Hello. Today we are talking in detail about pre-workout nutrition.

And so, 2 hours before training, you need to eat. It is very important not later than 2 hours before it starts.

Why is it so important?

Any physical activity slows down and even suspends the digestive mechanism. Moreover, a full stomach will significantly interfere with your exercise, because problems may arise, such as: nausea, decreased stamina, reflux of food contents (this is when the movement of the reverse flow of fluid contained in the stomach occurs in the opposite direction, in other words, it is the reflux of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn).

Heartburn - this burning sensation behind the sternum, along the esophagus. Heartburn appears 30-45 minutes after eating as a result of the throwing of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus.

This is why it is so important to eat 2 hours before training and go on an empty stomach. Okay, sorted it out, let's move on! What is that?

Pre-workout nutrition

Your pre-workout food for a set muscle mass and the strength should consist of:

1. COMPLEX (SLOW) CARBOHYDRATES
2. PROTEINS
3. Complete absence of fat (or a limited amount, no more than 3-5 grams)

* In this case, carbohydrates should be about 50-60 grams, and about 20-30 grams of protein. *

Carbohydrates Required Before Exercise, FOR THEY ARE NEEDED TO LOAD the glycogen depots that are needed for production during exercise.

Proteins are required by the body as sources of amino acids for muscles.

Fats are not required by the body because fat in food slows down the rate of absorption of others nutrients and also slows down gastric emptying. The fact is that fat in the stomach stays longer than carbohydrates and proteins, and for this simple reason, problems can arise: nausea, belching, lethargy, colic(these are bouts of acute pain, quickly following one after another).

Pre-workout foods

Below is a list of the foods you need to consume before exercising.

• RICE or BUCKWHEAT(I recommend RIS)
• BOILED EGGS (WHOLE with PROTEIN + YELLOW)
• Fiber of your choice (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage)

(in 100 gr. PRODUCT):

Buckwheat = 68 gr. CARBOHYDRATES = 45 kcal

RICE = 76 gr. CARBOHYDRATES = 345 kcal

WHOLE EGGS 1 pc. = 8gr. Squirrel

According to that proportion (see above, I said that you need about 50-60 grams of carbohydrates + 20-30 grams of protein), therefore, we prepare: RICE is 50 grams, and PROTEIN (3 boiled eggs = 24 grams or 4 eggs = 33 grams).

Protein before exercise

Take a serving of protein or gainer 30 minutes before your workout. For proteins and gainers are absorbed faster than regular food. Therefore, if possible, 30 minutes before training, drink a portion (20-30 grams) of protein or gainer.

During training

Drink plain water during training. Simple (neither sweet nor carbonated). If you can drink BCAA amino acids (if you have) then 5-8 grams, during training, stirring with water (if you have powder) or if in pills / capsules, then throw yourself BEFORE and AFTER TRAINING and you will be happy... In this case, your muscles will be fully provided with the required amount of amino acids during physical activity.

Pre-workout nutrition for weight loss

When losing weight (BURNING EXCESS FAT, DRYING) = food should be eaten in the same way 2 hours before the start of the training. But food ALREADY DOES NOT CONTAIN CARBOHYDRATES and MORE FATS! It contains only PROTEIN + FIBER (VEGETABLES).

• FROM proteins, these are BOILED EGGS
• Fiber is CUCUMBERS or TOMATOES or CABBAGE!

Why is that?

Because the lower your blood sugar level in training (the less carbs you have), the more are used. fatty acid as energy, not glycogen (i.e., fat burns strongly). THEREFORE, before your workout, there are no complex carbohydrates (rice there or buckwheat), you have ONLY LIGHT PROTEIN (eggs and vegetables).

Thus, you get a good amino acid complex that will keep your muscles from burning for energy during your workout, and in addition, a sugar deficiency is created (which forces more fat to be used in training).

During (or before starting) workout for weight loss

For additional muscle protection, you can also drink 5-10 grams of BCAA amino acids.

Best regards, administrator.

