Exercise is vital in achieving good health. However, apart from the physical activity, eating is as important as well in order to sustain our body with the energy that it needs in keeping up with our daily activities. To maximize the benefits of our exercise, what we eat prior and after every workout is very important.
Whether you are planning on a resistance workout or a cardio exercise, it is very important that keep a balance mix of carbs and protein in your diet. The amount of carbs and protein that you need to take in will have depend on the type of exercise that wish to take on and the intensity that you plan to work at.
The best time for you to eat your pre workout meal is an hour prior to the exercise. If you’re thinking of working out on a low intensity, take a 200-calorie meal. However, if you are planning of a high-intensity exercise, a meal with a calorie content between 4,000 to 5,000 would be ideal.
If you are to do a cardio workout, you will need to consume 1/3 protein and 2/3 carbs. The extra carbs will give you enough energy to sustain your whole exercise while the protein content will make sure that your muscles are in the right condition throughout the activity.
If you plan on taking a resistance exercise, it is necessary that you eat a mixture of 2/3 protein and 1/3 carbs for enough energy and for extra protein to keep your muscles in minor breakdown while exercising.
After your workout, eating is as important as your pre workout meal. Regardless of the kind of exercise, energy is surely depleted in the form of glycogen.Our central nervous system including the brain relies on glycogen as their source of fuel. Failing to replace it after a strenuous activity might result to the breaking down of your muscle tissues into amino acids which can be used as usable fuel for your nervous system and your brain.
Bear in mind that when doing a resistance exercise, your break down muscle tissue in the form of micro tears. This simply means that after your workout, all your muscles will be undergoing a “repair.” Here, you will be needing protein to repair your muscles and keep them from breaking down further to create fuel instead of glycogen.
After you finish your cardio exercise, it is ideal that you consume a big amount of carbs preferably those with high fiber content. You can eat oatmeal, rice, whole wheat, pasta or northern fruits for best results. Consume around 30-50 grams of carbs after every exercise. You can eat 5-10 minutes after your cardio workout.
A combination of protein and carbs is very ideal after your resistance exercise. Unlike cardio activities, resistance work outs break muscle tissues through production of micro tears.
To repair and build up these tears, you will need protein so that your muscles increase in strength and size. Carbohydrates will not only replace of your lost muscle glycogen, it will also help the protein get through muscle cells allowing it to synthesize into structural protein.
Upon finishing your resistance exercise, wait until 30 minutes before you start eating so that you won’t take blood away from your muscles. The blood will help remove the metabolic waste products in your muscles as it goes through repair.
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