Exercising without any attention to your diet may help you build an inch of muscle or lose an inch of fat, but not much beyond that. Enhancing your fitness means you must start your work in the kitchen and finish your work at the gym. Your pre-workout meal fuels your body during your workouts while your post-workout meal enhances tissue recovery and growth, maximizing increases in your muscle growth, endurance, strength, speed and body fat loss. Eating the right things at the right time will get you fit.
Step 1
Eat within two hours of your workouts, depending on how fast it takes your body to digest your pre-workout meal. If you will be participating in an endurance event, eat a whole grain bagel with 2 tbsp. of natural peanut butter and 1 tbsp. of an all-fruit spread about 1½ hours before your session. Drink a protein shake made with a cored apple 30 to 60 minutes before a resistance training workout. These meals provide a slow, steady release of energy so you can run longer, sprint faster or lift heavier weights.
Step 2
Consume a protein shake immediately after your workouts, quickly replenishing glycogen in your muscles so you have energy for your next workout, enhancing your fitness. Drinking a protein shake within 30 minutes triggers muscle protein synthesis, increasing your muscular fitness, according to a 2010 article by Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., and colleagues, published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." Include two to three scoops of high-quality whey protein powder, 1 cup skim milk and a fast-digesting fruit, such as 1 cup fresh pineapple or 1 cup fresh watermelon.
Step 3
Drink a sports beverage if your workout sessions will last longer than 60 minutes, replenishing your energy and maintaining your hydration. The electrolytes and the taste of a sports drink promote a greater consumption of the drink, reducing your risk of dehydration. If you lose as little as 1 percent of your body weight, your performance will decrease, hindering your capacity to get fit, according to a 2010 article by Douglas Kalman, Ph.D., and Anna Lepeley, M.S., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Step 4
Eat 55 to 65 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, and eat often, ensuring you have a sufficient supply of glucose to fuel your workouts. If you do not eat a sufficient amount of calories or carbohydrates, or if you go longer than two to three hours before consuming your next meal, your body will begin breaking down your muscle tissue for energy. Over time, you will lose muscle, gain fat, and become less fit, according to a 2007 article by registered dietitian Dan Benardot, Ph.D., published in "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal."
Tips and Warnings
- Plan your meals at night so you are prepared for the next day. Use a portable blender and lunch cooler to make your shake as soon as you are done training.
Things You'll Need
- Bagel, whole grain
- Peanut butter, natural
- All-fruit spread
- Whey protein powder
- Skim milk
- Pineapple
- Sports drink
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Protein for Sports-New Data and New Recommendations; Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., et al.; February 2010
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; A Review of Hydration; Douglas Kalman, Ph.D., and Anna Lepeley, M.S.; April 2010
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Carbohydrates; Dixie Thompson, Ph.D.; November/December 2008
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Timing of Energy and Fluid Intake: New Concepts for Weight Control and Hydration; Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D.; July/August 2007
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