Before we talk about the pre-workout menu, let's discuss what if not eating at all? Often bros who want to lose weight train on an empty stomach. If you want to lose weight, it makes sense to do about 20 minutes of intensive aerobic exercise on an empty stomach, and it will be more effective than doing cardio for an hour after a meal. At least that's what is commonly believed.

Indeed, there is evidence that training on an empty stomach increases fat oxidation and allows you to convert fat into energy faster. But more fat consumption does not necessarily mean more weight loss, since fat is also borrowed from muscle cells, and not just from subcutaneous fat. And when the exercise is over, the unoxidized fat returns to the adipose tissue. So all of these benefits of training on an empty stomach are not obvious. To make matters worse, the invaluable protein from your muscles is also used for fuel. Research published in the American Journal of Applied Physiology has shown that nitrogen losses from protein breakdown when exercising on an empty stomach doubled. This is bad news for anyone looking to build muscle.

So, dude, you need to eat before you work out. Studies have found that pre-workout carbohydrate intake slows down fatigue, increases endurance and physical performance... This is because carbohydrates raise blood glucose levels and make muscles more active. Approximately 70% of your pre-workout energy should come from carbohydrates, but you should choose low-glycemic foods: oatmeal, vegetables, sweet potatoes, not chocolates and cookies. Protein is also very important so that your muscles don't break down during exercise. Fat takes the longest to be digested, so eat as little fat as possible before exercising.

The biggest challenge is figuring out how much you can eat before exercise. You will understand this from your own experience. Some dudes can eat a full three-course meal an hour before they go to the gym and exercise their best, while other guys with a more sensitive belly eat three to four hours before training. In general, if you plan on eating a massive 500-600 calorie meal, do it in three hours. A small snack of 300 calories or less can be eaten an hour before training. Experiment with portion sizes and timing to find the best fit.

If a long workout is coming up, you need to add carbohydrates to the menu. If strength training is planned, more protein should be added. Here are our suggestions.

1. Oatmeal, sir

Recipe: 1/2 cup whole oatmeal and 1 scoop of protein powder.
When there is: before endurance exercises, one to two hours before training.
Calories: 420, proteins: 33 g; fats: 7 g; carbohydrates: 57 g; Sahara: 2 g.

Oatmeal is a great low glycemic porridge and is less processed than any cereal. Whole oatmeal will be tougher and take a little longer to cook, but it's worth it.

2. Omelet with vegetables

Recipe: 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, peppers, onions, mushrooms; grapefruit / oatmeal.
When there is: before exercise for the development of muscle mass, one to two hours before training. For longer workouts or cardio, add grapefruit or half a cup of rolled oats to the menu.
Calories: 321; proteins: 26 g; fats: 18 g; carbohydrates: 13 g; Sahara: 6.47 g.

Classic omelet - great option for those who go to the gym immediately after breakfast. Eggs have the most protein in your usual breakfast meal. The protein from eggs is natural, and therefore it is very well absorbed by the body. Great choice.

3. Turkey stuffed cabbage

Recipe: 100 g turkey fillet, 1 cabbage leaf, purple onion, red pepper, small tomatoes and a teaspoon of mustard. Spread mustard on the cabbage leaf and wrap the rest of the ingredients.
When there is: before training for the development of muscles, half an hour to an hour before training. If cardio is also foreseen, you can eat porridge instead of cabbage.
Calories: 184; proteins: 28 g; fats: 3 g; carbohydrates: 13 g; Sahara: 6 g

Turkey is an excellent source of protein that is easy to digest and does not hinder digestion. Fewer in calories and carbs, this variation of the classic cabbage roll is great for weight loss and muscle building. Ideal for those who are gluten-free.

