Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

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If you are anything like me, just fitting in your workouts can be quite a challenge, let alone putting any thought into pre and post workout nutrition.  But actually, if you can make the time to think about what goes into your body before and after a workout, it can make quite the difference on how productive your workout can be!

Keeping fit is just one aspect of leading a healthy lifestyle.  We must also make healthy food choices as well.  Getting energy from our food to fuel our bodies for a workout is essential.  Sport nutrition goes hand in hand with your exercise regime.

Now, everyone has their own reasons for working out.  Some people want to lose weight, others may want to gain mass and or muscle.  So depending on your reasons for working out, it then also depends on what you should put into your body before and after a workout.

Without getting too technical, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind when it comes to pre and post workout meal, is to have a healthy combination of proteins and carbohydrates and to keep fats out.  For a pre-workout meal, put more of an emphasis on the carbohydrates, since this is what will give you the energy to get through your workout.  Keep the pre-workout meal on the smaller side as you do not want to feel sluggish or bloated while exercising.  For an after workout meal, place more of a stress on taking in lean proteins to assist in repairing the muscles that were worked.  Typically, you need to consume these meals about one hour before or after your workout. This ensures that your body has the energy to get you through the workout and then your body has the energy to recover itself after.

Also, keep in mind what time of day you tend to exercise.  If it is typically later in the day, you may not even need a pre-workout meal as you may have enough energy stored from what you consumed earlier in the day.  However, if you exercise first thing in the morning, your body would definitely need a pre-workout meal in order to optimize your workout.

There are many yummy recipes for pre and post exercise meals.  Protein drinks make for a great pre-workout meal and are quite easy to make at home.  In a blender, throw in a half of banana, a fist full of berries (blueberries and raspberries are my favorite), ¾ cup nonfat yogurt, some protein powder (see your container for appropriate serving size), and some ice and whirl it up and you are all set!  People sometimes rely on nutrition supplements and or muscle building supplements to aid with their workout nutrition. Some other ideas include fruit, such an apple and some low-fat cheese.  A small sandwich using lean proteins, such as chicken or turkey on whole grain bread make for a quick pre-exercise meal.    For post-workout meals try: a chicken or shrimp stir-fry loaded with veggies, egg whites on whole grain toast or maybe a simple bowl of oatmeal with fruit.

Either way, it is important to keep in mind in order for your body to work at its top level you need to fuel it with the top nutrients!

In my next post, we’ll take a look at some recipes for pre and post exercise meals.