Anyone who is not far from sports has these questions. What to eat before training? How long before the start? Or is it best to exercise on an empty stomach?
Of course, you are determined to get the most out of your active actions in the gym. And eating prepares the body for the upcoming loads, maintains the necessary level of energy, increases endurance and performance. The main thing is to refuel with high-quality fuel and do it on time.
1. To eat or not to eat
You must understand and remember that improper nutrition before training or its absence can make the exercise useless or add “load” to you in the form of colic, bloating and nausea. Overeat and taste foods that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach – lethargy and disorder of the corresponding organ will come. At the other extreme, hunger leads to decreased stamina, dizziness, fainting, and injury.
2. When and how much to eat
Regardless of what kind of training is ahead, there should be 1.5-2 hours before it. Are you planning a super-nutrient intake of heavy and high-calorie foods? Then forget about active actions for 3 hours after. When for some reason it was not possible to eat a balanced and complete meal on time, you can have a snack 30 minutes before the start of the class – intercept fruit, light yogurt, fruit juice or smoothies. Determine the portion size based on your feelings. The main thing here is to avoid feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
In more detail, proper nutrition before training depends on the individual characteristics of the person. Actual nutritional needs differ based on body type, goals, genetics, exercise duration and intensity. The training experience is no less important: the longer it is, the better the system of energy reserve and consumption is developed.
Here is an example that has already set the teeth on edge. “Very often, newcomers come to the gym who do not calculate their strength. And even after a seemingly not very intense workout, they catch hypoglycemia (a sharp drop in blood sugar), which leads to nausea, cold sweat, dizziness, loss of consciousness and tinnitus. This is because the muscles have not yet adapted to the accumulation of glycogen (stored glucose) for intense work. Experienced athletes, on the contrary, even after a light snack can train for a long time without manifestations. hypoglycemia.
Consider all these factors and carefully monitor your well-being during class, gradually building your diet. The best advisers here, of course, will be a sports doctor and nutritionist.
3. Sports menu
Before aerobic training, the main source of energy is carbohydrates, which will keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the session. Do not imagine cake and fragrant buns. We are talking, of course, about complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. So draw inspiration and energy from oatmeal, vegetables and fruits, berries, whole grain bread, brown rice, smoothies, nuts and other similar things. Plus, include a small amount of protein (natural yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese will be just right) to prevent muscle breakdown and help them recover faster.
Before strength training, it is worth laying on a protein. It acts as a source of amino acids necessary for the construction and repair of muscle fibers. But also combine it with carbohydrates. Among the options are cottage cheese with berries or a banana, an omelet from two eggs with vegetables, poultry meat with a slice of grain bread, low-fat fish with a vegetable salad.