Organize proper nutrition before and after training

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Have you gathered your strength and decided to start leading a sports lifestyle? This is a commendable initiative, and the main thing now is to maintain the regularity of the chosen workouts. If these are classes in the gym, then a set of exercises to achieve certain goals will help you choose a personal trainer. If these are group lessons, then your task is to perform the movements conscientiously and not to hack. However, in addition to the sports process itself, nutrition before and after training is of great importance. After all, you go to the gym to "build" a beautiful body, don't you?

First we eat, then we run… or we carry the barbell

Food is the building material of our body. She can become our friend and ally on the way to the ideal figure, or she can be an enemy standing in the way. Let's take a look at how pre-workout nutrition affects the results we show in class.

The first thing food should provide is enough energy for physical activity. You do not want to die from fatigue and lack of strength duringworkout?

Complex carbohydrates give us energy, and proteins help to prolong the feeling of satiety for a long time. In order not to feel hungry, but also not to jump-run with a full stomach, you need to eat 1.5-2 hours before class. It can be porridge on the water with vegetables, scrambled eggs with whole grain bread, pasta, natural yogurt and fruit - that is, foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins with a minimum fat content.

When planning meals before training, consider the nature of the workout. If you are going to the gym for strength exercises, then half an hour before them, you can additionally drink a protein shake or eat some cottage cheese. This is necessary so that the amino acids that enter the body are immediately used for protein synthesis and muscle growth. Just before aerobic exercise, it is better not to eat anything, but only drink some water. By the way, you need to replenish fluids during the training process.

To eat or not to eat, that is the question

You have successfully and productively worked out in the gym and, having come home, you felt a slight feeling of hunger. What to do? Should I eat immediately after a workout or should I wait? Again, it all depends on your goals.

If you want to build muscle, eat within the first 20-30 minutes after your workout. The fact is that during this period, catabolic processes begin (active muscle destruction), which is contrary to your desires. So that the work in the gym is not in vain, you must definitely eat easily digestible protein (egg, for example) and fast carbohydrates. Everything is clear with the firstbut why carbs? They contribute to the production of the anabolic hormone insulin, which prevents the development of destructive processes in the muscles. It is also good to drink milk after a workout, because it contains casein and whey, which contribute to rapid muscle recovery.

If, however, increasing the mass is not in your plans, but your cherished dream is a thin, toned figure, then within the first hour after training, it is better to refuse food, and then eat something light and low-fat. It should be slow carbohydrates and protein. A great option is lean fish or white chicken and a vegetable side dish.

As you can see, pre-workout and post-workout nutrition differs depending on the type of physical activity, as well as the goals we pursue when going to the gym.

Summing up, we can formulate the following rule: nutrition before training should be in any case, preferably a couple of hours before class. After strength exercises, you need to eat within half an hour (fast-digesting proteins + carbohydrates), and after aerobic exercises - not earlier than an hour later (lean proteins + complex carbohydrates). Eat right and reach your goals!