Why do I need to eat before and after my workout?
We exercise to burn calories, so why would we want to undo this by eating before and after a workout? For one, we need energy to carry us through our workouts. I have actually caught a person, or two, while fainting in the middle of a training session. Oops they tell me, I was too busy and forgot to eat. Dizziness and nausea are the first signs of lack of fuel. We need energy to burn energy, the key here is to make sure you are burning more than you are consuming. We don’t get the green light to eat whatever we want just because we worked out - a huge misconception among many. Additionally, after we workout our body needs food to feed our hungry muscles. We need to quickly (within 30 minutes) get food into the blood flow following exercise. Protein and carbohydrates before and after weight training can enhance recovery, allowing the body to spend more time on building muscle rather than repair.
Some good pre and post workout snacks are :
-bananas
-yogurt
-low-fat chocolate milk
-protein shake
-oranges
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March 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm
How do Sports drinks fit into this? Are some better than others?
Sports drinks are good to refuel your body when you are exercising for more than 90 minutes. Up to that point water is the best source of hydration. Sweating is the way in which the body maintains its core temperature at 37 degrees centigrade. This results in the loss of body fluid and electrolytes (minerals such as chloride, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) and if unchecked will lead to dehydration and eventually circulatory collapse and heat stroke.
The sweat that evaporates from the skin contains a variety of electrolytes.
* Sodium
* Potassium
* Calcium
* Magnesium
* Chloride
* Bicarbonate
* Phosphate
* Sulphate
There are three types of sports drink all of which contain various levels of fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrate.
1) Isotonic : Fluid, electrolytes and 6 to 8% carbohydrate
2) Hypotonic: Fluids, electrolytes and a low level of carbohydrate
3) Hypertonic : High level of carbohydrate
Which is most suitable for you?
Isotonic - quickly replaces fluids lost by sweating and supplies a boost of carbohydrate. This drink is the choice for most athletes - middle and long distance running or team sports. Glucose is the body’s preferred source of energy therefore it may be appropriate to consume Isotonic drinks where the carbohydrate source is glucose in a concentration of 6% to 8% - e.g. High Five, SiS Go, Boots Isotonic, Lucozade Sport.
Hypotonic - quickly replaces fluids lost by sweating. Suitable for athletes who need fluid without the boost of carbohydrate e.g. jockeys and gymnasts.
Hypertonic - used to supplement daily carbohydrate intake normally after exercise to top up muscle glycogen stores. In ultra distance events, high levels of energy are required and Hypertonic drinks can be taken during exercise to meet the energy requirements. If used during exercise Hypertonic drinks need to be used in conjunction with Isotonic drinks to replace fluids.
Sports drinks can get quite pricey and have a lot of added chemicals…want to make your own?
Isotonic - 6.5 oz of orange squash (concentrated orange), 32 oz of water and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients together and keep chilled
Hypotonic - 3.35oz of orange squash (concentrated orange), 32 oz of water and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients together and keep chilled.
Hypertonic - 13oz of orange squash (concentrated orange), 132 oz of water and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients together and keep chilled.
-Dawn
March 14th, 2008 at 5:57 am
I personally have realized the benefits of eating before and after a workout just this week. I’ve made an effort to properly fuel my body with the nutrients it needs to see if there really is any truth to this above quote. YES! it’s true, I was able to work out harder and longer than any time before. I was pleasantly surprised the difference a little food makes before and after a workout.
Tara