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Fuel your workout and recovery.
One of the trickiest parts of a workout is getting your food right. Eat too little and you can feel drained and low in energy. Eat too much and a full stomach can be a serious distraction during the session.
We’re going into Week 8 of our Quit to Fit challenge. This week’s challenge is to meet with a personal trainer or a gym instructor to do a training session that’s been specifically tailored for you. Our five JOE teams will be chronicling their efforts using the hashtag #QuitToFit. As ever, we hope you’ll join in at home and post updates on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #QuitToFit.
If you have specific fitness goals in mind, your diet may need to be tailored to those demands. Still, if you’re thinking of ramping up your fitness efforts, these general tips are a handy rule of thumb.
Before a workout
If you’re doing an evening workout, the expert advice is to eat low glycemic foods about an hour or two before you hit the gym. Low glycemic foods help to prevent your sugar levels falling or rising too dramatically, which helps to ensure steady energy levels. What type of food does this cover?
Try the likes of some whole wheat toast with peanut butter, some hard boiled eggs, almonds or walnuts, an apple or a banana. You can also combine complex and simple carbs by mixing the likes of fruit and whole wheat toast. Oatmeal with the option of added fruit is also an option.
Having a combination of carbs and protein will set you up for your session. These simple, easy-to-digest foods should provide everything you need to get through your workout without breaking down.
After a workout
What you eat after a session can make a big difference to your recovery. Your body requires a balanced, nutrient-rich dish that combines carbs and protein. That combination replaces lost energy and helps to rebuild muscles post-workout.
Lean protein meats like salmon or chicken fuel muscles and adding some rice and veg can replenish your glycogen system and help you stock up on carbs. Eggs are another great source of protein.
One surprisingly good post workout treat is low-fat chocolate milk. It tops you up with carbs, protein, fluids, calcium, sodium, sugar and electrolytes so it’s a great option.
These simple tips will get you started as you travel down the road to increased fitness. You’ll soon work out what food works best for you and the best time to eat it. With all that under control, now all you need to worry about is the actual workout itself!
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