4. The classic bodybuilder lunch

Recipe: 150 g baked chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli.
When there is: before training to build muscle mass, two to three hours before training.
Calories: 368, proteins: 59 g; fats: 9 g; carbohydrates: 37 g; Sahara: 11 g

Fitness models and athletes eat this dish regularly, and for good reason. Every ingredient is high quality. Lean poultry contains a lot of protein, sweet potatoes contain complex carbohydrates and antioxidants, broccoli contains an elephantine bunch of vitamins, minerals and other substances. This food has everything your body needs. This is a full meal, so you shouldn't eat it right before your workout.

5. Cottage cheese with fruit

Recipe:½ pack of cottage cheese and ½ cup of fresh berries or melons. For endurance - a banana.
When there is: before endurance training, half an hour to an hour before training.
Calories: 117; proteins: 14 g; fats: 0.1 g; carbohydrates: 13 g; Sahara: 6 g

Curd does not contain lactose (this is rare for dairy products) and is an excellent source of protein. Blueberries and melon are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed for exercise. If you need more energy for greater stamina, eat a banana. Bananas are rich in carbohydrates and contain potassium, which is essential for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles. Potassium is important for long-term and intense training especially if you are exercising in hot weather. This low-calorie, easy-to-digest snack will fill the gap between lunch and workout really well.

6. Homemade protein bars

Recipe:½ cup vanilla protein powder, ¼ cup coconut flakes, ¼ cup coconut flour, ¼ cup milk, 30 g dark chocolate, melted. Combine protein powder and coconut flour with milk to form into bars. Melt the chocolate in a water bath. When it's melted, dip the bars in chocolate and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Or here's another.
When there is: before muscle building exercises, half an hour to an hour before training.
Calories: 212; proteins: 17 g; fats: 13 g; carbohydrates: 9 g; Sahara: 3 g.

A very convenient form of pre-workout snack. But be careful: they can do more harm than good. You need to look at the composition very carefully and be sure that the bar contains high-quality protein and little sugar. For intense long-term workouts, choose high-carb energy bars or natural bars made with whole ingredients. For muscle building workouts, choose protein bars that contain at least 15 grams of protein. If you want something tasty, do it yourself. Coconut and protein powder are delicious and easy to turn into bars. Coconuts contain heart-healthy MCTs that can help you lose weight.

7. Yogurt with berries

Recipe: a serving of low-fat Greek yogurt and ½ cup of blueberries.
When there is: before muscle building workouts. Add banana for stamina. Eat half an hour to an hour before training.
Calories: 173; proteins: 14 g; fats: 0.5 g; carbohydrates: 28 g; Sahara: 22 g

Greek yoghurt is made from regular yoghurt, from which the whey is removed, resulting in a thicker and creamier product. Compared to regular yoghurts, Greek yoghurt is twice as rich in protein and contains less carbohydrates and sodium. All yoghurts are excellent sources of calcium. Plain and low-fat variations of Greek yogurt and regular yogurt contain roughly the same amount of calories and beneficial bacteria, although sugar is also added to flavored yogurt, which is much more beneficial to replace with fruit.

8. Protein shake with coffee

Recipe: 1 cup of iced coffee and 1 serving of protein shake.
When to drink: Before muscle building workouts, you can add a plate of oatmeal to the menu for endurance. Consume half an hour before training.
Calories: 150; proteins: 26 g; fats: 2 g; carbohydrates: 7 g; Sahara: 2 g.

This delicious cocktail will give you energy. Research shows that caffeine is a powerful energizer that allows athletes to stay stronger and exercise longer. It increases speed and strength when consumed before a competition. Caffeine affects both short and long exercise, and if you drink water, then no negative consequences you are not threatened. If you want to be stronger, caffeine is of little use. This protein cocktail coffee can be drunk in minutes or even during workouts. Liquids are digested much faster, so don't worry: your stomach will be fine.

9. Almond oil

Recipe: 2 tbsp. l. almond oil and celery.
When there is: before a muscle building workout. Soak celery in oil and eat for yourself an hour or two before training.
Calories: 206; proteins: 7 g; fats: 18 g; carbohydrates: 8 g; Sahara: 3 g.

