Fit & Fab Part 2: Pre, Intra, & Post Workout Needs

Hi My Steem Friends!

I have some exciting news! I am officially Precision Nutrition Certified! & I couldn't be more excited to continue to share some of my favorite topics with you all! But more importantly, I can finally launch Sonrise Coaching! I'd say it has been a great start to 2018!

Today's topic in my Fit & Fab series is one that has especially been critical to my athletic success. Pre, Intra, and Post workout needs.

Being a former D1 athlete, this is something I wish I would have taken a little more seriously throughout college. What we put into our bodies ultimately has a huge influence on what we should expect to get out of them.

My knowledge in this area comes from years of personal experience as an athlete and coach, as well as my certification with PN. Precison Nutrion is home of the top nutrition coaches in the world, and their viewpoint on this topic has played a huge part intomy philosophy.

Before going into detail, I feel it is important to note that nutrient timing isn't a "NEED" for everyone. PN states, that if you’re a healthy person who exercises regularly, you probably don’t need special workout nutrition strategies. However as a fitness enthusiast who works with athletes this topic has been especially important in my career.

So let's get started!

**Pre- Workout

PN recommends that in the 1-3 hours before you exercise you will want to consume something that will do the following.

1-Give you sustainable energy (Carbs)
2- Keep you well hydrated (1-2 cups of Water)
3- Preserve or gain muscle mass (Protein, Carbs)
4- And for some * boost performance (Caffeine, Protein, Carbs)

However, a lot of people often like to have a quick snack 0-60 minutes before their workout. Below are some of my favorites!

1. 1 scoop of protein powder with almond or coconut milk
2. Smoothie with spinach / kale
3. Apple/ Banana and PB / Berries
4. Handful of Almonds/ Walnuts
5. Advocare Spark! ( Hands down my favorite Pre workout drink. Filled with vitamins, minerals, and an effective amount of caffeine to give me a quick boost.)

**Intra- Workout

What we consume during our workout can play largely into our ultimate goals.

Consuming water is first and foremost. For moderate activity under 2 hours or high activity under 1 hour PN recommends (2-4 cups) . Moderate activity over 2 hours or an intense workout over 1 hour aim for ( 2-3 cups per hour).

Side Note: I ALWAYS carry my water bottle with me :)

But sometimes water isn't enough. Gatorade and Protein Drinks wouldn't exist if it was. I am sure some of you may be familiar with BCAAs. Branch Chain Amino Acids are great to add to water to give an extra recovery boost and definitely something I use often when I am adding heavy lifts or intense interval training. They also consume Electrolytes. Which are another common need during workouts. But be careful when consuming sports drinks. They are usually very high in sugar.

Protein & Carbs have never been something I personally look to consume DURING a workout. But that is because my needs have never been to gain muscle. (Luckily, I was blessed in this category) However, if gaining muscle is a goal PN recommends adding 30-45g of carbs and 15g protein during and after a workout.

Which leads me to our final section...

** Post Workout

Just as important as the first two steps. What we consume after a workout helps us with recovery, re-hydration, building muscle, and ultimately preparing us for the rest of a day!

Learn how to get your Macros back! (Protein, Carbs, and Fats)

Protein is especially important to help prevent breakdown. It also stimulates protein synthesis which can help with muscle growth and maintenance. Depending on the intensity of your workout and fitness goals will play a factor into how many carbohydrates one should consume after a workout. (PS_always stick to whole grain carbs and or fruit) Lastly , Fats. While they are known to slow digestion, PN believes that fat doesn’t reduce the benefits of protein and carbohydrate consumption around training. It actually might provide some benefits of its own.

WOW. Information Overload. Don't get me wrong...this takes trial and error to really figure out what your body reacts best with to attain specific results. Which is why I am so passionate about coaching others through this journey and also why I am looking forward to blogging my typical day of my workout/diet for you all to get a better idea of what this all looks like!

So stay tuned. In part 3. I will dive further into nutrients by showing you a day in the life of Sondra. NCAA Coach, Holistic Nutritionist, and Fitness Enthusiast.

xoxo

The best is yet to come.