Choosing healthy sources of fuel for your body can drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to see results, whether it's a smaller waist or tighter thighs. That's why eating the proper foods to fuel your gym session can be just as important as the workout itself.
It's no surprise the foods you eat before and after your workout can be as important as the workout itself. Relying on healthy sources of carbohydrates, lean protein and plenty of fluids can help maximise performance, optimise workout results and boost nutrient intake at the same time.
The main nutrients
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates have got a bad rap, and it seems their image hasn't fully recovered from the low-carb trend of the late Nineties.The truth is they deserve more credit than they get - not only are carbohydrates an important source of vitamins, minerals and fibre in the diet, they are also the body's main source of energy.
Carbohydrates are stored in the liver as glycogen to help maintain blood sugar levels and provide energy when you haven't eaten for a while. While the body has enough glycogen stores for moderate physical activity, topping up energy levels beforea workout can help maximise performance, whether it's on the treadmill, in the pool or around the track.
What research is now showing is that it's largely the type of carbohydrate, not the amount that is the most important to health and weight loss. Foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) - those that quickly break down into sugar in the bloodstream, such as processed and refined carbohydrates, including candy, cookies, muffins and chocolate bars - do little more than provide a quick burst of energy. On the other hand, foods with a low GI, such as most fruits, vegetables and whole grains, provide a slow and steady supply of sugar into the bloodstream and tend to be more nutrient dense.
It turns out low GI foods eaten before a workout may also help burn fat during exercise.
A study from British researchers published last year in The Journal of Nutrition found that women who ate a low GI breakfast burned 50 per cent more fat during a post-breakfast workout compared to women who ate a high GI breakfast.
For the majority of exercisers, a simple pre-workout snack with low GI healthy carbohydrates, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains is one of the best ways to fuel the body and get the most results from exercise.
Protein: While protein is needed to repair muscle, produce hormones and replace red blood cells, the truth is, most people, with the exception of high performance athletes, get more than enough protein in their diet without having to rely on protein powders, shakes or supplements.
While carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, protein can help provide long-lasting energy and keep feelings of hunger at bay during your workout. Research shows it can also be beneficial as a post-workout snack. Combining healthy carbohydrates with some lean protein is a winning combination to provide sustainable energy fora workout. Excellent sources of protein include nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and egg whites.
What to eat before your workout
Assuming a typical hour-long workout at the gym burns somewhere in the range of 300 calories, what you eat before or after your workout can quickly negate your best efforts, especially if you're trying to lose weight. For most, having a small snack and plenty of water an hour or two before a workout is best to top up energy levels and hydrate the body.
Endurance athletes have different energy requirements than people doing a moderate workout. Exercise that lasts more than 60 minutes requires replenishing fluids and energy during the workout to prevent crashing, dehydration and excess fatigue. In these cases, sports drinks and energy gels can provide quick sources of energy for the body and optimise performance.
For the average person, the best pre-workout snack should contain enough fluid to keep the body hydrated, is low in fat and fibre, is a source of low GI carbohydrates, contains some lean protein for staying power and is low in refined sugars.
Underestimating the calories in food, and overestimating the number of calories burned during a workout, can sabotage your workout routine, and weight loss efforts. Ideally a pre-workout snack should contain somewhere in the range of 100 to 150 calories - enough to provide a boost of energy, but not so much that you're consuming more calories than you're burning.
What to eat after your workout
In terms of post-workout meals and snacks, needs differ between the recreational exerciser and endurance athletes. Endurance and professional athletes tend to burn calories at an exceptionally high rate and must pay special attention to replenishing lost fluids, glycogen stores and electrolytes soon after a workout through proper nutrition and an adequate intake of both carbohydrates and protein. The two-hour window after strenuous activity is critical to help the body retain, replenish and rebuild muscle and to prep the muscles for the next workout.
For the rest of us who exercise to keep our weight in check or keep heart disease at bay, what's most important is sticking to healthy foods post-workout. While low GI carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy pre-workout, there is evidence that protein-rich foods can offer the most benefits post-workout.
In fact, one study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that the food you eat after a workout might negatively impact the effectiveness of your workout. Researchers found that when young, sedentary adults who were overweight ate a high-carbohydrate meal soon after working out, they lost many of the benefits of exercising, including insulin efficiency. When those same people opted for a protein-rich meal, they retained many of the benefits.
Another study - reported earlier this year at the American College of Sports Medicine conference - found that fat-free chocolate milk offered a greater recovery advantage for athletes, compared to carbohydrate-rich sports drinks, thanks to its unique carbohydrate and protein content. Low-fat chocolate milk is also rich in electrolytes, including calcium, potassium and magnesium and is an easy way to replace lost fluids.
Drink up!
Just as important as the food you eat, is what you drink. It's no surprise that staying well hydrated can help maximise physical activity and promote overall health. But what you drink to stay hydrated can have long-term effects as well, especially on your waistline.
Some beverages deliver as many calories and grams of sugar as a small meal, so it's important to watch what you drink and read labels to make sure your workout isn't in vain. Obvious offenders, such as soda, are loaded with sugar and calories. Not so obvious offenders include sports drinks, vitamin-enhanced water, fruit juice and energy drinks, all of which can be concentrated sources of sugar, caffeine and artificial sweeteners. Take energy drinks for example; most brands have as many as 150 calories and seven teaspoons of added sugar per serving.
In terms of the best fluids to drink before, during and aftera moderate workout, water can't be beaten. It's calorie-free and doesn't have the caffeine, sugar or artificial flavours that many other beverages have. Higher calorie beverages with added electrolytes, such as sports drinks, can be beneficial for endurance athletes or anyone working out in extreme heat in order to stay hydrated and replace important electrolytes lost through sweat.
Here in the UAE, it's extremely important to pay close attention to your fluid intake, as dehydration can set in quickly. The body can lose significant amounts of water when it tries to cool itself by sweating.
Don't rely on feelings of thirst to drink up, as that's a sign you're already well on your way to being dehydrated. The Institute of Medicine in the US suggests healthy women get at least 2.7 litres, while men get 3.7 litres of fluids per day, although some factors, such as hot weather can nudge that number up even more. Consider carrying a water bottle around with you during the day to make sure you're getting enough fluids. A
Try these winning pre- and post-workout snack combinations
Post-workout
>> 60g canned water-packed tuna = 70 calories
>> 1 hard-boiled egg = 78 calories
>> 60ml low-fat cottage cheese with 125ml blueberries = 91 calories
>> 2 tsp almond butter with 1 apple = 140 calories
>> 250ml low-fat chocolate milk = 166 calories
Pre-workout
>> 125ml whole grain cereal with 60ml low-fat milk = 98 calories
>> 7 unsalted almonds with 1 medium orange = 113 calories
>> Smoothie made with 125ml low-fat milk, 1/2 banana and 60ml berries = 116 calories
>>12 baby carrots and 1/2 cup hummus = 135 calories
>> 125ml low-fat yoghurt and an apple = 149 calories