Athletes love nut butter because it is high in protein and healthy fats. Almond oil contains vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and phosphorus and is considered a very healthy food. It is very difficult to find it in stores, because it is not produced much, and salt, sugar and fat are not added to it. Remember that peanuts are not a real nut, but rather a vegetable, so they are much more harmful to your belly. Before working out, just leave a can of almond oil at work, at home, or in your car and eat it with celery. The taste is refreshing, but easy to overcook. Be careful.

10. Nut mix

Recipe: 1 cup raw unsalted nuts (almonds, seeds, cashews, hazelnuts) l. olive oil, ¼ tsp cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chili and sea salt, 1 tsp. maple syrup. Preheat the oven, fry the nuts a little for 5-10 minutes. Combine butter, spices and syrup and add roasted nuts. Return them to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, do not forget to put some baking paper.
When there is: Before muscle building workout, add dried fruit for endurance. Eat an hour or two before your workout.
Calories: 546; proteins: 20 g; fats: 60 g; carbohydrates: 23 g; Sahara: 7 g

Oh gods, how delicious it is! Nuts are very high in calories, they have a lot of fat, but also protein. They also have enough calories to help you exercise well. But be careful: eat less if you want to lose weight. You can use ½ cup of nuts and dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, figs) for more carbohydrates and less fat. If you want to buy a nut mix, make sure that there is no chocolate and nuts in the glaze in order to avoid simple sugars.

Adequate nutrition plays a huge role in exercise, stamina and recovery. Eating the right pre-workout meal will help you get the most out of physical exercise... Prepare food in advance so that you feel comfortable: you eat correctly and will not negate your efforts.

The question of what and how much to eat before training arises for every novice athlete. Which diet helps to increase muscle mass gain, which one will help you lose weight, which one effectively burns fat in the gym. What is there to increase energy? What can you eat before strength training and after it? What can you eat before your evening workout?

An athlete needs a correct diet as well as a correct exercise regimen. Both starvation and overeating should not be allowed.

Common dietary mistakes are the imbalance between the main components of food: proteins, fats and carbohydrates and its excess calorie content. By consuming large amounts of food before or immediately after exercise, the body spends energy on movement, not fat stores.

Workout can be done in the morning before work, or usually in the evening after work. In the morning, after waking up, each person needs a jog or gymnastics, a contrast shower and first breakfast. The change in diet takes place gradually, the restructuring of the body takes 2-3 months. The mode provides for fractional power supply at set hours.

What foods can you eat before exercise? Each person has an individual metabolism, energy of movement, food preferences. Proper nutrition can be built on the knowledge of the basics of rational eating, leading and observing the reaction of the body.

If you train in the morning and you need to eat 1 hour before exercise, then you need to get up 1 hour earlier. If you are exercising in the evening after work, take a container of carbohydrate dinner with you and eat it 1 hour before exercising.

If you skip breakfast, you will get a decrease in the intensity of your activities, since the body does not produce enough energy. The first breakfast contains 5% of all the nutrients received in the day. Breakfast stimulates the body to wake up. The first breakfast after waking up consists of something that can be absorbed in 15 minutes. It is even better to drink fruit or vegetable juice, which is also absorbed in 10 minutes and gives the body a powerful vitamin charge. After 15 minutes, the person is ready for the main breakfast. The second breakfast contains 30% of the total amount of food for the day. The best ratio of protein to "slow" carbohydrates is 1: 2.

What can you eat before your workout? Breakfast examples:

• and 2-3 eggs;
• Chicken breast and rice;
• Rabbit and mashed potatoes;
• Cottage cheese with grain bread.

To any option you need to add 1 fruit, 1 multivitamin tablet, 1 capsule, 1 tbsp. l. ...

In the morning they eat 1-2 hours before training. The food should have time to digest and not interfere with your studies. During the day . All metabolic processes in the body take place in the aquatic environment. The absence of water scarcity will speed up metabolic processes. In addition, water flushes waste products from the intercellular space. You can drink green tea without sugar instead of water.

