The basics of proper nutrition before various types of workouts, especially the selection of dishes for men and women, water and drinking regime before and during sports. A pre-workout meal is a balanced diet dominated by healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, lean meat and fish, herbs, and herbal teas.
What to eat before exercise
To successfully and effectively burn calories during exercise and then build muscle, the body must expend energy. During classes, energy reserves are quickly burned, and they must be replenished before loading.
Proper nutrition before cardio workout
Before aerobic training, you need to stock up on glycogen, the so-called storage carbohydrate. During cardio workouts, the store of glucose and glycogen is quickly consumed first, and only then the fat store. If the body does not have the required amount of glycogen, then metabolic processes will be slowed down, the level of endurance will decrease during exercise.
Also, before a sports load for half an hour, coaches recommend drinking a smoothie, juice or milkshake, eating a small portion of fruit. It is worth remembering that freshly pressed juice is preferable, in which there is a large percentage of well-absorbed carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate food provides the required amount of glycogen. According to nutritionists, it is the ideal fuel that provides strength and energy for sports activities. Thanks to this "fuel", the body will not only endure cardio loads, but it will also get rid of fat faster.
It's important to remember that pre-workout food intake should be reasonable, and workout in the gym shouldn't be grueling. Also, in no case should you come to class hungry!
It is recommended to have a snack before a workout with such healthy foods:
- Buckwheat or oatmeal;
- Light fruit or vegetable salads (no banana or grapes added);
- Low-calorie bread or biscuits.
Protein food is not a source of energy for the human body. But at the same time, the amino acids contained in it play a major role in the production of new muscle cells. Therefore, before the lesson, professional trainers recommend including in the diet a portion of protein, the required amount of which is contained in kefir, omelet, a piece of lean meat or boiled fish.
It is also important to remember the list of junk foods that will only interfere with an effective workout. In no case should you eat fatty foods, as it will take a long time to be digested in the stomach. And the heaviness in the stomach will not contribute to a successful exercise. Carbohydrate foods such as cakes and pastries (fast carbohydrates) are also not worth eating, because, apart from excess body fat, they will not bring anything else.
The pre-workout serving should be the same as you would normally eat at this time. The last snack should be done no later than two hours before working out in the gym. If you want to drink kefir or yogurt, then the consumption of these products is allowed for an hour. If you plan to go to the gym early in the morning, then eat an apple, a small portion of cottage cheese, or have a cup of tea half an hour before class.
Nutrition before strength training
The most optimal foods for the diet before this type of workout: steak steak with a small portion of potatoes, lean chicken or turkey with rice, wholemeal diet bread, oatmeal.
A serving of soup or salad can be eaten two to three hours before class so that the food is well absorbed. For an hour, you can eat a light curd or porridge.
If the main goal of your workout is to build muscle, then an hour before it, you can eat one pear or apple, as well as some strawberries. You can drink a drink based on whey protein: the calculation is 0.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
It is also helpful to have a cup of weak black coffee (without adding cream) before class - it will help the production of norepinephrine. With its help, the body will generate energy for strength training due to body fat. Thus, in one trip to the gym, more calories and fat cells will be burned, and less glycogen and amino acids will be spent.
You will not feel physically tired so quickly, and you will perform strength exercises much more willingly and more actively. You will feel the effect of the coffee drink for at least three hours. If you feel severe hunger before training, then it is better to satisfy it by drinking a glass of milk.
Avoid the most common dietary mistakes during physical activity:
- Unbalanced food intake: go to workout hungry, but overeat afterwards.
- There is anything you want, including fatty and junk food, the excuse is that you go to the gym and spend a lot of energy.
- Another mistake is not to eat anything after training, as there is a fear that all the calories so hard lost in the gym will return immediately. It's a delusion!
- Eat nothing after six in the evening. If your workout is in the evening, then it is better to forget about this habit.
If you exercise in the gym for more than an hour, then you need to replenish water reserves in the body on time. Only in this case you will have good health and a desire to continue working on your body.
Eating right after exercise will help kickstart your metabolic process. A balanced diet and regular training in combination will help you get in shape faster and get a dream figure than grueling diets. In addition, you will become more resilient.
