F I T N H E A LT H Y By Jennifer Slaboda Have you ever “hit the wall” when working out, running out of the energy that it takes to complete your exercise? Then you may have experienced glycogen depletion. Your body runs low on fuel stores and gives you a warning sign to slow down or stop so you can replenish. Proper nutrition is essential to exercise performance. This includes adequate hydration and intake of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat) so your metabolic, cardiovascular and muscular systems can run smoothly.
Carbohydrates are your body’s chief source
Let’s dive into what constitutes adequate hydration and macronutrients. Pay attention to how much your body needs of each energy source – more is not better! Excess consumption of macronutrients leads to fat storage and weight gain, while excess water intake can lead to cell damage.
• Before exercise, eat 1g of carbs for every 2.2 pounds of body weight hourly. Eat smaller quantities the closer you get to your workout to avoid stomach upset. • If participating in high-duration endurance exercise, such as a marathon, you may benefit from a weeklong program of “carb loading,” where you build glycogen stores for long-term energy. • While exercising, if your workout is more than 90 minutes, consume 30-60g carbs every hour from energy drinks containing 6-8% carb content. • For heavy resistance training, consume 0.5g carbs per pound of body weight within an hour after exercise.
Hydration: Proper hydration increases aerobic
performance and maintains healthy muscle tissue. Dehydration negatively affects energy production and leads to muscle breakdown. Hydration is easy and cheap – all you need is filtered tap water. The recommended daily fluid intake for women is about 90 ounces and 125 ounces for men.
What to do: • Two hours before your workout, drink 14-22 ounces of water. • During your workout, drink 6-12 ounces for every 20 minutes of exercise. • If your workout is longer than 2 hours, supplement with sodium found in most energy drinks. • Weigh yourself before and after exercise to track how much water weight you lost and replace it with 16-24 ounces of fluid, spacing out your drinks at 30-minute intervals for absorption. 32
of energy. They are converted to glycogen and stored in your muscles to be used when needed. Carbs are essential for the digestion of proteins and fat. You should get between 2.7g-4.5g per pound of body weight (45-65% of your daily calories) from carbs. Choose complex carbs in the form of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
What to do:
"Pay attention to how much your body needs of each energy source"
