Exercise & Nutrition
Are you eating to support your training?
There is so much conflicting information floating around the internet these days, train fasted, train fed, low carb, high protein etc etc… so how do you work out what the best plan is for you?
The type, duration, intensity and timing of your training as well as the goals you want to achieve i.e. lose fat, build muscle, all contribute to the way you need to fuel yourself before and after you train as well as what your overall diet should look like. No matter what your personal goals are or what level you are training at, to get the best out of your workout, prevent post training fatigue and maintain optimal health, good nutrition is key. Both carbohydrates and protein are imperative components of training nutrition and following the tips below are a good way to enhance the benefits of your training program
Training in the morning, requires some quick energy as muscle glycogen will need to be replenished from your over-night fast. Eating a small carbohydrate rich snack such as a banana or a couple of dates is a quick and efficient way to fuel your workout and can make a massive difference to your training.
Cortisol the stress hormone is highest in the morning, high intensity activity increases cortisol, cortisol causes the body to hold onto fat – eating, particularly carbohydrates lowers cortisol, helping us to lose body fat.
Carbohydrates eaten within 1hr of training replenishes glycogen most efficiently, preventing post training fatigue. This is particularly important for those training multiple times in a day
Muscle protein synthesis requires protein! How much you need depends on a multitude of factors. The body has a limit to how much protein it can absorb in a meal so eating a massive steak is not the most beneficial for building muscle.
Having a protein ‘hit’ of 0.25/0.3g per kg body weight 4-5x per day has been shown to be the most efficient way to absorb protein and optimise muscle protein synthesis. For a 65kg individual this would be approximately 3 eggs, ½ cup of chickpeas or 70g of chicken
A post recovery meal with a 2/3:1 carb:protein ratio eaten within 1hr of training is ideal and this is where a smoothie filled with fruit, nuts or nut butter and a good quality protein powder works well, especially if a proper meal cannot be eaten for a few hours
Whilst all amino acids (protein building blocks) are required to build muscle, Leucine is the most important at stimulating muscle growth. High leucine foods include milk, eggs, chicken and lentils.
Whilst the above serves as a great baseline of tips to suit all training enthusiasts, an individualised nutritional programme will truly be the difference between getting through your workout and taking it to the next level!
