The issue of nutrition before and after sports confuses many individuals. First of all, sports and nutrition are an inseparable duo. For this reason, individuals who do sports should pay attention to their nutrition before and after training. The two most frequently asked questions about this subject are;
I am sure that after reading this article, you will have no questions left in your mind about pre- and post-exercise nutrition.The foods you consume during your pre-exercise diet and when you eat them have great effects on your performance and recovery time.
Within 3 hours before exercise, you should eat something that can help you:
- To sustain your energy;
- Increasing your performance;
- prevent thirst;
- Maintaining muscle mass
- To accelerate the recovery process.
There are a few points you may need to meet these conditions.
Protein Consumption Before Exercise;
- It helps you maintain and increase your muscle mass.
- It ensures that essential amino acids are present in your bloodstream when your body needs them most.
- It shortens the recovery period after training.
Pre-Exercise Carbohydrate Consumption;
- It provides the energy you need for exercise and increases recovery speed.
- Protects liver and muscle glycogen storage.
- It stimulates insulin release.
Depending on your needs and life circumstances, you can consume a normal meal before exercise or a smaller meal shortly before exercise. There are two possible answers to the question of how long before exercise.
OPTION 1 BEFORE SPORTS: NUTRITION 2-3 HOURS BEFORE TRAINING
If you want to have a heavy diet for a long time before training, you will be following the nutrition that I recommend most. Because starting your workout with an empty stomach and a full glycogen tank will put your training performance and GH hormone in a good position.
It is a good option to consume approximately 1-2 times your weight in carbohydrates and half your lean muscle mass in protein 2-3 hours before training.
2. OPTION BEFORE SPORTS: NUTRITION 30-60 MINUTES BEFORE TRAINING
Some people prefer to consume small meals close to exercise, rather than consuming large meals 2-3 hours before exercise. These individuals are generally prone to hypoglycemia.
The only problem with this is that the closer you eat to exercise, the less time you have for digestion. Therefore, meals that should be consumed shortly beforehand should generally be in liquid format. You can make a smoothie or shake.
For example;
- 1 scoop of Protein Powder (If you have a protein deficiency)
- 1-2 Handfuls of Carbohydrate Sources (example: banana)
- 5-6 Raw Almonds
- A low-calorie beverage such as Water or Unsweetened Coconut
Make sure that the foods you will consume before exercise are not disturbing foods.
Nutrition During Workout
What you should eat and drink during exercise only matters in specific situations. If you are going to eat something during exercise, your goal should be similar to your pre-workout diet. The most important point of all is that you should not stay dehydrated during exercise.
The goals of nutrition during exercise are to:
- prevent thirst;
- provide energy quickly;
- Increasing performance;
- Maintaining muscle mass;
- To accelerate and improve the healing process.
Protein Consumption During Exercise;
- Prevents the destruction of muscle mass: It helps to achieve easier recovery and adaptation to training in the long term. If you are someone who likes to exercise on an empty stomach, 10-15 grams of BCAA supplements during exercise can help you.
- May Be Necessary for Specific Individuals: It is necessary for professional athletes who train long, heavy and several times a day, or for athletes trying to develop large muscle mass.
Carbohydrate Consumption During Exercise;
- It is only beneficial in certain situations: endurance athletes who run long distances, people who are trying to gain a lot of muscle mass and are very physically active; may need carbohydrates during exercise to gain endurance, strength and performance.
Whether you need to eat during exercise depends on how long it has been since you ate a meal before exercise and the length and weight of your exercise.
NUTRITION DURING A TRAINING THAT LASTS LESS THAN 1.5 HOURS
If you eat right before and after exercise, what you need to focus on during exercises that last less than two hours is your water consumption. Neither sports drinks nor exercises lasting less than an hour and a half may be very helpful.
There are some special cases:
- If you are exercising in a hot environment and sweating a lot, sports drinks can help you due to the electrolytes they contain.
- If there are less than 8 hours between workouts, sports drinks can shorten your recovery time and prepare you for the next workout.
- If you want to achieve maximum muscle gain, consuming a drink or BCAA that contains both carbohydrates and protein will be advantageous for you.
- Consuming a few sips of a sports drink during a competition helps you stay hydrated and also provides a source of energy.
NUTRITION DURING A TRAINING LASTING MORE THAN 1.5 HOURS
Sports drinks can be very beneficial for workouts that last more than an hour and a half. Consuming the following nutrients at every hour of the workout will make your job easier:
- 15 grams of protein (as needed)
- 30-45 grams of carbohydrates
These products are available in liquid, gel or solid forms.
Many endurance athletes prefer eating fruit and drinking water during exercise over other sources. While any approach is appropriate, you should make sure you're getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. Especially sodium .
