Exercising And Dieting: The Need For A Pre, During And PostWorkout Meal Exercising and diet go hand in hand when it comes to the fitness. In fact, it is 70% diet and 30% exercise if you want to achieve the desired weight and a toned physique. While many of us are aware of this, a few are not consistent with their diet and exercising pattern. So, the question that we need to answer is that, why do we need to eat before workout? Eating something before exercising is important because your body needs enough fuel to power you through your workout. People believe that not eating food before exercise will force your body to burn more fat during your workout. This is not correct. Starving yourself before exercising can actually be harmful to your body. Then how much do I need to eat before I exercise? You don’t need to eat too much; a healthy snack will do the trick. Ideally, you should eat something 45 minutes to an hour before training. Aim for something with carbohydrates and protein. Now that we are aware that diet plays an important role in our fitness, let us look at what you need to eat pre, during and post-workout. PRE-WORKOUT Before you decide on a pre-workout diet, define your goals. Every individual goes to the gym for a different purpose, some to lose weight and others to build their muscle. Now, the purpose of both is different, hence their diet will also differ accordingly. As mentioned above, a pre-workout meal should be consumed 45 minutes to an hour before you begin your workout. Why so? This is because eating before your workout increases your energy, allowing you to exercise longer and at a higher intensity level. The ideal pre-workout meals should be a combination of complex and simple carbohydrates for the slow and steady release of energy while you train. Adding a small amount of protein helps to decrease the exercise-induced muscle loss. What to avoid and why? While exercising, blood flow is diverted away from your digestive system to your muscles. Hence, one should avoid meals which take time to digest like meals high in fats and fibre. Summing up, this is what a PRE-WORKOUT meal should do to your body:
Reduce muscle glycogen depletion
Reduce muscle protein breakdown
Below is a list of a few pre-workout snacks and meals options:
Fruit Smoothie: To 1 cup of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables, add Proburst Raw Whey and mix together for a power-packed health drink
Greek Yoghurt: Take ¾ cup of Greek yoghurt with 1 tablespoon granola and ½ cup of berries. To this, add 1 tablespoon of Proburst Whey Supreme for an intense workout session
BCAAs Drink: Make a simple drink from Proburst BCAAs to boost your energy levels and prevent workout fatigue
DURING WORKOUT While you workout, you don’t need a very heavy meal to keep you going. Smaller portion of carbohydrates with 50-100 calories is sufficient to keep you going. This can be taken from low-fat yoghurt, raisins, or banana. Also, staying hydrated throughout your workout is a must. Sip small and frequent sips of water or Proburst Aquatonic to keep you fuelled-up during your workout. POST-WORKOUT Now that you are done with your workout, let’s discuss your post-workout meal. Having a meal postworkout is a must, but why? Because immediately after workout, our muscle cells develop high insulin sensitivity, which means that 30 to 45 minutes post-workout, our body gets a window of opportunity to absorb nutrients into our muscle cells and recover them faster. Thus, one should have a meal which leads to an increase in:
Insulin levels to arrest muscle breakdown
The speed of glycogen for re-synthesis
Size and strength of muscles tissue
Blood flow to the muscles thus improving both nutrient delivery as well as removal of waste like carbon dioxide, lactic acid from muscle
While you eat post-workout, make sure you don’t overdo it. Eating or drinking more calories than you actually burned is fine if you are trying to gain weight, but those wanting to lose or maintain their weight, this is counterproductive. Ideally, keep your post-workout snack around 150 calories and your post-workout meal under 500. Below is a list of a few pre-workout meal ideas:
Water to quench the thirst or Proburst Isoburst for a faster recovery
Protein Pancakes: Using four egg whites, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup cottage cheese, ⅛ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of Proburst Whey Supreme, add the protein touch to your post-workout meal
Protein Oats: Add ½ cup of rolled oats, 1-2 scoops Proburst Raw Whey, ½ cup of frozen or dried fruit, and slivered almonds and let it rest overnight, making it your go-to post-workout meal
Chocolate Shake: Make your chocolate shake healthy by adding the Proburst Whey Supreme (chocolate) and 1 cup milk for a quick post-workout meal
While dieting and exercising right is the key to a fitter you. The below points should always be taken into consideration when deciding on your meal plan.
Your body needs carbs to fuel your working muscles
Protein is there to help build and repair
Get a combination of the protein and carbs in your body 1 to 3 hours pre-workout and within approximately 20 minutes post-workout Always remember every individual’s body type is different and not everything mentioned will work for everyone. Consult a nutritionist or your trainer and then begin preparing your plan to lose body weight or building your body.