Drink water 1-2 hours before meals, during classes and 1-2 hours after meals. Drinking water with meals inhibits food digestion, which stretches out over a long period of time, causing drowsiness.

In the evening

What can you eat before your evening workout? After a working day, you can eat 1.5-2 hours before playing sports. Dinner is 25% of the daily food intake. Examples of the right dinner:

• Lean fish with potatoes;
• Meat with and soy sauce;
• Lean beef, potatoes with vegetables;
• Cottage cheese, a glass of milk and black bread;
• Fish, vegetables, bread, green tea.

What can you eat before bed? Many of the recommendations for and before bed refer to advice for those who are trying to lose weight by losing fat, or for people who do not want to exercise all the time. In such cases, you can refuse dinner. But if your classes regularly end late in the evening, you should not refuse food after training.

Drink a protein shake or natural vegetable juice right after your evening workout. Before going to bed, regardless of the type of activity, you need to eat foods with slow carbohydrates and proteins in a 1: 3 ratio. Such a dinner after a late workout will not be deposited in fat, and there is no increase in body weight.

To lose weight

What to eat before exercise to lose weight? It is necessary to slowly reduce the total amount of food, without disturbing the composition of the diet, during exercise. The amount of carbohydrates should also gradually decrease. Only complex carbohydrates remain in the diet, the amount of fat must be severely limited.

• We advise you to read: and

For weight loss, the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates should be 7: 3. The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be 1: 1: 4.

Most effective training in this case - in the morning, on an empty stomach. Only its own fat is burned at this time. In 30 minutes-1 hour, you can eat a carbohydrate breakfast - drink a cup of green tea. Carbohydrates provide energy, tea removes fat from the cell. Instead of tea, you can drink a decoction of fat-burning herbs: plantain, dandelion, chicory, chamomile. It is better to drink the broth on an empty stomach before breakfast. If you drink them before evening exercises, you may have trouble sleeping. When you work out in the evening, you need to have breakfast as usual.

To burn fat

The way of eating, when you need to build up muscles and get rid of, is called "". It is usually used before a competition.

What to eat before exercise to burn fat? To effectively drive away subcutaneous fat, to reveal the relief of the muscles, it is necessary to change the diet, increasing the proportion of proteins and reducing the amount of carbohydrates. With such a diet, the athlete does not need to lose weight, it is impossible to stop gaining body weight. Protein is processed slowly, the body spends more energy on it, muscle building is due to protein. If you have a morning workout, then you need to eat carbohydrates at breakfast. For example:

• Oatmeal, egg whites, vegetables;
• Fish, rice, vegetables.

When conducting classes in the evening, carbohydrates at breakfast should be removed.

For mass gain

What to eat before training to gain mass? To accelerate muscle mass gain, it is necessary to gradually increase the amount of proteins and carbohydrates in the diet, as the frequency and duration of exercise in the gym increases. For gaining muscle mass, the ratio of proteins to carbohydrates corresponds to a ratio of 3: 7. At breakfast, fat should be absent in food, as it slows down metabolic processes and the rate of absorption of nutrients.

A set of foods for gaining body weight does not differ from the composition of a regular breakfast. The main thing is to get enough calories. To increase muscle mass, you need to steam food so that fat is not present in the food. Eat an apple or pear half an hour before workout and drink a protein shake for energy during your workout.

Before strength training

What to eat before strength training? The menu should include foods that release a lot of energy during training. Eat standard meals with proteins and carbohydrates in 2 hours, also limiting fats to a minimum. 1 hour before classes, you need easily digestible food: milk, egg whites, cottage cheese with fruits. An example of the right breakfast:

• Fatty cottage cheese with berries or fruits, it is better to add a banana;
• Natural yogurt with berries;
• Omelet with vegetables and mushrooms and whole grain bread;
• Omelet with, bread, a glass of milk;
• Oatmeal with fruit or raisins;
• Turkey stuffed cabbage rolls.

