Pre and post-workout meals: a must

Pre and post-workout meals are essential for maximizing energy and recovery. Pre-workout meals fuel your body, while post-workout meals help restore glycogen and repair muscles. The timing and type of food matter.

Pre-workout

The type and quantity of food ingested will vary depending on your workout schedule. If you ate your last meal within two hours before exercising, you likely have enough energy to complete your workout.. If your last meal was over three hours ago, you’ll need a snack before your workout. Because our organisms metabolize liquids faster, snacks taken less than one hour before a workout should be fruit juices. This ensures quick carb digestion and reduces the risk of discomfort or bloating from solid foods.

Examples of pre-workout snacks:

• If the workout is going to take place in 2 to 3 hours, eat dry cookies and a yogurt or the equivalent of 250 to 500 calories (containing 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates).
• If the workout will take place in less than two hours, drink a juice with or without cheese or the equivalent of 100 to 250 calories (containing 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates).

Post-workout

Carbohydrates intake immediately following workout is very important. Glycogen reserves must absolutely be restored. The consumption of carbohydrates mixed with proteins following a workout accelerates the replenishment of glycogen.

Eat your post-workout snack as soon as possible, when your body best absorbs nutrients and rebuilds energy reserves. Liquid carbohydrates are also recommended post-workout, as they are quickly absorbed and they restore energy levels. The type of sugar ingested right after workout will also influence the speed and the efficiency at which your body will replenish its glycogen reserves. In spite of their lower nutritional value, experts recommend refined sugars (containing, for example, glucose) as they are quickly directed toward muscle tissue and stored there as glycogen. Particular attention needs to be given during the rest of the day to provide the body with adequate carbohydrates rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Examples of post-workout snacks:

Within one hour of your workout:

• drink 1 ½ to 2 cups (325 to 500 ml) of 1 % chocolate milk
• or 1 to 1 ½ cups (250 to 325 ml) of fruit juice with ½ to ¾ cup (125 to 180 ml) of 2 % cottage cheese
• or the equivalent of 250 to 500 calories (30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates and 10 to 20 grams of proteins).

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Pre and post-workout meals: a must is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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