What to eat before and after a workout

Exercise is a highly important thing for our physical as well as mental being. The majority of the human population eats more than their fair share of food daily regardless of the fact that the amount exceeds their daily nutritional requirement.

Exercise or workout makes our body metabolize the food that we take faster and also helps our body to utilize nutrients in a better way to gain energy instead of storing the excess amount as fat.

However, even the simplest of workouts can be physically draining so one should always make sure they have enough electrolytes and sugar in their bodies during and after an exercise session to avoid mishaps like fainting and blackouts.

What to eat before a workout?

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It is a popular belief that you should exercise as soon as you wake up to speed up your metabolism for the day or whenever you do it you should have an empty stomach so that strain wouldn’t cause vomiting.

However, this is not an entirely correct approach because low blood sugar or hypoglycemia and electrolyte imbalance due to excessive sweating can result in fatigue, lightheadedness and as mentioned above fainting.

This will shake your determination to exercise regularly and stay fit as your mind will dread the idea of going through these problems. To avoid vomiting and nausea, one should adjust their timing of food intake such that heavy meals should be taken 3-4 hours before the planned exercise while snacks are taken half an hour to 45 minutes before the exercise.

We have enlisted some foods that you should take to help you exercise better.

1) Bananas: Every single nutritionist will advise you to eat bananas before you exercise.

Reason? Well, bananas provide instant energy because they are full of potassium and easily digested carbohydrates. Eating a banana will help your body maintain potassium levels during exercise since it is needed for nerve and muscle function.

If you eat a banana with yogurt, then you have all the nutrition you need for a great workout. Bananas are also one of the foods that will help you sleep well.

2) Wholegrain Bread: Bread is an excellent way to load your body with nutrition since they can be eaten with a variety of other things such as eggs, fruit jam, peanut butter, chocolate you name it.

The bread itself contains carbohydrates which are a readymade source of energy, proteins in the form of eggs or a slice of meat will protect your muscles from damage after the workout. One thing to keep in mind is that sandwiches should be eaten about half an hour before the exercise.

3) Oats: One cup of oats will give you enough fibers to last you through your workout session.

Oats are full of carbohydrates and B vitamins, which means they also have agents needed for the better absorption of carbohydrates in the bloodstream and convert them to energy.

4) Cottage Cheese with Banana and Berries: These are perfect for a workout, cottage cheese provides proteins and bananas, and berries contain potassium, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

Taken half an hour before a workout, these should be taken with bread if more energy is needed. Proteins will help your muscles to grow better.

5) Turkey or Chicken with Potatoes and Broccoli: Chicken or turkey are those sources of proteins which are easily digested by the body. These are good for keeping muscles in good shape after a solid work out.

Potatoes will provide the necessary carbs while broccoli will provide all the nutrients expected of a green vegetable such as minerals, vitamins, etc. Eat this meal an two hours before you start exercising, you will not feel fatigue or other such problems.

What to eat after a workout?

This is a bigger problem than deciding the pre-workout meal as you might not want to destroy the effects of your efforts by eating anything unhealthy or fattening. If you wish to build your muscles, nutritionists advise you to take at least 30 grams of proteins soon after your workout as your proteins are degrading rapidly in that time. But how to take proteins and carbohydrates together in a right balance is a real question.

Here are some foods that might help:

1) Whey with Juices: This combination is the best for people looking to build muscles as whey contains muscle-building proteins and provides an insulin surge which increases the speed of uptake of carbohydrates in the cells that are drained of their energy after the workout.

In this time if you drink juices or shakes with sugar your body will hungrily replenish the cells with energy.

2) Eggs with vegetables: If you take a vegetable omelet after the workout, rest assured that your proteins are being restocked, and your muscles are being built.

Antioxidants in vegetables and amino acids and healthy fat in egg especially egg yolk will give your body enough to go on as antioxidants will fight off the muscle damaging radicals, proteins will get a chance to incorporate themselves in the muscles.

Take this with bread and your carb requirement is also taken care of.

3) Chocolate Milk: This is good for many reasons, liquid to keep you hydrated, carbohydrates to give you energy and proteins to build your muscle mass. Thus it is a great way to reward your body after all the hard work it’s done for you.

4) Green Tea: Green tea is amazing even when you are not exercising, it has potent antioxidant properties which not only protect your muscles from free radical damage caused by exercise but its caffeine also helps in refreshing your mind.

5) Sweet Potatoes with Salmon or Tuna: Fish or chicken meat is the best way to build your muscles since their proteins are easily digested and not filled with fat. Potatoes will help you get the energy of carbohydrates that you lost during your exercise.

These are some of the foods that can be eaten to make your workout and its effects great. By taking care of all the potential problems, you can have a successful, healthy workout and in the long term, life.