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Pre and Post Workout Recovery Foods - Does It Really Matter?

By Julie Prince

Well yes and more than you probably realize!

What you eat before and after your workouts has a significant effect on the results you will get from exercise. It also plays a vital role on energy levels during and after your workouts. The foods you eat before and after your workouts helps significantly with your recovery from exercise, so pay attention to what you put in your body pre and post workout. Below are some basic guideline to go by and some rock solid reasons why you should place significant importance upon this.

Pre Workout

Fueling before exercise is as important as after exercise, especially if you are doing an endurance event. It is best to eat 1-2 hours before the activity to allow your stomach to settle. This will fuel your brain and keep your blood sugar stable. If you are looking to fuel your glycogen stores you will need to eat carbohydrates 4-6 hours in advance and then eat a light meal 30 minutes prior (such as a banana). You are going to want a carbohydrate rich snack such as oatmeal with berries with a little protein depending on your tolerance. If you are doing a competition you will want tried and true foods that you know will not cause you gastric distress (this is why liquids tend to do better).

Some people steer clear of food before their workouts because they are trying to burn more fat for fuel and yes your body will burn fat for fuel in carbohydrate depleted state, but ultimately it does not really matter whether you burned more fat or carbohydrates for fuel only the amount of calories at the end of the day you burned matters-- you want a deficit. Sometimes it is more beneficial to get in a great workout than to worry about what fuel source your body is using; and you will definitely have more energy and mental alertness in fully fueled state, which ultimately will help you burn even more calories.

If you are like some people and cannot eat in the morning before your workout eat a late night carbohydrate rich snack. The myth has already been debunked that late night carbohydrates make you fat—excess calories make you fat!

Pre-exercise fuel has four functions:

1. It helps prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and its symptoms of light- headedness, needless fatigue, blurred vision, and indecisiveness—all of which can interfere with top performance.

2. It helps settle your stomach, absorb some of the gastric juices, and ward off hunger.

3. It fuels your muscles, with both carbohydrates that you eat far enough in advance to get stored as glycogen and carbohydrate that within an hour of exercise which enters the bloodstream and feeds the brain.

4. It gives you piece of mind that comes with knowing that your body is well fueled. (Clark, 2008)

Post Workout Recovery Foods

Your muscles break down during a hard workout, so it is important to fuel your body properly build back strong and toned muscles. You have a 45 minute window of opportunity after a workout in which your muscles will optimally use the food you consume to repair and nourish them. Carbohydrates consumed during this window of opportunity will be shuttled immediately into your glycogen stores, which will fuel your next workout. Protein consumed during this 45 minute window of opportunity will help rebuild the broken down muscle. It is best to bring portable meal replacements or nutrition bars!

Refueling benefits in two ways:

1. Carbohydrate stimulates the release of insulin, a hormone that helps build muscle as well as transports carbohydrate into the muscles to replenish depleted glycogen stores.

2. Carbohydrate combined with a little protein (approximately 10-20g) creates an even better muscle refueling and building response, and it reduces cortisol, a hormone that breaks down muscle.

Post-Workout Foods

Protein Bar
Whey protein smoothie
Egg-whites and oatmeal
Buckwheat cereal with raisins and soymilk
Tuna/salmon whole wheat wrap with lots of veggies
Remember portable foods are best if you are busy

Commit to fueling your body pre and post workout and take your body to the NEXT LEVEL! Do this for 21 days and I know you will feel a big difference in you performance and as a wonderful bonus you will also look noticeably more toned!

About the Author:

Julie Prince CPT is the Founder of Fit Women of Orlando; founded in 2009 the group has grown to over 370 local women. The purpose of this group is to provide a safe, fun, inspirational and welcoming environment for women to connect and stay or become healthy. This group offers a variety of activities, running, biking, and Private Personal Training and Boot Camp Style workouts just to name a few--so no getting bored.

To learn more about this topic and how to truly get in shape contact:

Julie Prince
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Phone:

www.fitwomenoforlando.com
Fit Women of Orlando