your muscles. Therefore, eating before the gym is especially effective for those who work out for more than an hour.
Moreover, an empty stomach will cause fatigue, loss of concentration, low blood sugar and muscle aches. If you don’t want to quickly burn out in the gym or quit halfway, you should have a snack before exercising.
What to eat after exercise?
After exercising, muscles fall into a state of glycogen shortage and are prone to injury. To help the body recover quickly and recharge, snacks after gym are essential. In it, experts assess that carbohydrates and proteins help speed up the body’s recovery process.
To determine the amount of nutrients to supplement, you should be flexible based on the intensity of exercise. Exercises that require endurance often use more energy than usual. For example, cardio, swimming, long distance running, require more carbohydrates after a workout.
Also, don’t forget to add water to your body. The process of exercising causes us to lose water due to sweating a lot. You can drink water before, during and after exercise. But instead of drinking a lot of water at once, take small sips and drink it gradually.
How long should I eat before and after the gym?
Rushing to eat right before exercise will cause bloating, gas and a feeling of heaviness. Swim because your stomach is focusing on digestion right now.
If preparing a snack, you can eat it within 30-90 minutes before hitting the gym. This gives the body enough time to digest and absorb nutrients. If you do not have much time to eat before exercise, eat less than usual. This ensures that the body does not feel full, bloated or uncomfortable during exercise.
Similarly, after 30-90 minutes of exercise, you can recharge with a snack or main meal. You should balance the nutritional composition for your post-workout meal. In particular, avoid “rewarding” yourself with a nutritious meal.
What to eat before and after exercise? 8 suggested foods
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are very good sources of energy for the body before and after exercise.
According to research, muscles need large amounts of glucose, which is made up of carbohydrates. If you are not provided with enough nutrients, you will feel depleted of energy, reduce mobility during the training session.
Fat seems to be a nutrient that needs to be removed from the menu of weight loss gym people . In fact, they are an essential source of energy for long, high-intensity workouts. In addition, you should also add a moderate amount of protein to build strong, toned muscles.
Here are 8 foods/snacks that Level Fitness suggests for you. You can refer to preparing snacks before and after gym:
- Greek yogurt with fruit combination.
- Milk combines oats and cereals.
- Banana.
- Boiled eggs.
- Milk whey protein.
- Seeds.
- Chicken breast – sweet potato – broccoli.
- Yam.
In addition to the above 8 foods, do not forget to add water and other nutritious foods. Hopefully, the above useful information has helped you answer the question. “What to eat before and after the gym?” . If you want to design a personalized diet plan, you should seek advice from a coach. This is a team that can help you navigate a specific path in terms of both nutrition and exercise.