Fuel Your Workout
Knowing when the right time to eat can be a minefield, do you eat before a workout, during it or after it, how long should you wait and is there significant reasons why a snack before should improve your performance or if the snack a few minutes afterwards is better.
An hour before your workout you should fuel your workout by having a either a small cereal bar or half a sandwich that contains lean meat, such as turkey or lean ham. A snack prior to workout has to serve two purposes, to top up your fuel levels and to give your brain a boost. The snack should not fill you up, but you should feel as though you have eaten something and not feel hungry. You may need to give the size of the snack a trial, just to get used to what suits your body.
If you have forgotten to have a snack before you head off to one of your local gyms, then you can have a snack about five minutes before. It shouldn’t be the norm, but if you feel under fuelled and need an energy boost then a small handful of dried fruit will help, or you could have a few sips from a sports drink.
After an intensive work out in your health club or fitness club your energy stores will be depleted, you need to refill these stores as quickly as possible so your muscles can mend and be ready for your next time at the gym. You will need to focus on foods that are high in carbohydrates and with lots of protein to get re-hydrated, you can use protein bars or milkshakes, but what works equally well are the good old fashioned peanut butter sandwich. Although this snack should not be in the form of a main meal, that should follow after about an hour.
Normally after a work out the last thing many people want is a larger meal, so the above snack option is perfect for refuelling quickly. When it comes to your main meal, chose food such as pasta dishes with lean meat or alternative protein from beans or tofu. This will increase the amount of glucose taken in by your muscles and at the same time protein will help the muscles recover.
By using food to aid your work out, your muscles will be able to recover quicker and you will have a good amount of energy to fuel your training sessions in the fitness clubs.
Written by Steve Regis who is an experienced personal trainer and has worked with many clients over the years, he is an avid writer about health and visits his fitness club in Bristol and can be found working in local gyms. He likes to focus on motivating people in their fitness goals and aims to inspire people to want to feel great.
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