Pre- and post-workout meals can help you reach your goals faster or make you stumble every bit of the way. Constant, intensive exercise training whether you are preparing for an endurance run or lifting weights to build muscle must be supported by a goal-oriented nutrition plan including what you eat before and after every single workout session.
Planning
Planning your meals ahead of time helps to ensure you are properly fueled before and after every workout. If you exercise on your way to work or on your way home from work, it is essential you prepare and portion all your meal components at night. Waiting until the next morning increases the likelihood you will run out of time to pack your lunch cooler and your gym bag. It will be quite tempting to pull through a drive-through after your workout than if you ate your post-workout meal before you left the gym. Eat your pre-workout meal one to two hours before your training session. Your post-workout meal should be consumed immediately after your workout, but no more than 30 minutes later. Make these meals in addition to what you will be having for lunch while you are work. Pack a portable blender in your gym bag if you want to have a post-workout shake.
Carbohydrates
Pre-workout carbohydrates should be slow-digesting carbs such as a sandwich made with whole-wheat bread or a chicken and brown rice combination. Choose foods which you know your body will digest before it is time to train. A pre-workout shake it is also an excellent option, blending a cored apple or a peeled orange with skim milk and whey protein powder; apples and oranges are slow-digesting carbohydrates which will fuel you through your workout. The carbs you eat after each exercise session must be fast-digesting to quickly replenish the stored energy in your muscle cells. Such carbs include white rice, a baked potato or a sandwich made using white bread. If you drink a protein shake after your workout, include fresh pineapple as your source of carbohydrates because it is digested much faster compared to apples, oranges and even a banana.
Protein
Protein is degraded into amino acids. Consuming protein before and after your workouts, especially a weight-training routine, ensures your muscle cells are well supplied with amino acids to repair, remodel and grow muscle tissue. Use a protein powder with about 24 g of protein per serving. Include 24 to 48 g of protein in a pre-workout shake. For a post-workout shake, mix in 48 to 72 g of protein. The amino acids in protein powder are more easily absorbed into your bloodstream compared to the amino acids in meat and chicken. Using skim milk from a cow and whey protein powder enhances and quickens muscle protein synthesis compared to using soy milk and casein powder, according to a 2010 article published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Water
Drink a tall glass of water with your pre-workout meal and your post-workout meal. Dehydration decreases your mental acuity and it will interrupt your body's ability to regulate your body temperature. Furthermore, a drop in blood volume due to dehydration impedes your body's ability to produce the energy you need for muscular contractions, decreasing your performance. If you are exercising for more than an hour, include a sports beverage during your workout and as part of your post-workout meal. A sports beverage contains electrolytes and is more tasty than water, encouraging you to drink more.
References
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Applying Concepts of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load to Active Individuals; Melinda Manore, Ph.D., et al; Septemeber/October 2004
- "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., et al.; April 2010
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