So, you decided to go in for sports and, following the fashion trend, signed up for fitness. Whatever goal you pursue, it is important to remember not only about the exercises, but also about the correct mode of eating and drinking. In this article, we will look at how you need to eat to achieve results when playing sports.
Recommendations from fitness trainers
In order for your workouts to be as effective as possible, you need not only to do the exercises correctly, but also to follow a special diet and drink. Just imagine, you train a couple of times a week, and eat and drink several times a day. Therefore, diet is just as important as your workouts. Nutrition during fitness loads is significantly different from the usual.
Fitness Diet: The Basics
Often beginners make several gross mistakes when doing fitness:
do not eat almost anything to lose weight;
they eat everything, explaining that there is no time to eat right;
consume only protein.
As a rule, the first mistake is made most often by girls who have chosen fitness in order to lose weight. In pursuit of the desired forms, they spend days and nights in the hall, but forget about food, or sit on cereals and kefir. As a result of such an improper diet, the girl’s body is under enormous stress, which can lead to permanent fatigue, poor health and mood, and even fainting. Here it is worth remembering that health is the most important thing and it is impossible to infringe on oneself so much in calories consumed. Moreover, fitness training will not do you any good, and you will definitely break loose and gain more extra pounds than you had before.
The second and third mistakes are made mainly by men who want to add relief to their bodies. Men are sure that the result depends solely on training, so they eat everything. Or they buy a couple of cans of protein and forget about regular food. Miracle powder will never do everything for you, however, just as malnutrition will in no way help your body change its shape for the better.
General nutritional recommendations for your fitness workouts are as follows:
Eat multiple meals and try to avoid overeating. If you want to lose a couple of kilograms, then eat no more than 5 times a day, if on the contrary you want gain weight, then 6-8 times a day. At one meal, you are allowed to eat no more than 300-400 calories. Breakfast and dinner must be included in your schedule. Remember that dinner should be as light as possible. An ideal dinner can be considered vegetables, fruits, lean meats and eggs. A full meal should be 1.5 hours before a fitness workout. Fast carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread) can only be eaten in the morning. In the evening, such food is rapidly deposited in fat. During the day, try to eat more protein (yogurt, tofu, fish). Say no to “white death”, i.e. ordinary salt. Forget semi-finished products. The priority is only fresh food, steamed.
Drinking regime
Compliance with a special drinking regimen is the key to your success in fitness training, as well as the health of your body. Training is always a little stress for your body, moreover, active sports are an increase in body temperature. Drinking regime обязательно соблюдать, если у вас есть какие-то серьёзные заболевания. Here are some general tips for exercising:
Be sure to drink 2-3 liters of fluid per day. If the air temperature in the place where you live exceeds 28 ° C, then for every 5 degrees you should increase your water intake by 500 ml. Drink a glass of water 1 hour before your workout and half a glass of water 15 minutes before. Is your workout very active? Then drink in small sips so that the absorption of water occurs even in the oral cavity. If you’re doing strength training, don’t wait until you feel thirsty. Drink in moderation and maintain a normal body temperature. Be sure to drink half a glass of water after the session to restore fluid loss in the body.
Water removes toxins, lubricates the joints, reduces appetite, and helps to absorb many nutrients. Do you still doubt that the drinking regime is important?
Proper nutrition during training. What are your goals?
A balanced diet is a guarantee that in a short period of time you will achieve the result you are striving for. Physical activity robs a person of many nutrients to produce enough energy, and these nutrients must be compensated through nutrition. Do you want to just support your physical form, or build muscle, before training, you should carefully consider your diet. Fitness nutrition can be broken down into pre-, during- and post-workout meals.
Diet while exercising
During the lesson, special attention should be paid to the liquid. Dehydration of the body will not benefit either for the desired result or for your health. Never stop drinking while exercising. Drink small amounts throughout your workout. Drink not only when you feel thirsty. During exercise, the sensitivity of the receptors changes. During the class, you can drink not only plain water, but also special drinks (for example, L-Carnitine).
Nutrition for gaining muscle mass
The rule of thumb when looking to build muscle is that you need to increase the nutritional content of your daily diet. Eat at least 2500-3000 calories every day, without this, the effectiveness of any supplements for muscle growth will be minimal. If you are an ectomorph (i.e. thin body), it will be difficult for you to eat a lot. In this case, you should increase food intake up to 5-7 times a day.
Creatine Creatine optimizes energy in muscles during exercise. When using at least 5 gr. creatine per day, your strength indicators will increase in a very short period of time. Moreover, due to the fact that creatine retains fluid in the muscles, it visually increases their volume and density. Whey Protein. Protein is the basis of metabolism and a set of muscle mass. Usually the athlete’s diet includes 1.5-2.5 gr. protein per 1. kg. body, i.e., with a weight of 70 kg. a man should consume 100-175 gr. protein per day. Whey protein is quickly absorbed, which distinguishes it from other types of protein. Gainer. Gainer is usually consumed after a workout. Instead, fast carbohydrates and proteins may be suitable, as well as regular protein and a couple of bananas.
Fitness nutrition for weight loss
In order for training to lead to weight loss, it is very important that you spend more energy than you get with food: that’s when the accumulated fats go away. The standard fitness diet calls for 1,500 calories per day. Of course, everything is individual and in order to calculate it for yourself you need to use a special fitness calculator.
In order to to lose weight, it is necessary to abandon canned food, fast food, semi-finished products. The simpler your meals, the better. You can cook at home and take your food in containers to work. Steamed food is welcome. Minimize your intake of sugar, salt, and oil. Food should be taken in small portions several times a day without long breaks between them. The effect will need to be achieved within a few months, however, it will be durable.
Dry fitness nutrition
Drying the body suggests carbohydrate starvation of the body. You can not engage in drying for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, as well as with a lack of muscle mass. The general rule when drying is the rejection of fruits, fast food, pastries, canned food, soda and, of course, alcohol. It is recommended to use only proteins, as well as cereals, greens, legumes.
If you decide to start drying the body, try to adhere to the following rules:
You can not eat 2 hours before training and 2 hours after it. Be sure to have breakfast. Dinner should be light. Drying time should not exceed 6 weeks. Drink more water. Try to boil or stew food. Steam more often. Refuse carbohydrates gradually, a sharp rejection of the usual food can be a real stress for the body. Eat small meals 5-6 times a day.