Fat Burning Nutrition
In order to burn as many calories as possible during a workout, you need to eat three hours before it starts. The body must receive the portion of carbohydrates necessary for physical activity.
If the workout is scheduled for the morning, then in an hour you can have a light vegetable salad (without potatoes) or eat some fruit. 15-20 minutes before class, nutritionists recommend drinking cocoa, fruit drink or compote (no sweetener).
The diet for those who want to lose extra pounds should be balanced and nutritious. The stomach before class should not be overloaded, the measure should be strictly observed in meals.
It is worth remembering that after exertion, the body continues to burn calories for another two hours. In order for muscle tissue to recover faster and better, before going to the gym, you can eat a little boiled chicken, low-fat cottage cheese or steamed fish, salads, which should include cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers.
Pickled vegetables can be eaten. Dairy products are good at maintaining the protein stores needed for muscles.
Who is the right pre-workout nutrition for?
The nutrition of both men and women who work on their figure in the gym should be varied, healthy and include various foods containing the entire complex of vitamins and minerals.
Pre-workout nutrition for girls
An indispensable element in the diet of women is meat and fish, which should be low-fat and cooked without oil. It is better to boil or stew such meat. These foods take a long time to digest, so it's best to consume them before lunch. Meat and fish contain the amount of amino acids necessary for the body. Of course, fried foods are highly undesirable.
For girls who want to lose weight, a variety of soups in the diet are very important. You can use fish, vegetables or mushrooms as a base for the broth. Soups will help improve the functioning of the food system and speed up metabolic processes.
Nutritionists also recommend including cereals in the daily diet - buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, cooked in milk. So that the porridge does not seem bland, they can be supplemented with dried fruits or nuts. In a portion of almost any porridge, a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and fiber, which provide the girl's body with the necessary energy, help to remove excess fluid and toxins.
Foods such as vegetables and fruits are a must in the diet. They contain a huge variety of minerals and vitamins. Only fresh food should be consumed. Steamed vegetables are a great addition to the main course. Fruit can be used to make jelly, juice or compote.
Dairy products are also necessary for a complete healthy diet. For example, give preference to low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt. They are high in protein and calcium, which can help you regain strength after exercise and build additional muscle mass.
Pre-workout nutrition for men
Eating carbohydrates will help the body during exercise by providing amino acids to the working muscle tissue. The so-called anabolic premise will be created. Fat in the diet before physical activity, on the contrary, should be absent, because it will slow down the process of assimilation of nutrients. Fatty food lingers in the stomach for a long time, is slowly digested, and during exercise can cause discomfort, heaviness and colic.
The diet before going to the gym is the correct and dosed combination of protein and carbohydrate foods:
- Turkey or chicken meat + wholemeal bread + rice;
- Steamed fish without oil + a portion of boiled potatoes;
- Lean meat + durum pasta;
- Several boiled eggs + any porridge;
- A portion of low-fat cottage cheese + a small piece of bread.
It is important to remember: the portions should be small. If at the beginning of the lesson you do not feel any discomfort in the abdomen, then the amount of food was correct. For men, the following proportion is recommended: 30 grams of protein + 60 grams of complex carbohydrates.
Protein shakes are best absorbed by the body before exercise. A serving of whey protein drink will be very helpful an hour before class.
Maintaining water balance before and during exercise
When exercising in the gym, remember that it is very important to drink regularly during exercise. Even with a small percentage of dehydration, the training becomes less effective. Do not wait until you feel thirsty, because intense exercise can dull the function of thirst receptors.
If you feel dry mouth, severe thirst, headache, slight dizziness and fatigue, then you should immediately stop exercising, drink plenty of water and rest.
You need to observe the following drinking regimen: before training - one glass of water, during exercise - drink a little, but every twenty minutes. The amount of fluid you drink is directly proportional to the amount of sweat that is released during exercise.
So, during strength exercises, a person sweats less, which means that the need for fluid decreases. During aerobic exercise and cardio exercise, sweat is released more - the volume of water needs to be increased.
How to eat before training - watch the video:
Only an individually selected diet and a set of physical exercises will help bring the body into the desired shape, improve the condition of the body. It is unacceptable to go to the gym with an empty stomach and eat up afterwards, or vice versa. The diet should be carefully thought out for both men and women.