What you can't eat

What shouldn't be eaten before exercise? First, you can't eat anything. Can't eat fast carbohydrates that contribute to the accumulation of mass due to fat: sweets, baked goods, carbonated drinks. You can not eat fatty foods and fast food. In short, the ban includes food that is never consumed by athletes at all. The exceptions are greens and legumes, which cause bloating, which is uncomfortable in class. They can be eaten for dinner.

Conclusion

Rational nutrition does not allow for scarcity and monotony in food. First of all, you need to provide a variety of vegetables, herbs, herbs and berries in your diet. After all, this is not only a source of carbohydrates, but also vitamins and other biological substances that are not even studied by science yet.

For any person who has found the strength to engage in training, following the principles rational nutrition becomes an iron rule. Otherwise, playing sports resembles work when water is carried with a sieve.

Having devoted part of your life to the culture of the body, it is imperative to master the culture of food - this is interconnected and there is no one without the other. Having finished off the first impressive results, you will understand this relationship. Following the laws of harmony will not be a burden for you, but a pleasure.

If you are thinking in detail about what is best to eat before training in gym then take your studies seriously. Those who don't value diet are less likely to achieve impressive results. Every athlete should know a few simple rules.

• First, in order to have the strength to carry out intensive exercises, the body needs a certain amount of calories;
• And secondly, in order to build muscles, it is necessary to provide the body with enough high level protein is the main building material for our muscles.

You should eat food two hours before exercising on any simulators and with free weights... Exactly this optimal time... Eating earlier will cause you to feel hungry by the time you start exercising, which will prevent you from getting in the right mood for work. If later, your stomach will be overloaded by the time the lesson starts, which will also prevent you from giving all your best ...

Choose foods that are quickly absorbed. For example, you can eat vegetables and fruits. It only takes an hour to digest them. Next in terms of the rate of assimilation are various cereals, dairy products, fish. It takes about two hours to completely digest them.

Meat products take longer to digest than others: about 4 hours. The time depends on the fat content of the meat. Chicken and other poultry meat is processed much faster than pork or beef.

If there is only an hour left before the start of active work in the gym, it is better to postpone a hearty lunch. Suitable as a snack:

• a small amount of chicken;
• vegetable salad;
• fruits.

In this case, part of the carbohydrates from which the body receives energy will be processed even before the start of the workout.

If you can't have a good lunch before class, be sure to use a sports protein shake. It will serve as a good source of energy. We have a constantly growing collection of recipes for protein drinks - read on to your health!

If you have three hours left before going to the gym, eat a large portion of buckwheat porridge with a cutlet. For meat, make a salad of your favorite vegetables: after all, vitamins are also needed for the exercising body. Buckwheat the next day can be replaced with any other. It is very important to approach the issue of sports nutrition in a comprehensive manner in order to fully provide the body with microelements.

Scientists have proven that if you consume carbohydrates, it slows down fatigue, increases physical endurance and performance. It is thanks to carbohydrates that blood glucose rises: this makes our muscles work more actively.

The best way to get the right amount of energy for your gym workout is to count the calories of each meal. On average, when exercising, 20 kilocalories are required per 1 kg of a trainee's weight. This amount is necessary for an hour of training at a slow or medium pace. So, with a weight of 95 kilograms, before exercise, you need to eat food, the amount of calories of which is 1900 kcal. If you plan to work out intensively for 1.5 hours, you should absorb a little more calories.

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Improper nutrition before and after exercise can not only cause discomfort during exercise, but also make them useless or even harmful. Nutrition varies depending on your goals. But if you are not a bodybuilder, forget about hard "drying", which is so actively discussed in many forums. This is the preparation mode for sports competitions which has nothing to do with fitness and wellness programs.

When and what to eat before exercise

In sports medicine, there is such a thing as. Olga Perevalova, a nutritionist and fitness trainer of international class, recommends an hour before training eat some cereal bread, or any fruit, or a cheese sandwich, drink juice or a glass of tea.

