The Right Way to Fuel Your Workouts

 

If you’ve done your share of exercising, then you know that there’s more to preparing for a workout than just warming up. From the moment that you get up in the morning, you’re making choices that will affect your workout later in the day. To get the most out of your exercise regimen, you need to consume the right nutrients at the appropriate times. These helpful tips will allow you to get the fuel you need, when you need it, to ensure that your workouts are as productive as you need them to be.

 

Breakfast
If breakfast is the foundation on which your day is built, then it should be as solid as you can make it. Unfortunately, the average breakfast is anything but solid. It’s more like a nondescript, gelatinous mass. If you’re going to have the energy to hit the gym after work, then you know that pancakes with syrup and whipped-cream just aren’t going to cut it. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains are a much healthier choice and will keep your energy levels elevated until you have a chance to go to lunch. Just top them off with protein, and you’re good to go.

Pre-workout and Post-workout
Pre-workout and post-workout meals are important because one gives you a chance to fuel your workout, and the other allows you to replace the blood sugar you will have lost. A good pre-workout meal normally consists of 30-40 grams of complex carbohydrates, with a little protein thrown in for good measure. Post-workout meals are unique, in that they’re the only time when it’s a good idea to eat simple carbohydrates. Your post-workout meal is your opportunity to have a candy bar or a soda without having to worry about the effects of empty calories. Again, 30-40 grams should do the trick.

By now you will have noticed that neither your pre-workout, nor your post-workout meals are meant to be full meals. Eating too much before you work out will keep a lot of blood busy in your stomach, instead of in your muscles where you need it. Don’t worry, you’ll be having that heavy meal about an hour after your workout.

Bedtime
With so many people emphasizing the need for a good breakfast, it’s easy to forget that you won’t be getting any nutrients the entire time that you’re asleep. A bedtime meal of chicken or fish will give you enough protein to tide you over until morning.
The benefits of exercise can only be realized with proper nutrition. When and what you eat are as important as any other part of a healthy lifestyle.



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