Many people buy a membership to a fitness club to maintain their image, to “just do something”, or as a habit passed down from the once intense professional sports.

However, the majority of gym goers are people who want to look good, maintain a healthy lifestyle, get visible results after training and feel their benefits. 

Each of them understands that only power loads will not bring high performance, and a beautiful body and good spirits are the results of an integrated approach, which, in addition to sports, includes observing the regime of wakefulness and rest, optimal distribution of loads, and proper nutrition.

The latter plays almost a key role in the effectiveness of training. Let’s talk about what to eat before, during and after exercise.

Note! You will not be able to find a clear universal power system. The composition of the diet is better to choose from individually. No two organisms are the same: food tolerance, absorption, hormonal status, mode and type of training differ for everyone. It can take only a few general principles into account.

PRE-WORKOUT MEAL

So, before starting a workout, you must include the following in the diet:

Carbohydrates – they will feed your brain and muscle mass with the necessary energy. During active sports, the reserve of strength falls intensively and to maintain it, glycogen is needed, the source of which is carbohydrates.

For example, due to the lack of oxygen in the composition, fat does not supply the body with the components required for quick recovery.

Proteins in the composition of food and fat do not act as a source of energy but release amino acids to restore tense muscles.

As a result, protein production in the muscle fibres increases at the end of the workout.

Fat must be excluded from the diet, as it significantly affects the work of the stomach, slowing down the process of processing food.

Fatty foods will take longer to digest in the stomach and can cause colic, vomiting, and unpleasant burping during exercise. 

10-20 minutes before the start of a workout, it is better to refrain from eating because playing sports interferes with the normal functioning of the stomach.

To satisfy the hunger, you can drink a serving of regular milk or a glass of protein shake.

RECOMMENDED FOOD AND DRINKS

Best black blood pre workout meal: Poultry (turkey or chicken) with rye bread, boiled potatoes, oatmeal, rice, or scrambled eggs, preferably egg whites. Bulk food (soups, salads) is consumed 1.5-2 hours before the start of classes. Can eat more dense dishes (porridge, cottage cheese) in 30-40 minutes. Eating fruit with a low glycemic index (for example, a large pear or apple) is recommended half an hour before exercise if your goal is to build muscle mass.

As for drinks, half an hour before going to a fitness club, you can drink a cup of black coffee or tea, but without sugar and cream. This will trigger the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which will serve as additional “fuel”. Will feel fatigued much less, the head will be clearer, and burn more fat but less glycogen and amino acids.

Related Article: WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS AND WHAT ARE THEY IMPORTANT FOR?

DO YOU NEED WATER DURING EXERCISE

Drinking water during strength training is a prerequisite for its effectiveness. Even with 2 per cent dehydration, the activity will not bring even a third of the planned productivity. It is a mistake to rely on the feeling of thirst.As a rule, intensive loads (for example, powerlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit, strong, weightlifting, etc.) suppress the sensitivity of receptors and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, so by the time you feel that you are thirsty, the body will have long been severely dehydrated.

With middle age, the body gradually loses sensitivity, so adults need to be sure to drink during exercise.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop exercising immediately, drink water, and wait until your readings return to normal:

• headache;
• the feeling of thirst;
• irritability;
• noticeable fatigue, apathy;
• dizziness;
• semi-dry or cracked lips.

The standard drinking regimen is usually as follows: before starting a workout, you need to drink a glass of liquid and then take it in small doses every 20 minutes.

When exercising intensely, it is important to keep the body hydrated. The amount of liquid consumed depends on the amount of sweat produced.

In addition, if classes last more than 60 minutes, it is recommended to drink balanced sports drinks.

Sugar will replenish the body with missing (lost with sweat) electrolytes and supply at least 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

However, it is worth noting that excessive amounts of carbohydrates are not absorbed, and productivity may decrease Under sports drinks are meant: apple or corn syrup, orange fresh, diluted half with water.

EATING AFTER A WORKOUT

Nutritionists recommend that you eat immediately after your workout. If you refrain from eating for two or more hours, consider that the training was wasted, there will be no increase and increase in muscle mass density.

It is in the period half an hour after the end of the load that the body begins to consume protein and carbohydrate compounds as much as possible. Therefore, everything that enters the gastrointestinal tract will go to the active restoration and building of muscle tissue. None of the calories is spent on the formation of body fat.

After strength exercises, using them in a liquid form from ordinary, high-glycemic foods is recommended. You can also include a variety of carbohydrate foods that do not contain fat in the diet. These are bread, side dishes, vegetables, and sugary sweets.

Squirrels. Almost immediately after the end of the workout, it is desirable to saturate the tissues with proteins. Under load, their production in the muscles increases several times. You need to take protein shakes or juice with you and drink them immediately after the end of the load. If it is not possible to consume such drinks, you can replace them with any food with a high inclusion of a protein component. The amount of food you need is fairly easy to determine: it should fit in your hands.

Fats. Since the main function of proper nutrition is to promote muscle building, fat should be completely absent from food. It will only slow down all the processes in the body.

RECOMMENDED FOOD AND DRINKS

 All protein dishes must be exclusively low-fat. I prefer the fillets over the drumsticks if it’s chicken or turkey. If chicken eggs – then only their protein component. It is better not to use beef and pig meat in the diet after training.

Should also choose yoghurts, milk, fermented baked milk and other dairy products with caution: only those with a fat content below 5%. The only exception is fatty fish – it can be eaten in any quantity, regardless of the content of fatty particles in the composition (but not fried).

 After the end of classes, nutritionists also recommend refraining from products with a large inclusion of caffeine. They affect the production of insulin and prevent the loading of glycogen into muscle fibres and the liver. If you visit the gym in the morning, drink a refreshing drink immediately at dawn, endure a few hours after a workout, and only then enjoy strong coffee.

HOW ABOUT FASTING EXERCISES?

From many trainers, you can hear that fasting is more effective. However, this should not be the main rule and a call to action. Firstly, the statement is more suitable for athletes who already have a low percentage of body fat and need to recuperate before the competition quickly. 

Secondly, the body is a complex mechanism that depends much on mood and consciousness. The desire to eat can create such a powerful internal block that no training will bring benefits but, on the contrary, can harm. 

In addition, many people have problems with hormones, the cardiovascular, gastric or nervous system, so fasting is completely contraindicated, as it can lead to a decrease in blood sugar and, as a result, nausea, dizziness and a feeling of excessive fatigue.

RESULTS

The anabolic effect of eating food is the synergy of proper nutrition and regular exercise. For some athletes, eating 30-35 minutes after exercise is more important than exercising on an empty stomach.

It would help if you stuck to the average time frame, did not eat right before the session and did not delay the meal after it, kept a clear count and maintained a balance of calories, proteins and fats in the body as a whole. 

The fitness club “GYMhall” offers group and individual training on the best simulators in the fitness world with an integrated approach.

Our experts will not only select a training program for you but also advise you on proper nutrition, appropriate procedures to maintain the beauty and health of the body, as well as good spirits.