What to Eat Before and After Training
Every time you train millions of cells in your body are put to the test. These cells support you by managing your heart rate, keeping you cool, extracting the nutrients you get from food, thus increasing your body’s overall energy capabilities while decreasing inflammation and the risk of injury.
The result: A healthier, and happier you with a revved up metabolic system that hums. I will walk you through the best ways to maximise the health of your cells, and provide two recipes to help you put it into practice before your training sessions.
What to Eat
Eating right on a daily basis is a recipe for success in and out of the gym, but getting the correct types of foods in your system pre- and post-workout is essential if you’re hoping to change your body, maintain workout gains or even improve performance. "Your body's cells need the proper nutrition to cope with the stressors of exercise"
Pre- and post-workout you need quick, accessible, and sustaining energy. The focus of pre- and post- workout nutrition surrounds two macronutrients, carbohydrate and protein. When you eat before your workout your body stores carbohydrates in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen to be later used for energy. While, protein helps reduce inflammation and can be used immediately for muscle repair.
A pre-workout meal 30 min-1 hr before you train is optimal. Using the correct carb to protein ratio (think yogurt/grains or a wrap) will give your cells that energy they demand. Studies show that within 30 min of exercise the carbohydrate-protein combination consumed tells your body use insulin to shuttle those carbs and amino acids from the protein into your working muscles.
A post-workout meal within 30 minutes after your training sessions end is optimal. You need to quickly replenish glycogen so that your body can repair itself and keep you from passing out from exhaustion.
Ratios
The optimal carbohydrate-to-protein ratio for most people is 2:1 unless you are training for a sport, then up it 3:1.
3:1 is 45 grams of carbohydrate for every 15 gram of protein.
2:1 is 30 grams of carbohydrate for every 15 gram of protein.
At the Cellular Level
Within your muscle cells you have tiny molecules which act as energy cells called Adenosine Tri Phosphate (ATP). Every daily activity, whether you are cooking dinner or swinging kettlebells requires ATP.
ATP which provides your muscles with the energy needed to move your limbs and produce enzymes to carrying nutrients across cell membranes.
With the correct ratio, the production and use of ATP is optimized. ATP runs out quickly, usually in 8-10 seconds, and your body is constantly working through various energy systems to replace it again.
"If your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs, you’ll be burnt out before you even get started"
Weight training or intervals are great, because during the rest phase (in between sets) our bodies resynthesize ATP to go again. Over time as our muscles develop completely new ATP cells are made out of the carbohydrates that you eat. If you consume the proper nutrients (mostly carbs), the more ATP is made and becomes available. Without it you wouldn't be able to move, so the more you have the more and longer you can move (think marathon runners).
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are also important for daily energy and help to meet your daily training needs. Carbohydrates are used in the pre exercise period to store muscle glycogen.
"They’ll help keep you off that couch and primed for your next workout"
Carbohydrates are used in the post exercise period to replenish muscle glycogen lost during exercise.
Examples include:
a piece of fruit
oatmeal
Greek yogurt (this contains carbs and protein)
a piece of toast
Protein
Protein: 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound (56 grams per day for the average sedentary man. 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman).
These recommended protein intakes can generally be met through diet alone, without the use of protein or amino acid supplements.
"You need to break down muscle to make them stronger (think leaning out) so, a diet with enough protein will increase protein synthesis and decrease breakdown"
Since muscle protein is degraded during exercise the addition of a relatively large amount of protein to your post-workout meal helps rebuild the structural aspects of the muscle.
Examples include:
nuts
Greek yogurt
a slice of turkey
a hardboiled egg
milk or soy milk
Recipes
Breakfast Burrito
This doesn't take long to make. It has the perfect dose of protein and carbs. It also can be eaten on the run! Keep it small and you won’t feel heavy.
This meal has:
1 cup spinach
2 eggs, scrambled
1 small whole wheat tortilla (6-inch)
1 tsp. olive oil
Salsa, if needed
Meal Prep: Add olive oil to a heated pan and cook the spinach until soft, then add scrambled eggs and cook until just set. Spoon the egg mixture into a warm tortilla and roll. Breakfast burritos can be made ahead and frozen. Wrap individual burritos in sheets of wax paper, place in a plastic bag or freezer-safe container and freeze. Reheat in a microwave for two minutes.
Chilled Pumpkin Oats
Packed neatly into a Mason jar or cup, yogurt and pumpkin oats is a perfect grab-and-eat breakfast before early morning workouts. Make several of these ahead of time to store in the fridge.
This meal has:
1 cup roasted pumpkin (or butternut squash)
¾ cup reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup dry rolled oats
1 tsp. coconut oil (for roasting)
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
Meal Prep: Baking pumpkins, which are smaller and sweeter, are best for this dish. Peel the pumpkin, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, then cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle on 1 tsp. of coconut oil per cup of pumpkin, sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon), and roast in an oven heated to 375° F for about 30 minutes, or until soft. When cool, layer half of the yogurt, ½ cup pumpkin, and 2 Tbsp. oats in a jar or other container; repeat. Refrigerate overnight.
