Improve Your Workouts by Timing Your Meals

As a personal trainer I find that diet questions are always a "hot" topic and questions regarding the planning of meals are by far the most frequent I have to answer.

Should I eat before or after the work-out? What should I eat?
When and what you eat can affect your performance and the way you feel during your workout. A meal can "make or break your work-out", it is an old saying in the training world. What we eat it is for the most part a personal choice, however as much as you may like to have a pizza for example, not a good idea before the work-out. How much we eat it depends on personal goals (weight loss or athletic performance) and strongly correlates with training intensity. For example some endurance athletes may require over 5-6000 calories a day, while somebody looking to lose weight may limit the caloric intake 12-1800 calories a day.

The time of the day when you schedule your training sessions will also make a difference in terms of pre/post work-out meal if that meal it happens to be breakfast or dinner.

Pre exercise meal
When you exercise after a large meal, you can feel sluggish or have an upset stomach, because your muscles and your digestive system are competing with each other for resources. Not eating before you exercise can be just as bad. Low blood sugar levels that result from not eating can make you feel weak, faint or tired.

I recommend a mix of protein (about 15 percent of the meal) and complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, and cereals that take longer to convert to glucose than simple carbohydrates (like candy, soft drinks, and other junk foods), which will keep your insulin levels consistent and prevent you from having an crash in the middle of your workout. Keep fat to a minimum before workouts because fat takes the longest to digest.

Here are some snacks ideas to keep you energized throughout your workout:
• Breakfast cereal with low-fat milk
• Eggs (cooked as you like them) or egg white (low in fat and
cholesterol)
• In a blender mix fresh or frozen fruits and one scoop of
protein powder
• Granola bars, sports bars, or cereal bars
• Bananas
• Rice
• Baked potato with low-fat toppings

Post exercise meal
Training of all types depletes glycogen stores and promotes muscle breakdown so proper nutrition immediately after the work out it is vital to recovery as it shifts the body from a process of breakdown to one of regeneration and physiological improvements.
A post-workout meal should contain some protein that will allow a steady release of amino acids into your system well after your work-out is done. Carbohydrates are crucial for glycogen recovery. The fat added to the post-workout meal should be in the form of fatty acids such as Omega-3 and 6.
• White meat is the best choice: Chicken breast, fish
• Potatoes, rice (brown or wild rice)
• Steamed vegetables
• Fresh salad of your choice (watch out for hidden fat/sugar
in dressing)

Water
It cannot be stressed enough that the amount of fluid consumed is just as important as the food that is eaten. The body does not store water as it does other nutrients and it is vital for performance to be well hydrated prior to training. Make sure you drink plenty of water during the day, as well as immediately before, during and after activity or an event.