Note: If you are performing this intense exercise that lasts longer than two hours in a hot environment, do not rely solely on water.
Consuming only water will negatively affect your performance and recovery process. You may also go into hyponatremia due to electrolyte deficiency, especially when your sodium and potassium levels drop. Hyponatremia can cause your muscles to contract irregularly and even cause death. If you are performing a long exercise in a hot environment, choose sports drinks.
Post Sports Nutrition
Nutrition after exercise will help you:
Protein Consumption After Exercise;
Consuming protein after exercise prevents protein breakdown and ensures the preservation and development of muscle mass by stimulating protein synthesis.
Protein powders (whey protein powder) are generally recommended for a quick protein source after exercise. But if we look at the general picture, if we were able to consume the required amount of protein before and during the day, it is a question mark that we need an urgent protein source after the training. If your goal is maximum muscle gain, it makes sense to use such supplements. On the other hand, if you do sports for pleasure and pay attention to what you eat in general, it may be enough to eat 30 minutes after training.
You can choose the type of protein source you want after exercise. The best thing to do would be to choose protein types that have both slow and fast release.
Consuming 1/4 of your weight in protein will be sufficient for maximum muscle protein synthesis (triggering the mTOR signaling pathway). This ratio is approximately between 20 and 30 grams.
Carbohydrate Consumption After Exercise;
As claimed, you do not need to turn to simple and refined carbohydrates to raise insulin levels and quickly fill glycogen stores immediately after exercise. Because you cannot consume the entire 400 grams of muscle storage in a 1-hour fitness workout.
Consuming half a kilo or the equivalent of carbohydrates 30 minutes after training will be sufficient to start the recovery period.
Athletes who do endurance training that lasts a maximum of 8 hours and causes their glycogen stores to be depleted are excluded from this method, because in this case, rapid replenishment of glycogen stores is an important factor.
According to studies, the insulin level with the highest protein synthesis and the least destruction is 15-30 mU/L. This value is only 3 times the fasting insulin value of 5-10 mU/L.
Reaching these values is fairly easy when you consume an all-inclusive meal or shake before and after exercise. An all-inclusive meal will also help you maintain these levels up to 4 hours after consuming it.
Fat Consumption After Exercise;
The general perception is to avoid consuming fat after exercise. The reason given for this is that fats digest slowly. Even if this is true, there are opposing views. The reason for this is that foods do not affect each other's digestion speed much.
In a study, participants were divided into groups that consumed fat-free and full-fat milk in equal amounts of calories after exercise, and the group drinking fat-free milk consumed 8 grams more protein (in skim milk, the amounts of other nutrients are increased to equalize calories). The first thing that comes to mind is that the group that consumed more protein would have an advantage, but according to the results of the study, the net protein balance of the group consuming whole milk was found to be higher! The individuals who carried out the study could not find any explanation for this situation other than the amount of fat in the milk.
A study conducted with two different groups containing the same amount of carbohydrates but varying amounts of fat revealed that consumption of these meals after training had no effect on the rate of replenishment of glycogen stores. In other words, consuming fat after exercise does not reduce the benefits of protein and carbohydrates; in some cases, it can increase it.
Note: The answer to the question of what to eat after exercise to lose weight is nothing. A diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein will help you ( Not Ketogenic !!!)
NUTRITION 0-2 HOURS AFTER TRAINING
The type of meal you should eat for the post-exercise recovery process should be similar to the type of meal you eat while preparing for exercise; it should contain real foods containing many nutrients.
For example;
- 100-200 g chicken, meat, fish or turkey
- raw vegetables
- 70-140 grams of carbohydrates
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
Sometimes you don't have an appetite after training and you don't want to eat anything. In such cases, you can close your energy gap with liquid options.
CONCLUSION
As a result, there is no perfect pre- and post-exercise diet that can be generalized for everyone.
What to eat always depends on the situation and the person.
The nutrition patterns of an endurance athlete and a bodybuilder will also be quite different depending on their exercise patterns. The nutrition styles that the same athlete may need and follow at different times of the year may also differ.
For all people who are not preparing for a serious competition or are not professionally involved in sports, their pre- and post-exercise meals should be a combination of high-quality proteins, high-quality carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
An all-inclusive diet will facilitate your muscle growth by providing you with protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemical nutrients.
It is your choice to consume these meals in solid or liquid form. You can decide which macronutrient will have the same amount as the other, based on your needs.
As meal timing, 1-2 hours between the meal and the start of the exercise will be sufficient to get the maximum benefit before and after the exercise.
According to recent data, the total amount of protein and carbohydrates you consume during the day is more important than any specific nutrient and meal timing for achieving increases in muscle mass, performance improvements and loss of fat mass.
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