If you are not including a good pre- and post-workout meal on the days you work out, you may not achieve the results you are striving for. These meals are important because they will help fuel your body for exercise and then repair it after you finish working out. Regardless of your fitness goal, these are two components of your day that you should not exclude.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
A pre-workout meal will provide your body with the carbohydrates it needs for energy to complete the upcoming exercise session. If you are not eating before you work out, you may not be able to work as hard and may not see the results you want.
Will Grieve, 21, a certified personal trainer in Calgary, Alberta, said pre-workout meals should be eaten 30-60 minutes before you exercise and that it should consist of a mixture of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates can be fruit, oatmeal, or pasta, eaten along with a protein source such as protein powder, egg whites, lean chicken, or lean beef.
Post-Workout Nutrition
According to Grieve, post-workout nutrition is just as important as pre-workout meals. The goal is to replace the nutrients your body lost during the workout, so that you can repair damaged tissues, grow new muscle tissues, and restore muscle glycogen levels. Restored muscle glycogen, which is the storage form of energy in the muscles, allows you to train again – sooner and harder.
Post-workout meals should be consumed immediately to 30 minutes after your workout; this time frame is when your body is most receptive to using these nutrients. It should again consist of fast digesting protein and carbohydrates, but with a bit more on protein for muscle repairs. Protein provides the building blocks for new muscle.
Grieve suggests eating bagels, rice cakes, fruits, cereal with milk along with protein powder, lean fish, or yogurt.
Make sure you take the time to plan out your pre- and post-workout nutritious meals before exercising. Without your nutrition, your workouts may not garner you near the same results you’re hoping for.
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To determine the amount of food you should be eating for your pre- and post-workout meals, use the guide below.
PRE-WORKOUT MEAL
Carbohydrates – Body weight (lbs) X 0.33 grams
Protein – Body weight (lbs) X 0.15 – 0.2 grams
POST-WORKOUT MEAL
Carbohydrates – Body weight (lbs) X 0.5 grams
Protein – Body weight (lbs) X 0.25 grams
Note: With both meals, fat is not a priority. Also, for the post-workout meal, if mass gain is your goal, you can increase the total amount of proteins and carbohydrates you are eating, since you need to consume a caloric surplus – take in more calories than you burn through daily activity – in order to gain weight.
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