Training Nutrition
I was happily training a client at 4pm the other week working through the sets and reps required to reach her goals. She was feeling a little tired about 15 minutes into the session and hadn't eaten since breakfast!
If you are not adequately prepared for a session in terms of what you consume both before and after, you may be creating the reverse effect of what you are trying to achieve. Apart from having low energy levels during the session, training hard on an empty stomach means that you may get your energy from breaking down muscle tissue rather than glycogen (carbohydrates when digested), or fat. A reduction in muscle tissue, means a reduction in metabolism, and we all know what that means, more visits from the friendly fat cell fairy!
So what to do? Well you have a couple of options, obviously some of you train early morning and you may not have time for a feed before your sessions, and some of you train in the daytime or evening. Regardless of what time of day it is, here are some pre-training energy ideas.
No time at all - Bring an isotonic drink with you to drink during the session, e.g. lucozade, gatorade etc. Full of sugar I hear you cry!! For the virtuous among you, you can make your own by mixing:
250ml of fruit juice,
250ml of water,
a pinch of salt.
The juice gives you the energy required for the session, the water reduces the sugar rush from the juice, and the salt replenishes the salts lost in sweat as you train.
5 minutes before a session - Fruit juice and a banana if you can stomach it
30min-1 hour before a session - A piece of fruit, with some nuts or yoghurt.
2 hours before a session - A combination of complex carbohydrates (not the processed stuff that has a sugar fest in your bloodstream), protein, and good fats. So perhaps a jacket potato with chicken, and salad dressed in olive oil, or some tuna and rice.
Post-training nutrition is pretty much the same. You have a 1-2 hour window in which your body is super-charged to replenish your energy systems. So try and grab a juice or a banana immediately after your session and ensure you have a proper meal within that 1-2 hour window. The only thing to avoid immediately post-training is fat as your body will still be in super-replenishment mode and will store any fat you consume.
So that's it folks, I expect to see lots of homemade mixtures around the gym for the early risers among you! There are lots of options for what you can eat pre- and post-training so ask your trainer for more ideas if you get bored.
If you are not adequately prepared for a session in terms of what you consume both before and after, you may be creating the reverse effect of what you are trying to achieve. Apart from having low energy levels during the session, training hard on an empty stomach means that you may get your energy from breaking down muscle tissue rather than glycogen (carbohydrates when digested), or fat. A reduction in muscle tissue, means a reduction in metabolism, and we all know what that means, more visits from the friendly fat cell fairy!
So what to do? Well you have a couple of options, obviously some of you train early morning and you may not have time for a feed before your sessions, and some of you train in the daytime or evening. Regardless of what time of day it is, here are some pre-training energy ideas.
No time at all - Bring an isotonic drink with you to drink during the session, e.g. lucozade, gatorade etc. Full of sugar I hear you cry!! For the virtuous among you, you can make your own by mixing:
250ml of fruit juice,
250ml of water,
a pinch of salt.
The juice gives you the energy required for the session, the water reduces the sugar rush from the juice, and the salt replenishes the salts lost in sweat as you train.
5 minutes before a session - Fruit juice and a banana if you can stomach it
30min-1 hour before a session - A piece of fruit, with some nuts or yoghurt.
2 hours before a session - A combination of complex carbohydrates (not the processed stuff that has a sugar fest in your bloodstream), protein, and good fats. So perhaps a jacket potato with chicken, and salad dressed in olive oil, or some tuna and rice.
Post-training nutrition is pretty much the same. You have a 1-2 hour window in which your body is super-charged to replenish your energy systems. So try and grab a juice or a banana immediately after your session and ensure you have a proper meal within that 1-2 hour window. The only thing to avoid immediately post-training is fat as your body will still be in super-replenishment mode and will store any fat you consume.
So that's it folks, I expect to see lots of homemade mixtures around the gym for the early risers among you! There are lots of options for what you can eat pre- and post-training so ask your trainer for more ideas if you get bored.
posted by ONE at
19:53
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