FUELING YOUR WORKOUTS RIGHT

Post-workout shakes have long been considered the most important part of your workout nutrition. Recent research suggests, however, that ingesting protein and amino acids prior to training may be even more beneficial.

Hang in there, sister. Here’s why:

Although the optimal time to have a protein shake is a hotly debated topic, recent research has shown that the amount of protein and carbohydrate consumed over the course of the day is far more important than the timing of it, with regards to fat loss, building muscle and improving performance.

Many people believe drinking a protein shake within 30 minutes of exercise will maximize their results in the gym, however, this 30-minute window, commonly known as the “anabolic window” where your muscles are like a sponge for protein, has now been found to be much longer than 30 minutes.

This means we don’t need to scoff that shake or protein bar down on the way to the gym, but can pace our intake out a little less rigidly. A preworkout protein, specifically the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), will help fuel your muscles during training.

BCAAs don’t need to be processed by your liver; after being absorbed, they head directly to your blood stream to be picked up by your muscles. This is key because exercise causes the breakdown and oxidation of BCAAs. Providing BCAAs to working muscles will prevent the need for your body to catabolize the working muscle itself.

In terms of pre-exercise nutrition, we talk about the pre-exercise meal (which is three or four hours before a workout) and a pre-exercise snack (within the hour before training). The ideal time for a preexercise meal is 2-4 hours before your workout because it’s early enough to digest the food, yet late enough that this energy won’t be used up by the time you begin exercising.

For your pre-exercise meal, you need to eat something that helps boost and sustain energy levels, preserve muscle mass, optimise recovery and boost overall performance.

This meal needs to be well balanced and should include:

Whole grain carbohydrates Lean protein Some good fat Fibre in the form of Vegetables or fruit

In the hour before your workout, what you eat will depend on your goals. If fat

loss is your primary goal, the most important thing for you is to create an energy deficit throughout your day so you may not want to have a preexercise snack. Instead, you may wish to include protein powder somewhere else in your diet (in your porridge, yogurt or as an afternoon snack) as a practical way to boost your protein intake.

A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise found that one scoop of whey protein prior to working out increased calorie burning over the subsequent 24 hours. The exact cause of this increase in calorie burning is unknown, but it may be due to the added metabolic effects of increasing protein and modifying substrates (energy sources) used during exercise.

On the other hand, some people struggle to exercise on an empty stomach. Exercising with low blood

glucose levels can also induce early fatigue, which may result in an overall lower calorie burn. Additionally, training on empty may leave you so hungry that you over eat after the session. This might mean that you need to prevent excessive

"Exercising with low blood glucose levels can also induce early fatigue, which may result in an overall lower calorie burn."

overeating and maintain a healthy energy balance by having a healthy preworkout snack, such as a nutritious protein shake.

If you are looking to increase muscle mass, studies have shown that having a protein shake before exercise helps maintain muscle mass during training and reduce markers of muscle damage, therefore aiding recovery.

If your body composition is in check and it’s all about enhancing performance, then you need to focus primarily on carbohydrates and fast absorbed protein sources. The issue with eating closer to when you actually exercise is that you need to eat something that is easy to digest. That’s why liquid calories such as shakes and smoothies are recommended.

The nutrients you ingest around your workouts are extremely critical to developing and refining your physique. If you skip pre-workout protein, you skip a chance to support intra-workout anabolism, muscle growth AND reduce post-workout catabolism (muscle breakdown).

BEAUTY BLOGGERS YOU’LL LOVE

We’re obsessed with beauty, so it’s safe to say we spend a lot of time with our noses pressed to the screens of our laptops searching for new bloggers to share with our readers.

To honour the ladies who fuel our beauty addiction through thick and thin, we’ve rounded up a few of the best beauty bloggers we could find.

Katie Jane Hughes KatieJaneHughes.com

There are many things we love about Katie Jane Hughes’s approach to beauty. Whether that’s the most gorgeous eye makeup tutorials we’ve ever seen or a blow-by-blow account of getting microblading on her Insta Stories, we’re hooked.

Really Ree Reallyree.com

If there’s a new way to contour your cheekbones, plump your pout or style your locks, Ree will know about it.

Caroline Hirons Carolinehirons.com

The Queen of all things skincare, from fighting issues like acne and milia to breaking down the ingredients in our favourite products, Caroline Hirons is your go-to for mastering every complexion woe under the sun. One thing’s for sure, she sorts the good stuff from the fluff.

Patricia Bright @thepatriciabright

If it’s super-glam beauty looks you’re after, you’ll find them at Patricia Bright’s page. While you can watch her YouTube videos, we also love her detailed posts on how to get dolled up, complete with lists and ratings of the products she uses.

Talonted Lex @talontedlex

Lex is one of a handful of influencers known for celebrating skin conditions that society has historically seen as something to hide. Case in point: She uses makeup to celebrate and even highlight her rosacea, rather than focusing on tutorials about how to hide redness.

Courtesy of Instagram/@stungbysamantha

Stung By Samantha @stungbysamantha

Samantha’s account provides helpful reviews, trips, and tricks when it comes to makeup, but her bio description really says everything you need to know about her: “Shutting down stereotypes for women over 50.”

Mei Pang @meicrosoft

Mei’s artistic, bold makeup looks regularly probably look nothing like a tutorial you’ve seen on YouTube — and that’s the best part about them. Whether they inspire you to try something different with your eye makeup or just think differently about beauty in general, following Mei will leave you feeling inspired.

Courtesy of Instagram/@meicrosoft

Huda Kattan @hudabeauty

Huda Kattan, better known through the cosmetics and beauty company she founded, Huda Beauty, is the top beauty influencer in terms of earnings. The account boasts a staggering 34.5 million followers! Although the page is for her own brand, she still reps and partners with other beauty industry leaders, like Sephora.

beauty Full Out Soon!