“Even if an athlete trains at 5 am, he will never start the day without breakfast,” says nutritionist Olga Perevalova. - Otherwise, there will be no sense from the lesson. If you are losing weight, then you need to understand that trying to burn fat on an empty stomach is useless". The body needs to be started like a car: just as the car will not run without fuel injection, so the necessary processes in the human body will not start without a carbohydrate load.

A slightly different approach is suggested by nutritionist Ekaterina Belova. Regardless of the type of load and training goals, she recommends not to eat carbohydrate products (grains, vegetables, fruits) one and a half to two hours before class, and proteins and fats - two to three hours. “When you start exercising, food should have already passed from the stomach to the intestines,” says Ekaterina.

Carbohydrate loading, in her opinion, only makes sense if you haven't eaten for a long time or haven't eaten at all in the morning. If you eat enough during the day and make sure that the breaks between meals are no more than five hours, then it is better not to eat anything for one and a half to two hours before class.

A separate story is yoga. The most best time for practice - morning, and all instructors recommend do yoga on an empty stomach... Even my little practice experience confirms that any food a couple of hours before the lesson interferes with comfortable studying. However, Olga Perevalova recommends having breakfast in this case too. But breakfast should be not just light, but very light - a glass of tea or water with lemon juice and a spoonful of honey.

Is it okay to eat during exercise

I'll clarify right away - this unexpected item appeared here only for those who prefer long workouts. For example, for long distance runners.

When I ran the 10 km race, more experienced runners I know in the middle of the distance took out small bags from their pockets and quickly sucked something jelly-like out of them. " Carbohydrate Supplements Are Really Good For Long, Intense Workouts- says Ekaterina Belova. - Energy resources need to be replenished. Those who choose this type of exercise, as a rule, have a little body fat and it is not so easily included in the process. It's easier to add carbohydrates and move on. "

Post-workout nutrition

It all depends on your type of load. If you do cardio, for example, only run, then your the main task is to restore glycogen stores, the so-called storage carbohydrate. “During training, you first consume blood glucose, then glycogen stores, and only then adipose tissue is connected,” says Ekaterina Belova. - If you do not restore glycogen stores immediately after exercise, then by itself this will take a very long time. You will slow down metabolic processes and reduce your stamina. " So if you're starving after running, don't expect progress.

Ekaterina Belova recommends 15 minutes after class drinking a milkshake, smoothie, water with carbohydrates, eating a fruit or drinking freshly squeezed juice. “By the way, this is the only moment when freshly squeezed juice, rich in quickly digestible carbohydrates, is really useful,” says Ekaterina Belova. "In other cases, slow carbohydrates are much preferable."

If you are interested in strengthening muscles or building muscle mass, then in post-workout nutrition, your second task is to comply with metabolic window rule... Be sure to eat something high in protein within two hours of class. It could be protein shake, cottage cheese or lean meat, poultry or fish.

Ekaterina Belova recommends shortening this period of time up to one hour: “If you do not eat in the first hour, then continue to postpone it. While I drove through traffic jams to the house, while I decided family matters and cooked dinner, then four hours would fly by unnoticed. It is better to take cottage cheese with you or have dinner after training in a cafe. "

The point of the metabolic window rule is, first and foremost, for the muscles to regenerate properly. If you do not "feed" them, there will be no result from even the most persistent practice. and rest and nutrition after exercise. “If you don't eat anything after exercise, the muscles begin to atrophy, weakness and malaise appear,” says Olga Perevalova.

In addition, eating well after exercise will help you start metabolism the next day... “If you burn 400 kcal or more per hour of fitness, your metabolism accelerates by 8-10 percent and returns to its previous state only in a day,” says Olga Perevalova. "And if you eat right all this time, you will lose weight and improve your body composition."

And of course, post-workout meals exclude all fatty, fried, sausages, flour and sweet foods. It can turn around overweight and cellulite even with vigorous training. But on by and large nutritionists recommend giving up these products not only after fitness, but in general always.

How do you organize your meals before and after your workout?

Delicious and healthy recipes you can find on our new service!