Workout Food: How to fuel your body for exercise
WORKOUT FOOD; How to fuel your body for exercise
Excerpts from Jeni Pearce's article
Why bother with sports nutrition?
Nutrition can make a difference to how you perform at
training, how you feel and the benefits you get from your
workouts. Eating well also helps you enjoy activity and have
energy left over for the rest of the day. Too often we fall
into the trap of focusing on protein, vitamins and minerals while
the more important and essential energy and performance nutrients
(carbohydrates & fluids) are ignored.
How to eat for exercise
Energy balance is the key to sports nutrition. Many people
overestimate how much energy they're using up in their training and
underestimate their energy intake (how much food they're
eating).
Every exercise is slightly different but the main notes
are;
- Preparing well for your sessions will mean you get more benefit
from your workouts and reduce the risk of injury due to
fatigue.
- Consuming enough food during the day to fuel your school
activities as well as your workout is important.
- Arrive at a workout in a hydrated state and well fuelled to get
the most benefit out of the session.
- Remember to eat carbohydrates after your activity as well or you
deprive your muscles of the ability to replenish your "petrol tank"
(glycogen stores). Many people do not eat enough carbohydrate
foods before training and get tired early as a result.
For evening workouts make sure your lunch is a high carbohydrate meal and have a high carbohydrate snack in the hour or two prior to training with plenty of fluids such as water.
For early morning workouts 15-20mins before eat an
easily-absorbed, low-fibre, low-fat carbohydrate food (eg;
banana). This is because blood glucose is low in the morning;
your body has been busy keeping your body functioning overnight as
well as working on growth and tissue repair.
Eat a good breakfast as soon as practical after the training
session.
If you don't have any appetite after a workout, try and have fluids
containing some carbohydrate such as smoothies, yoghurts or fruit
juice.
Hydration
Dehydration delays your recovery and makes your
performance worse. Thirst isn't a reliable indicator, by the time
you are thirsty you are already becoming dehydrated. Fluid needs
are individual, but a good way to monitor your needs is to check
the colour of your urine; If it's very dark you need more fluids;
if it is almost clear, your needs are being met. The aim is
for pale urine.
Workout food
Carbohydrate food
Plain unbuttered toast and thin-spread jam or honey, banana, glass
of fruit juice, yoghurt, small bowl of cereal and milk, 1-2 Weetbix
and low fat milk.
Fluids
If you haven't eaten any carbohydrate after a workout, a glass or
two of well formulated sports drink is ideal as this provides
glucose and fluid that is efficiently absorbed. Sports waters,
plain water or diluted fruit juice are also suitable
Example of a healthy day's intake for YOU (aged 13-18)
